*Bai Li*
As I navigated through the VR and the memories coincided with my therapy, I remembered how Rodey caught hold of Tan Ye.
This is bad. How did Tan Ye come here? My plan wasn't supposed to fail. The container was supposed to be empty. How did a civilian enter?
Fuck! Rodey took that one second of distraction to grab Tan Ye.
But I had to be calm.
Situations like these arise in the mission sometimes. There was always a factor of the unknown which one cannot predict, and you just had to deal with it. So, I cannot lose my focus.
I didn't back down my gun because if I did, that would be a sign of giving up, and like hell, I was going to after Rodey was so close.
But there was Tan Ye. I couldn't be reckless. There was only one way, and that was Cocoa attacking him from the back and taking him by surprise so that Tan Ye could run away. I would take the chance to shoot him.
I heard Rodey say, "Come on, Major, Drop your gun."
I didn't.
"Oh yes, and while you are at it, order your dog to come back from wherever he is planning to attack me."
Fuck, he knows about Cocoa too!
I knew by this time, Cocoa would have already arrived in his position and would be waiting for my command.
"Ah, ah! No please let me go…"
I heard Tan Ye cry. His voice sounded fearful and anxious.
Rodey laughed. "I think you don't care about this civilian anymore. Your decision to back down could save him but well…"
"No, no, please help. Don't kill me, please…"
"No, wait. Don't harm him," I said.
I said that, but I had another plan in my mind. Considering how Tan Ye spoke, I figured his height reached up to Rodey's neck. I was trained to figure that out because angles and directions were a key for a blind person like me to shoot. I cannot afford to shoot someone else accidentally.
From Rodey's data, I knew that he was quite tall, and we had similar heights. When Rodey was speaking to me, I was able to match my neck level as I talked. But with Tan Ye, his voice sounded from a little lower height.
I figured I had a chance to take him down if I shot through his head. It was unfortunate because I wanted to catch him alive, but if he escaped now, I had chances next to impossible to trap him again. Rodey wasn't a fool.
So, I planned to lower my gun for a moment to make him believe that I am backing down. And then at the right moment when I would sense that Tan Ye was out of danger, I would shoot him.
That was my plan, but…
"Arf!"
What? Why is Cocoa barking? No, stay quiet.
"Arf! Arf!"
"Ah, here comes your best buddy," Rodey chuckled. "Is he going to bite me? Because if he does, then…"
I heard Tan Ye gasp. "No, please!"
"No, wait! Cocoa. Step back."
"Arf! Arf! Arf!"
This is getting bad. Why is Cocoa barking so much? He never ignored my orders before.
"Cocoa, stop."
"Arf!"
"Stay!"
"Arf! Arf!"
Why is he so restless?
"Sorry, Major, but your dog is threatening to come our way, so I have no choice to kill this man."
"No! Don't kill me... please...I have a family... please, they are waiting for me…"
"Hooo, then all the more reason to kill you."
I cursed. This was getting out of hand.
"Say goodbye to the world."
"Arf! Arf!"
"Cocoa, stay," I gritted my teeth.
"Grrr…" he growled, but he sounded as if he was refusing to back down.
What was troubling him?
"Stop, Rodey. You wouldn't get anything by killing him. Even if you do, you will lose your protection, and I won't hesitate to kill you."
Rodey chuckled. "Let's see that Major as to who wins."
"Arf! Arf!"
"Cocoa!"
"Goodbye, civilian."
Fuck! I had no time. He was going to kill him.
I raised my gun back at the level I held previously that aimed at his head.
*Bang*
And then I heard a gasp...his last cry as he died. That was the moment of truth. But at present, as I was in the VR, I started breathing hard as I sensed Tan Ye dying again. My hands were trembling.
Only hands? Or was it me as a whole shaking badly?
No...he is dead...I killed him...I missed my shot.
'You killed me, soldier.'
'I am dead because of you.'
'Why did you miss the shot?'
'What face will you show to my family now?'
'You killed me, soldier.'
'You killed me, soldier.'
