Chapter 41: Hotel Encounter

[Chapter 41: Hotel Encounter]

After several hours on the road, they finally reached the outskirts of Oakland. It was getting late when Gaskill said, "I have a meeting with a friend tomorrow; what about you?"

Ian replied, "I'm in no hurry. I plan to wander around the city a bit."

Ian intended to gather some information about the Oakland Paints through Gaskill, so he didn't rush to leave. Gaskill suggested, "In that case, let's find a hotel to stay at. It's nice to have a friend on the road to chat with."

After learning about Ian Carr's background, Gaskill gradually let his guard down.

"Sure thing," Ian responded easily.

...

Since the Oakland Paints was located in the suburbs, they didn't head into the city but found a nearby motel to settle down. After checking in at the motel, Ian went to his room to take a shower.

Changing into fresh clothes made him feel revitalized. As he walked out of his room and into the yard, he found Gaskill and Lena sitting in deck chairs, chatting over drinks. Upon seeing him, Lena's eyes lit up, and she smiled, "Wow, you look way better after a shower!"

"Everyone looks good after a shower," Ian replied, approaching with a smile. "Want some drinks?"

Gaskill looked at him. "You have drinks?"

Ian cheerfully pulled out a bottle from his bag. "Got it from the front desk, wine from Manfe Winery."

"Haha, I like that," Gaskill said as he took it without hesitation.

Ian settled down in the next lounge chair. The three of them enjoyed their drinks while chatting under the moonlight.

...

Maybe because they were getting familiar with each other, Gaskill casually remarked, "By the way, why do you carry a gun when you're out doing interviews?"

"Just to be safe," Ian answered. "Our line of work tends to upset people."

Gaskill shot him a knowing glance. "That's true. I actually have a gun in my car, but I rarely use it. Just because you own it doesn't mean you should use it all the time, right?"

Ian nodded. "You're a respected elder, successful in your career; you don't need to depend on that... just a couple of bodyguards would be enough."

Gaskill chuckled. "I probably should have brought bodyguards. Then, when you shot into the air, two armed men would pop out from behind my car and take you down."

Ian burst into laughter, nodding, "That's the normal flow of events."

They continued to drink and laugh until the night deepened, finally heading back to their respective rooms to rest.

...

In his room, Ian sat on the couch watching on his laptop while habitually activating the x-ray vision. He didn't mean to gather any information; it was just a habit to scan around, knowing it wouldn't consume much time or energy. He read the news, while occasionally looking around.

Next door was Gaskill's room, and someone was in the shower -- Lena, glistening under the water's light. She had a fantastic figure!

Ian instinctively sucked in a breath, then quickly shook off the thought. He didn't like just admiring; that would only make him feel worse. Plus, Gaskill was a decent guy; he didn't want to disrespect his wife like that, so he turned his attention elsewhere.

Suddenly, he sat up straight. He grabbed his Beretta handgun and approached the door. He carefully opened it, taking a look outside, and through the gap around the corner, he vaguely saw a masked gunman with a red scarf pressing a gun to the clerk's head, demanding the keys.

Ian chuckled lightly, "I like this."

...

Thinking for a moment, Ian first grabbed his camera from the room and quietly approached Gaskill's door, gently knocking a few times.

Gaskill opened the door, surprised to see Ian standing there. Just as he was about to say something, Ian pushed his way in, using his left hand to gesture for silence.

However, he was still holding the gun, which replaced the gesture with a raised barrel, leaving Gaskill momentarily confused. Just then, Lena stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a bathrobe, and when she saw Ian, her eyes widened, especially with the camera resting on his right shoulder.

"Ian Carr, what are you doing?" Lena exclaimed, covering her chest.

Ian hurriedly said, "Don't shout! We have intruders. There are four of them."

"What?" Gaskill and Lena exchanged shocked glances.

The motel was in a remote area, making it easier to be targeted by thieves.

Lena gasped, "We shouldn't have settled for this place; we should've gone straight to a five-star hotel in the city."

Ian replied, "It's too late for that now; those guys are searching room by room."

"Ah!" A sudden shout from a neighboring room made both Ian and Lena freeze, and then the sound abruptly cut off.

They knew instinctively that the robbers had started their assault.

"Oh my god, what do we do? Will they kill us?" Lena asked, terrified.

Ian glanced at her and said, "They might not kill anyone, but they could easily rob us and take advantage of the situation. Mrs. Bronte, you might want to cover up a bit more."

Lena, dressed only in a towel, gasped, covering her mouth in fright. "What do we do now?"

She looked to escape through the window, only to find it locked.

...

Ian handed the camera to Gaskill. "Do you know how to use this?"

Gaskill stuttered, "Can it shoot bullets?"

"No, it's for filming," Ian retorted, raising his gun. "I will take them out, and you need to record it."

Gaskill shook his head vigorously. "No, no, I can't do that! It's too crazy!"

Ian chuckled. "Trust me, just open the lens, point it at me; I'll adjust the focus for you. If you want, you can also aim at the thieves."

Gaskill, bewildered, took the camera and aimed it at Ian.

Ian asked, "How's that?"

Gaskill responded, "It's a bit heavy."

Ian laughed heartily. Just then, footsteps echoed from outside, and sounds of searching came from the neighboring room.

...

Ian signaled to Lena to hide in the bedroom and had Gaskill stand beside him. "Don't stay in the hallway, be careful of getting shot."

"How am I supposed to film?" Gaskill inquired.

"Angle it sideways... watch the camera; you'll find the right angle."

Gaskill groaned, "You're confident, aren't you?"

Ian smiled slightly, "Of course."

Saying this, he suddenly lifted his gun and fired at the door.

Bang!

The gun went off with a scream as one robber collapsed instantly. At the same time, gunfire erupted outside, with bullets piercing through the door, leaving large holes in it.

Ian pulled Gaskill to the side, pointing to the wall where the bullet had hit, signaling him to capture the scene.

There he was, focused on filming in the heat of the moment! Gaskill shakily adjusted the camera, capturing the unfolding chaos.

"The camera's shaking too much; those vampires will use that to lower the price," Ian sighed.

*****

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