Crimson Instinct

Chapter 3: Not interested in your job

*Bai Li*

'Can this day get any worse?'

Wasn't not getting a cup of coffee enough that I bumped into a woman trying to pick my pockets? I gripped her neck and asked,

"Who are you?"

I sensed her failing her arms, and I heard her taking rapid, short breaths. I smelled a sweet scent. But then suddenly I couldn't pay attention to her.

Because then I heard a soft sound of something metallic, clinking against another metal, probably against a pole. I heard a click that I have listened to at least a thousand times in my whole profession. I instantly knew what was going to happen.

It was unmistakable. Fourteen years in the army had taught me to save my ass.

Somebody was going to shoot.

And then I had a second before the bullet could hit the woman or me. I grabbed the woman's arm and jumped onto one side.

Bang!

The shot missed, but it was a close call. Then I heard footsteps, rapid and urgent, closing in on us. I focussed and shunned all the other noises I could listen to, concentrating solely on the distinct sound of the footsteps.

Two? No, three. Three men. Which was not a bad fight necessarily.

"Stay where you are, or I will shoot." One of the men spoke first, which I understood as the leader.

The leader is this mysterious sort of creature who always liked to establish his dominance, so he was the one who always talked first. I didn't hear any sound of breathing behind my back, so the three men most probably were standing in front of me, with the leader standing in the center.

He was the leader, so the other two are his minions, which means that if I beat the shit out of him, then the other two would automatically back out, sparing me the effort to beat them up too.

I sensed him coming closer and closer towards me.

"You woman! Come here, and nobody will get hurt."

I felt that she tugged my shirt, which I considered as she was anxious.

The man spoke again, "Heh! Do you think that this man can save you?" I gathered he was talking to the woman, but I didn't hear her speak.

Strange.

"He is just one, and we are three. Is there even any chance of winning?"

There you said it. Thanks for confirming that you were three people.

"Come here, or I will shoot this guy."

That's it. He was close enough for me to attack, standing almost in a straight line like me.

Do it first, and do it fast.

Now, I'm going by the statistics that ninety percent of the population is righty. So, I raised my right hand and grabbed his wrist. I lowered it and pulled him forward towards me.

Smack!

I headbutted him full in the face. At the same time, I squeezed his wrist hard, hearing a 'crack.'

"Ah!!!" He groaned painfully.

I took this moment to snatch his gun.

Good. Now I had a weapon.

But I didn't stop there. With the gun in my left hand, I grabbed his neck and bent it down. I lifted my right knee and smashed straight up at his facea solid knee uppercut.

With the headbutt and now this uppercut, his face must have caved inwards by now. I thrusted another knee kick right in his gut, and he tumbled down like a fallen domino.

The leader was out.

I swung my arm, roughly aiming the gun right at his two minion's faces. And as expected, they didn't fire a shot because they were simply too dumb. They might have never seen their leader lose, and now it all happened in a split second.

Now, if they were smart enough, they should know not to mess with me, but from my left, at roughly forty degrees, I felt a gust of wind passing me. Which meant a minion was preparing to attack. So, I didn't waste any time and shot him.

I didn't aim, and as long as blood was spilled, the work was done. I knew because I heard his painful cry.

Now, only one minion was left, but by now, he must have definitely understood who is faster among both of us, and I was absolutely sure that he wouldn't make the same mistake as his fellow minion.

Which proved to be true when I heard him running away, his footsteps were growing farther and farther away from me.

I turned my head to the left, roughly estimating where the woman should be standing. "You are welcome."

I turned to leave and started walking in the other direction. I had to destroy my fingerprints on this gun and dump it somewhere where it would never be found.

Then I suddenly felt a small hand holding onto my wrist, stopping me in my way. I aimed the gun on that person's forehead.

"Who?"

But I didn't hear anything. I guessed she was the same woman.

"Are you the woman from the before?"

No answer.

Then I heard her fumble. She was going through something. I had no idea what it was.

A few seconds later, I heard a robotic voice.

"Yes, I'm the same woman. Thank you for saving me."

It was a second late, but I realized what was going on. "You cannot talk?"

A wait of a fraction of a second.

"Yes."

I figured she was using her phone, converting text to speech.

"I see. I understand now why the goon was replying to you, but I didn't hear you talk. You must be signaling me."

"Yes." Once again, I heard the robotic voice. "I guess you cannot see?"

"For five years."

Five seconds.

"But how did you fight so well? Against three men? It didn't look like all that you cannot see."

"Life in an army has its advantages."

"You are a soldier?"

"Was. As of two days, I'm not."

Then there was silence. I heard the voice again.

"What was your rank?"

"Major."

"What kind of work did you do in the army?

"Is this an interview for a job?"

"Kind of."

"Thank you so much for seeing me as a potential candidate, but no thanks because I'm not interested in your job."

I said, "Well, it was nice meeting you. Bye."

"Please wait."

Even though the robotic voice failed to convey it, I sensed an urgency in the tone.

"I need your help."