{âŠfor this unfortunate incident, LAPD is prioritizing the safety of Noah Raycarlton and Haley Lusk, who are held as hostagesâŠ.}
{The negotiating team is in the middle of trying to contact the abductors butâŠ}
{âŠWe donât know why Haley Lusk suddenly ran to the captorsâ car yet. The authorities are trying to find out whether he is one of the accomplicesâŠ-}
It was their story on television all the timeâŠ
{Raycarlton and Rebecca issued a joint statement on this.
The two families wonât ask for any punishment if Noah and Haley were retuned unharmed. But if the abductors hurt a single strand of their hair, they will do whatever they can and cruelly avenge themâŠ.}
On another channel, a video was released of Noahâs mother, Kelly Rebecca, crying and screaming, âLeave my son alone!â She was going through the incident a second time that which others normally donât experience even once and ended up fainting. Edgar Raycarlton held her and shouted at the cameras to move away with a scary expression.
The whole world was ablaze about this horrible incident. They all hoped Noah Raycarlton, who was beloved by the Americans, would return safely. Just like 20 years ago.
ââŠ-Turn off the TV.â
Said Aaron. Ashley looked at him like she didnât even want to answer and simply unplugged the TV cord.
She took in a breath, wearing a devastated expression. Why did things turn out to be like this? She always lived dangerously, like a mayfly, but she never thought of being caught in a situation where she canât do anything. It wasnât her intention from the beginning. When Aaron killed Mason and told her to choose a side while pointing a gun, Ashley realized that this path was predestined for her.
No one survived after betraying Zii. Killing a superior and stealing an item that the Zii was looking for, was as good as abandoning any thought of dying peacefully.
But maybe, she thought, maybe they will have a way to survive if they could make a deal with the Raycarlton household. If they had the thing they wanted, then maybe, they could survive.
âAh, right. I wanted to see you guys make exactly those expressions. The expression showing that the only choice you guys have got is hopelessness-âŠâ
Ashleyâs vision turned blurry when she heard Noahâs cruel words. It was not as if she wanted to be in this situation.
Ashley went pale; she glanced at Aaron and turned away. Noah was in Haleyâs embrace, his eyes closed, as he collapsed. Red blood was spreading on the ground, wetting it.
The first thing Noah noticed after he got shot was that Mason was screaming painfully.
Within a moment his body was trembling in pain, like getting struck by a lightening, but Noah only thought sweetly, âAm I dreaming? If so, I hope I donât wake up.â
When Noahâs condition was the worst, he didnât dream about getting abducted or a repetition of Mason leaving him. Contrary to his condition, which was very bad, his dream was very sweet and happy.
In his dream, Mason didnât leave or die, but stayed with him. Noah was lying down with a fever and Mason touched his forehead and asked, âAre you okay?â He was next to him sporting a worried expression.
Knowing that it was a dream, Noah was anxious and afraid during the dream, and when the borderline of dream and reality became hazy, he woke up. As much as the dream was sweet, the reality was miserable and horrible.
So Noah worried what if this reality was a dream. If it was, he wanted to die, so he doesnât have to wake up forever.
Mason held him and was desperately calling, âNoah, -Noah!â with a pale face.
Noah pretended to be in more pain and moaned lowly. Mason frowned like he was going to cry soon.
âNoah, wake up. Are you okay? Noah!â
Masonâs hand, which embraced him, shuddered. Enwrapped in that hot heat, Noah gulped down and leaned his cheek against Masonâs arm.
As he pretended to be weak, holding his breathe and let his body tremble, Mason bit his lips like he canât even say a word. â-Why did youâŠ.?â It seemed like he was asking why did he agitate them. Noah burrowed deeper into his arms and mumbled, ââŠ.It hurts.â
âAre you kiddingâŠ.,â
Of course it hurts when you get shot, do you have to get shot to know that. Mason got shot multiple times. Most of them werenât critical, but no matter where it was, it hurt like hell.
The gunshot wound in the middle of Noahâs arm wasnât critical, but it was dangerous. This place was too dirty and humid and moreover, they werenât in a situation to run to a hospital right away.
Mason kept huffing and puffing as he watched Noah, who was soaked in sweat, pouring out his blood.
Mason was the type to turn cold when faced with a bad situation. His brain spun better under a critical situation, and thanks to that, he had made several comebacks and saved several lives. He didnât have to try to be cold; he was naturally that way.
