8. The Targets
Chapter eight
The Targets
Moni
I wished with all my heart to know what I was fucking missing but I couldn’t think of it.
Sighing, I rechecked to make sure the guns were loaded.
Maybe. . .I’m overthinking.
Leo stood off to the side, casually checking his watch like we were simply passing the time.
Song remained nearby, silent and watchful.
The air around us felt thicker now, the tension crackling like the static before a storm.
I lifted both pistols and aimed at the first target. Fifty yards away, the golden point gleamed under the floodlights, beckoning me.
I can do this one easy.
Talking to Lei tonight would be amazing. