Chapter 5

The other men try to grasp the situation and Jacob quickly realizes that he's gotta get out of here and he's gotta do it fast. In the split second, after the old man had pointed at him, Jacob made a run for it, dashing to the door and out.

"He's getting away!" "Get him!" "Beat his ass!" The crowd yells as they chase him into the street. Panting heavily, Jacob runs for his life. He is fully aware that these goons know that he's got a bounty on his head, so negotiating with them is not an option. He tries to use evasive maneuvers and passes through a couple of dark alleys and corners.

"I think I lost 'em," he thinks as he emerges from one of the alleys only to see the mob chasing from behind. He sees an abandoned building across the road and decides to hide there. As he runs across the road.

"Honk! Honk!"

The huge glaring headlights of a van suddenly illuminate the previously inconspicuous Jacob as he crosses the road. Stunned stiff from shock, he is unable to move away in time to avoid a collision and the van runs into him, before driving off into the night. The mob chasing him, seeing what just happened, returns to the bar as if nothing ever happened. After all, the last thing anyone would want is to get involved in a murder case!

Laying there on the tarmac, he sees his life flashing before his eyes.

"Am I dying? Is this the end?" A countless number of questions flood his mind. His vision is getting blurry as he stares into the street light on the other side of the road. Is this it? The end of all his suffering?

Suddenly, he sees a feminine figure approaching, silhouetted by the rays of the street light in the background.

"Who.... who are....." He stutters as his consciousness spirals downwards into oblivion.

Who is she?

"It's done sir," a male voice says on the phone.

"Good. You'll receive the balance in the next one hour" Dr Richard responds as he hangs up, placing the handset back on the dialer. Reclining in his swivel chair, a smirk etches up on his face. 'That'll teach him" he mutters as he picks up some paperwork from his desk and putting on his glasses, begins to look through them.

Meanwhile>>>>>>>>>>>>

Jacob lays on the bed as sounds of chattering and muttering percolate through his ears. He squeezes his eyelids tightly as his consciousness revives gradually. He can be seen on a metal framed bed that looks like it has gone way past its glory days. There are a few other beds in the dull-colored brown painted room. A little TV can be seen to the side, over a little counter where dr***s are to be dispensed. It almost looks like the whole place was once a bar that has now been shifted into an impromptu clinic.

"Whir! Whir!"

Opening his eyes slowly, he sees a blurry ceiling fan rotating slowly over his head. He blinks a couple of times more and his vision becomes clearer with each blink. Turning his head to the side, he sees a couple of people in a chitchat conversation. Unable to make out where he is, he attempts to sit up slowly.

"Arrghh!" He groans in pain as he lays back down. This gets the attention of the people around and voices can be heard flying through the air in all directions.

"He's awake!", "Where she at?" , "Someone goes get the doctor quick!"

Jacob can hardly perceive the words as intelligible as he wriggles on the bed in pain. He hears footsteps hurriedly approach his bed but sees no one as his eyes are shut tightly in pain.

"It's alright," a female voice says as a hand gently rests on him. He feels a needle pierce his upper left arm and warm fluid percolate through. It almost feels like the pain reduces instantly. He slowly opens his eyes in a squint as he tries to take a look at the person injecting him. His vision is a bit blurry and he sees a young lady but is unable to make out her face due to his blurry vision. He blinks a couple of times more and opens his eyes again. He sees a pretty lady in a doctor's coat and quite a seductive outfit underneath. Her face looks familiar.

"Remember me?" She asks with a smile.

Jacob racks his brain as he tries to think. It seems futile for a while but then, eureka! It is Mia! The lady from the bar.

"Mia?" He asks.

"Aw, you remember my name," she says with a chuckle.

"Where is this place? How did I end up here? Am I dead?" He asks, quite unable to articulate his thoughts well.

"Nah, you're alive fortunately," she says, "Though being dead would mean I'm an angel," she says with a giggle, "I sure hope you didn't intend that as a pickup line," she jokes. Jacob can't quite comprehend what she's saying and simply smiles a toothless smile.

"By the way, I think you got hit by a car," she says, "Fortunately, the damage wasn't much so I brought you here and treated you" She explains, "You can thank me later".

He tries to wrap his head around what she had just said and then memories of what had happened suddenly flash through his mind. He then observes her lab coat. "You're a doctor?" He asks.

"Yeah, at least I used to be" she replies as her expression becomes a bit like she's reminiscing. She stares at him a little. "Also I heard about you being wanted by the cops and I've got a feeling you ain't got nothing to do with it," she says, "You can stay here for a while so you can recover quickly" she adds.

Was she an angel? How can she be so nice?

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  A smile etches up on his face as he stares at her, and tears subconsciously roll down his cheeks