Take My Breath Away

Emmett wiped the cold sweat off his forehead with his eyes closed. He gritted his teeth and decided, "Fine, I'll have to betray Mr. Huo then." In light of the years he had worked for Carlos, his loyal nature, and Carlos' intimidating personality, it was a hard decision for him to make.

Debbie smiled and patted his shoulder. "Good boy."

Emmett waited until there was nobody around them before whispering to her, "Mr. Huo went on a mission with Wesley and Damon."

Debbie was confused. 'What mission? Carlos has been out of the army for more than five years now. Why is he on a mission all of a sudden? And Damon is a gangster. Why is he on a military mission?'

Her confusion was nothing beyond Emmett's expectation. However, he didn't intend to explain everything to her. Even though he had given in to Debbie, he didn't want to betray Carlos thoroughly. He had kept some of it unsaid as a way out. "Yeah, there was a mission, but I have no idea what it was or where they have gone."

For a moment, Debbie was quiet as she took in the news. She was furious and also found the whole thing absurd. "Under normal circumstances, I would understand if Carlos went on a military mission. But he had just been shot. Didn't the military officers know that? And his wound reopened yesterday..." Debbie flushed recalling what had happened in the ward yesterday afternoon. But she recovered soon. She continued angrily, "Is there no one else available in the army? Why did Wesley have to put Carlos, a freshly wounded man, on this task? Is this their so-called brotherhood?"

Emmett explained anxiously, "It's not like that. It was originally agreed on that all three of them would take part in the task. However, Mr. Huo was wounded later on. Both Wesley and Damon tried to talk him out of the mission. But you know Mr. Huo. He always goes through with his decisions."

'What kind of mission is so important that Carlos would be determined to be a part of it? And Damon is concerned about it too, ' Debbie thought. Suddenly, a possibility occurred to her. A dash of gloom covered her face. "This has something to do with Megan, right?" she asked.

Emmett was surprised. 'She is so smart.' "I...I don't know. Mrs. Huo, I have to go and check on Kasie."

But Debbie wouldn't let him go. She took a deep breath and grabbed him by the arm. Her lips were trembling from anger and heartache. "Tell me the truth," she demanded.

Emmett hesitated. After a moment, he decided that since she had already figured it out, it would be pointless to hold his tongue. So he told her in a hushed voice, "Yes, it's about her. Some bandits have been trying to harm Megan. Mr. Huo, Wesley, and Damon laid out a plan and they have gone to take them all out."

The expression on Debbie's face was heartbreaking to watch. Emmett comforted her, "Mrs. Huo, those men have been watching Megan every day because her parents had two thirds of their people wiped out. Now, they are seeking revenge. Things would only get worse if these men are not annihilated. This is not just about Megan. To protect her, Mr. Huo and Wesley have also put themselves in danger for so long. They are just doing what they have to do in order to solve this menace once and for all."

A bitter smile brushed Debbie's lips. As a reasonable woman, she understood the situation. "What baffles me is, why does Carlos have to be a hero at a time like this? He needs proper care now. And why did he keep this from me? I know martial arts; I could have gone with him and helped them. Even if I couldn't help with the fighting, I could have at least stayed by his side and taken care of him. Why didn't he tell me?" When she was done, she covered her mouth to muffle her cries.

The thought that right now, a wounded Carlos was somewhere in danger, made her frantic with worry.

"Mrs. Huo, please don't be upset. I didn't go either. Do you know why? This isn't an ordinary task. Everyone involved in the mission has been trained to use guns. But I have no experience. People like us would just be a dead weight."

"I can't stay here. I have to go find him." The wait was killing her. It felt like the minutes were creeping by at a snail's pace. Dangerous or not, she wanted to be there for him.

Emmett sensed that her emotions were about to get the better of her, so he said, "Mrs. Huo, I know this is hard for you, but I'm begging you. Please don't go. You don't even know where he is. Besides, Kasie is still unconscious. Are you going to leave her here alone?"

"Kasie won't be alone. She has you. I trust you will take care of her." Tears fell out of her eyes, blurring her vision. She stared at Emmett and said, "Tell me where he is. I have to find him. I promise I will be careful. Believe me, I know how to fight. I can protect myself."

Emmett nodded, trying everything to ease her mind. "I know that you can fight, and you are good at it too. But out there, bullets will come flying out of everywhere. What good is a taekwondo black belt or a world championship in a place like that? One bullet and that's it—you are dead. Tomboy, make your friendship with Kasie a priority right now. I not only see you as my boss, but as a friend too. You have always cared about your friends. If you think of me as a friend, please listen to me and calm down. If anything happens to you, Mr. Huo will skin me alive. Sure as sunrise."

'Calm down? Somebody tell me how to do that. Bullets...Carlos...he could be wounded again any minute...' Debbie completely lost control over her emotions. With one hand over her mouth, she slumped onto the floor, wailing.

Carlos had been so good to her, but right now, despite knowing that he was in danger, she could do nothing, nothing at all, except cry

She hated herself for being so useless.

Eventually, Emmett managed to take her back to the ward. He sat her down on the sofa, hoping that she could collect herself in a while.

Ten-odd minutes later, Debbie grabbed her phone and darted towards the door. Emmett hurried towards the door with a flustered face and was just in time to stop her. "Tomboy, I thought you had calmed down. Where are you going?"

She closed her eyes sadly for a second and took a deep breath before saying, "Relax. I'm not going to find Carlos. I don't even know where he is. I need to ask that jerk something."

"Lewis?" Emmett asked, puzzled.

"Yes," she replied. Debbie considered it wise not to tell Emmett what Lewis had done to Kasie in the hotel room. "I'll be gone for a while. Take care of Kasie. Call me if I'm needed."

"No problem. But can you tell me who did this to her? I need to know."

Debbie hesitated. "I can't... Not yet. Things are still unclear. But don't worry, I'll tell you as soon as I find out."

She turned to leave.

But Emmett got in her way again. "Does it have something to do with Lewis?"

"Maybe, but that's uncertain. That's what I'm going to ask him."

Emmett was silent. What should he do if it was Lewis who had done this to Kasie?

Debbie walked out of the ward while he was still deep in thought. But it was too late for her to go to the police station. So, she went back to the manor.

Looking around the empty house, she became depressed and restless. Without Carlos, it didn't feel like a home anymore. She felt insecure. After a quick shower, she climbed onto their bed and lay down. Unbidden, all kinds of thoughts crossed her mind and kept her awake until midnight.