Dominic’s eyes snapped open instantly. The moment he saw the wolves surrounding Mila, his expression changed completely.

Despite the fever and weakness consuming him, murderous coldness flashed through his eyes. He immediately reached into his pocket and pulled out his gun.

Bang...

The gunshot exploded through the jungle.

The wolves instantly scattered and fled into the darkness.

Silence followed.

Mila dropped the burning log and rushed toward Dominic immediately. Her legs nearly gave out from fear.

Dominic caught her weakly in his arms.

Mila buried her face against his chest. "I was scared," she whispered brokenly. "I thought..."

Dominic caressed her hair. "You are safe now," he murmured hoarsely. "I’m here."

Mila clung to him, afraid those ferocious animals would come back and rip them apart. The two remained wrapped in each other’s arms beside the dying fire.

Slowly, they both fell asleep together.

It was almost dawn when Mila suddenly woke up.

Thup-Thup-Thup-Thup—

A loud chopping sound echoed through the jungle.

Mila’s heart thumped, her eyes shining with hope.

"A helicopter..." She quickly shook Dominic awake. "Dominic... Help is here."

But Dominic’s expression immediately turned wary. He couldn’t be certain like Mila.

"It could be the enemy."

"What?" Mila froze. The hope vanished from her eyes, and worry replaced it.

He slowly stood up, ignoring the pain tearing through his body.

"Don’t make any noise," he warned quietly. "Stay in the corner. Don’t come out unless I call you."

Then Dominic gripped the gun tightly and moved toward the broken entrance of the ruined house, his cold gaze scanning the jungle outside carefully.

Seven armed men descended from the helicopter one after another, gripping the ropes tightly. The blades roared above the jungle. The trees shook and bent violently.

The moment their boots hit the earth, they spread out.

One of them crouched near the torn parachute tangled between branches.

"They landed here." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Another man touched the blood staining the wet grass. "They are badly injured." He looked up grimly. "They can’t have gone far."

The leader’s expression darkened. "Search the jungle. Find them and kill them."

The men split in different directions.

A few minutes later, one of them spotted the old ruined house hidden between thick trees.

"I found an old house," he whispered into the communicator. "They might be inside."

The reply came instantly. "Search it."

Two men approached cautiously, guns raised.

Inside the broken house, Dominic stood silently behind the wall beside the entrance. His breathing was ragged. Blood continued soaking through the cloth tied around his stomach wound. Yet his grip on the gun remained steady.

Mila crouched in the corner, trembling as she watched the shadows move outside.

The footsteps came closer.

Creak...

One of the men stepped inside carefully.

Bang.

The bullet pierced straight through his forehead.

The man collapsed instantly.

"Damn it," the second man shouted and fired toward the entrance, while moving backward.

Dominic leaned out and pulled the trigger once.

The bullet struck the man’s chest.

He crashed down into the mud outside.

Hearing the sound, four men rushed toward the house immediately.

Dominic grabbed the dead man’s gun and fired again. Gunshots exploded through the jungle one after another.

Mila covered her ears, her heart hammering violently inside her chest. Fear crawled through every inch of her body as she watched Dominic fighting alone.

Blood dripped steadily from his wound onto the dusty floor. Yet he never stopped firing. His eyes were terrifyingly cold.

One enemy dropped. Then another.

The third man screamed before collapsing near the trees.

But the last one was still alive. He hid behind a thick tree and continued firing toward the house.

Pieces of the cracked wall shattered beside Dominic.

Dominic checked the gun.

Empty.

His jaw tightened as he threw the gun away.

Outside, beside one of the dead bodies, another gun lay on the ground. Dominic looked at it. Going out meant death. The enemy would shoot him instantly.

The enemy laughed from behind the tree. "What happened, Dominic? Ran out of bullets?"

Silence.

"Surrender," the man sneered. "Maybe I’ll spare your life."

Dominic remained motionless near the entrance. His breathing grew heavier. His vision blurred slightly from blood loss. But the murderous fire in his eyes still hadn’t faded.

He would not die before securing Mila’s safety.

The enemy slowly stepped out from behind the tree, aiming carefully.

"You are injured," he mocked, approaching the house cautiously. "You can’t keep fighting forever."

He moved closer and closer. "Stop hiding. Come out and surrender."

But Dominic didn’t move from his place. He waited for him to enter.

The man paused right outside the house, weighing his options. Then he stepped inside carefully. Just as he crossed the threshold, Dominic exploded into motion.

With the last of his strength, he kicked the man’s wrist violently.

The gun flew from his hand.

Dominic lunged at him immediately. Both crashed onto the floor.

The assassin recovered quickly and slammed his elbow into Dominic’s wounded stomach.

Pain exploded through Dominic’s body. A guttural groan escaped him.

The man punched him across the face and mounted him forcefully.

Dominic struck back ruthlessly despite his weakening body. His fist smashed against the man’s jaw hard.

The assassin recovered it quickly. His eyes flashed fire. He growled and locked his arm around Dominic’s neck.

Dominic’s eyes widened instantly. The pressure crushed his throat.

He clawed at the man’s arm, trying to break free, but his strength was fading too fast. His face slowly reddened. Air stopped entering his lungs.

Mila froze in horror.

"Dominic," she screamed.

She watched his movements grow weaker. Panic swallowed her completely. Without thinking anymore, she rushed forward.

Crying out, she jumped onto the man’s back and wrapped both arms tightly around his neck.

The man cursed and released Dominic instantly. He staggered to his feet, trying to shake her off.

But Mila clung desperately to him. "Get away from him," she screamed.

Furious, the man grabbed her arms. With brutal force, he threw her away.

Mila’s body slammed against the cracked wall. Pain shot through her entire body. Blood spilled from the corner of her lips.

The man stormed toward her murderously. "You bitch," he snarled. "I’ll kill you first."

He grabbed her throat viciously.

Mila gasped for air, clawing at his arm.

Nearby, Dominic coughed violently, dragging air into his burning lungs. His blurry gaze landed on the fallen gun lying across the floor.

Gritting his teeth against the agony ripping through his body, he crawled across the dirty ground and grabbed it.

The man tightened his grip around Mila’s throat.

Her vision darkened.

Dominic raised the gun. His hand shook slightly. But he steadied himself, drew a breath, and pulled the trigger.

Bang.

The bullet pierced through the man’s head. His body froze. Then collapsed lifelessly over the floor.

Mila trembled violently as she stared at the corpse.

Dominic immediately dropped the gun and staggered toward her despite the unbearable pain tearing through his body. He pulled her into his arms tightly.

"It’s okay," he rasped heavily, cradling her trembling body. "You are safe now."

Footsteps suddenly echoed outside the house.

Both of them stiffened. Dominic’s expression darkened. He had no strength left to fight anymore. If more enemies came now, he wouldn’t be able to save her.

He slowly looked toward the entrance, helplessness flashing briefly across his face for the first time. Then a familiar figure rushed inside.

Lucas.

Relief finally appeared in Dominic’s eyes. The tension left his body instantly. His strength completely gave out. He dropped his head onto Mila’s shoulder and closed his eyes.