Chapter 21

Chapter 21
THE WOMAN WITH THE GUN

Point of View: Luna Hart

As the woman with the pistol emerges from the warehouse's shadows, my heart beats quickly. She had hawk-like eyes and a scarf covering her face. Her voice is low as she points the rifle at us. As she looks at Mr. Cole, she says, "You shouldn't have trusted him." Police sirens blare as red and blue lights shoot through the windows. As Ethan stands before my mother, who is still strapped to the chair, her eyes wide and terrified, his smile wanes and his face turns pale. The knife-wielding man retreats, his weapon trembling. Mr. Cole moves front of me, his face stern and his hands up. My stomach twists so painfully. Due to our fictitious marriage, I, Luna Hart, the lost girl from Hart Global, am hiding my secret while residing in Mr. Cole's penthouse. We were trapped by Aunt Victoria, Ethan, and the man with the knife, but now that the cops are here, the situation is getting worse because of this new woman with the pistol.

A police voice shouts, "Drop the gun!" as the warehouse floor echoes with the sound of their footsteps.

With her rifle fixed on Mr. Cole, the woman remains still. "You betrayed us, Adrian," she utters in a furious tone. "You were meant to assist."

Mr. Cole's face turns pale and his eyes widen. "I didn't," he adds in a tremulous voice. "I promise."

With icy hands, I take hold of his arm. "What is she discussing?" I spoke with a tiny whisper. My mother is struggling in her chair, her face crimson, her ropes taut.

The woman chuckles, but not in a joyful way. "Luna, he said he would get you. For Hart Worldwide. He did, however, lie.

My heart stops. Cole, Mr. Assisting them? I gaze at him, tears in my eyes. He has been nice and has defended me, but now his eyes are not meeting mine and his face has a guilty expression. His voice is faint as he says, "Luna, it's not true."

With their weapons drawn, police stormed in and yelled, "Hands up! Put down the gun!

The woman swings her rifle as she turns. Ethan seizes my mother's chair and draws her back into the darkness. The knife-wielding man flees, vanishing behind boxes. With trembling legs, I yell, "Mom!" and sprint after her.

Mr. Cole takes hold of my hand and tugs. His voice is hard once more as he repeats, "Stay with me."

My heart breaks as I jerk free. "You told a lie?" I shout, raising my voice above the din.

His eyes are sad as he shakes his head. "I didn't. Believe me.

I'm not sure whom to believe. My ears ring when the woman fires her gun with a loud bang. She falls, her scarf falling off as the police fire back. Her face reminds me of someone from my mother's old photos. My stomach turns around. Who is she?

I chase after my mother and Ethan into the darkness. The dark warehouse is made up of tall boxes that resemble walls. My palms are sweating, and I'm breathing quickly. "Mom!" My voice echoes as I whisper-yell.

My mouth is covered by a hand that drags me behind a crate. With my heart pounding, I struggle. His breath is hot against my ear, and it's the man with the knife. His sword is cold against my neck as he hisses, "Quiet."

My eyes get wet and I freeze. The woman and Mr. Cole are being yelled at by distant police voices. I give the man a powerful leg kick, and he grunts as his hold relaxes. He cries and drops the knife as I bite his hand. I sprint in the direction of a light at the back, my legs burning.

Cold air slapped my face as I bounded out a side door. The engine of the black van is running. With her lips muffled and her hands bound, Ethan is pushing my mother within. "No!" I run at them and shout.

With nasty eyes, Ethan turns. He grabs me and says, "You're next."

My heart thumping, I duck. Over his shoulder, my mother's terrified but determined eyes find mine. He stumbles after she kicks him. I take hold of her arm and drag her away. "Go!" With a harsh voice, I yell.

With our feet pounding the damp earth, we sprint along the lane. Ethan's footsteps are audible behind us. Now that her hands are free, my mom's ropes are loose. She takes hold of my hand and squeezes it tightly. She says, "This way," and draws me over to a fence.

My coat tears on the wire as we climb over. We touch down in a different, deserted street. My legs hurt and I'm breathing quickly as we run. I turn to see Ethan scaling the barrier, his face flushed. "You can't get away!" he shouts.

My mother leads me through a narrow doorway into an ancient structure with shattered windows. It smells like dust and is dark inside. Our breaths are loud as we shelter behind a wall. Outside, Ethan's footsteps come and go. My stomach aches even though my heart slows down a bit. "Who was the gun-wielding woman?" My voice is shaky as I whisper.

With mournful eyes, my mother shakes her head. "I'm not sure. However, she was acquainted with Adrian.

My throat tightens as I nod. Was Mr. Cole lying? Although his face showed guilt, he claimed not to have. I think about my mother's photo as I touch the locket in my pocket. Who am I supposed to trust?

We wait in the silence of the night, in the dark. My mother gives me a tender embrace. She murmurs, "We'll find a safe place." "With each other."

I nod, tears in my eyes. "All right."

The streets are deserted as we slip out. My mother leads the route as we walk quickly. She claims to know a secret location. Having her at my side makes my heart a little lighter. However, as we round a bend, a car with dazzling lights approaches. My stomach turns around. Through the glass, Mr. Cole can be seen with a troubled expression. "Luna! Enter now!

With my hand in my mother's, I freeze. Is he good or bad? With terrified eyes, my mother pulls me back. "Don't," she murmurs.

Mr. Cole raises his hands and exits. "I can explain," he adds in a quiet voice. "The lady—she told lies. I never gave them any assistance.

The woman's comments keep repeating in my mind, even though I want to believe him. "You were wrong to put your trust in him."

Police sirens blare in the distance, approaching. Mr. Cole's face is strained as he stares back. "Please, Luna. They will arrive. Let me assist you.

I see my mother's uncertain face. My heart pounding, I take a step forward. "All right," I say in a low voice. "But I will never trust you again if you lie."

His eyes are sorrowful as he nods. "I refuse to."

The engine hums as we climb into the car and head out. My mother's icy fingers grip my hand. The city lights flash by as Mr. Cole speeds by. "Where are we heading?" With a weak voice, I ask.

With his gaze fixed on the road, he continues, "A safe place." "Avoid Victoria and Ethan."

My stomach continues to twist as I nod. The dark streets appear fuzzy when I gaze out the window. But then I saw a car with dazzling lights behind us. It is pursuing us. My heart stops. I shout, "There's someone behind us."

Mr. Cole's face is steely as he looks in the mirror. He speeds up and says, "Hold on."

The loud engine of the car behind approaches. I notice a face—Ethan's—with a cruel smirk as a window rolls down. He's not going to give up.

The automobile skids as Mr. Cole makes a quick curve. My mother snatches me in her arms. The next automobile closes as we speed through the streets. We tremble when Ethan's automobile bumps into ours. With my heart racing, I scream.

Once more, Mr. Cole veers into a little alley. The automobile that follows has blinding lights. The river below was black when we bounded out onto a bridge. We spin as Ethan's car slams into us, the guardrail approaching quickly. My mother screams while cradl
ing me.

We plummet toward the ocean as the automobile smashes through the rail.