Guys are supposed to be ‘macho’ and all;

They’re not supposed to cry, they’re supposed to be strong.

But when they do cry, why and what is it for?

— ∞ —

Samuel was facing another man in an abandoned warehouse, located in the old port miles away from civilisation. It had been unused for many years after the port moved to its current location, and part of the warehouse had caved in. Huge rusting shipping containers were stacked in neat rows, towering above the ground. He was pointing a gun at the other man, but the other man was unperturbed.

The other man sat in the lone chair in the warehouse, playing with a pocketknife, with one leg balanced across the other. A lit cigarette hung carelessly from between his fingers.

“Where is she, Chad?” he said calmly, the gun held steady and pointed at the other man.

Chad stopped playing, and glanced up, a slight smile curving on his face. “I would point that gun away if I were you. Bullets don’t have eyes you know.” He shook his finger at Samuel almost nonchalantly, infuriating him. “And where is who, Nick?” He slowly got up, thumbing the pocketknife. “Or shall I say Samuel?”

Shock ran through Samuel’s body, as he realised that his identity had been exposed. A hint of emotion flashed on his face, but it was gone in a flash as he tried to keep his emotions under control. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

A savage smile formed on Chad’s face as he paced the room slowly. “Oh don’t act innocent already, Samuel. Sergeant Samuel Khoo, been with the police force for a year. Was apparently fired and jailed for a month for taking bribes from the triads. In actual fact, you were working undercover to infiltrate the Dragon Street gang, to bring it down from the inside. Am I right?”

Visibly shaken, sweat was beading on Samuel’s brow. How did his cover blow? He had been very careful to cover his tracks. “This is ridiculous! Where did you hear it from?”

He had to report this to the Chief as soon as possible. But first, he had to get her out of here. “And where is Kailee?” He began taking steps closer to Chad. “If you harm her in any way, I’ll make you PAY.”

Chad stopped pacing and turned to him. “I have my ways, Nick. Don’t try to deny it. As for her… don’t worry, she’s in safe hands.” Chad was taunting him, and was enjoying it immensely. Chad dropped the cigarette and crushed it under his heel with slow, deliberate movements.

He walked right in front of Chad, his resolve and composure gone. “DON’T YOU BLOODY PLAY WITH ME NOW!” he grabbed the front of Chad’s worn shirt. “WHERE IS SHE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HER?!” He pointed the gun in his hand at Chad’s throat, in a miserable attempt to intimidate him.

Chad just laughed and brushed off Samuel’s hand. With one hand, he pushed the gun away from him and kept his pocketknife in his jacket. “You might want to think again, you know. Your girlfriend’s still in my hands, and if you kill me here, you would NEVER see her again.”

Saumuel could only look helplessly as Chad spun on his heels and walked to the chair, sitting on it imperiously. “I have nothing to lose; the Dragon Street gang has been smashed no thanks to you, and I’m on the run.” He leaned forwards, holding his chin in one palm. The silence hung thick in the air.

Chad leaned back in the chair and snapped his fingers. Two burly men dragged a struggling woman from behind a container. Her hands were bound in front of her, her mouth covered by a length of cloth.

She was alive! Her dress was scuffed and slightly torn, her hair was messy, she had a few scratches, but she was alive!

One of the men ripped the cloth away from her mouth. “Sam! Help me! Save – ahh!” she screamed in pain as the man bludgeoned her on the back of her head with a metal rod.

“Kailee!” Samuel screamed anxiously. He moved towards her immediately, desperate to get her out of this nightmare.

“Move closer, and she dies. Immediately.” He was stopped in his tracks. “What do you want?” Samuel gritted out, glaring angrily at Chad. “Just freaking TELL me what you want already!”

“What do I want?” Chad asks in amusement, pointing to himself. “What do I want? Let’s see…” He pretended to think for a moment. “Revenge.”

Giving a sigh of contentment, his eyes were fixed on somewhere faraway. “For all that you’ve done to destroy my life. And don’t interrupt!” he wagged a finger at Samuel, who was about to speak out. “I didn’t ask you to speak.” Chad turned to the two men and gestured with his fingers. “Bring her over here.”

“What are you doing now?” Samuel spat out, raising his gun to Chad, a maelstrom of conflicting emotions swirling within him. Chad grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in front of him, right in the path of the pointed gun.

“Ah well, that’s to ensure that you don’t turn around and use that pesky gun of yours on me.”

“YOU –“

“Now drop that gun and kick it over here.” Faced with no other choice, he did as he was told.

“Now, let her go.”

Chad leaned down to pick the gun up unhurriedly, and every moment was pure agony for him. After what seemed like ages, Chad replied.

