Chapter 12 Attacked By Foes


    Sean stood beside Ca as she called out waving for a taxi.


    "Shit!" Terence cursed in a low voice. Those people were quickly gaining on them. Terence retreated a


    few steps and swiftly grabbed both Sean and Ca around the waist leading them into the opposite


    direction. He then held tightly onto both their hands and began to run into the crowd.


    "What are you doing?" Ca was stunned. All of her attention was on hailing a taxi, so she had no idea


    what was happening around them.


    But it didn''t take her long to realize the danger that was heading towards them. She stopped trying to


    get rid of Terence''s hand and began to run as fast as she could. Even though her heart was in her


    throat and adrenaline coursed through her veins, she didn''t forget the cause of all of this. She


    cried,"Terence you really are a jinx!"


    However, Sean shouted back,"This is so exciting!"


    Sean was too young to understand the true danger that they were in. Being influenced by fast action


    movies he thought that it was fun and exciting. But he had no problem with keeping up with the two of


    them because he had always been very good at sport.


    Ca and Sean''s reaction to what was going on was entirely different to what Terence had expected,


    and it made him smile bitterly. They managed to squeeze into the crowd making it more difficult to be


    reached and to buy themselves a bit more time from the men that were chasing them. When Terence


    thought it was safe enough he stopped and said,"Ca, take Sean home and stay there. I''ll lead them


    away. Their target is me."


    He caressed Sean''s head and then handed him the fish.


    As he dashed to another direction he looked back and called out,"Sean, take care of your sister." He


    then disappeared from view.


    Several brawny men who had been following them suddenly changed their direction and rushed after


    Terence when they saw him leave the crowd. Terence was right. He was their only target.


    "Ter..."


    Terence had left so quickly that Ca didn''t get the chance to finish her words. She stood and gazed as


    he quickly disappeared from sight.


    ''Terence, please be careful.'' That was what she wanted to say.


    A public bus was just pulling over into a nearby bus stop. Ca and Sean followed the crowd and got


    in.


    Ca pushed her way through the crowded bus and went to a window to try and spot Terence. She


    could see the men that were after him weaving in and out of the crowd at amazing speed


    and then she saw Terence. The typical warm smile that she and her brother had be used to


    seeing had now disappeared from his handsome face. It was reced with a cold and resolute stare,


    concentrating on whaty before him. His expression was just like the first time that she saw him.


    There were traffic and peopleing and going from all directions. Terence rolled over the bo of a


    car that was blocking his way without any effort. He looked back at the men that were chasing him and


    gave them a cold smile. He then ducked into a dark and narrow alleyway.


    The bus slowed to a stop.


    After Ca and Sean got off, they didn''t go straight home. They were frightened that those same


    people might have broken into their home.


    "Ca, I''m really worried about Terence. Should we call the police and ask them to help him?"


    Sean held her hand, concern written on his face.


    Ca hugged him and patted his shoulder tofort him. "Sean, it''s not as simple as we think. We


    didn''t have time to call the police when it all happened. But now, we don''t even know where they are.


    How could we tell the police?"


    But in fact, she worried about another thing.


    Because she had no idea about Terence''s real identity, she wasn''t sure whether it was such a good


    idea to call the police at all.


    But if he really was innocent, why didn''t he just call the police himself and exin it all to them? Surely


    he was smart enough to have thought of that. Perhaps he just couldn''t call police because he was a


    criminal himself? That was exactly what Ca was worrying about.


    Ca walked around the block where her home was several times to make sure there were no


    suspicious characters lurking around. Satisfied that it was all clear she went inside with Sean.


    Even though they were safely inside their home, they still didn''t feel at ease.


    They both sat quietly, each lost in their own thoughts as they anxiously waited, until Ca finally spoke


    up,"Sean, don''t wait any longer. Go to bed now." It was already 11 p.m. But Sean was still too restless


    to sleep.


    He shook his head reluctantly.


    "Ca, I''m just so worried about him. Can I wait a little longer?"


    Ca looked up and gave him a stern look. "Sean! Do you think you''re old enough to bargain with me


    now? You don''t listen to me anymore! He is just a stranger. Is he more important to you than your own


    sister?"


    Sean didn''t want to upset his sister any further so he swallowed the words that he was going to say.


    With his head hung low in disappointment he turned and did as he was told.


