Damn Horn Sound!

Vern didn't answer, he just smiled when he remembered Zay who encouraged him earlier. Vern felt very relieved and could be free to live as he wanted.

"Hey, why are you quiet? Are you insinuating that I haven't thanked you yet?"  Zay shouted, placing a hand on her cheek with the intention of her voice reaching Vern's hearing.

"No, I'm just feeling really happy!" Vern shouted back. His smile grew wider as he saw the gate in sight.

However, Vern's smile turned sour. Vern knitted his eyebrows as the speed of his motorcycle decreased.

"The gate is still ahead, why did you stop?" Zay asked in surprise. She occasionally looked back to make sure that the two of them were not followed by Roderick's other bodyguards.

"Looks like we'll have to walk from here, the motorcycle running out of power," Vern replied as he turned the key to the off sign, then lowered his legs from the bike to prepare to get off.

"Shit! Come on, run behind me!" Zay exclaimed in a hurry, she tapped Vern on the shoulder while getting off the motorcycle quickly. She ran towards the gate vigilantly, making sure that the situation in front of her was safely under control.

Not with Vern, he walked casually following the direction Zay was heading. He could see Zay's increasingly distant back suddenly stop, turn around and call out to him.

"Hurry up a bit! I don't want to get caught by them again!" Zay exclaimed while raising both hands, regretting the slowness of Vern who was still lagging behind.

Vern ran slowly with a big smile. He reached Zay, then stood beside her with his innocent face still with that smile.

"Gosh, why are your teeth showing like that? What's the point?" Zay grumbled in annoyance. She held her head with both hands, then pulled Vern's hand away while exclaiming, "Haish, there's no time!"

"Don't worry, we'll get out of here safely." Vern said it with confidence. He ran behind Zay with sparkling eyes and still with that smile.

Zay couldn't see Vern's expression, she ran with her face forward and only heard Vern's words. She chuckled in disbelief when she saw four bodyguards guarding the gate in an attack position.

"What's safe?" Zay grumbled.

"Stay behind me!" exclaimed Zay, stopping her steps and releasing Vern's hand. She was alert with her arms raised to chest height in preparation for an attack or perhaps a defense.

Vern ignored Zay's warning, even walking single-handedly past Zay to the four bodyguards guarding the gate.

"Hey, you! Didn't you hear what I just said? Vern, do you want to fight them yourself?" Zay growled, unable to understand Vern's behavior. Zay lowered her hands while swearing incoherently at Vern who continued to walk straight without turning around to look at her.

The bodyguards also lowered their hands, they stood up straight after knowing that the person walking towards them was Vern. Soon, there was a greeting from one of them, "Mr. Vern."

The sound of the car horn was deafening, so Zay could no longer hear what was being said between Vern and the bodyguards.

"Damn it! What are they talking about?" cursed Zay angrily. She frowned because she couldn't wait any longer. She walked towards Vern and the four bodyguards.

However, Zay didn't get what she wanted. Her mind was distracted by the sound of the car horn outside that the driver was deliberately honking continuously.

"Come on out!" said Vern as he turned his body backwards. Vern jumped when Zay was two steps away from him. He shrugged, hissing as the sound of a car horn startled him. Vern cursed, "That damn horn is so annoying! Do you want to check who the damn driver with me?"

Zay closed the pace with her right foot, she stopped right in front of Vern. Instead of accepting Vern's invitation, Zay asked something else, "What did you talk to them about that they would open the way for us?"

Zay cast a glance at the busy bodyguards. She could see that the bodyguards were focused on listening to the handy-talkie his partner was carrying.

"Emergency! Open the gate and remove anything blocking the way!" The male voice from the handy-talkie sounded hoarse and disjointed due to the poor signal. The male voice paused for a moment, then repeated itself again.

"Emergency! Mr. Roderick will be rushed to the hospital, please open the way now. Can you hear me?"

"Roger! We accept the order!" replied one of the 4 bodyguards. They were all surprised, then swiftly ran towards the gate and the other 2 bodyguards ran towards the dead electric motor to get rid of it.

"You can see the situation for yourself. We'd better get out of here first!" Vern's suggestion distracted Zay. Without waiting for an answer, he pulled Zay's arm and ran out.

"Aughhh," Zay groaned with bated breath. She stopped walking, grimacing at the aches and pains all over her body. The pain that Zay had ignored was now attacking all of her nerves.

Vern turned around in shock when he saw fresh blood staining Zay's shirt. He bent down with a worried face, "Oh my, you're bleeding a lot. Can you still walk? Do I need to carry you until we get a taxi? This is serious, you need to get immediate treatment."

Zay still grimacing, refused by shaking her head. She replied, "No need. We're just a few steps outside, hurry up and walk!"

"But, are you okay?" asked Vern who was checking the other wounds on Zay's body that were not covered by clothes. He stood up quickly as he saw Zay staggering away from him.

"Hey, you're so stubborn!" grumbled Vern with his arms around his waist. He sighed with a tilt of his head when his concern was ignored by Zay.

Vern could no longer stand Zay's condition, he thought it was not the right time to argue. Vern catches up and puts his arm around Zay's shoulders to help her walk.

After the two of them got to the side of the road, they heard a man yelling from inside the car. The man also honked his horn repeatedly, the same sound he did a few minutes ago, "Zay, it's me! Wait, I'll be right there!"

Zay and Vern turned to the source of the sound, both of them clearly recognized the prankster.

"Jonathan!" squealed Zay with a big smile. Zay waved her uninjured left hand, a look of relief on her face as she received unexpected help from Jonathan.

In contrast to Vern, he was very upset that the honking noise that had distracted him earlier was Jonathan's doing. He cursed, "That asshole actor! Damn, why does it have to be him?"

Jonathan's car stopped right in front of Vern and Zay, he opened the door quickly when he saw Zay's injured condition.

"Oh my God, what happened to you?" asked Jonathan with wide eyes, while examining Zay's entire body. He winced as if he could feel the pain of Zay's wounds. Jonathan controlled himself quickly, "Answer later, now you have to go to the hospital. Come on, get in the car!"

"I don't want to, I'd rather take a taxi," Vern snapped, looking away. He crossed his arms in front of him as a form of rejection of the offer given by Jonathan.

Jonathan and Zay snorted in annoyance, both of them unable to believe Vern's behavior in the current precarious atmosphere. While the loud voice of the bodyguard's warning urging Jonathan to move the car away from the gate added to Jonathan's  temper.

"Asshole, this is no time to argue! I don't care if you die here! Fucking chicken!" cursed Jonathan angrily. He clenched his jaw tightly, hands clenched tightly and itching to punch Vern.

"Zay, ignore him, come with me!" cried Jonathan with pent-up rage.

Zay let out a rough breath, holding her head in dizziness as she faced Vern. She agreed with Jonathan's statement this time, wanting to curse too. However, Zay's voice was outshone by someone swearing through the loudspeaker coming from inside the car driving towards the gate.

"Damn son of a bitch! Hey you and your asshole friend, if I still see you in this house area, I'll make sure all your bones are broken with your bodies covered in blood!" That person was none other than Jack. An angry, frustrated voice filled with vengeance after seeing Roderick lose his life, really?