Chapter 5:- Die Or Cry

Richard turned his head at the sound of a faint creak, his eyes widening in horror as he registered the glaring axe hurling towards him.

His body reacted faster than his mind as he darted sideways, narrowly avoiding the axe's deadly impact. The weapon sunk into the mattress with a thud, its blade biting deep into the bed's fabric.

A low growl erupted from the assassin's mouth, his eyes flashing with fury.

"Bloody bastard, I was trying to be nice by giving you a swift death, now I have to kill you slowly."

Richard's fingers found the pistol tucked into his waistband in an instant. With lightening speed,h fired a handful of shots at the assassin with precision.

But to Richard's horror, the assassin remained steady, seemingly unfazed by the gun nor its bullets as he suffered no damage.

A sinister smile stretched across the assassin's face, his eyes flashing with a creepy glow.

"Sorry to disappoint you Richard, bullets can't harm me, I can't be killed."

The assassin's confident words sent a chill down Richard's spine. He was facing an adversary he has never faced before, one that seemed to defy all odds.

"What are you?" Richard asked, his tone mixed with fear and shock. "Why do you want me dead?"

" I am your doom captain." the assassin's voice echoed " I am the one people pay to do their dirty business and someone very powerful offered me a fortune to separate your head from your body."

"Who sent you to kill me?"

The assassin let out a low chuckle,

"Enough talking captain, time to die. Any last words?"

Richard stood his ground, his stance steady despite the fear that coiled in his chest. "Yes, I do have one."

With a brutal growl, Richard charged at the assassin, the two engaging in a violent dance of fists and blades, furnitures splintering and glasses shattering as they collided recklessly.

But the assassin's size and strength soon proved to be an advantage as he pushed Richard backwards, sending him hurling towards the window.

Richard's momentum, combined with the force of the assassin's blow, was too much for the window to withstand. The glass shattered and the two men tumbled out, arms and legs swinging as they plunged into the swimming pool below.

With a deafening splash, they hit the water, disappearing beneath its depths for a moment before surfacing and gasping for air.

With a swift motion, Richard pinned the assassin's head underwater, holding it there with a tight grip as the assassin's struggles grew weaker.

Richard drew a knife from his pocket and with a calculated precision, he cut the assassin's throat, the blade biting deep into his neck. Blood gushed from the wound, turning the blue pool into red.

In the distance, the sounds of alarm bells could be heard as the hotel's security forces rushed to the scene, spotting Richard at the pool.

"What the hell happened here?" one guard shouted, his eyes moving between the pool's waters and the dead body floating on it.

Richard, still panting, replied, "You tell me how an assassin was able to scale past your security measures and sneak into my room without being apprehended?"

The guard's face flushed with disappointment, his mouth opening to speak but Richard cut him off.

" You better start explaining, because if that assassin came for me, he had help from someone on the inside."

The head of security, a man with a face as hard as granite, approached Richard with a grave expression.

"I'm deeply sorry for what happened here. We will find the culprit who allowed the assassin in. until then, we can relocate you to a secure room under armed guard."

Richard held the man's gaze, a hint of relief on his face. "Fair enough."

Richard was led to a new room, where he tended to his wounds, showered and changed into fresh clothes.

As he sat on the bed,his mind raced with questions. "Who could want me dead? how did they track me?" his mind raced, trying to fit the pieces together, but the more he pondered, the more confused he got.

"bulletproof?" impossible... but I saw it with my own eyes. How can a man be unharmed by bullets and then killed by a knife??" he tried to clear his mind. "Enough thinking, before I lose my mind."

The knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts, sending him into high alert,he picked his gun and called out, "Who's there?"

"Hi Richard Rawlings, I'm special agent Caroline, with the FBI. I'm here to ask you some questions about what happened." she spoke in a sweat and gentle voice.

Richard hesitated, weighing his options, he cautiously approached the door, his eye pressed to the peephole. On the other side, a beautiful woman's image came into focus. Richard's mouth curled into a smile.

"Alright, agent Caroline." he said, opening the door a crack.

His eyes met the beautiful blonde agent and he couldn't help but be struck by her beauty. He sighed, his gaze lingering on her for a moment before he spoke.

"Do you want me to step outside or will you come in?"

Agent Caroline's eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze piercing as she seemed to size Richard up.

" I think it's best I come in, this is a private matter, and I believe we'll be more comfortable discussing it inside."

