Chapter 5

Save Me, Chad (5)
:Sarah Repays Kindness

In three counts, if Jane did not make a choice, Killings would kill Sarah.  So she could either try saving Sarah by pulling the trigger herself and hitting the door, or be forced to tell him who she is as a means to save her.

“Ah, ugh…”

By this point, Jane was panting as she tried gritting her teeth to keep in it. Hot moisture rose from her reddened eyes as she struggled.

“One.”

As her mind raced towards a dead end, her subconscious kicked in. However unfamiliar a gun was to Jane, she could not help but recognise the familiar grip. The motor information stored in her cerebellum kicked into gears and her body adjusted. 

Jane placed her right foot behind, and her left foot in front. She held her breath as her skinny arms straightened further. Once she got herself positioned, she tensed her wrist and placed the doorknob in her line of fire. Her actions were as fluid as Killings’.

“Two.”

She gently squeezed the trigger. A light pressure of about 1 kg was transmitted through her index finger. 0.6cm was pulled. The ball was pushed back and the pistol’s internal safety was released.

A familiar sensation spread throughout her body. Jane’s unconscious mind, fully receptive to the sensation, pulled the trigger all the way. Over 2.2 kg of pressure was felt and at the same time, the pulled ball was released. The ball struck the detonator at the rear centre of the ammunition, discharging it.

Bang-

Before Chad finished counting to three, a gunshot rang out. And fortunately, Sarah’s head did not fly away.

A massive, eardrum-splitting explosion shook the hallway. Under the pressure of the rapidly exploding gas in a confined space, the bullet flew through the short barrel and blindly shot towards the target. It happened in a blink of an eye. The bullet pierced the doorknob Jane was aiming for and disappeared down the hall.

The smell of gunpowder wafted into her nostrils. She could feel the residual sparks travelling through her wrists, elbows, and shoulder. Jane hurriedly took her finger off the trigger and ejected the magazine. This too was done very fluidly as Jane checked if the chamber was empty before lowering the pistol below her waist. She pulled the trigger away from the muzzle to double-check that there really was no ammunition left. During all these series of actions, Jane was out of it. Her movements are like a robot repeating a pre-programmed action.

The three men that have been watching Jane were speechless at the sight. Sarah too had not said a word but as soon as she realised she was spared, she fell to the ground. Her knees weakened after having been prepared to die. Hot urine ran to the floor and formed a small puddle.

A deadly silence followed.

After a while, Jane regained consciousness. Her eyes widened, shocked when she saw the doorknob she had aimed at, now dented by the shot.
“Haa, Ha… Ah, ha?” She took a deep breath.
The tension she held in released and Jane collapsed to her knees and crumpled to the floor.
Chad, who had been focused on Jane, was surprised as well, though he did not show it. He moved to her side and pulled the gun away from her wet, sweaty hand. He slid the pistol back into its holster, replacing the magazine Jane had removed.

“Even after we’ve looked through the Bureau’s databases, regionally, nationally, and internationally, we can’t find anything about your existence.”
Before she knew it, Chad had taken off his headset and pulled out his earplugs.

“You don’t know you, and the world doesn’t know you.”
“…”
“How should I begin to find out who you are.”
The way Chad ended his sentence was not the same as when asking a question.
Jane, on the other hand, was still deafened by the intense gunfire that shook her brain. Chad walked away and seemed to be talking to someone, looking at her occasionally before saying something again. His voice was muffled and she could barely make out what he was saying.

When she had first opened her eyes in the empty hospital room, she had not felt as afraid as she was now. Sarah Stula had checked her over, and a doctor named Miller, who had come to check on her with Sarah’s guidance. They had told her that there was nothing wrong with her body and that her memory would return soon before letting her rest.

At a wave of his hand, Chad dimmed the interior lights. With this issue settled, he stuck one hand into his leather back pocket, and walked away. His long legs moved arrogantly and soon left for the other side of the hallway. Though the overwhelming presence walked down the long corridor, moved out with great sweeping motion, and yet there was no sign of movement at all. After Chad disappeared, the density of the air seemed to change. The pressure on her chest and the lack of oxygen made her dizzy, but the pressure now returned to normal.

As Jane’s unfocused eyes wandered, Killings, Agent Mundale, and Ponytail had made their way out. There in the hallway, with the smell of gunpowder floating in the air, was just Jane and Sarah.

***

The day dawned and the night passed. Though the wondrous changes in the sky, like the release of paint, was not a luxury she could afford in her hospital room, she still fell asleep deeply, only waking up when the flashing of lights came from the ceilings.

‘Ah, how much longer do we have to do this?’

It was the same old routine in the drab hospital room, surrounded by concrete. Soon, after the lights came on, Sarah pushed open the door. Smiling as ever, she took Jane’s vital signs and recorded them.

Shortly after Sarah left, food was brought in. Oatmeal with fruit for breakfast, a ham or turkey sandwich for lunch, and a piece of meat with a side of vegetables for dinner. She was always given just enough to satisfy her hunger.

Doctor Miller visited once a day, and Nurse Sarah visited thrice. As the days went by, life in the hospital room became routine and passed without a hitch. But with each passing day, Jane’s eyes were slowly changing as well. The glaze that first started from a small dot that lasted a second slowly increased in size and duration.

“What have you been thinking so hard about these days?”

Sarah was the first to pick up on the change in Jane’s atmosphere.

“What is the mechanism behind memory loss?” Jane asked.

“I’d say it’s with the head. So either brain injury or psychogenic, but there could definitely be other factors.”

When asked, Dr. Miller had mentioned that it was definitely not cerebral haemorrhage or skull fracture.

“How much longer do I have to be locked up here?”

“I don’t know.”

“What about the dogs… No, I mean the men? Was that the only time they were going to question me?”

“They must be busy people. That was my first time seeing them in person.”

“They said that you’ve been here for 10 years?”

“To be exact, it’s been 10 years and… let’s see, 8 months.”

“Sarah, are you imprisoned here too?”

Sarah gave a small smile and shook her head at Jane’s question.

“It’s not like that. I’m staying here of my own obligation. McBride is my family.”

Jane replied to Sarah’s words with a straight face.
“What kind of a family is that? You almost died.”

“What? Almost died?”
Sarah tilted her head, puzzled.

“I almost killed you! And it was the McBride’s chae… the McBride’s boss who deliberating set up such a dangerous situation! The ones that you call family!”

Sarah stared at Jane who was fuming with frustration. After a moment of silence, she spoke.
“Come to think of it, you saved my life. Jane Doe, the clueless, forgetful woman… I am a criminal that has not only committed robbery but also murder, you could’ve easily shot and killed me, but yet, you saved me.
“Sarah, are you also a part of McBride?”

“…Oh my, I still haven’t expressed my thanks yet.”

Sarah, who had been looking down, lost in her thoughts, lifted her eyes. She stared at Jane and pulled the corners of her mouth together without showing her true colours.

“The price for saving my life… How can I repay your kindness?”

Jane frowned, studying Sarah’s expression. Her suggestion was unexpected, and she could not tell whether Sarah was joking or being serious.

“You look like you don’t believe me at all.”

“…”

“You saved my life, so I’m going to save yours too, just this once…”

“…”

“I’ll risk my life to give Jane what she wants in return for her kindness, is that enough?”

After finally checking her vital signs, Sarah smiled and settled down.
“Let me know once anything comes to mind during our time together! I’ll be sure to listen and help you, even if it means giving you my life.”

*I think Jane tried saying chaebol because it cut off at chae? As in McBride’s chaebol then I guess she changed her mind and words. Anyway, what a way to learn about guns huh…