A pale faced Ethan hurriedly got into his car and revved up the engine, his hands shaking with fear enveloping his trembling heart.
"Please, please be safe..", muttering in a soft voice, his eyes turned all glossy looking at the road ahead.
With a hawk like gaze on the black SUV zooming ahead, he started tailing after them with a determined fire in his deep, black eyes.
"Why isn't he picking up the call!", he mumbled exasperatedly, his fist landed on the steering wheel with a bang in his aggravation.
Due to the danger Mia and his family were facing right now he was cursing Lucifer unaware that the man was currently solving another crisis.
Ethan was calling him unceasingly on the way to the abandoned factory for backup however the connection was jammed at the factory's surroundings and he couldn't contact anyone for his help.
Luckily the distance from the hotel to the abandoned factory was short, they reached within ten minutes.
Once arrived Ethan parked his car outside under a broken shed. Hiding himself Ethan got out of his car and sneakily went inside with light footsteps to avoid trouble.
"Wake them up!", a man in his early forties was sitting on a large chair identical to that of a king's, his eyes glinting with a dangerous light in the dimly lit room.
Ethan slowly entered inside the dilapidated factory through a broken window, his eyes darted to a group of five six men standing guard and a pair who were tied on a pillar with metal chains bounding them.
"Uncle Chung? Auntie?", he gasped looking at their unusual complexion and messy appearance.
"Why is uncle's face blue?", he mumbled walking towards them trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible.
"The drug injected is getting into effect.. Not bad!", Yang Deming laughed loudly, his eyes maliciously glaring at Alex Chung's weirdly blue face.
"Drug?", Ethan repeated with horror, his thoughts went to Mia. What if even she is also drugged by these scoundrels?
"Where is that girl? Bring her out!", he ordered, the men went inside a pitch black room with no lights and hauled an unconscious Mia Chung, tugging her harshly.
"Mia..", Ethan whispered looking at her pale face, his heart jerked seeing his princess being handled roughly by those scums.
The scar faced man with a disgusting smile on his face pushed Mia harshly on the chair, he tied her up with metal chains before pouring ice cold water on both Mia and her parents.
Mia woke up with a start, her eyes were fluttering shut as though drunk on a whole of bottle strong liquor.
On the other side Alex Chung jolted awake, his body was aching badly due to the drug while Li Jing was already losing breath.
Li Jing was a heart patient, the drug injected in her and Mia's body to make them lose consciousness was fatal to her weak heart. She wasn't able to breathe.
When the cold water hit her body Li Jing gasped for air, her face was as white as sheet and eyes shutting close with no idea about her whereabouts.
"Yang Deming!", Alex Chung used all his strength to shout out the monster's name, gritting his teeth he was glaring daggers at the unperturbed and smiling Yang Deming seated on the high chair.
"Oh! Mr Chung, what a pleasant surprise..", he said with a smile, the last word was forced out with vile feelings towards Alex Chung.
"Just what are you up to? Let my family go..", Alex Chung was trying to remain sane, he spoke in a sharp manner ignoring the bone-chilling pain he was experiencing right now.
"Family? I see.. But it's not complete yet", he was enjoying the painful look on Alex's face.
Alex had bitten his tongue unable to endure the intense pain he was feeling, the tip of his tongue was bleeding profusely. Looking at Yang Deming with hateful gaze he spat a mouthful of blood on the floor.
"Haha.. Your son isn't here.. Right? Mr Chung..", he laughed like a demon seeing his unsightly state.
Deming's hatred for Alex increased by ten folds thinking about Lucifer, that bastard!
"Don't you dare touch my son!", Alex shouted getting all protective about Lucifer, his gaze turning dangerously cold as he stared at the dazed Yang Deming.
"Father!!", Mia's scream brought the attention of the two angry men in the room, they looked at her.
"Mia..", Alex turned to look at her, his eyes followed the direction of her gaze and he was shocked by what he saw.
"Li Jing!!", he cried, looking at his wife with hot tears brimming in his red eyes.
Li Jing's eyes were closed however there was white foam coming out of her mouth while her lips had turned purple.
"You monster! Let my family go..", he shouted getting all hysteric, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Yang Deming's wickedly smiling countenance.
"Mom! Mom!", Mia was screaming, her face covered in tears, she was sobbing with her eyes fixed on Li Jing's pale face.
"You wish! I want to see you rot in front of my eyes.. all of you..", he spat harshly at his words and looked at Li Jing who was on the verge of death, his lips curled into a bright smile that was no less than a devil's grin.
Ethan was standing behind another pillar witnessing everything, he had already managed to kill a couple of Yang Deming's men when he was bickering with Alex. Ethan hurried forward when he heard Mia's shrieks.
His heart was hurting seeing Mia's little face smeared with painful tears, he slowly made his way to her side and tried to untie her metal chains noiselessly.
*bang*
A bullet passes by Ethan's side, after he had managed to release Mia however before he could whisk her out of this dreadful place one of Yang Deming's men had spotted him.
"What's going on?", Yang Deming shouted angrily, he hadn't ordered anyone to fire then who was so daring to openly defying his orders.
"Master, this man had entered here and tried to rescue that girl..", he was shuddering under the deathly glare, Yang Deming pulled out his gun wordlessly and shot the man standing behind Ethan.
"Incompetent bastards!", he spat in anger, his gaze was so intimidating that the remaining three men were shivering.
