Chapter 302: Used To Do This For A Living
Lola gripped the phone, unbothered that she was only in a bloody towel. She walked stealthily, keeping her eyes on the group of men approaching the bathroom door. She approached the door on her tiptoes.
Taking advantage of their distraction, she tiptoed out of the bedroom. Though her steps were short, she moved fast, and each step was silent. She had already confronted one assailant, but against all of them? Lola didn’t have a death wish.
In her mind, if there weren’t anyone downstairs, she would go straight outside the penthouse. Ideally, avoiding a confrontation was the best route. However, part of her knew she was being too optimistic.
And she was right. When Lola reached the mezzanine, she saw a figure idling near the railing.
She leaned against the hallway, taking advantage of the darkness. She closed her eyes for a moment, weighing her options. When she opened them, she knew she had only one option: fight.
Fight and survive—just like she had done all these years.
Looking up, Lola glanced at the bedroom she had come from. After a second, she quietly ducked and approached him. Timing the loud thud from the bathroom as the men broke in, she jumped on the man from behind.
Pulling the strap of the rifle around him, she kicked the back of his knees. The man fell to one knee, swinging at the person behind him. But even when his knuckles hit Lola’s side, she tightened the strap around him until he was out of breath.
"Ugh—" he scratched her arm, but that only tightened the straps around his neck.
Lola clenched her teeth and kept pulling until the man’s hand on her arm dropped. She huffed heavily, but before she could grab the gun, two figures appeared on the mezzanine. Lola looked at the stairs, only to see the men looking back at her with equal surprise.
For a moment, Lola and the two men stared at each other. After a beat, they all raised their rifles and opened fire. Lola pulled the man she had just subdued, using him as a shield. With the rifle pressed between his torso and arms, she fired back.
The sound of gunfire echoed through the penthouse, making those in the room pause. At the same time, the bathroom door opened. All they saw were bloody footprints on the tiles and the running shower.
"That bitch got away!" someone by the door roared. "Get her!"
Without hesitation, the men in the bedroom rushed out. When they reached the mezzanine, they saw another body lying in a pool of blood. On the stairwell were two more: one sprawled in the middle of the steps, the other on the ground floor.
"Don’t lower your guard," one muttered, glancing at his comrades. "She’s tough, and she’ll kill all of you if you let her. Find her and kill her."
The men scattered. Some checked the other rooms on the second floor, while others went downstairs. As they searched, they noticed a few more of their comrades already dead.
"Rey and Phonk are down!" one shouted, checking the bodies’ pulses. Nothing. Clenching his teeth, he scanned the darkness. Just as he got up, he heard gunshots from the second floor.
"She’s here!"
BANG! BANG!
Another round of gunfire echoed through the penthouse. Everyone immediately headed for the stairs, only to see something glint over the railing.
"Watch out!"
Sparks from a rifle flew over the railing, hitting a few of them. The man in the living area looked up and raised his rifle, but then saw a spark flash toward him.
BANG!
The bullet hit his chest, sending him tumbling back until he fell on his back. He gritted his teeth at the pain, but he was still alive. Feeling the bulletproof vest beneath, he realized the shot hadn’t penetrated.
"You bitch—" He mustered his strength, rising again. But as soon as he did, he saw a figure jumping from the railing with a makeshift rope made of blankets.
BANG!
This time, she didn’t miss. The bullet struck him squarely between the brows. Once Lola landed, she rolled on the floor, grabbed the nearest rifle, and fired at the approaching men.
*****
Meanwhile...
Atlas glanced at his phone, then at Baby in the driver’s seat. "You need to drive faster."
"We’re already at maximum speed, sir," Baby replied, not glancing at him through the rearview mirror.
Atlas clenched his hand, worried. Moments ago, he had been talking with his sister on the phone when Lola called. He had ended the call with Penny to answer Lola, only to hear gunfire before the line disconnected.
Even through the line, he recognized the sound of gunfire. Lots of them.
Atlas’ phone lit up again as he sat impatiently in the backseat. He answered immediately.
"Allen," he said.
"Sir, our men have arrived at the building," Allen reported. "They caught a few suspicious individuals, and others are already headed to the penthouse."
At the same time, their car screeched to a halt as Baby pulled over. "Sir, we’re here."
Without hesitation, Atlas jumped out and hurried to the entrance, still on the phone.
"Make sure to check the people you apprehended," he ordered, ending the call. "I want you to be certain I am killing the right people."
Before he reached the lift, he saw a few men in suits running toward him, heading straight to the penthouse via the lift. His other men had already surrounded the building, including the surrounding area and fire exits.
"Lola!" Atlas shouted, almost jogging when he reached their floor. The door was unlocked, making it easy to enter.
The penthouse was in utter darkness, causing everyone to pause. Atlas raised a hand, signaling his men to stop, scanning the room. One of the men lowered his head and stealthily went to find the switch.
It was off. Hence, he headed to the main switch, and when he finally pulled the lever, the lights came on. Everyone squinted, weapons ready in their hands. But all they saw was blood smeared everywhere, furniture and glass were broken, and bodies were strewn across the living area.
Atlas held his breath. "Find her."
"Yes, sir!"
The men dispersed immediately to search for Lola. Atlas scanned the room, shaking his head at the post-battle chaos. He moved toward the kitchen and saw a person lying on his stomach, blood gushing from his throat. When he took a step closer, he saw her.
Lola.
In just a towel, blood staining it and her skin, hair clumped in small chunks—she looked fine. Above all, she looked composed, considering she had just chugged an entire pitcher of water.
"Hah." Lola wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, turning to the entrance where Atlas stood. "By the way, is it going to be your deal breaker if I tell you... I used to do this for a living?"