“Come in. Come in.” Mick rushed into the sanctum and waved at everyone behind him: “We must close the door! Quick!”

  “Are you kidding me?” The bodyguard raised his voice: “This is a closed room! If we hide here, we’re sitting ducks!”

  “No we’re not. ” Mick rubbed his temples and wiped the sweat off his forehead: “THEY are - if they still remained in the tunnel. Come on! We don’t have time!”

  Gloria gave Tae Kuo an inquiring look. Tae Kuo sighed, then went into the sanctum and asked: “Mick? Can you hear me?”

  “Yes I can, Sifu Kuo. What do you want to know?” Mick smiled, the glows in his eyes were still there, and might have even grown brighter.

  “What do you see right now?”

  “I see - clouds, thunders brewing, and great power is about to strike at any moment.” Mick frowned and looked up at the ceiling. Everyone looked up along with him. They saw an intricate painting of a buddha, sitting among various creatures, demons and humans included, on a lotus seat. He might be meditating, he might be preaching and teaching, or he just might be answering their questions. It was a strangely harmonious depiction, with demons and men in each other’s presence.

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  “And this place is … safe?” Gloria asked.

  “Safer.” Mick nodded, then said to Kelvin and Kevin, who were the latest to enter the sanctum, while three men in black and the bodyguard hired by his parents were still outside: “Please, come in. We need to close the door now!”

  “You are nuts! ” The leader of the men in black stood outside the door with the bodyguard: “I’m not locking myself up in there with you! You’re gonna get yourself killed in there!”

  “Mick, he’s right. This is insane.” Mick’s father pulled his arm: “We should cannot just - just stay in here and hope for the best, there must be some other way outta here - if we can just go back a little and - ”

  “No. There’s no other way out.” Mick shook his head: “You said it, Dad, all the exits were sealed.”

  “Fuck you! You useless fuck!” The bodyguard charged at Mick, veins popping out of his neck. But Keryn and Gloria moved in front of him and pushed him back. He was not using his Qi, for he was expecting these two young women to have the power to stop him, so he just raised his right arm pointing at Mick and his father: “You know - if you survive this, I’m gonna come for you, and you’d better be prepared.”

  “You need to come in! We must shut the doors now!” Mick urged.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” The leader of the men in black barked at the two that remained in the sanctum - the same two who were in the same vehicle as Keryn and Gloria.

  “I - I think it’s a safer idea, sir.” The one who drove responded.

  “I agree.” The other sounded intimidated, but only by a little.

  “Your fucking funeral.” The bodyguard narrowed his eyes before barking at the other three men in black: “Go! Follow me!”

  The doors shut, and Mick knelt down before the buddha statue in a praying pose.