457 Countdown

\"Kill her.\" Jack's words almost made Lily flinched. She was already expecting this as one of the worst-case scenarios that could happen. However, she did not think it would happen too soon.

Lily silently swallowed her saliva as she returned his gaze.

\"I asked you to apologize,\" Jack said as he held his hands. \"I will spare her… if you apologize and promise not to try to leave me again.\"

She pursed her lips in response. She eyed Anna's bleeding face before shifting her gaze back to the man sitting in front of him.

\"I deserve an apology,\" Jack said as he gave a mirthless smile. \"I will count to ten.\"

\"One…\" Lily blankly stared at him. If the man thinks she had the heart to lower herself and apologize then this man was wrong. Lily knew that mafias do not handle betrayal well. She knew that Jack would never spare Anna in the first place.

If his guess was right, Jack was only trying to break her. He wanted to see if he could use threats against Lily. He would then use this to control her.

\"Five… really? You don't really care if she dies?\" Jack said, obvious disbelief apparent in his tone.

Lily eyed the nurse again.

\"No, Miss Lily.\"

\"Shut up!\" the man viciously yank Anna's arms.

Lily opened her mouth to say something but quickly decided against it. She glared at the man holding Anna as she memorized his features. If only she had the ability to kill this man, she would have. Lily immediately made a mental note to start learning some martial arts to defend herself in the future.

\"Eight.\" Anna sobs echoed inside the windowless room as Jack continued counting.

\"Nine,\" Jack looked at her. \"I see… I have overestimated your emotions.\" He said as he rose from his seat. \"Kill her.\"

\"However, before the man could pull the trigger, another man barge on the door, his face red as he tried to catch his breath.

\"Don, we have a problem.\" He said before leaning over and whispering to Jack. Slowly, Jack's face darkened. He scowled as he stared at Qin Yuanfeng.

\"Then fix it.\" He clenched his jaws. The man shook his head in response. \"Useless!\" Jack hissed. \"And you!\" he pointed at Qin Yuanfeng. \"Was this your doing?\"

Qin Yuanfeng only stared at him as his lips lifted into a smile.

\"Answer me!\" Jack demanded and pointed his gun at Qin Yuanfeng's head. \"Do you really think, I am not capable of killing you just because you are Lily's sister?\" He narrowed his eyes.

Just when Jack was about to say something a deafening explosion shook the whole place. The shrill sounds of alarm followed.

Lily watched as Jack's face lost its colors before looking at her. With his eyes still at Lily, he pointed his gun towards Anna and shoot her leg. \"You will watch her die.\" He said before he asked his men to guard the room and double the security in the basement.

After the door closed, Lily immediately rushed towards Anna. \"Can you gave her a tourniquet to stop the bleeding?\" she asked Qin Yuanfeng. While Lily was in zip ties, Qin Yuanfeng was in chains. This gave him more freedom to move his hands.

Qin Yuanfeng nodded as he approached them. He then tore his shirt off and immediately made a tourniquet on the older woman's leg.

\"What have you done?\" Lily asked Qin Yuanfeng. \"What was that all about? Did you cause that explosion?\" A part of her hoped that someone was here to save her. Maybe it was Zhou Jingren? Maybe he finally found her?

\"It wasn't me. I only turned off the security cameras.\" He shrugged calmly. \"Must be Zhou Jingren. He knew you are alive.\"

A flash of relief immediately gleams in Lily's eyes. She was not able to stop the excitement in her heart. \"Can you carry her towards the mattress?\" Lily was the only one in zip ties.

\"Miss Lily, you should leave,\" Anna said as she handed her a small knife.

\"You—\"

\"The Don poisoned me. I will die either way.\"

Lily met Qin Yuanfeng's eyes as she started using the knife on her tie. \"We can still find a way to counter that poison. I knew a lot of good doctors.\" Anna shook her head.

\"His men said… there is no surviving this poison.\" Anna uttered. \"It's all right, Miss Lily… but your promise. My daughter…\"

\"I will find her. I will give her a better life.\" Anna gave her a smile as she stroked the older woman's head. \"Thank you.\" she added.

\"Then. That is good.\" Anna said, her face pale.

Another explosion echoed. This time it was bigger, louder. The sound of gunfire reached their ears. \"They are close.\" Qin Yuanfeng as he got a pin from his shoes. He started picking the lock of the chains. \"If we are lucky, Zhou Jingren will reach this place in no time.\"

\"And if we're not?\" Lily asked.

\"Do you really want me to answer that question?\" he stared at her. In response, she shook her head.

She already knew that answer to her question. Jack. Jack would come in here and take her. With this in mind, she used the remaining cloth from Qin Yuanfeng's torn shirt and wrapped the knife. Then she hid it in the band of her pajamas.

\"Do you know where George is?\" she asked.

\"Should be on the opposite part of us.\" Qin Yuanfeng said. Lily nodded in response. Her heart seemed to race even faster. Anticipation, fear and some anger swirled inside her. She watched the door and waited.

Meanwhile, Zhou Jingren and Bei Tian were already inside the castle. The acrid smell of gunpowder blanketed the whole place as gunfires echoed.

'Kill'

Zhou Jingren's orders echoed inside everyone's head as they kill with no empathy nor second thoughts. This is war, and they are here to win.

\"Lily is underground.\" Zhou Jingren told Bei Tian as he crouched next to him. He held his gun closer to his body. He eyed the elevator a few feet away from them. \"Let the others take the elevator. We are taking the stairs.\" He uttered.