'You killed me, soldier.'
"Stop it. Stop it!" I raised my arms to my ears and screamed. "Stop! Please don't talk anymore. Stop it."
"Qi Qiang. Stop the program!"
Kang Yuan…? Was it him?
I felt somebody taking my headset out. The voices in my head stopped, and it was silence. There was no gunshot sound anymore. There was no Tan Ye's voice cursing and blaming me.
"Bai Li. Calm down. Take deep breaths," I faintly heard Kang Yuan say. But I still felt a little dizzy.
"Bai Li, it's fine. You came this far. You did great. Try to relax. Take deep breaths and stretch your hands and legs."
I absent-mindedly nodded at his words and did as he told. Then I felt somebody wiping my forehead. The familiar scent hit my nose, and I knew it was Xin Lei.
She hugged me from behind my back, and I felt her hands around my neck. She gently caressed my cheek, and I couldn't help but lean on her arm.
I felt tired. I rested my head on her arm and shut my eyes. Slowly, I sensed my muddled thoughts becoming clearer. My chest felt lighter. My heart that was beating and jumping like crazy, was beginning to calm down. My stiffened muscles felt relaxed.
She intertwined her fingers with mine and moved them in sign language. "Bai Li, I am proud of you. You are awesome."
My lips automatically curved. "I am not that awesome. I left it midway," I whispered.
I felt her shake her head and kiss my cheek. She said nothing more and simply but tightly kept hugging me.
"We will stop here for now," Kang Yuan said.
I slowly opened my eyes and looked at his way. "No. I…want to continue."
There was a moment of silence.
"It's okay, Bai Li. You don't have to force yourself. You reached this far. We can take things slowly."
I shook my head. "No, I want to do it."
I heard him sigh. "Bai Li. I know you might be feeling to complete the therapy faster and cure yourself. But we cannot rush, and you cannot push yourself. The last thing I want is to have a reverse or a negative effect on your mind."
"Yes, bro…" It was Qi Qiang's concerned voice, "You look pale. You should rest as bro Yuan says."
I pursed my lips. I couldn't disagree that a part of me was rushing to get it over with so that I am not scared anymore and so that Tan Ye's death wouldn't haunt me anymore.
But the back of my mind was telling me to do it again. It felt like I was missing something, but before I could figure it out, I screamed and gave up.
Something was beginning to form in my mind as I faced the scene again. I felt as if I heard something when Tan Ye was shot.
What was it? I didn't know.
And to know that, I had to go back to VR once again.
"Trust me, Kang Yuan. I am not pushing myself. There is something...I don't know what, but I felt something when Tan Ye in VR died. I want to know what it was."
"I see. It must be about unlocking a memory that you would have forgotten. Are you sure?"
I nodded.
There was a beat of silence.
"Alright. But take a ten minutes break and rest. Then we will continue. Walk and stretch your muscles and relax."
"Okay."
I felt Xin Lei shift and sit beside me. I heard her typing. "You will do great. I am so proud of my boyfriend."
Ah, why is she so sweet?
I kissed her forehead.
We both sat like that for five minutes, and then she dragged me up to walk.
The ten-minute break was over, and I was back on my seat.
I said, "Qi Qiang. Start from a little before the point when I shot. Take it backward by a minute."
"Alright."
"Let's start," said Kang Yuan.
I felt the familiar buzz in my head as it started.
"Say goodbye to the world," Rodey said.
"Arf! Arf!"
"Cocoa, stay."
"Grrr…" he growled.
"Stop, Rodey. You wouldn't get anything by killing him. Even if you do, you will lose your protection, and I won't hesitate to kill you."
Rodey chuckled. "Let's see that Major as to who wins."
"Arf! Arf!"
"Cocoa!"
"Goodbye, civilian."
Once again, I raised my hand.
*Bang*
This time I shut my eyes as I tried to remember what was the sound I heard.
*Clack*
"Ah…"
I opened my eyes.
That clack sound...it's unmistakable. It was the sound any bullet made when it hit something metallic.
But how?
This is impossible if...