But now, Mason was trying to detach himself from this situation. He forcefully calmed his shaking arms and pressed on Noahâs shoulder. There was a limit to how much blood he could stop with just his hands, and a scarily large amount of blood was pouring out.
Mason asked Ashley and Ashley, who was sitting down on the floor, blankly stared at Aaron before she got up to untie Mason and Noahâs arms and legs.
â-What are you doing?â
Aaron stood up and pointed his gun at Ashley and she just glared back at him.
âWhat am I doing? I want to live at least one or two more hours. Do you know itâll all be over if this man dies right now?â
âWe have one more hostage.â
âDonât be stupid,â Aaron said threateningly, and Ashley sneered.
âOne more? Will that manâs household also think like that? If they confirm that he is dead, the Raycarlton household will bomb this building right away.â
Ashley replied coldly and cut the tapes that were tying Masonâs wrist and legs with a knife. Aaron shook with rage, kicked a chair and stepped out.
Mason took off his top right away after she untied his wrist and pressed it on Noahâs shoulder. Ashley brought an emergency kit that had some bandages and antiseptic and tossed it to him. She sat down on a chair with a tired face and turned on the T.V.
{âŠ-According to Fred Ralph, who was caught on the scene, the criminals did not plan this beforeâŠ,}
Mason just glimpsed at the T.V. that was telling their story and turned back to Noah again. Noah, who was drenched with blood and cold sweat, was breathing faintly and digging deeper into his embrace.
Mason sanitized a small pair of scissors in the emergency kit with fire and poured the antiseptic on Noahâs wound.
Mason pushed a part of his clothes into Noahâs moaning mouth and murmured, âItâs going to hurt.â He pushed a knife into his wound. He quickly found the bullet and pulled it out and put a cotton pad on the wound and bound it tightly with the bandage.
After the first aids treatment was done, Mason took out the piece of cloth in Noahâs mouth and checked his forehead.
Mason confirmed that the blood had stopped on Noahâs, whose eyes were half closed, forehead, and calmly measured how long he could withstand. About 30 minutes? Could he stand it that long? I donât know. He looks okay now, but if he doesnât get the blood transfusion right away, heâll go into shock and after that I canât imagine whatâll happen. âŠ-He could even die. Iâve seen many people die of simpler causes. Mason stroked Noahâs, whose eyes were closed, cheeks as he panted lightly.
Noah asked in a small voice like a child and Mason stared at his face as he smiled faintly. He was definitely a bigger man than himself, but Mason felt heartbreaking sadness and pity as he embraced his shoulders. Unlike when he was a child, the smell of blood was strong. But warm and wetâŠ. he felt a heart beating slowly. A fragile creature that will die soon if you let go.
Mason inhaled deeply. He felt like he knew why he was acting like this in front of this man. He felt like he knew why he was always on his mind.
Mason mostly didnât realize it himself, but it must have been a very touching moment for him to save Noah.
There was long stirring in his chest when he had found a dying Noah inside a small bag, after having lived all his days dry and indifferently. A small child who couldnât be if it werenât him. It was only him who heard the heartbreaking bag scratching sound amongst many people on the street. Only he delivered Noah out of that small bag and held him like this.
Was everything predestined?
Mason stared at Ashley, who was watching T.V. with red-rimmed eyes and then looked at Noah. Here was Noah, who only could be saved by him, and then there was Aaron and Ashley, who had killed him. And now, Aaron and Ashley were trying to kill Noah. They never had any interaction, but they, who had no reasons to meet, were all brought together up to here.
Can all of this really be a coincidence?
Maybe the reason why he transferred into Haleyâs body was because it was going to turn out like this.
He never blamed destiny while he was alive and never believed in the existence of God, but even Mason thought that this moment might be the Godâs will.
If not, how did Noah end up in his embrace so fast?
Mason pressed his lips on Noahâs cheek. A wet and soft cheek touched his lips, and Noah slightly opened his eyes. And closed it again probably because he didnât have any energy.
ââŠ.Donât fall asleep until you meet another person outside.â
Mason quietly whispered to Noah and raised his head. He called Ashley, who was looking their way.
âBring him in, Ashley. I want to negotiate with you guys.â
She opened her eyes wide, and Mason smiled bitterly.
âââââââââââââââââââââ-
Okayyyy what are you gonna do Mason?!!\n