The Diversion

Siren sounds of police cars and firetrucks surpassed the music volume of all the advertisements on digital billboards. Barricades were placed surrounding the exploded car. Dreygo and Viriel were oblivious to the assassin's move. It was the doing of the cunning Zi Lok's assassin to divert their attention and left Elaine behind the room, defenseless.

Elaine approached the room hurriedly as she heard the housekeeper's call. By instinct, she peeped at the door's hole before she opened the door. She saw nobody looking at the peephole but she knew that somebody was out there. She heard faint breathing as she pressed her ear against the door.

She did not respond to the call and she suddenly remembered Zi Lok's reach and capabilities. Moreover, the man gawking at them at the airport added to her suspicion. There was nowhere to hide and the rational decision was to contact Dreygo and Viriel. But both did not possess a mobile phone. Hence, she hurried to the balcony and closed the sliding door behind her.

She found Dreygo and Viriel still monitoring the victims as they were hauled inside the ambulance. She called loud at them from the 5th-floor balcony but to no avail. The sirens were loud enough for her to be heard. The door banged hard and Elaine noticed it.

It bounced forcibly as the door was kicked from behind. It was still intact but the force seemed to gradually weaken the lock and the hinges. Every bang on the door jolted her and impedes her thinking.

She could not rely on her comrades for now and was driven to rely on her instincts instead. It was the third kick and one of the hinges started to fall. She heard somebody from the adjacent room complain about the noise in the hallway. It was a guy yelling.

There was an instant commotion between the complainant and the one who inflicted the noise. Fortunately, it bought her time to think. She glanced left to right outside the balcony and decided to jump over to the next.

She estimated about 3 to 4 meters away and she knew she could make the jump safely to the other side. The commotion in the hallway stopped and she was certain that the door could not manage to resist another kick.

She sobbed a bit but weakness could not save her, her hands were fidgeting. For her survival, she should overcome fear. Both her feet were on top of the railings and positioned herself ready for a jump. Her heart pounded fast as she glanced at the nauseating height of five stories.

She bent her knees and jumped as hard as she can together with adrenaline pumping her blood.

Her eyes widen as she floats in the air and her whole body was cold as ice. Her feet could not reach the railings of the next balcony but her hands can. Both hands grasped at the railings and prevented her fall.

Her head collided with the metal railing in the process but held her grip for she knew at one wrong slip would cause her to fall. The metal vibrating produced a humming sound as it impacted her forehead.

She was alive.

She grunted for pain as the pain in her forehead loomed.

Her body hung from the railings and struggled to lift herself. Her legs swung freely. She overheard the door swung open forcibly by the last kick and her position was vulnerable for significant seconds.

Finally, she managed to leverage something with her foot and lifted herself up. The moistened metal from the previous rain contributed to the difficulty of her grip but she was determined to survive.

***

An aged woman witnessing the incident below ground, saw her hanging on the balcony. She pointed at Elaine which Dreygo and Viriel noticed. Dreygo looked above and rushed inside the hotel towards the access elevator for their room together with the angel.

Viriel simultaneously pressed hard at the button to activate the elevator but it did not open. The above indicator said the elevator was still on the tenth floor. The same with the other two elevators beside it. A wiser choice was to run up the exit stairs.

Dreygo's mind rushed with utmost concern.

'Wait for us, Elaine. Please survive. Hide. Fight back if you can. We are coming.'

All he could see was Elaine's face smiling at him when they shared a moment on the balcony. Elaine's deep and mysterious eyes caught Dreygo's thoughts. The stairs seemed to be longer but Dreygo pressed harder against the steep staircase.

They finally reached the fifth-floor hallway and ran directly toward their room. From afar, Dreygo noticed the door was forcibly open and a body of a man laying on the floor with a knife lodged in his chest, next to their room.

"Elaine!" Dreygo screamed.

He ceased running as he stepped inside the room. Viriel was behind him. They checked the entire room. There was no one there. They hurriedly went to the other room as instincts told them. Dreygo kicked the door open and it flew from its hinges at once. Dreygo heard somebody crying inside the comfort room. It was Elaine.

"Elaine, it's me, Dreygo," He said while knocking hard. The door swung open and saw Elaine was emaciated on the tiled floor. Elaine lunged at Dreygo and hugged him at first sight.

"What happened?" Dreygo whispered in her ear. He felt Elaine's tears soak his shirt as she was shaking. Her skin was cold.

"A g-guy t-tried to k-kill me." Her voice cracked.

"Do not worry, you are safe now," Dreygo assured as his hand caressed Elaine's hair. Dreygo felt Elaine was fragile like a little flower and will do anything to protect her.

"I-I think he escaped a-at the b-balcony as he heard you c-calling from t-the hallway!" Elaine mused. Viriel ran to the balcony but no one was there. Viriel noticed broken glass from the next balcony's sliding window.

"Dreygo, he is in the next room!" Viriel shouted.

Dreygo released Elaine from his arms and said, "Viriel, you stay with Elaine! There may be others."

He rushed outside and rampaged the door next to theirs. There was no one there. He glanced back at the expanse of the hallway and saw a man in a black jacket and jeans hurrying towards the emergency exit door.

"You! Stay there!" Dreygo shouted and the assassin started running.

Dreygo followed. The Harbinger was faster than average human athletes and he would catch the assassin in no time. The assassin's steps echoed as he sprinted down the stairs. He panted hard and his vision blurred, only focusing on the winding stairs as he pursued.

On the second-floor emergency exit, he found a black knife lodged in the concrete wall. It was blinking. Dreygo decreased his speed as instincts told him but he continued his pursuit. The knife's design was intricate to be a simple knife. As he was nearing it,

Boom!

The knife blew and the impact threw Dreygo back. He slammed himself into the concrete wall. Concrete debris and cement particles burst into the air, concealing everything from Dreygo's eyes. He felt warm viscous liquid dripping down his neck and every wisp of air escaped his lungs.

His eyelids were heavy but he fought them to stay open. His vision blurred and everything he saw was moving like he was drunk. He could not lift his arms and he did not feel his legs for the moment.

A continuous ringing invaded his hearing together with searing pain. His legs limped as he tried to stand but eventually, he dropped again to the floor with his back leaning against the wall.

His visions started to darken and his body exhausted every bit of energy he possessed. The blast was a few meters away from him and his human form was not able to surpass its impact. He heard hurried footfalls nearing him. He feared his inevitable death was only a few meters away from him.

'I am dead. I can't defend. I need help.' Elaine's face flashed again in his thoughts.

He lifted his arm once more but it fell back to its position. His mouth opened and his breathing increased as his body needed air for him to regenerate energy, but it was futile. The footfalls were more perceptible and fast. The dust settled and a silhouette of a man appeared before his eyes.

"Dreygo, are you ok?" Viriel's voice muffled at Dreygo's hearing. The angel shook his shoulders.

"Elaine," Dreygo exhaustingly said.

"Elaine." His voice was faint right before he succumbed to sleep.