Miho the Killer
Chapter 94: Go

Chapter 94: Go

The rotor blades thudded overhead like an omen. Then the chopper landed outside the safe house. There was no telling how many Police Special Force were out there. One thing was clear: this wasn’t like Club Volta. That time they came in unprepared and were caught by surprise - the kind of a devil they had never met before.

This time they knew exactly who they were up against. It was a safe bet that they came prepared.

"They will storm in. We have a narrow hall. One entrance." Shin’s voice dropped to a whisper. "We buy time."

"How long?" I asked, already hating the answer.

"Not enough."

He then turned to me. "Kitchen. Get anything scalding. Anything blinding. Go."

I didn’t hesitate. I cranked the flame for the kettle. Then checked the pantry. Dish soap. Flour. Pepper. Shin’s toolbag in the hallway closet gave me zip ties and a roll of duct tape.

When I ran back in, Shin was rigging the fire extinguisher to the doorknob with a tripline and duct-taping the nozzle toward the hall. Miho was scattering marbles down the corridor like seeds. She looked up at me and gave a grim smile.

"Homemade hell," she said.

I handed her a flour bag, and she stuffed it with ground pepper into an old pillowcase. "This’ll sting," she murmured.

Shin tightened his grip on the katana. His right sleeve was darkening. He was still hurting and bleeding from Miho’s attack from before. But he didn’t flinch.

———

The front door exploded inward with a hollow CRUMP.

"Close your eyes," Miho whispered and I was glad I did.

Flashbang.

Even with my eyes shut, I felt the hallway explode with light. The deafening noise was disorientating.

When I opened my eyes again to check, I saw three black shapes storm in. Shin vanished behind a china cabinet. Miho rolled low and fast through the smoke like a beast unleashed.

I yanked the pillowcase cord from around the corner - pepper and flour erupted in a violent cloud. The red dots of laser sights blinked and scattered in the haze. Screams followed.

Miho danced forward.

Slice.

A gurgle.

Crack.

A hamstringed officer fell on his back, rifle clattering. Another man lunged - she flipped him, dislocated his arm mid-air, and dropped him like a sack of meat.

A pause. A moment of relative silence, broken only by the grunts and moans of injured Special Force men.

"Second wave!" Shin barked.

I grabbed the kettle and stepped into view. Then I hurled it at the center mass of the incoming figures.

It hit the lead officer’s helmet. Steam and near-boiling oil splattered over his visor.

He screamed. Slipped. The others crashed into him like dominoes. One reached for his gun but Shin was already there - his katana plunged under the edge of the vest with sickening precision.

"Now!" I shouted and kicked the tripwire. The fire extinguisher went off.

A whiteout blizzard of CO₂ filled the corridor.

"Fall back!" Shin ordered again.

The wounded first and second wave bought us seconds as their colleagues had to drag them out of hallway.

We fell back a little and dragged a bookshelf into the hallway’s mouth and toppled it, jamming the opening. Miho dropped beside Shin and clamped his re-opened wound with both hands.

"You still bleeding," she said quietly.

"And whose great idea was that?" Shin chuckled.

Then came the sound of order. Rhythmic boots. Metal clinking.

Shields.

I saw the shimmer through the smoke. Bulletproof riot shields cutting through the fog like armadillos.

"They’ve switched to thermal," Shin said, then flipped the main breaker.

Darkness.

Total.

Miho grabbed a tall aquarium beside the hallway - one I’d always thought was tacky - and smashed it against the tile.

Glass, water, and half-flopping fish flooded the floor.

One shield advanced.

Miho picked up a flopping fish and lobbed it behind them.

The lead officer paused - on thermal, a faint heat signature just flew past.

The tigress didn’t miss a beat. She slid through the gap.

One clean slice across the ankle tendon - he went down screaming. Another shield moved in, firing blindly. Rounds chewed into plaster. Miho was gone again.

But then-

Crack.

Shin staggered.

A stray ricochet caught him near the collarbone. He coughed, and blood painted his shirt.

"Shin!" Miho shouted.

He fell, but leaned against the wall to stay upright and grunted through gritted teeth.

"Fucking hell," Shin muttered, chest heaving.

"We gotta get out of here," Miho spoke - an unusual desperation in her voice.

"The ambulance," he gasped. "From B3."

He shoved Miho toward the side stair.

"I’ll carry you down," Miho turned and tried to put Shin on her back.

"No," Shin pushed her away. "I’ll find another way."

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Miho asked in disbelief.

"I’ll meet you at Juho’s in two days. Take the ambulance and exit through the tunnel. Just as I taught you."

"How the hell are you going to get out of here?"

"Just trust your Old Man one last time, will you?" Shin grinned.

"No fucking way. You are lying again. And you are a terrible liar," Miho’s voice shook with fury.

Shin rolled his eyes and looked at me.

"Ms. Han, come closer," Shin said.

I was already right there. Strange.

"Yes, Sohee, help me get him up," Miho added.

I went closer and put my arm around Shin as Miho did the same.

Then I felt an excruciating pain on my side.

I looked down and saw that I had a short dagger stuck on the left side of my body.

I lost all the strength and fell on my back.

Miho’s eyes widened and she quickly moved next to me and assessed where I was stabbed.

"Old Man, you-"

But the Old Man didn’t care about Miho’s growl.

"You pull that dagger out now she’ll bleed to death. And you can’t carry us both," Shin smiled.

Miho’s eyes glistened. Her lips trembled.

I started to feel hazy. The pain was unbearable.

"Go now."

That was the last thing I heard.

And then everything dissolved into black.