Chapter 533: Ping
Ian was lucky to have caught up to Mina. If she had not been limping with her run, he probably would not have been able to catch up to her before she squeezed into the smallest section of the dumpster alley, much in the way she had done with Dom. He hugged her to his chest, and knowing what she thought, he did not want to defend himself until she had spoken first.
Ian released Mina and took a step back with his hands at the sides of his head. He listened to the woman as she let her grievances pour out of her mouth, feeling his heart twitch as each question filled him with regret. He knew what she had been through and what he had put her through, he never needed or wanted her to apologize because she had not done anything wrong, and he could not tell her what he wanted from her because he did not know.
All of Mina's questions were like daggers to Ian. If he had listened to Luna, he would not be in the situation he was in now. He knew that Mina still could not remember what happened between them, and from the way she spoke, he could tell it was everything he did after the night in the hotel that made her hate him.
"Mina, I am not that kind of man. We were both drugged and I know that I hurt you, but I did not do that. Please believe me." He removed his hand, knowing that the woman had something to say and regardless of if he wanted to hear it or not, he would let her speak.
"I will never be that stupid again," Mina replied. Ian was still holding onto her, trying to comfort her, but with the way she trembled, he knew it only made her worried. He stared down at the woman, who he could tell had given up on running. Mina looked up at him and his gaze darkened when he saw the tiniest red laser dot on her shoulder. He shoved her away and her expression morphed into one of absolute terror.
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Mina was pushed back with so much force that it hurt her neck. She wanted to run but heard a metal ping ring out from the dumpster beside her. She froze, unable to process what she thought was happening and before she knew it, she was being pulled deeper into the alley, and forced to sit behind a recycling receptacle.
"Don't move, I don't know how many there are." Mina's words were caught, but her eyes had taken in the seriousness of President Lee's face, and the gun in his hands told her it was not a joke. Movement caught Mina's eyes from the neighboring rooftop, and President Lee followed her gaze, releasing a single whistling shot that reached its target. "Watch from above us," he ordered, and the woman nodded like a puppet.
Shots whistled back and forth between President Lee and whoever was on the other side of the dumpsters, and Mina caught sight of a broken mirror. She pointed it out to President Lee, who cursed. Their assailants could use the mirror to see him, but it was not at an angle where he could use it to see them. He told her that they needed to get across the alley and behind the opposite dumpster. Mina was terrified and she did not want to move.
"They are likely targeting me. You will run across first, then I will follow, okay?" Mina protested. She planted her feet refusing to budge. The man shifted his body to the opposite side of her, telling her that when the time was right, he was going to push her.
Mina's mind turned dark; she believed that President Lee was trying to get her shot and then it clicked that he may have arranged everything. Why would he need to push her out in the open and hope she could get across in time? Why couldn't he just run across himself and leave her where she was? She turned to the man, her gaze shifted to a broken and sharp pipe that jutted out from the wall and while President Lee was not paying attention, she used all her strength to push him into it. The man groaned as the side of his head connected with the protrusion, and he involuntarily pushed her from behind the cover of the dumpster.
Pain seared through Mina's thigh and she looked up at President Lee, who wore the same panicked expression as she did. He pulled her back to cover, ignoring his own bleeding head to rip off his shirt, frantically trying to put pressure on her wound. Mina could see he was struggling to remain conscious, and she had a feeling they would be dying in the alley together; which was what they both deserved.
Unable to formulate words, Mina pointed at the ground behind President Lee, a shadow was approaching, and they could tell the man was armed. She watched the man lift his gun, his hands were shaking, likely because he was willing himself awake.
Mina placed a finger to her lips, looking at President Lee as she picked up a piece of wood, and roughly hit the dumpster, making the man walking toward them jump. President Lee pounced on him, knocking the gun out of the attacker's hand. She watched horrified as the men fought. Their assailant had noticed President Lee's head injury and aimed all his attacks in that area.
"We have no problem with you. Just give us girl." Mina had lost a lot of blood, but she heard what the man said clearly. She expected President Lee to give her up, but he kept fighting.
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Zane knew that Ian would catch Mina, so he stayed behind with the man he now knew was Ren Loam, otherwise known as Soren Mire. The man insisted that he and 'Mina' were set free, and Shai Cal reminded Zane that the Loam family was not a normal one. Over the last few years, the family's influence had increased drastically, and they now had the power to uproot the Lee family politically, which would also spell financial ruin.
Reluctant to let Ren and 'his Mina' go, Zane called Ian, who did not answer his phone. He then called Drax, who answered but told him that Ian was taking heavy fire. Zane looked up at Lisa, who had not heard the conversation, but wore an expression that screamed of guilt. He fled the floor, hoping to lend aid to his friends. It was odd to Zane, people were walking casually as if nothing were happening, which meant the men shooting were professionals, and using silencers to remain hidden.
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Mina's vision was going dark, and from the looks of things, so was President Lee's. He kept shaking his head, trying to keep his focus, but he was losing, and the blood in his eye could not have been helping. Mina looked to her left and saw the man's gun sitting next to her. She reached out, holding it in her hands and pointed it at the person on top of President Lee. She wanted to warn him, but she could barely make a sound.
Mina's eyes felt heavy, and her head was spinning. She looked down at the pool of blood under her and knew it was almost enough to kill. She was dying, and not by the hand of President Lee, but by the hand of a man she had never seen before. She chuckled, finding it comical that she would die in such a ridiculous turn of events, running from one killer into the path of the next.
Wanting to avenge herself, Mina took a deep breath, relaxed her shoulders, and pulled the trigger. Her vision darkened before she could see if she hit her target, but her ears picked up on the sound of a body falling just as darkness took her.