"You idiot-!"
I muttered under my breath when I realized Pietro's subordinate hiding behind the shadow had come out – gun in hand, aimed at Haide.
I pulled out Cecily and turned my body, aiming her at our enemies. But I was a beat too late and the bullet from Pietro's subordinate hit my arm, knocking Cecily out of my hand.
BANG! BANG!
Gunshots were exchanged before I could feel a hand pulling my arm.
"Run!"
Haide whispered as he pulled me back to the entrance. To my surprise, there were people backing us up when we ran away.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunshots forced the white faction members to hide behind their walls, making time for the two of us to safely escape outside.
"Everyone…"
I mumbled when I saw the faces of my team members. They all had different expressions as they watched Haide and I ran hand-in-hand.
"I'll explain later, let's get out of this place first." I assured my teammates, before we each rode our motorcycles.
"I'll ride." Haide offered as he started the engine. Sitting behind him, I took a glance back.
As expected, Pietro's mercenaries relentlessly chased after us. With Haide's authority no longer in effect, the white faction members also started chasing them. Observing their faces one by one, I let out a sigh.
"This is why I tell you to grow trust between your members, Haide."
No matter how many times you threatened them, people would still rebel and would rather choose to die if it were related to their freedom.
The same would happen to this world sooner or later. It was only because of 'faith' that we, humanity, had been holding back in getting the justice we should have since the start.
Once that faith wanes, and flaws in these fanatic beliefs were exposed, we might finally do what we considered 'right' – not from the bad and good decided by gods, but from what humanity considered morally good and bad.
"Do you remember the abandoned dock I showed you before?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Let's head there, they won't let us go before deaths occurred anyway."
Before we knew it, this had become an unexpected large-scale war between two factions – one we didn't know the end of.
BEEP!
[Haide, I've prepared the item. Where should I bring this to?]
A familiar voice was heard coming from Haide's pocket. Now that I realized it, there was a walkie-talkie hung on his waist, one that was connected to Keith.
"Bring it to the abandoned dock in northern Vienna. One with a huge collapsed crane beside a resort."
[Roger.]
And the walkie-talkie ended with a beep.
"Huh… So you managed to tame that one too huh?" I mumbled.
All the years I had known him, Keith wasn't one to easily obey other people and do errands like this. But I guess Haide's way of ruling was effective to some extent.
Haide scoffed at my words, "He's a difficult one. I need to do everything to bring him under my control. Thankfully he's a sensible one, unlike those ordering mercenaries to kill us."
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunshots rang again as my members were shooting the mercenaries.
Fortunately, the dock was nearby, so we could immediately use its open area and find cover between the rusted shipping containers.
"Take me to the white container."
"Alright."
I signaled my members to follow us as I instructed Haide.
When the motorcycle came to a stop, I jumped off it and ran to the container's door. Rummaging my pocket to take out a key.
"Haa… shit."
My hands trembled as I tried to insert the key into its keyhole. Because of my heat, every movement seemed so hard to do.
"Let me help."
Haide took the key from my hand and unlocked the lock, then he creaked open the steel lock and pulled open the metal door. Musty, damp air immediately blasted on our skin.
Spotting a box in the middle of it, I quickly ran inside, took it and spoke to Haide as I walked toward him again, "We need to set this up for your members-"
I stopped my words when I saw a glint of metal in the corner of my eye. A person nimbly rushed toward Haide from behind, who was standing in front of the door. It was one of the mercenaries holding a knife, eyes locked on Haide in front of him.
"Haide!"
I ran and pulled Haide to my embrace before spinning my body around and kicked the knife from his hand.
"!!!"
He widened his eyes in surprise, but it didn't take long for him to regain composure and switch to a gun.
Seeing him pulling the trigger, I tackled Haide with me as we ducked.
CRASH!
We both fell down with me being on top of Haide.
I took the Glock hanging from his waist as I turned around. The grip was unfamiliar but I still pulled the trigger.
