Chapter 14: Shocked

Zhou Qi, with light steps, moved towards the unnumbered warehouse. The slaughterhouse. Although, he knew that he would find none alive in the place. He still chose to check again.

There were no armed kidnappers or anything.

The unnumbered warehouse was like a morgue, a freezer. It stood still in silence. It looked like a big butcher house. Seeing the number of dead bodies lying everywhere. He almost puked his guts out. The hooked bodies were an abomination to behold.

Zhou Qi wondered why the dumb mutts wouldn't simply dispose of these bodies away. Or at least, burn it away to avoid shreds of evidence piling up. The way they handled this place raises a lot of questions.

Of course, unless they still have a use for it.

"A use for it? Fish feed? Animals!?"

A series of questions flooded the mind of Zhou Qi. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and wished peace for these poor souls. He moved on to the next place, deciding not to stay there for even a minute.

"Warehouse no. 4."

On his way, Zhou Qi clicked something from his earpiece.

"Cheng Shi, you hear me?"

"Affirmative."

"How are things over there?"

"Done, Can I go for the warehouse one?"

"Wait for me, I'll wipe no 4. Then, we'll go. I just saw a butcher house over here."

"Hmnn. I'll wait."

With his vigilance escalating, he strode his metal bat and Sig-Sauer in tow. Zhou Qi lowered his head, saving energy for any possible encounter. Despite knowing that the armed kidnappers were weaker than him and Cheng Shi. He knew that one wrong move could produce casualties on the side of the captives.

Zhou Qi arrived at warehouse 4. The lights were also open, peaking through the door. He saw two armed men shouting. The first one was roaring something, he was swinging his gun at the captives.

The captives inside the cages were shaking, the little kids were putting their hands into their ears. Terror manifesting in their eyes, their body trembling.

Zhou Qi pasted himself on the walls, walking nearer and nearer. It was fortunate that many of the kidnappers were still glued on the boxes outside.

"The hell! Who's the f*cker who sold us?!"

"You? You?! Or you bighead?!"

Zhou Qi saw another man sitting on a small metal stool. He was smoking. Still, he could see the man's handshaking. His shoes tapping the floor.

"Stop that Monkey! Calm down a little." He reached out to his pockets. He gave the shouting man a cigarette.

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"Thanks, Boss." The man called monkey heaved a little, his bloodshot eyes cooling down a little. "You shaking?"

"Anxiety. I need some things out."

The man called Monkey pulled out a lighter. With a flick, the tip of his cigarette turned bright orange. A puff of smoke flew out with his every breath.

"Boss tell me? Are we going to die?"

"Don't jinx it f*cker. I already called back up. I don't know if the big boss received it."

…

A short silence loomed before the two kidnappers.

"Can I kill some boss? I want to relieve some anxiety. I'm getting much stressed."

"Go, but not too much. Oh, check on Big ears for me first. I wonder if the new brat confessed already." The man puffed out white smoke in the air from his air pipe.

Zhou Qi immediately took out his phone and saw a message from Fatty Jhin: "Traced already."

"As fast as ever." Zhou Qi praised Fatty in his heart.

Monkey moved the M16 on his hand, his shoes striding towards the door. "Fine boss, I'll get a few kicks in for ya."

"Closed the door Monkey! I need some alone time to think."

"Sure Boss."

Zhou Qi's eyes shone after seeing a chance. Looking around, Zhou Qi saw no place to hide. Zhou Qi's brain dashed again. He raised his head and thought of a solution.

Zhou Qi put his pistol beside the door. Just enough for Monkey to spot.

With his metal bat in toe, he jumped above the office like corridors. He used the metal bat and his feet to support his weight. With his strength stat reaching five, he was loaded enough to pull this through.

…

Zhou Qi jumped and hid in the ceiling, his two hands and feet supporting his body. The loan shark was like a mantis waiting for his prey. A spider waiting for his prey. A loan shark hunting an unpaid debtor. He is a mafia boss in a sense. So who cares?

The moment Monkey closed the door. The dumb mutt propelled his body towards warehouse no 6. In the corners of his eyes, Monkey saw a pistol lying below. He cursed, wondering who was the goon who left a pistol in the middle of the hallways. He lowered his head, trying to pick up the pistol. And then…

Thump.

Monkey's brain matter and red blood splattered on the ground. Dyeing the floor blood red, fresh blood rained down on the pistol he was supposed to pick.

Before landing on the floor, Zhou Qi caught the dead man's body, dragging it to the side.

Zhou Qi immediately picked up his favorite pistol.

"A bit disgusting, but oh well, it completed its job perfectly."

He eyed it for a moment, promising himself to give it a good cleaning later.

…

Everything was perfect a few hours ago. All they were waiting for was the delivery of goods. The collector was surely come tonight. They're supposed to get the payment tonight. But, what the heck went wrong!? He couldn't even contact the big boss as if someone jammed their communication.

Soon, Bran's cigarette reached its tip, embers flickering as it fell as ashes. With every breath he took. He felt stuffier as if he ate shit and can't spit it out.

Bran's eyes twitched. Anxiety was eating him from the inside and out. The gazes of the captives felt like needles, those fearful eyes were somehow making him jittery. A good smoke was not enough. He realized he needed someone to talk to.

A company to ease his fears. He looked at his hands, it was shaking.

"Damn bastards! What the heck are ya looking at?!"

Bran saw the captives shaking like him. The shout made the caged captives scramble into the deepest part of their cages. Seeing this, Bran's anxiety calmed a little.

Picking up his gun, he stood up. He decided to follow after Monkey. Maybe he only needed somewhat to talk to. Anyway, this place is so damn uncomfortable.

"Gonna take some leak. Wait, what?!"

The moment he opened the door, he saw everything dyed in red.

He shook. A cold wind rushed towards his back.

Bran's face contorted. When he was about to close the door again, he saw Monkey's body with the head caved in. The body was spasming. It was still fresh.

He turned his head below and saw letters of blood. Something was written on the floor.

"I saw it…a ghost. It's gonna take you too."

All of a sudden he saw bloody fingers upon the door. It was preventing him from closing the door. The armed man's mind went blank. He clenched his heart with his right hand, he was given a shock of a lifetime. Something wet dripped down from his pants, a sour scent spreading in the room.

With a powerful pull coming from the hand, he stumbled and lost his grip on the door. In a short blink, Bran saw the bloody hand zooming to his face, blocking his eyesight.

Bam.

That was the last thing he saw before he fell and lost consciousness… forever.