The crew-cut man, perhaps retaining a shred of humanity, spoke to Captain, but the old man's response was far from conciliatory. With a defiant look on his face, Captain retorted,
"I'm afraid of neither barking dogs nor scratching cats, least of all you lot."
The crew-cut man's face darkened, his temper flaring as he shouted,
"Alright then, let's send this old geezer off to meet his maker!"
At that, the group raised their guns and pulled the triggers.
Umee shut her eyes tightly, too terrified to witness what was about to unfold. She thought Captain had gone mad—absolutely insane. Did he think bullets were toys? How could he provoke them like that? If Captain died, what would be the point of her living? Curling up, she began to sob uncontrollably.
But…
One.
Two.
Three.
Three seconds passed, and yet, there was no sound of gunfire.
Umee's fear-stricken face slowly softened, and she cautiously opened her eyes. Outside, the thugs were staring at their guns in confusion, repeatedly pulling the triggers, but nothing happened. They looked like frustrated housewives squeezing the last drop of dish soap from an empty bottle.
The group was baffled. Why weren't the guns firing? Why weren't there any bullets? Had their weapons malfunctioned?
Desperate, they dismantled the guns to check. What they found left them speechless—there wasn't a single bullet in the chambers.
Their eyes widened in shock, and they looked at each other in disbelief.
"How… how is this possible?"
Where had the bullets gone? They were sure the guns had been fully loaded before they left. It was impossible for seasoned criminals like them to carry empty weapons.
While the group was still fumbling with their guns, Halley's frustration boiled over. Her face twisted in anger as she remembered their repeated failures, like the time they had let Umee escape. Her fists clenched, and her gaze turned venomous as she looked at Umee, who was sitting wide-eyed inside the car.
Suddenly, Halley stormed forward, yanked the car door open, and dragged Umee out.
"Ah!" Umee screamed as Halley grabbed her by the hair and pulled hard, tears streaming down her face from the pain. Fear, shock, and agony swirled in Umee's chest, overwhelming her completely.
Halley dragged her toward Captain, her lips curling into a cruel smile. She reached for the pendant around her neck, opening it to reveal a hidden blade. Holding the blade against Umee's throat, she sneered,
"No matter what, I'm taking this girl's life today. You think you can stop me, old man? Not a chance."
Umee trembled in fear, feeling the cold steel pressed against her neck. Was this how it would end? Was she truly powerless to escape her fate? She glanced at Captain, silently begging him to leave, to save himself.
As Halley's hand began to press the blade against Umee's skin, a sharp "thwack" sounded. A stone flew through the air and struck Halley's wrist with a forceful impact. The sound of the collision was loud enough to echo in Umee's ears. Halley cried out in pain, dropping the blade as she stumbled back, caught by the crew-cut man.
Umee stood frozen in disbelief, her mind reeling.
"Get over here now!" Captain's voice broke through her daze.
Snapping out of it, Umee rushed to Captain's side. The moment she grabbed his hand, the floodgates of her emotions burst open. She clung to him, sobbing uncontrollably, all the fear and pain she had endured spilling out like a torrent.
Captain wiped her tears hastily before tugging her hand.
"Run!"
Behind them, Halley, clutching her injured wrist, forced herself up and shouted,
"Catch them! Don't let them escape!"
The remaining thugs, though injured from their earlier fight with Captain, immediately pursued the pair. Despite their injuries, the men were still more than capable of catching up to a frail old man and a terrified young woman.
But after chasing for a while, the thugs found themselves at a loss. Captain and Umee had disappeared without a trace.
On the straight road, with no intersections, no cover save for a cliff on one side and a steep hill on the other, the two fugitives seemed to have vanished into thin air. The thugs slowed to a halt, exchanging wary glances. Something felt off about this entire situation.
They returned to Halley and the crew-cut man.
Halley's eyes narrowed in disbelief as she asked,
"Where are they?"
"We… we lost them," one of the men stammered.
Halley slammed her foot onto one of the discarded guns in frustration, spitting her words through clenched teeth,
"Damn it! Damn it! How could an old man and a girl escape like this?"
She turned to the group of thugs, pointing an accusatory finger at them.
"This is all your fault! You idiots can't even handle something this simple. Guns without bullets? You—"
Her voice faltered, choked by her own fury.
The crew-cut man quickly interjected,
"Miss, please calm down. This is on us. But let's not forget, we need to return to the Kimberly family soon. If you're this upset, they'll notice something's off."
He added in a low voice,
"It's just a small setback. No big deal. We already know where that old man and Umee live. Sooner or later, we'll deal with them."
Halley took a deep breath, forcing herself to regain her composure. He was right; she needed to stay calm if she wanted to succeed.
She turned back to head toward their car, only to remember that it had a blown tire. The realization struck her, and she frowned. The crew-cut man's lackeys still hadn't shown up. Where were they?
---
Meanwhile, Umee was running slowly, her legs barely keeping up.
Captain, though quick on his feet, kept pausing to wait for her, making their escape feel more like a leisurely stroll.
As they ran, Umee glanced over her shoulder and was startled to see that their pursuers were no longer behind them.
"Where are they? Did we lose them?" she asked, tugging at Captain's sleeve.
Captain nodded.
"Looks like we ran too fast for them to keep up."
Relieved, Umee finally stopped, clutching her chest as she panted heavily.
"Guess I'm faster than I thought," she muttered, half-laughing through her tears. The realization that they were safe hit her like a wave, and she broke down crying again, throwing her arms around Captain.
"Thank you so much! I can't believe you actually came to save me. Thank you!"
Captain stood stiffly, letting her cry into his chest, her tears and snot soaking his shirt.
He remained silent, unsure of what to say or do.
After a while, Umee's sobbing subsided, and she pulled away, sniffling. But as she did, she heard a faint, rhythmic sound—*thump-thump, thump-thump.*
Curious, she pressed her ear against Captain's chest and realized it was the sound of his heartbeat, strong and fast.
"What are you doing!?" Captain exclaimed, startled, as he quickly pushed her away. His face reddened, and he turned away, trying to compose himself.
Umee, however, remained innocent and oblivious. She placed a hand on her own chest but found no such sound.
"Why doesn't my chest feel like yours? Why can't I hear my own heartbeat?" she asked, puzzled.
Captain was taken aback, fumbling for a response.
"Uh… well… that's because your heart is already inside my chest."
He immediately regretted his words, cursing his nonsensical explanation.
"Wait, what do you mean?" Umee asked, her curiosity piqued.
Captain sighed, resigning himself to her relentless questioning.
"Fine. I'm just… keeping your heart safe, that's all. You're too naive, and I can't risk someone stealing it. That's why my heart beats twice as fast—once for me and once for you."
Umee tilted her head, considering his answer.
"Does that mean you haven't shared your warmth with the world?"
Captain nearly lost his patience but managed to stay calm, responding through gritted teeth.
"I'm sharing it with you, aren't I? That's enough."
Satisfied with his answer, Umee nodded. Captain seized the moment to cut the conversation short.
"Alright, let's head back. It's lunchtime."
"Okay!" she replied cheerfully.