At first my body ached when I tried moving, however soon it began feeling numb. With my vision blurry, I heard Limelda's voice ringing trough my ears, next a ruff surface colliding with my face.
She yelled.
"You aren't dead yet, well I'll take care of that ... slowly."
I had to do something fast, anything to survive.
A mumbled sentence escaped my lips.
"What, how long have I been out?"
Another hard slap across my face caused blood to spill.
I felt her pulling me by the hair until my blurred gaze met her glare, she replied.
"Lets see ... you almost killed me, and then you collapsed on the concrete. I didn't kill you while you were unconscious because there's no fun in that. But now you die!"
That's it, over, before even getting a single book, before completing Quanzitta's request and without truly saving Vanessa I'll die?
No matter what I couldn't let myself give up.
My wound isn't enough to stop me.
I opened my eyelids all the way, checked the surroundings, seeing I was seated on the same roof from before against the railing.
Limelda was walking with her back facing me, a gun clutched in her right hand with the safety off, she is about to end this, I thought.
Forcing my legs to obey, I managed to pick the rest of my body up, but only to fall against the hard metal railing for support.
One thing was certain ... I wasn't in condition to charge at her, there were no guns withing my reach and a woman with a passionate grudge against me was about to fire the last bullet I'd see.
Either now or never.
With my useful arm I pulled my body upwards, trying to swing over the railing.
I will die if I stand there, and twirling over the railing is practically suicide with a less than 10 present chance of surviving the fall, and even then I'd have to make it to the jeep before she easily sniped me.
My arm slipped from the metallic bar, I felt myself struggling to stay up.
Luckily I fell back against the railing with a loud thud of the bone underneath my skin hitting it.
Limelda heard the noise, she turned around with the gun pointing at me, her finger sliding the trigger down.
All I do is stare, there is nothing else I can do.
I hear the sound of a bullet being released, recoils falling, am I dead?
It's confusing, I see my hands before me, I don't feel any new pain, a shot has been fired but I'm alive.
With a few seconds gone, at first I struggle, turning my head in Limelda's direction.
Shock fills me.
The first thing I notice is Limelda's body crashing to the ground.
As my vision adjusts, I see crimson blood escaping a cavity in her head between her eyes.
Instantly I know she's dead.
Both relief and fear dance around my mind, I'm glad she's dead, whoever fired that shot saved my life, however I don't know if the person who fired wants me dead too.
My eyes motion from the blood soaked concrete to the feet of a person standing next to the shed leading to this rooftop.
I take in breath, look up to the person's face, a woman in a purple skirt and light pink buttoned shirt.
Her hair long and almost black, her hands trembling whilst holding a smoking gun, and her sea green eyes watering in tears ... Vanessa.
She sees me struggle to pick myself up, instantaneously dropping the gun then dashing towards me with tears sprinkling from her eyes.
I give her a weak smile, say, "Thank you Vanessa", then feel my grip strain and my fingers let go of the railing.
Before I can fall soft arms circle me, I feel Vanessa's thrashing heart as my face fills the warm gap between her breasts.
She tightens the embrace while petting a hand trough my messy hair and kindly whispering.
"I'm so glad your alive. You would have died if I didn't kill her, Madlax I hadn't a choice but to shoot."
By now Vanessa's tears were dripping on my head, their salty wetness falling to my own face. Trying to comfort her, I said.
"Vanessa you don't have to cry about that, you did the right thing, but why did you follow me?"
She swallowed hard then responded.
"I can't explain it, but I sensed something ... I saw you take the guns with you, and the look on your face before you left scared me."
Because of her I was still breathing.
Last time Vanessa died protecting me, however things changed and this time Limelda was the one dead.
What Vanessa did seemed careless, only by luck were we the ones alive and not Limelda.
After a minute of comforting, she undid the embrace without letting go of me entirely, helped me up to my feet, next wrapped one arm around my back and the other over my shoulder.
As we slowly progressed towards the shed leading down from the roof, to the alley where my jeep is parked, Vanessa noticed the injury on my left arm.
She didn't say a thing about it or anything till we were at the jeep's doors.
Knowing I wasn't in condition to drive, she took the driver's seat and I the passengers.
Five minutes into the drive I tilted my head to her.
The pain in my arm flared up again from the jeep's bumpy constant motion.
Hiding my physical agony, I curiously asked Vanessa, "I know you don't want to hear this, but where did you get the gun, and how did you shoot so well?"
Hesitantly she answered.
"I found your jeep parked in the alley, first I walked around the streets looking for you, calling out your name, but not finding you. When I heard the gunshots coming from the roof I instantly knew. I ran up the stairs, reached the roof then saw you hurt, struggling to stand up, and a woman aiming to shoot you in the head. On instinct I grabbed one of two guns laying on the cement, aimed then let the trigger slide. The bullet went trough her head and she died. I did it to save you Madlax."
Remembering Vanessa from my original time-line, I knew she hated seeing me kill, and worse having to kill ... this is hardest on her and I refuse letting her suffer for doing the right thing.
I gave a faint smile, afterwards I cooed.
"Thank you for saving me Vanessa ... we were both careless tonight and we're alive because luck was on our side, but not only luck, also there's you."