“No.”

“WHY? THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HER. TAKE IT OUT ON ME, JUST LEAVE HER ALONE.” Samuel could hardly take it anymore; it was driving him insane.

Chad didn’t answer, just toyed with the gun, examining it. He caressed Kailee’s skin with the gun, cool metal against warm flesh, taking perverse pleasure in her fright.

Kailee was whimpering, her eyes filled with pure, unadulterated terror as she stared at the gun in his hands. Tears were brimming in her eyes, threatening to fall. She couldn’t breathe properly from fear, and she was shaking in her shoes. Her voice was stuck in her throat, paralysed from fear.

Without warning, Chad suddenly turned to Samuel and fired.

Bang!

Kailee screamed and shut her eyes, frightened out of her wits. Rivulets of tears streamed down her face, and she was too scared to even breathe. Chad laughed.

The shot had hit Samuel in the knee, shattering it. He collapsed immediately as his knee gave way, and blood flowed out like a wet, sticky river.

“This is for betraying Dragon Street gang.”

Bang!

“This is for going against me.”

Bang!

“This is for destroying my life.”

Bang!

“And this is because I hate you.”

“Sam!” Kailee tried to scream, but it came out as a quavering whisper.

Samuel lay on the floor of the warehouse in a pool of blood, the bullets having pierced clean through his body. Blood flowed profusely, draining him of his life-force, and he grew weaker by the second.

Chad pushed Kailee back to the two men, and strode forward, grabbing Samuel’s shirt. He winced slightly, but refused to let Chad have the satisfaction of seeing him in pain. “Now you know that I’m not to be trifled with, don’t you?” he said in a harsh whisper. Chad brutally cuffed Samuel on the head with the gun before pushing the barrel of the gun to his temple. “I would shoot you in the head gleefully now, but I still have the finale!”

He stood up quickly and strode back to the two men, grabbing Kailee again, pulling her in front of him.

With an almost maniacal smile, Chad dropped the gun and it clattered on the floor, relishing the sound it made. “And now,” he said almost happily, pulling out his pocketknife with a flourish, “it’s time for the finale!”

He placed the blade on Kailee’s throat, and asked “Any last words? Oh well.” He shrugged his shoulders, his hand prepared to move.

Then everything slowed down.

The knife slit through her throat in one smooth motion, and blood squirted out, spattering everywhere. It was as if an abstract artist came in and decided to throw a pail of dark red paint in the air to see where it lands.

Chad grinned as he pushed her body away.

“Kailee!” Samuel tried to stand, but his body refused to listen to him. He could barely move a limb, and only managed to raise his left arm with effort, watching in horror.

For as long as he lived, he would never how she looked as she fell.

Her eyes widened as her throat was slit so mercilessly, her haunted gaze forever burned in his memory. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, open in fear forever. Her body a heavy weight, she crashed to the ground, her eyes wide open.

“Oh well, I think everything’s done here. The fun’s over, and I think he’ll die in awhile.” Chad gestured to the two men. “Let’s go.”

With nary a backward glance, the three of them sauntered out the warehouse doors, Chad whistling all the way.

Samuel crawled towards where Kailee lay, inch by painful inch. The bullet wounds have started to hurt, and it was taking all his energy to move. He left a trail of blood behind him, painting the floor red.

“Kailee…” he whispered, unable to raise his voice any louder. Even that one word took almost all of his strength.

He finally reached her and grasped her hand, hoping against hope that she was still alive, his logical mind knowing that she’s dead but he refused to come to terms with it. It was no use; her hand was limp and devoid of life, just like the rest of her.

“Kailee…” he whispered urgently. “Wake up, don’t sleep anymore! We have to get out of here!” Unshed tears were blurring his vision, threatening to fall.

While growing up, everyone told him that a guy doesn’t cry easily. There’s this Chinese idiom “男子汉，大仗夫，流血不流泪”, which roughly translates to men bleed but don’t cry.

But now, he couldn’t help the tears that fell. He already was an orphan, with no one to rely on, no one to care for him. It wasn’t easy for him to meet Kailee, his one and only support, and now…

She’s gone.

Forever.

And it’s all because of him.

Pain, both physical and mental, assailed his senses, overpowered them. The pain from the wounds he received from Chad hurt like hell and was burning from the inside, but it was nothing compared to the anguish over losing Kailee.

His body began to break down. Already his vision was narrowing; the sides seemed to close in. His limbs refused to cooperate with him, and he lay paralysed on the floor. The burning in his body intensified to unbearable proportions, and just then, he smiled a peaceful smile, anticipating what was coming soon.

Kailee, I’m coming. Wait for me.

Then all feeling ceased to exist.