*This chapter will give you a picture of Dani’s life before she became a bodyguard. And yes, this chapter is kind of angsty :D But please bear with me, and please comment :)

There are descriptions of violence in this chapter so please be beware of that :)

If anybody ever created a bodyguard textbook, the situation I was in, with 5 people to protect, only one bodyguard and an unidentified number of shooters, would be under pretty ing bad. Luckily when I shouted down, everybody listened, that way a tight cluster of bullets that were supposed to be in Ji’s head were now in the wall next to me.

I heard more footsteps and more guns fire, and came to a quick conclusion that we were very much ed. It was Sunday and practically nobody was in the building, not to mention that the whole building was sound proof. !

I saw five sets of eyes stare at me in silent horror, and I knew that I decided their fate. I needed my team here, so that was exactly what I did. I moved all of us more behind the car and then took my phone out, calling Josh.

“Dina, how-“

“I have no time for that now. I need eyes and ears. I have an unidentified number of shooters and we are most probably surrounded. By we I mean me and 5 clients. Hack into the cameras and help me get alive out of this.”

I didn’t need to say anything more. I heard Josh call out for the others, and soon enough I got a very detailed information of how deep in I was.

“There are at least 4 of them, and they are pretty much blocking all of your exits. Dina…I don’t know how you will get out of this. I called for backup, but you need to get out soon because they are tightening the circle around you.”

I sighed, and hung up. They only solution was to try and escape by car, but before doing that I needed to clear the path a bit. I looked at the boys, and tried to smile.

“Okay, I’ll try to get you out by Ri’s car, but before that I’ll need to do some shooting, okay? I’ll signal you when you need to get into the car.”

They nodded and I took my gun out. I knew it would come handy. Moving stealthily around the car, I immediately saw one guy. He was careless, loading his gun and not paying enough attention. I raised my gun and fired. He was too slow for the bullet that was now firmly lodged in his right arm.  My goal wasn’t to kill them because that was always too messy, what with the lawyers and families. Trust me, trying to tell a grieving mother that their son is a brutal murderer never goes well.

I saw another men approach me, but he immediately started shooting at me, leaving me no choice but to hide again. But he was also stupid, wasting his bullets. I counted in my head and when I knew that he was pretty close to zero bullets (there is reason why Josh made me know all the capacities of all the guns) I sprung up and started shooting. He didn’t expect that and, like his friend, got shot. He fell on the ground groaning, and I smiled. I was still good.

I looked around but couldn’t find the rest, which was very dangerous. I couldn’t risk it anymore and gave the signal for the guys to get into the car. Just as all of them slipped in I saw another guy raise his gun. I was too slow, and only could choose between my stomach and my head. I choose my stomach.

The bullet went through me, like fire, and I immediately knew that although I wouldn’t die immediately, that the situation all too good.

I fired back, effectively killing him in when the bullet went through his heart. it, I can’t be dying and at the same time watch that my bullets don’t kill anybody. I slipped into the car, and said, my voice trembling:

“Drive as fast as you can.” Dae nodded and sped through the garage. I guess the fourth guy ran away because we managed to exit the garage alive. But I was losing blood, fast.

Ji was the first on to notice, and he slipped next to me, worry all over his face.

“Don’t worry I won’t die, well not just yet. Take me to the nearest hospital, quickly.” Dae pressed on the gas pedal as Ji put pressure on my wound, making me gasp for air from the pain. Ji apologetically smiled, and I just wanted him to kiss me, to make the pain go away, but I needed to do something before that.

With my free hand I called Josh again.

“Dani, what happened?” he asked, and I knew that he knew that I was shot.

“You already know. I think the bullet, luckily, missed all the organs, but it is still not looking nice. Just tell the crew that I love them, okay?” I went to hung up, but Josh stopped me.

“Wait, I need to tell you something, please listen, W-“But I didn’t hear the rest because Dae arrived in front of the hospital, and I effectively out. My last thought was:  Who would protect them now?

Lights were dancing around me, and I had a strong déjà vu feeling. This happened before, when I was younger.

When I was sixteen I had a best friend. We did everything together and nothing could separate us. Her name was Hana, and she was beautiful. Blond, blue eyes, tall, elegant, and above all a good person. At that age, I never dreamt of becoming a bodyguard, instead I wanted to be doctor, to help people. We both had this grand plan of going to college together, finding the loves of our lives, marrying and giving birth, and then helping each other with our babies, who would, of course, grow up to be best friend too. We had it all planed out, but one of us made a mistake that changed everything.

Hana met a guy at a club, they made out but that was all. That morning she told me that he was pretty hot, but was a bit too old and weird for her. We giggled and forgot about it, until…until Hana started getting weird letters. In those letter there were all kinds of pictures of women and men, all races and ages, bloody and murdered. It was terrible and sickening. On the letters, beside the pictures, was always a small drawing of a dead flower and a date. The date was 22.2., exactly 2 months after the first letter.

Hana went to the police, who assured her that they would keep her safe, and that they would find out who is behind the letters. They never did.

On that day, a Tuesday, 22.2., Hana and I were at her house, snuggled together, watching a movie. Her older brother was supposed to be with us, but he snuck out to see his girlfriend, trusting the police to keep us safe.

As the movie went on, I fell asleep, only to be woken up by a mind shattering scream. I opened my eyes to see Hana, bloody, with slashes all over her body. She saw me and just mouthed:

“Don’t look.” I closed my eyes, but nothing could erase the picture or her screams as he killed her.

When her body finally gave up, the man turned to me. He was wearing a black ski mask, and he smelled of death.

“Oh look, another pretty flower.”  He whispered, his voice full of excitement as he started stabbing me. I dropped on my knees beside Hana, and watched mesmerized as our blood mixed. But before the man finished me too, the police barged in. The man ran away, leaving me barely alive.

I was taken to the hospital, were I spent 2 months. I tried to kill myself 3 times. I didn’t think I could survive without Hana.

Then my boss came into my life, and gave me reasons to live. He taught me how to protect people, how to protect myself, and gave me a group of people who loved me to the heavens and back.

The police later told me that the killer was known as the ‘Flower Killer’, and that I was the only victim that survived. He killed everywhere, Asia, Africa, Europe, USA, but never was caught. They realized just a tad bit too late who he was, and because of their mistake Hana lost her life.

The lights were dancing again, and I swear I could hear Hana’s laughter. I think it was obvious why I thought of it as a bad sign. I inwardly sighed wondering how deep in I truly was.