    In the living room, Ca sat on the sofa staring nkly at the television.


    Many different thoughts ran through her mind. ''Right, he is just a stranger to us. Just a few days ago I


    was trying to get rid of him.


    Then why am I so worried about him? It''s weird.''


    Ca tried to convince herself that he meant nothing to her and that it was a good thing that he was


    finally gone. With that thought, she dragged herself to bed not bothering to get into her pajamas.


    However, when shey in bed, she couldn''t fall asleep. No matter how hard she tried, she kept tossing


    and turning, unable to clear her head. She couldn''t remember how many times she checked her phone,


    by this stage it was well past midnight.


    Finally, giving up on trying to sleep, she sat up in bed with her fists in tight little balls under her chin.


    She thought for a moment. She slid off the bed and put her shoes on and went to look outside the


    window.


    It was very dark outside with the exception of a few dim lights. A breeze whirled the leaves around and


    the shadows made her feel fearful.


    She heaved a deep sigh and decided that


    she couldn''t wait around any longer. Ca grabbed a coat and put it on. She rummaged through a


    toolbox and pulled out a shlight and then quickly went into the kitchen and pulled out a switchde


    from the drawer for her protection in case she needed it, slipping them both into her coat pocket.


    She opened the door to Sean''s bedroom to check on her little brother, careful not to make any noise.


    He was sleeping peacefully, too tired to even remove his jacket.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    She closed the door softly and went downstairs.


    After midnight the streets were deserted except for a few car that would pass asionally.


    Ca took her scooter and went out onto the streets. Normally she wouldn''t dare venture out at this


    hour. But she was restless and worried about Terence.


    Even though she couldn''t work him out and had only known him for several days, she still considered


    him to be a friend. Ca couldn''t just leave him outside not knowing if he was hurt or not. She would


    feel guilty if she did so.


    Ca nervously searched along the streets andnes hoping to spot him. She tried to be as quiet as


    possible so she didn''t attract attention to herself.


    She had been searching for a while. Concern and disappointment began to fester in her mind. She felt


    helpless to do anything more, so with a heavy heart, she turned to go back home. Just as she was


    about to leave, she noticed someone curled up behind the parterre. With hope in her heart, she


    cautiously approached.


    "Terence is that you?" she mumbled, but there was no response.


    "Terence?


    Is that you?"


    Ca asked louder. She couldn''t tell if it was him or not and she was too frightened to get any closer in


    case it wasn''t. She turned the shlight towards the unknown figure.


    Behind the parterre, the man sat slightly up and put his hand out to block the dazzling light from the


    torch. He squinted in the light at her.


    "Ca, what are you doing here?" he said in a hoarse voice.


    When she heard the familiar voice, her heart skipped a beat. Ca quickly parked her scooter and ran


    to him. "Terence, it''s really you! Are you hurt?" she asked urgently.


    When she came closer she saw that Terence was sitting on the ground with one leg bent. It was too


    dark and she couldn''t tell if he was hurt or not.


    Terence didn''t respond so she asked him again,"Are you hurt? Can you move? Why didn''t youe


    home?"


    As she spoke, she ran her hand over him to see if he was hurt. She touched one of his legs and he


    recoiled in pain. Ca pulled her hand back startled.


    "Are you injured? Is it serious? Whatever. We need to get you to a hospital straight away!"


    Ca thought, ''If his injury isn''t serious, then why haven''t hee home yet? He must be badly


    injured! That''s the only exnation!''


    Terence grasped her hand to stop her from calling an ambnce and shook his head. "I''ll be fine. I got


    rid of them. There aren''t that many hospitals in this city and their men will be on a lookout around the


    hospitals for me. I can''t go to the hospital.


    Don''t worry. It was just one blow to my leg and it didn''t break my bones."


    Ca frowned. His left leg was obviously too weak for him to move. Was he really fine?


    "How about this? I have a pretty close friend who operates a clinic near my home. He will know how to


    help you. Let''s go to him now!"


    She stood up brushing the leaves from her knees and leaned over with her arms outstretched ready to


    help Terence up off the ground. But Terence didn''t make any attempt to move.


    In the dark of the night, leaves rustled in the breeze and the delicate scent of a nearby hibiscus tree


    floated in the air.


    It seemed as though time had stood still for a moment.


    Under the parterre, the handsome man stared at her intently, in a manner that she had never seen


    before.