With a smile that was both seductive and intimidating, she stepped past him into the room, her movements confident and unhurried.

Agent Caroline continued to look at Richard with a mix of curiousity and disbelief as he offered her a glass of wine. She kept wondering how an ordinary man like him could possibly take down a highly trained assassin.

"I'll pass on that, thank you." Despite her professional demeanor, she couldn't help but admire Richard's dashing good looks.

" I must say, Richard, you're quite a mystery. A man with a simple background but yet capable of handling himself against a trained assassin, fascinating isn't it?

Richard's expression softened, and he offered a faint,humble smile.

"I was lucky, I guess." he said,his tone suggesting he didn't quite believe his own words.

Agent Caroline's lips curled into a half smile,her eyes gleamed with skepticism.

"Somehow I don't think it was just luck. Tell me," she pressed, "what really happened in that room? what are you not telling me?"

Richard's grin grew wider as he narrated the events with a hint of humor.

" Well, he tried to kill me and missed. We danced a little bit and then decided to cool off with a swim. Let's just say I gave him a close shave with my blade."

Agent Caroline let out a low chuckle, her amusement clear on her face.

"A dance, you say? must have been quite the tango.... Do you know the assassin's identity?"

"I don't know the assassin, never seen him before. But you're the FBI, what leads do you have on him?"

"I know the assassin, we've been trying to pin him for a very long time." Her voice low and serious. "He works for a group known as the SKULLERS. A notorious underground organization with a long lists of victims."

Richard's eyes narrowed, "I have dealt with many pirate groups, u don't think I have ever dealt with Skullers before."

"So you're saying that if the skullers are after you, it could mean they're involved in piracy? That's an interesting lead, Richard. I can definitely work with that."

"One more thing, Richard, the assassin you killed is responsible for the deaths of 55 FBI agents who tried to stop him." she paused, "But that's not the most shocking part. He left a signature on their bodies.... a tattoo with a chilling message, 'THE APOCALYPSE IS COMING'."

Richard's grip on the gun tightened as he processed the revelation.

" The apocalypse?" he repeated,his mind racing with connections. He has heard that word before- his mentor had mentioned it, along with a far fetched tale about aliens that Richard still wasn't buying. He decided to keep that part to himself, he didn't want to sound ridiculous.

"Caroline, I think the skullers group is involved in more than just piracy.. I believe they're also behind the abduction of the president's daughter."

Caroline's eyes widened in astonishment, "That's a bold accusation, Richard, but I must admit it's possible." She leaned in, her tone taking on a confidential edge. " We don't have any leads on finding this mysterious group, but perhaps, we can work together. However, it has to be a secret. if this is as big as I think it is, then we can't trust anyone. Not even our own agencies."

"Alright detective," Richard said,his voice laced with exhaustion, "here's my contact information. If you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out."

He handed her a small piece of paper.

"I think I need to rest now. My mind is still reeling from everything that happened." He rubbed his eyes, his expression weary.

"Thank you very much for your time, Richard.

She stood up and walked towards the door. Richard followed, locking it behind her.

The clicks of the lock had barely faded when his phone burst to life.

"Hello?" Richard answered,his voice cautious.

"Hi boss, it's me George." the voice on the other end said, trembling. "sorry to bother you but there's something very urgent I need to tell you."

Richard could sense anxiety from George's tone.

"What is it George?"

"Boss, it's about your wife, Scarlett, i have found some really strange things about her. I've sent you a video boss.. I don't know what to say, it's just... you need to see this."

"Alright, thank you George, I'll check it."

He hung up the call and quickly opened his email, his heart raced with anticipation.

He scanned the inbox, his eyes located the message from George. He clicked on the attachment, a video file labeled 'Scarlett footage'.

As the video loaded, Richard's mind whirled with worst-case scenarios, his gut telling him that his world is about to be turned upside down.

Richard stared at the screen, his jaw dropped with disbelief. He watched in stunned silence as his wife, the woman he loved with all his heart, sat on the lap of a man,naked, thrusting intimately on his genitals rhythmically. Her face was wrapped in pleasure as her cries of ecstasy echoed through the room.

Hot tears quickly gathered around Richard's eyes like a cloud heavy with rain. His heart beating very fast as pain coursed through him.

A knock on his door interupted drew his attention.

"Hi Rich, it's me, Scarlett. Open up."