Page 58 of Brutal Surrender

Beside me, Cho pulls at his shirt collar. He’s not used to humid weather, having grown up in the dryer parts of North Korea, in the leeward side of the Nangnim Mountains, which block moist air from reaching his provincial town.

Reggie rides in the last vehicle with Ming and one of Elijah’s men. Yang Mi and Charlie are in the second vehicle with Andre, another member of our security team.

“Is that another vehicle?” asks the driver, pointing ahead into the bushes.

“Slow down,” Cho says immediately while he pulls out his light machine gun.

Something doesn’t feel right to me either. I see three men get out of the car.

Cho pushes me down just before bullets start to fly, piercing into our vehicle. Glass shatters around me. Cho leans over me to return fire. I hear additional gunfire coming from the other cars. Bullets dent the other side of our vehicle. There’s more than one enemy car.

“Give me your handgun!” I shout to Cho.

“Stay down!” Cho replies.

Ignoring him, I grab the Merck from his holster and fire out the other window. A man covered in dark green and black falls to the ground. From the sides of my eyes, I see that Elijah and the driver are both slumped forward. A bullet ricochets and skims my bicep.

Reggie moves into view, spraying his automatic into the trees and bushes. The gunfire dies down.

“Stay in the vehicle, Boss,” Reggie says before stepping over a fallen body. He signals to Andre, and they head into the forestry to scout for additional gunmen.

Who the fuck just ambushed us? I wonder.

Looking to Cho, I see blood running along the side of his face. He’s also been shot in the shoulder.

“I’m okay, Boss,” Cho assures me.

Reaching into the front seat, I check for a pulse in Elijah’s neck. Nothing. I pull the driver off the wheel and see a bullet struck him right between the eyes.

Reggie returns. “Looks clear.”

Stepping out of the car, I see three bodies around the first vehicle we had spotted. I walk over to see how the others are and open the back door to see Yang Mi lying against Charlie, holding her left side. Blood oozes from between her fingers.

Charlie looks at me, his face pale. “She’s been shot.”

Seeing that Charlie looks unscathed, I tell him to get out and I take his place. Ripping my shirt off, I use it to apply pressure to her wound and lean her against me.

“Where’s Ming?” I ask.

“Here, Boss, I’m fine,” Ming says as he walks up.

“Cho’s been shot, too,” I tell Reggie. “Get him and us to Port of Spain as fast as possible. Have Dr. Das meet us at the hospital.”

“I’ll stay behind to question our attackers,” Charlie offers.

I direct Ming to help out Charlie. Reggie takes the wheel as Cho gets into the front passenger seat.

“Stay with me,” I tell Yang Mi.

She nods.

I wipe the sweat off her brow and monitor her breathing. “It’s just a flesh wound. You’re going to be fine. Don’t think you’re going to get out of being the next head dragon with this weak injury.”

She returns a shaky smile. “Yes, Boss.”

“Ming’s on the phone,” Cho says, handing me his cell.

“Any clue on the assailants?” I ask Ming.

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