Chapter 11

Pharm Botanical Research Institute is situated on a small islet in the western coastline of the country. Connecting it to the mainland is an isthmus called the Land Bridge, which stretches almost eight kilometers. It has a four-lane road with each directions having two lanes each. Surrounding the institute is a luscious forest that serves as a haven for plant experts.

Ren’s original plan is to get inside the institute using the counterfeit IDs from his mission documents and eliminate his target from within. As he drives towards his destination, he got a call from Mingkit.

“Boss?”

“Where are you, Ren?”

“Traversing the Land Bridge. Why?”

“There is an evacuation going on now at the institute.”

“Why? What happened?”

“A fire broke out from one of the laboratories there according to the news.”

“What about the botanist? Is he still in the building?” Ren asked. He takes the side of the road to stop and awaits for new instructions.

“I don’t think so. His tracker has been in one place for a long while now.”

“We go to the alternative, then.”

“That is the only way now. His car’s data are in the papers you have.”

“Yes, I already saw it.”

“Then you know what to do.”

“Roger that.”

Ren takes the nearest U-turn, so that he is on the road that goes away from Pharm. He, then, drives to the nearest spot he can find where he can execute his mission. From it, he scans the road with his binoculars for Dr. Seb’s car – nothing. The one on the opposite side is a different story as he can see ambulances, police cars, and fire trucks racing towards the institute. At times, Ren swats some birds that disturb him in his probing. He hits one in the beak when it gets too close to him. It falls on the ground afterwards, visibly shaken, but not severely harmed.

When he looks again at the road that strays away from Pharm Botanical Research Institute, a sedan is traversing it at high speed. It is a blue Chrysler 300 with a plate number matching the one stated in the papers he has. Dr. Yankhun, however, is not alone at the front. Beside him is another man that Ren can’t recognize who. He is obviously not wearing the seatbelt as he is sitting using his knees and rummaging something from the back. Ren knows that at the speed they are going, they will reach the window – the position where he can get a ten-second opening to make a clear and lethal shot – within minutes. He assembles his gun – a high-powered rifle – from inside his case. After that, he sets it in place atop Ms. L’s roof. He lies with his stomach on the surface and toggles looking between the binoculars in his left hand and the electronic scope of his gun. At times, he needs to swat again the birds that keep on disrupting him. He thinks of going to another location where he can snipe Dr. Yankhun, but at this moment, it is impractical to do it just to avoid the birds.

He sees that the car has just passed the last road sign in the isthmus. Ren drops his binoculars and looks through the scope of his gun.

“Ten.” Ren starts his backward count; Dr. Seb’s head appears on his scope; he switches the gun from “Safe” to “Fire”.

“Nine.” At this, Ren moves his rifle so that the red pointer at middle of the scope is at Dr. Seb’s head.

“Eight.” He puts his pointer finger at the side of the trigger. At this point, he tries to clear his head.

“Seven.” He is feeling the shot that he is about to take.

“Six.” He places his forefinger directly on the trigger.

“Five.” He relaxes more and takes one big inhale.

“Four…Three…”

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“Exeter, will you sit down.”

“Just a minute, chief. I’m looking for my keys.”

“Keys for what?”

“House keys.” Exeter packed in a hurry back at the institute that he forgets to take out his keys, which are bound in one keychain.

Suddenly, Dr. Seb makes a left avoid what looks like a turtle shell on the road. Exeter loses his grip on the bag he is holding, causing it to fall and spill all its contents.

“Drive carefully, will you Seb!”

“There is a shell on the road.”

“A shell?”

“Yeah. Looked like a turtle’s shell – a big one. What happened to you?”

“My clothes are on the floor.”

“Sorry about that.”

“A little warning next time, boss?”

“Acknowledged.”

The event slows them for a while, but when Dr. Seb maneuvers them back to the lane where they were before, he floors the accelerator again.

“We are near the end of the Land Bridge, Exeter. Are you done there?”

“Almost.”

“Look. I can see the first tra…”

They both hear a loud bang as if something heavy hit their vehicle from the driver side. Dr. Yankhun becomes disoriented, turning the steering wheel. As he did, the car speeds to the side of the road. When the front of the sedan hits the steel barrier, Exeter, who is not wearing his seatbelt, is immediately thrown off the vehicle.

“EXETER!” Sebastian can only shout as he watches his colleague flies to the air, falling down the gorge with nothing to slow him down.

Seb tries to maintain control of the car but to no avail: the sedan starts to swivel violently. When it stops, its wheels are already pointing towards the sky.

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The bird that Ren hit earlier – out of nowhere – lands on the barrel of his sniper rifle, blocking his view of the scope, causing him to move his gun to the side and pulling the trigger at the same time. The gun gives off a bang, which startled the bird, that it immediately flies off. Afterwards, Ren drives it away as it is still within reach, but it gives a little fight: it tries to peck his hand. As Ren stands up, the bird gives a last salvo: it flies towards him, and upon closing in, it swipes fiercely at his head as it hovers over him. The bird connects with the first few scratches. Ren covers his face with one hand while his other hand is throwing wild thrusts into the air hoping to hit it. At one time, Ren feels that he hit the bird at its leg. When it gains its equilibrium mid-air, it flies away from Ren, leaving him with a bleeding arm and forehead.

Ren uses his binoculars and sees the car below is in a total wreck. It is perpendicular to the floor, so Ren moves his view a little to clearly see the driver’s side. Sure enough, Dr. Seb – his target – lies motionless with his seatbelt on, keeping him from falling head-first to the pavement. He scans further, but he can’t see the guy he saw before at the front passenger side.

“Mission accomplished,” said he to himself. He wanted to go down to the road to check if indeed Dr. Seb is dead when he hears sirens in the air. He looks at where they are coming from and sees ambulances, which have just been to the institute, are nearing the scene of the accident. Police cars and fire trucks are following them close behind.

He shrugs off the idea, feeling confident that none survived from what he has just done. He disassembles his rifle and goes back inside Ms. L.

After wiping the blood off his face and wrist, he drives off to return to Mingkit Mansion where he will get his bounty. As he traverses the plain, he can’t erase the thought that he may have killed more than one person. He steps on the gas, at which, the Lamborghini’s engine roars, drowning the idea in his head. He can only pray that whoever that other one is, he is still alive.