"Hayden and Malissa are out. Luka’s team is going in now, Boss!"


    I heard a man shout loudly. He must be reporting to the boss about the situation. I looked around in confusion at the many men that were on standby waiting outside for us. Suddenly, the weight of Hayden’s arm around my shoulder felt heavier. I turned to face him and that was when I realized that something was gravely wrong.


    "Hayden! Hayden!" I screamed his name loudly.


    My cries attracted the attention of a few men who were standing close to us. Hayden didn’t reply to me, but I could tell that he was in pain. I wrapped my arm around his back to better support his weight. I winced when my hand came in contact to something warm and wet.


    It can’t be…


    I looked down at my hand and my entire face felt numb from shock. Thick red liquid coated the palm of my hand.


    Hayden…


    "Hayden’s hurt! Please help! Help! Help!" I screamed loudly.


    "I’m ok, Lisa…" Hayden whispered close to me.


    He’s not ok. His voice sounded so weak.


    "Help please! Hayden got shot! Help! Help please! Someone…please…" I screamed so loudly before my voice cracked and I started crying while pleading for help.


    Three men quickly approached us after hearing my cry for help.


    "Excuse me. Let us handle this, Miss," one of the men said calmly.


    The other man started peeling me away from Hayden.


    "No, please! He’s hurt. You need to take him to the hospital," I pleaded as I felt tears sting my eyes again.


    "We will do that right away. Step aside, Miss. Come this way, we need to secure your safety as well," the man said as he held my arm and pulled me away from Hayden.


    "Let me go with him! Please! I don’t want to part from him. Please!" I screamed loudly.


    "It will be faster if you leave them to handle it. Now pleasee with me," the man said sternly.


    I could see the other two men supporting Hayden by the arm and leading him away. Where are they taking him?


    "Master Hayden’s been shot. I repeat. Hayden took a bullet. Extent of damage not yet confirmed," a man reported.


    "Malissa…Malissa!"


    I heard someone calling my name. Another face entered my field of vision.


    Ethan? Is that you?


    "Malissa!" Ethan called my name again loudly.


    I felt his hands on my arms as his face came closer. It was a strange feeling. Although Ethan was there right in front of me, I couldn’t respond to him. My mind felt like a mess and suddenly my head throbbed painfully.


    "Ahhh!" I screamed as pain ripped through my skull.


    It felt like my head was going to explode. What is going on? My mind went hazy and so did my sight. What is happening to me?


    ’Lisa…it’s going to be ok. Lisa…Lisa…’


    Who’s talking?


    …


    ’Lisa…it’s going be ok. Listen to me, Lisa…Lisa…Lisa…’


    Who are you? Who’s talking?


    At first, I thought that what I was seeing wasn’t real. This is nothing more than a dream that I’m having. At least that was what I thought at first. However, as the young teenager got closer and closer to me, I wasn’t so sure anymore.


    ’Lisa…’


    Stop calling me that.


    ’Lisa…Lisa…’


    I’m not Lisa anymore. You know that, right?


    The young man came so close to me and for some reason, I couldn’t move my body and I couldn’t get away. Isn’t that just how strange your dreams are sometimes? I tried to move my hands, but they wouldn’t move. Confused, I looked down and I screamed when I found out that my wrists were tied together with a rope. In my panic, I automatically started struggling to free my hands.


    ’It’s ok, Lisa. Help will be here soon…" he said reassuringly.


    He smiled at me and for a moment, I forgot everything including the fact that my hands were tied. He’s so beautiful. His blond hair and his blue eyes…he looked just like an angel…


    "Hayden!"


    I woke up screaming Hayden’s name. The first thing that I felt was a wave of pure pain shooting through my brain and then I felt nauseous. I closed my eyes tightly as my body writhed on the bed from the pain.


    "Malissa!" I heard a woman’s voice calling my name.


    Then I felt her hand gently taking my hand and stroking it as if she wanted to desperatelyfort me. It did help a little but the pain in my brain felt unbearable.


    "Wait here! I’m going to call the doctor!" the woman said in a panic.


    A short whileter, I heard the woman speak through the phone telling the person on the other end that I had woken up.


    I dared opened my eyes a little to figure out where I was. White ceiling and white walls greeted me along with an IV drip right next to the bed that I wasying on. The ce smelled cleaned probably because it smelled slightly of disinfectant. My eyelids slid shut when I no longer needed to see anything else to know that I was in a hospital room.


    "Where is Hayden?" I asked but my voice came out as nothing more than an almost inaudible whisper.


    "Hayden is fine. He’s resting now. There is nothing for you to worry about, Malissa," the woman replied.


    I could feel her approaching my side as she came to stand next to the bed. Forcing my eyes opened a little, I stared up at her worried face.


    "Auntie…" I whispered in a dry voice.


    "Yes, it’s me. You don’t have to worry about anything. Hayden is really fine…" she confirmed reassuringly.


    I nodded my head slightly as the headache started to subside.


    "I want to see him…" I whispered my desire.


    Paranoid started taking over along with my sense of insecurity. No matter what, I couldn’t believe that Hayden was safe and sound unless I could see it with my very own eyes. I need to see Hayden. Is he in the same hospital? Where is he now? I need to see him now…


    --To be continued...