Jillyanna asked Shein for help regarding Gabriel's whereabout but even with his skills, he couldn't find anything useful, too.

"I'm really sorry sis. I can't get anything from him. There must be a jamming device from the place and I don't think Gabriel has the same accessories as you." Shein spoke to Jillyanna while showing his laptop.

When they got home from their trip around the city, Jillyanna called Shein immediately for help. However, it was still fruitless.

"Let's just hope and pray that he's really fine." Jillyanna stated with a deep sigh. She knew Travis was worried for his cousin and for his friend.

"Why did she have to realize it when it's too late?" Jillyanna whispered to herself thinking about Winter.

Little did they know, in the darkest night, Gabriel was still fighting for his life.

Annie and him swam towards the huge boulder on the other side of the river. It can be used as cover from their pursuers and can be used as an anchor to save themselves from getting washed over down the stream.

Because of the water, his opened wounds let out a huge amount of blood. He was getting paler and he couldn't hold on to his life anymore.

Gabriel closed his eyes from the exhaustion. His eyelids were becoming heavier and all he could hear were the echoes of gunshots. No matter how hard he try to open his eyes, he can't.

Annie covered Gabriel's body when their pursuers blindly shot the water and the place around it. Thankfully, he wasn't hit anywhere.

"They must be gone somewhere. If they jump down the water, that soldier will die from blood loss."

"I know right. Fighting for their life yet it will still be taken. Hahaha"

They laughed maniacally which made Annie looked towards Gabriel. She grimaced from the pain on her shoulder but she still helped him get his body out of the water.

She pulled him, both of them covered in blood but she didn't care. She leaned close to his chest and listened to his heartbeat. "He is still alive."

With all her might and strength, Annie pulled Gabriel by putting her hands around his underarm and dragged him away from the river.

Their blood was leaving a trail and she was sure that when the morning comes, their pursuers would know if they would still want to find them by then.

"Big brother! Big brother wake up! You can't die." Annie mumbled while dragging Gabriel to wherever she thought was safe, away from their pursuers.

"Who are you?" Annie stilled on her track and didn't dare turn around. Her trembling hands were covered with blood and a deep bullet wound on her shoulder was numbing her. She was afraid that it was one of their pursuers. "Answer me! Who the hell are you?!"

'Eh? If they are our pursuers, he must have known us, right?' Annie gambled on this question and slowly turned her head around.

Her eyes widened in surprise just like the man who was looking at her. Her tears fell on the ground and she started to sob from relief.

"Annie, how did you get out? Where's everyone? Who's this man? How are you?" The barrage of questions made her cry even more.

She was just so happy that she met a man whom she knew. "Uncle, help him. You have to help him."

The man looked at Gabriel before shifting his gaze back to the little girl. Both of them were wounded but the man was in critical condition.

"We have to get out of here quickly." He picked Gabriel up and carried him on his back while Annie ran alongside him.

They ran for a few minutes down the mountain and found several cars with armed civilians. Annie was frightened upon seeing them and her first reaction was to shield Gabriel with her small body.

"What are you doing Annie?" one of the men asked which made Annie focused her eyes on him. Then she looked around and found familiar faces.

"Where did you guys go when our village was under attack? Why did you let everyone die? Why?!" her shaking voice was akin to a large hammer hitting them on their chest.

They were supposed to gather and meet the soldiers to make peace and stop the fights. Before they could even meet them, the soldiers were ambushed. When they got back to their village to report, it was set on fire and dead bodies were just lying everywhere.

Their village wasn't big and they knew everyone leaving in which place, which was the reason that they noticed some young girls were missing.

They asked help from other villages and spied on the other groups. Mattias was just about to spy on the camp where Annie and Gabriel was held when he bump into them.

"Sorry Annie. We came back late." one of the men spoke in sorrow. "I know it's unforgivable but we will fight even if it will cost our life."

Annie sat at the back of the car with Gabriel leaning on her. "Bring him to the hospital. He's one of the soldiers who came to make peace with us." she told them which stunned the men around her.

Mattias asked their driver to hurry up and drive the car to the nearest hospital. Gabriel was their remaining hope to bring peace to their place now.

Annie was also sent to the emergency room to undergo operation in removing the bullet that hit her right shoulder earlier.

In her case, there wasn't anything critical. However, Gabriel was in dangerous level. His breathing was faint and so was his heartbeat. He lost so much blood and his wounds were infected.

The doctor came out and looked towards Annie and Mattias. Only the two of them came to avoid scaring the staff with their guns.

"I'm sorry to inform you that the patient is in critical condition. We may be able to save his life but we will have to amputate his left leg. His wounds are infected and it's corroding his bones, too."

Annie was shocked and she cried again. It was so sad for a man with great attributes and kind heart to lose his leg just like that.