BANG!
"Ugh!"
The mercenary slowly collapsed as he gripped his stomach. My bullet had dug deep into the organ.
Seeing his eyes turned lifeless, I stood up as I held the box in my hand, signaling Haide to rise to his feet, "Let's go."
He stared at me as he stood up, "Such a cold man, aren't you?"
"Haa… We wouldn't be in this situation if you led your team better." I handed him his gun as we went out of the white container.
He sighed, "Yeah, I'm sorry, this is a mess caused by my own stubbornness."
I didn't spare any more glances at Haide as I assessed my surroundings.
My members were fighting with only handguns while hiding behind the empty container for cover, unlike the white faction members and the mercenaries who boldly open fire with their machine guns. So although my team was larger in number, the firearm disadvantage was noticeable.
But of course that didn't mean our team couldn't survive.
BEEP!
[Haide, I've arrived. Where should I put this?]
Another message came from his walkie-talkie, which Haide immediately replied.
"Set it up at the crane's foundation, and pull the trigger after I give you the order."
[Alright.]
I glanced at him, "Is that the sleeping gas we were supposed to use for our next plan?"
Haide shrugged, confirming my suspicion. It couldn't be helped, this had turned into a full-blown war that we had to contain somehow. We both had to use our ace card to defeat each other.
Coming out from our hiding, we both ran toward the rusted crane.
"Everyone!"
I called out my team to follow me, intending to lure the mercenaries to a more open area. At my signal, my members immediately ran after me while moving behind the shadow of the containers until we finally arrived at the open area.
It's finally time to put the item in my hand to use.
Pulling out two of the flashbangs from the box, I pulled the trigger.
"Haide!"
Haide immediately talked to his walkie-talkie. Watching the sleeping gas slowly got released, I threw the flashbang toward the white faction team.
BANG!
Our ears immediately rang the moment it exploded.
'That's not enough.'
Pulling the other flashbang's trigger, I threw it once again.
BANG!
Both the white faction members and my own were stunned by the flash and the loud sound.
And that's where the sleeping gas took its chance.
It's different from our plan where the sleeping gas was supposed to be used in an enclosed place but it's potent enough that it could delay the mercenaries for some time so we could make our escape.
I took a glance at Cassius, who also met mine. From that one gesture, he knew what order I wanted to convey – stall the enemies. And Cassius led the others to shoot their guns.
"This way."
I led Haide to the secret spot I had shown him before. There was a secret entrance we could use to escape the dock. At least I needed to hide Haide first before his members got to him.
"There."
Spotting the hatch leading outside, I guided Haide there and urged him.
"Go first, I'll follow you later."
But Haide grabbed my hand, "No, you come with me. You're in heat and injured, clearly not in an ideal condition to fight. So leave the rest to your members, you can summon them out from this place once you're out anyway."
What he said was reasonable. With the sleeping gas now spread in the area, it was easier to bring them to safety once I was out of here.
I knew I could trust them, they were now capable of taking care of themselves. I was just being too emotional because I was afraid something could happen to them, especially since the gas affected everyone in the area, including my members.
BZZTT!!
The vibration in my pocket pulled me out of my thoughts. The ID was Cassius, and the moment I picked up the call, his urgent shout came from the line.
[Yolan! We lost track of the sniper! I think he sneaks out from our sight and heads straight to you!]
"What?!"
I immediately swiped my gaze on the top of the containers rowed around us.
And I spotted him.
Pietro, with a sniper rifle in hand and his posture ready to pull the trigger at any moment.
His target wasn't me, but Haide.
"Shit!"
My mind was blank as I immediately ran to Haide's side.
SPLAT!
Blood spurted when the bullet pierced through flesh.
I gasped in pain as I could feel the bullet tear through my organs.
Using all my strength, I had shielded Haide using my own body.
And now I had to pay the price.
The price of the possibility of not being able to see the face of my alpha for long.