[24] Miracle

The leader of the biker gang, the one with the scar running down his face, grinned wickedly as he pulled a knife from his belt, its blade gleaming in the dull light of the gas station. He twisted it in his hand, stepping closer to Yabe, who was still struggling in the grip of one of the bikers. Her eyes were wide with fear, her breath coming in shallow gasps."Drop your weapon," he growled, the edge of his knife glinting dangerously. "Or I carve up your little girlfriend right here."I froze, my mind racing. Yabe looked at me, her eyes pleading, tears brimming. I had no choice. I couldn't let her get hurt. Slowly, I lowered my katana, the weight of defeat settling in my chest as it hit the ground with a soft clink.Ethan did the same, his face twisted with anger but his hands trembling as he dropped his weapon too. We were trapped. Helpless.The leader grinned, clearly enjoying the power he had over us. He moved closer to Yabe, his eyes gleaming with sadistic delight. "Good boys," he sneered. "Now, let's see how much fun we can have before I kill you all."With a quick motion, he grabbed Yabe by the hair, yanking her head back as she let out a pained gasp. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to move forward, but before I could take a step, two of his men rushed over and slammed me and Ethan to the ground. Their knees pressed hard into our backs, pinning us down with brutal force."Stay down, you piece of shit," one of the bikers snarled, his breath hot on my neck.I struggled against him, rage boiling in my veins, but it was no use. His weight pressed me into the cold, dirty floor, and I could barely move. I could hear Ethan groaning in pain beside me, both of us trapped and powerless.The leader laughed as he twisted the knife in his hand, his attention now fully on Yabe. His other hand slid up under her shirt, groping her breast with disgusting satisfaction.Yabe whimpered, her face twisting in pain and humiliation as he fondled her, his touch rough and invasive. She squeezed her eyes shut, her body trembling."You're gonna wish you never came here," the leader said with a laugh, his hand still under her shirt. "We're gonna have a real good time with you, sweetheart. And then, when we're done..." He paused, looking back at me and Ethan with a sinister grin. "I'll cut off your dick and feed it to the dogs."Rage surged through me, hotter and more intense than I'd ever felt before. I tried to push myself up, to fight back, but the biker holding me down slammed his knee harder into my spine, making me gasp in pain."Get off her!" I shouted, my voice hoarse with fury. "You mofo, let her go!"The leader just laughed, clearly enjoying the helplessness on my face. He leaned down close to Yabe's ear, his voice low and menacing. "Oh, don't worry. You'll get your turn. After we're done having fun with her."Tears slid down Yabe's cheeks, and she bit her lip, trying to hold back the sobs threatening to break free. Her eyes met mine, and in them, I saw fear, desperation—but also something else. She was trying to stay strong, trying not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her completely break."Please," Yabe whispered, her voice trembling. "Please, Senpai..."I felt sick. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to do something, to fight back, but I was pinned, powerless, forced to watch as this monster violated her."Leave her alone," Ethan growled, his face pressed into the concrete as the other biker held him down. "You fking piece of shit, leave her alone!"The leader grinned again, clearly enjoying the suffering he was causing. "Oh, we're just getting started. You don't tell me what to do, kid."I struggled again, trying to free myself from the weight of the man on top of me, but it was no use. I could feel the dirt and grit of the floor pressing into my skin, my body aching from the pressure of his knee in my back. My mind raced, but there was no way out. We were at their mercy."You think you're some kind of hero, huh?" the leader said, looking back at me with a sneer. "You think you can save her? Look at you. You can't even save yourself."He grinned wider, his fingers still digging into Yabe's skin, making her wince. "And after I'm done with her, I'm gonna make you watch as each one of my boys has a turn."I felt my breath catch in my throat, my vision blurring with rage and helplessness. I wanted to scream, to tear him apart, but I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything."Stop!" Yabe cried out, her voice breaking as the tears flowed freely now. "Please, stop!"The leader just laughed, his grin never faltering. "Oh, don't worry, sweetheart. We'll take real good care of you."And then, without warning, he shoved her hard, causing her to stumble back against the wall. She gasped, trying to catch her breath, her body shaking with fear and disgust.I clenched my fists, my knuckles white from the pressure. I had to do something. I couldn't just let this happen. But every time I tried to move, the biker on top of me slammed me harder into the ground, forcing me to stay down.The leader turned back to us, his expression full of malicious glee. "Now, let's finish this, shall we? Time for you two to say your goodbyes."He raised the knife, his eyes gleaming with the promise of violence.God help us all...Just as the biker gang leader raised his knife, a gunshot rang out, echoing through the gas station. The sound was so sudden and sharp that it felt like time froze for a split second. I looked up, eyes wide, and saw the leader's face twist in shock. His body jerked, blood blooming from a wound in his chest. He dropped