Chapter 31: Thirty one
'No matter what you know, I'll fix you with my love.'
– Lady Gaga
***
BANG!!!!
Within seconds, the sound of gunfire was heard again; the loud sound seemed to be getting closer, causing people to scatter to save themselves. The explosion from the firearm erupted a third time until it hit one of the billboards on the left side and left a gaping hole there. What should have been a happy day turned tense with the panicked screams of those who didn't want to die.
The man who was pointing the gun turned around with a sinister smile and then disappeared among the people who were fleeing. Then, look around to see if anyone else seems suspicious. It appears that the shooter acted alone and has now disappeared along with other people like victims. The pupils of my eyes kept looking around to make sure no one was shot, or at least the incident this time didn't result in any casualties.
I groaned as I moved my left arm and was immediately shocked to find that there was blood seeping out of it. My left arm was torn, or maybe there was a bullet lodged inside without me realizing it. Next, my head suddenly felt dizzy, seeing blood and lots of people running and bumping into my sore shoulder. Swiftly, Andre held me back and turned my body around; that very second, he glared and exclaimed,
"You're bleeding!"
Andre pressed my injured arm with the palm of his right hand, while his left hand grabbed his cell phone from his trouser pocket and called someone, "There's someone who attacked us. This must have something to do with that fuck!" he cursed. "My girl is hurt! I don't want to know; you must track him down now!"
Does this have anything to do with Billy?
I received treatment at NYU Medical Center, ten minutes from the scene. Together with the police, Andre explained the chronology and urged officers to look for the perpetrator, who is believed to be a city fugitive. Suddenly, the officer wearing a navy uniform asked for time because finding people on the People Wanted List was challenging. Immediately, I, who was being treated by medical staff, could only cry silently with my body shaking when I heard Andre get angry with them.
Apart from that, it turned out that there was indeed a hot lead lodged in his arm that required minor surgery to remove it. Either because I was lulled by suffocating fear or because the incident area was too crowded, I didn't realize that I had been shot. Am I weird? Fortunately, the doctor said that the bullet did not hit the left chest, which could have taken my life immediately. After receiving stitches on the gaping wound, the doctor advised me to rest while waiting for the police to ask for information.
###
Honestly, all night, I couldn't close my eyes calmly even though my body felt so tired. After the incident, Andre asked me to sleep at his residence after Emilia and my mother called. Emilia blamed Andre and told him to send me home, but the man didn't want to. Then, I told Emilia that I would be fine.
"Your mother is crying; why don't you answer your phone, Elizabeth Khan!" Emilia growled through Andre's loudspeaker telephone connection.
"I'll call her, don't worry, I just got shot in the arm, okay."
"Just! It's not just Elizabeth Khan! Don't you realize that she could have infiltrated--"
"You don't think my penthouse is safe enough?" Andre blurted out emotionally.
"Hey... never mind..." I tried to break up their argument. My head is dizzy. Andre took a deep breath; he also looked very tired, then grabbed the cell phone on the nightstand and said,
"Your friend needs to sleep, Emilia; if you're worried, come here."
Then Andre turned off the telephone, looked at me anxiously, and left the room after asking me forcefully to close my eyes. After he left, my mind went back to the shooter. Even though the figure wasn't precise, the voice and grin reminded me of my stepfather, who had returned after being missing for years. I don't know his motive for him to come and terrorize us; moreover... why was he a fugitive as reported? Who helped him escape? Is it also impossible for a man to escape with someone's help?
Who? Who would have the heart to let go of a psychopath like Billy?
Tears that I didn't realize just fell. My body suddenly shivered. I'm scared. Scared. What if, while I'm sleeping, he comes and strangles my neck? I quickly got up, ignoring the pain in my arm, and went out to look for Andre. I can't sleep alone, I... I need him next to me.
When I opened the room, the atmosphere was even more tense for some reason. There wasn't any sound except... my eyebrows knitted together to catch the faint sound of Andre grumbling as usual. I see a watch on hand circled on the left hand, which already shows one o'clock in the morning. If it were in my apartment, maybe by now, a sweet dream would have made me sleep until morning. But here, in a strange place after being presented with a hot lead, the sleepiness didn't interest me.
Andre's voice got closer as I strolled through white-painted rooms with bluish carpets that felt soft and soft. I stopped in one of the rooms with the door slightly, revealing Andre's bare back. My eyes widened, covering my mouth so as not to scream when he saw him only wearing trousers that hung on his hips.
From my position, he was still calling who knows who, occasionally mentioning my name. High curiosity finally gave me the courage to approach the door for more complete information. I wondered what he was talking about with other people, and my name got dragged into it.
"... I told you I will pay you whatever as long as he is found," said Andre. "Yes, of course. He endangered someone's life. That's your knowledge, not mine. Why would I hire an expensive detective if I could find him?"
Detective?
"You guys are looking for Billy Jenkins' track record in Texas; that's all the information my people can gather. I'll send the rest to you."
How did he know that Billy had lived in Texas?
"You might as well investigate further into Emilia Hall and my sister. And don't let anyone find out, okay."
My mouth was agape, with the hair on the back of my body standing up all at once. Why is he still suspicious of Emilia, and now Andre is prejudiced against his brother? Is he crazy?
The man turned around for a moment, making his brain tell his feet to get out of there. No. This is strange; I'm sure there's something else he's hiding. A big secret that no one, including their adoptive parents, could reveal.
Andre... who exactly are you?