His hand gently patted Sophie Sullivan’s face. "Maniac, wake up."
Thinking of her face, Thomas Shannon then changed his approach, pinching her arm instead. "Maniac, wake up quickly!"
After he had been calling out strenuously for as long as ten minutes, Sophie Sullivan finally, slowly, woke up.
It was so dark she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. She remained stunned for a good while before realizing where she was.
The man’s deep voice was right beside her ear. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚫𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚫𝕟𝕖𝕥
Sophie Sullivan took a deep breath, only to inhale a mouthful of dust. She choked and coughed, and Thomas Shannon patted her back.
Only then did Sophie Sullivan realize she couldn’t move at all.
She tried to push Thomas Shannon, but he merely asked slowly, "What’s wrong?"
Sophie Sullivan remained silent.
Thomas Shannon asked again, "Are you injured somewhere?"
Before she woke up, he had examined her. There was no blood on her body. Could it be... is there still somewhere I missed?
Sophie Sullivan coughed again. The dust in the air was so thick it was unbearable.
The distinct sound of fabric tearing.
The man’s warm hand offered her a piece of cloth. "Cover your mouth and nose."
Sophie Sullivan understood his intention: he wanted her to make a simple mask to block the dust.
Not wanting to make things harder for herself, Sophie Sullivan didn’t feign refusal and readily accepted it.
"Why aren’t you talking? Gone mute?"
"Don’t worry, Charlie River will be here to save us soon."
The man’s patience had reached its limit. He gripped her chin with one hand, applying a bit of pressure.
Sophie Sullivan winced in pain and gasped sharply.
Thomas Shannon laughed with satisfaction. His laughter, deep and low, was especially clear in the confined space.
The image of Amelia Shaw’s unpeaceful, dead expression and the wretched sight of her body, riddled with bullets and lying in a pool of blood, flashed through Sophie Sullivan’s mind.
Sophie Sullivan didn’t detect any change in his tone, nor did she sense any grief from him over Amelia Shaw’s death. She calmly reminded him, "...Amelia Shaw is dead."
At first, I really thought he wanted to use me to divert George Field’s attention and save Amelia Shaw. It wasn’t until later that I realized Thomas Shannon had intended to save *me* from the very beginning. He knew George Field wouldn’t easily believe him, so he made the move to use me as a human shield. At that time, George Field had just ordered his men to fire, and his attendants still had a few seconds to react. I wasn’t in any real danger; the bullets wouldn’t hit me. But Amelia Shaw was different. That might have been a test from George Field, to see who Thomas Shannon truly cared about. Seeing him pull me in front of him as a shield, George Field must have resolutely concluded that Amelia Shaw was the woman Thomas Shannon loved most. Especially after Amelia Shaw was shot, his low growl of protest must have further convinced George Field that his judgment was correct. The place where we’re hiding now was obviously carefully calculated from the start. The triangular pocket formed here is just enough to support the debris above, preventing us from being crushed. And Thomas Shannon shielded me in his embrace, ensuring I didn’t suffer the slightest injury.
"I know." Thomas Shannon’s voice was, as always, cold, making it impossible to guess his thoughts.
An oppressive silence descended between them.