the knife, stumbled back, and collapsed onto the dirty floor.His lackeys were momentarily stunned, their eyes darting around in confusion. Then another gunshot cracked through the air, followed by two more. Each shot was precise, deadly. One biker after another fell, their bodies hitting the ground with sickening thuds. The last one, panicking, scrambled toward his bike, desperate to escape, but he barely made it halfway before another bullet took him down.Silence fell over the station, the once intimidating gang now nothing but lifeless bodies scattered around us. I lay there, still pinned under the weight of the biker who had held me down, but I could feel his grip loosen as his lifeless body slumped over. I shoved him off and scrambled to my feet, my heart still pounding in my chest.Ethan pushed his way up too, breathing hard. "What the fk just happened?" he gasped, his eyes wide as he looked around.Before I could answer, the hum of a truck's engine broke the silence. A beat-up pickup truck rolled into the gas station, its headlights cutting through the dust and smoke. The door swung open, and a woman stepped out, her boots crunching on the gravel as she walked toward us.She was tall, with long wavy blonde hair that cascaded down her shoulders, her face framed by a worn cowboy hat. Her skin was tanned, the kind of tan that only comes from long hours spent working in the sun. She had a no-nonsense look about her—tough, confident, and practical, like someone who'd seen more than her fair share of trouble. Her eyes, sharp and focused, scanned the area, assessing the situation like she'd seen it all before.What really stood out, though, were her clothes. She wore a tight leather jacket over a mini tank top that clung to her chest, accentuating her bountiful curves and short denim jeans that showed off her long legs. Topping it all off, she had on a pair of worn leather boots that looked like they'd walked through more shit than I could imagine.She stopped a few feet in front of us, her hands casually resting on her hips. A rifle was slung over her shoulder, and a pistol was holstered at her side. She was clearly the one responsible for taking down the gang."Not a word of thanks, huh?" she drawled, her voice thick with a Texan accent.I blinked, still trying to process what had just happened. "Uh... thanks," I managed to stammer, my voice shaky.Ethan nodded, clearly still in shock. "Yeah, seriously, thank you. We were—"She cut him off with a wave of her hand. "I know what you were. You were about to get your asses handed to you." She cocked her head, looking at us with a mix of amusement and impatience. "You're welcome, by the way."Yabe, who had been trembling behind me, finally found her voice. "Thank you... I... I didn't know what to do..."The woman glanced at Yabe and then back at me, her expression softening just slightly. "Name's Daisy," she said, shifting her weight and looking around at the scattered bodies. "I'd ask what y'all were doing out here, but it don't really matter. What does matter is these boys won't be bothering anyone no more."I exhaled, the weight of the moment finally catching up to me. "Jake," I said, introducing myself as I tried to steady my breathing. "That's Ethan and Yabe. We... we didn't expect this."Daisy shrugged, looking unfazed by the carnage around her. "Never do. That's the thing about the end of the world—brings out the worst in people."She turned on her heel, heading back toward her truck. "Now, if y'all are done standing around like a bunch of stunned cattle, I could use some help loading these supplies into my truck. Ain't got all day."I exchanged a glance with Ethan and Yabe, who were still reeling from the shock of the ambush. The tension in the air lingered, but Daisy's calm, no-nonsense attitude seemed to cut right through it. She didn't wait for us to answer. She walked straight to the back of the truck, lifted the tailgate, and started tossing supplies from the gas station into the bed.Yabe, still pale but pulling herself together, stepped forward. "We'll help," she said softly, glancing at me for reassurance.I nodded, grateful for her strength in the moment. "Yeah, we'll help."We moved quickly, grabbing whatever supplies we could find—cans of food, bottles of water, and a few boxes of medical supplies that had somehow been overlooked by the bikers. Daisy worked efficiently, not saying much, but there was something about the way she moved that commanded respect. She knew exactly what she was doing, and it was clear she had survived more than a few encounters like this.Ethan, still breathing heavily from the adrenaline rush, managed to crack a small smile as he hefted a box into the truck bed. "So, uh... Daisy, you always show up like this? Saving random people from biker gangs?"Daisy smirked, not even looking up from the pile of supplies she was sorting through. "Only when I feel like it. Lucky for you, I was in the neighborhood.""Yeah, real lucky," I muttered, hauling another box into the truck. I couldn't help but glance at the bodies of the dead bikers, their lifeless forms sprawled out on the ground. It was a brutal reminder of how close we'd come to being on the receiving end of that violence.Once we finished loading up the supplies, Daisy slammed the tailgate shut and wiped the dust from her hands. "That's better," she said, her tone matter-of-fact. "Now we can actually get somewhere."She glanced back at us, one eyebrow raised. "Y'all coming with me, or you planning to stick around and play with the corpses?"I didn't need to think twice. "We're coming."Daisy nodded. "Good. Hop in."Q: Did you see that coming?