177 Shot were fired
Charles’s breath hitched, and his entire body froze. His grip on Penny’s hand tightened without his knowledge, horrified at what he was seeing inside.
Penny furrowed her brows as her father squeezed her hand. Looking up, Charles already turned around and faced her.
“Penny. Charles squatted in front of her, his voice low. “How about you… you get back in the car, hmm?”
“Papa, what’s going on?”
His smile cracked, clearing his throat. “Nothing. Just… listen to dad, can you, hmm?”
Seeing Charles trying not to alarm her already alarmed her. Her heart thudded against her chest. wondering if Grace had already done the unimaginable. Or was her interference changed these people’s lives and that cruel man hurt Grace and her mother?
Myriads of thoughts swirled in Penny’s eyes, thinking if it was the latter, she would never forgive herself.
“Penny” Charles squeezed her shoulders and smiled. “You can go back to the car on your own, right?”
“O–okay” Penny nodded upon sensing the urgency in Charles‘ voice.
Having said that, she turned around while Charles slowly got up from his squatting position. He kept his eyes on his daughter, taking out his phone from his pocket when she was in the distance.
“Did you send your men to the location I gave you?” he asked the other person when the line was picked up. His voice was low and quiet. He could even barely hear himself.
“I can’t see them: Charles looked around in dismay. “This is an emergency. That person I told you about…”
He slowly set his eyes to the window, gulping as he saw the man of the house drag a body on the floor. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand, taking a step back.
“We need the police. He killed her “Charles took a step back, putting down the phone without ending the call.
When he peeked through the gap of the window earlier, he saw the man- the wife beater drag a body across the house. The window was in the bedroom, but since the house was small and the man left the bedroom door open, Charles was able to see the kitchen from there.
Charles didn’t need to see the rest because when the man stopped in the kitchen, he saw the man looking for knives. Whatever the man was going to do with the knives, Charles didn’t want to know. Or rather, he didn’t need to know or sce.
He already knew.
“Damn it, he breathed out as he stared at the house, his fist trembling. “Is she still alive?”
12:03
177 Shot were fired
They shouldn’t let that woman go back with that man.
They could’ve saved her!
Yet…
Rage swelled in Charles’s heart, trying his best to calm himself down. The person he called was a good friend of his in the past. That person would’ve surely called for officers and the police would come here any moment.
As long as Charles stayed outside and made sure the man wouldn’t leave, they would be able to catch him red–handed.
“This is stupid,” he murmured, teeth clenched. “I have to stop it, at least. Or buy them some time.”
What if that woman was still alive? She might be bleeding and her blood might’ve caused a trail on the floor, but she might still be alive! Waiting for the police or anyone was a waste. After all, he saw the man getting a butcher’s knife. Even a kid would know what the man would do with it.
“Charles! Major! Don’t get person on
de! Do you understand?! Don’t you dare go inside!” the the other end of the line shouted, but since the phone was already inside Charles’s pocket, the latter couldn’t hear him.
What the person in the call heard next was some banging.
Charles kicked the gated door once, but it was locked inside. Hence, he kicked the door once more until the first metal gate door broke down.
“Hey!” Charles yelled, pulling the gated door open and then twisting the knob. The knob only rattled, compelling him to hit it with his side. “Hey! Open the door!”
The person inside the house flinched when the first kick was heard. He looked at the door, hearing his gate door open before the knob rattled.
“Oh, no,” the man muttered and gazed down at the body before him. “No, no, no.”
Blood was all over the place and the yelling outside and the thud as if someone was breaking the door open filled him with panic. The man looked around, checking the drawers from the kitchen to find something to save him from this situation.
However, aside from the butcher knife he already had on the floor, there was nothing he could use. Amid his panic, a memory crossed his mind.
“Right,” he whispered and hastily made his way to the bedroom. The man searched through the closet and, after some time, he took out a small improvised gun.
The side of his mouth curled up into a sinister grin. His wicked eyes glinted, knowing this would shut up the person outside. He was already caught. He might as well make a run for it.
With that thought in mind, the man slowly made his way to the entrance of their small house. Charles was still banging on the door, yelling for the man to open it.
“You nosey bastards…” the man slowly raised the improvised gun to the door.
12/03
C
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