12 Blackout

Rushi twisted her body nervously, she felt like her heart is going to leap out her throat making her feel nauseous. Qingshan's body launched to cover her when Secretary Han shouted. She burrowed herself under Qingshan feeling the steady heartbeat. She closed her eyes and took several shaky breaths, she's glad that the man is okay. She willed herself to calm down and blocked all the harsh sound coming from the gun fire.

"Han! Are you okay?" Qingshan hissed.

"I'm okay. They didn't hit me." Secretary Han exhaled a shuddering breath. He was crouched behind the console.

Qingshan bent his head and met Rushi's gaze. "You okay?"

"Yes." She rasped.

"There's also a vehicle behind us. We are surrounded front and back. I already send an SOS." Han said with a strained voice.

Qingshan cursed under his breath and tightened his hold to Rushi. He's trying to think a strategy that will help them escape. They were in an old block with a few houses, he's sure that someone will hear the gunfire and report it to the police. He needed to buy time and ensure their safety before help arrives. "They are firing in front and around our car, not directly at us. Whatever their motive is, they need us alive. Han, can you drive straight into them?"

Han gave Qingshan a disbelieving look, when he realized that his friend was dead serious, he pursed his lips and nodded.

"We need to eliminate some of them if not all." Qingshan pulled away from Rushi and fixed their seatbelts. "Hold onto me."

He tried to cover Rushi as far as his seatbelt allowed.

"Hold tight!" Han positioned himself while still crouching. He slammed his foot on the accelerator and struck the van in front of them. The sound of scraping of metal to metal filled the air.

Their world blacked out.

Rushi struggled to open her eyes, her ears were ringing and she felt woozy. The smell of burnt rubber and gasoline singed her nose. She felt pain all over her body. A metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. She could hear distant shouting and gunfire. It took her a second to remember what happened. Dread overwhelmed her senses, her chest felt so tight she couldn't breathe. Darkness started to close in.

Is she dying?

No! No! Qingshan, Secretary Han. Where are they? Are they okay?

A sob stuck to her throat. She needs to see them. This is not the time to cry, she has to pull herself together. She sucked in a ragged breath. Through her haziness, she tried to open her eyes again. She frantically scanned her surroundings, she saw Secretary Han behind the airbag, he's stirring with groans. Qingshan was next to her, a blood trickling at the side of his face and he's not moving. Rushi unbuckled herself and reached over to Qingshan immediately, she felt a sudden wave of nausea but she ignored it. "Qingshan?" She put two finger at his neck to check his pulse. She exhaled a relieved breath when she felt a heartbeat thumping in his vein. She also put her hand to his nose to check his breathing. When satisfied, she unbuckled his seatbelt and examined his wound, careful not to move him too much. She turned her attention to Han. "Secretary Han!" Han's eyes started to flutter. "Hey, Secretary Ha-" Rushi held her breath, she heard an approaching footsteps, she checked the floor and saw the gun under the front seat, she immediately picked it up. The door on her side creaked open, she held the gun tightly and pointed it at the opened door.

A guy with a mask approached her, "Hey Missy! You have a dangerous toy there, do you even know how to use that?" The guy laughed viciously. "Come on Missy Missy, we just need you to come with us, no need for violence."

She glared at the man, she firmed her grip to the gun and fired, shooting the man on his left thigh.

"F*ck!!!" The guy screamed, bending to the ground. Rushi felt ardrenaline rushed through her, thinking that their training with Lijie's grandpa helped her. More footsteps came towards her. Seven men gathered outside the car. Rushi hid Qingshan with her body. She tried to look intimidating in her current state.

"What do you think you're doing?!!! You can't take one girl?!" a man shouted.

The guy who was shot straightened up, looking at Rushi with rage. One of the men tried to pull her, she fired again hitting the guy at his shoulder. He shrieked. If these guys want her, she's not going without a hell of a fight. Rushi felt the other door opened, someone dragged Qingshan outside, she tried to hold onto his body but the other guy pulled her out while she's distracted. She screamed and kicked trying to get out of the grasp.

"Hey Miss, behave or I'll shoot them!" The man she shot in the shoulder hissed.

Rushi's heart dropped. She saw Qingshan and Han being dragged to their feet and the men behind them pressing a gun to their temple. She stopped moving, put down her gun and let the man hold him. "Don't hurt them, please!" She pleaded.

"See? Isn't that easy?" The man grinned wolfishly.

The bald man holding her put his heavy arm around her from behind and dragged her to the van behind their SUV. They were nearing the vehicle when they heard a commotion, Rushi tried to look around her shoulder but Baldie tightened his hold like an iron grip.

"F*ckers! They woke up! Just shoot them!" Yelled by one of the men.

"Shut up! The boss said not to kill the CEO! We just need to get this woman!" said her captor.

"Hmm roughed them up, just make sure not to kill the CEO!"

"They killed some of our men, I can't wait to get even. I'll end the other guy!!!"

The other men run towards the commotion leaving her with her captor.

The ruckus got louder and Rushi prayed that Qingshan and Han will be okay.

The man opened the van, loosening his grip, Rushi seized the moment and slammed her head back into the man, hitting him in the chin. Caught by surprise, the man stepped back giving Rushi a chance to escape his grip. She didn't waste time, adjusting her stance, she thrust her knee towards the man groin. The man fell on the ground with a grunt. She lifted her right leg and kick his head, the man lifted an arm to block her attack and caught her leg. He pulled it forcefully, making her hit the ground hard. "You f*cker! I am trying to be nice to you!" The man's face turned red, his eyes filled with fury. The man loomed over her, he tangled Rushi's hair in his fingers and slammed the side of her face to the ground. Pain exploded to her head. She blinked the stars from her vision, adrenaline keeping her conscious. She clawed the man's face blindly. The man laughed sinisterly, and wrapped his hands to her neck. "Maybe this will help you behave!" He added pressure to her airway, dark spots blotted her vision.

She's going to die.