"You? Heh! You want me to let her go?", he asked Ethan scoffing at his stupidity. He was trying to save a mere woman without any fear for his own life? Ha!
Yang Deming didn't believe in such nonsensical things, not after Sandra's betrayal.
Ethan sweeped a glance around the dilapidated room, he met Alex's gaze who was nodding his head, then Li Jing who was lifeless and finally Yang Deming, whose eyes regarded him with contempt and mockery.
Taking a perilous gamble Ethan closed his eyes before speaking, he nodded his head in agreement almost choking when he opened his mouth to speak.
"Yes! I want you to let Mia go! let me take her back with me..", his voice was raised by a notch as he commanded Yang Deming.
Alex Chung heaved a silent sigh of relief after what Ethan had done. He was feeling proud of his daughter's choice.
"Fine.. I'll let her go", he smiled deviously then darted a provocative look at Alex, who was looking at Mia and Ethan.
"Only of you.. Kill that man!", he looked at Ethan then glanced at Alex Chung's face which was blueish purple now.
"No..", Mia was the one who shouted like a banshee, her eyes red with tears and her whole body was trembling violently at the thought of Ethan killing her father.
"Mia, calm down! Calm down!", Ethan pulled her closer and hugged her waist slowly patting her head. She was shaking her head vigorously to stop Ethan from committing such an unforgivable sin.
"Kill him if you want me to spare her life!", Yang Deming's voice resounded again, he was already fed up by the ongoing drama and wanted to finish early so that he can go home and sleep peacefully.
Ethan looked at him, Alex and then at the vulnerable little lamb in his arms, it wasn't easy for him to decide.
"Do it Ethan, just do it!", Alex shouted at him, after seeing that Ethan was wavering he decided to take things in his own hands.
Mia was crying relentlessly trying to hold Ethan's hands especially after Alex was also pushing him to the dead end.
"No.. Ethan, please.. don't!", Mia was almost begging him kneeling down, clutching his legs like an abandoned child.
Yang Deming tossed the gun in his hand and it fell near Ethan's legs, he bent to fetch the gun when Mia also leapt forward trying to get the gun.
"No.. Ethan! Don't.. please, I beg you!", she tried to fight him, her hands tightly grabbing the weapon.
"Leave the gun Mia! It's dangerous.. Let go!", Ethan tried to explain her, his voice shaky scared that she'll hurt herself trying to fight him with the gun in hand.
"Let go!", he hurled her hand away shouting at her.
Ethan snatched the gun from Mia's hand with a harsh tug, the impact was so large that she fell backwards.
Staggering she stood up to stop him ignoring the pain she was feeling right now, her elbows were grazed with blood seeping out of the fresh cuts on her fair skin.
Ethan was taking his hand to point the gun at Alex when Mia dashed forward. The muzzle was now pointing at Alex when the trigger went off and the bullet struck him.
Everyone was shocked, Ethan, Mia, Yang Deming's men and even Yang Deming himself.
The monster was just playing a little game for his fun before killing them himself, however he wasn't expecting Ethan to shoot Alex without any qualms that too straight in the middle of his forehead.
Although it wasn't Ethan who had shot Alex his body still went numb. It was purely an accident which made the trigger go off when Mia pushed him.
Regardless, the gun was in Ethan's hands and he had killed Alex Chung with his own hands right before Mia's eyes.
"Dad!!!", Mia Chung's eyes went wide as saucers looking at the blood flowing from Alex's forehead, his eyes were open and it looked horrible.
Among all this a few bullets were fired from outside the factory, Yang Deming's men were all killed in the crossfire however Yang Deming was rescued by his assistant, Mr Park.
They were about to board the car and leave when Yang Deming pushed Mr Park and snatched his gun.
Like a madman he shot Alex Chung, Li Jing and then pointed his gun to Ethan.
Mia who was watching Alex's pale face jolted when a bullet hit his left chest, looking at Yang Deming's madness she rushed to Ethan.
Yang Deming's target was Ethan, when Mia pushed him the bullet hit her, it went straight into her stomach and her red dress was soaked in blood.
Ethan hurriedly caught her in his arms, his eyes were red with tears and lips trembling, he wasn't able to breathe.
"Ethan, I love you! Please, live well. Don't forget to miss me, I'll definitely miss.. you! Ethan..", a pained voice resounded his ears bringing him back from his daze, he looked at her pale face and wiped the tears.
"I love you.. Mia!", before he could complete the sentence Yang Deming fired at him, he was hell bent on destroying Alex Chung and his loved ones.
Mia was struggling hard to speak and her breath was getting shorter, her eyes were fluttering close.
Fortunately, Mr Park tugged the man by his waist forcibly taking him out of the place, his bullet didn't hit any vital points of Ethan's body but his shoulder blade.
Ethan jerked when the bullet hit him, he looked at Mia, her eyes were closed and breathing had ceased.
Soon he too lost consciousness, before closing his eyes a shocked Lucifer was in front of him, he was sprinting towards them.
Ethan smiled weakly at him and fell sideways, Mia was still in his arms.
- - -
This is the longest chapter I've ever written in my life! Huff..
182 - 183 and 184, all these three chapters are a part of Ethan's recollection of the past so it is not a generalized version..
It only describes how and what Ethan remembers about the incident five years ago.
Lucifer's, Yang Deming's and Even other characters recollection might be a little varied from this!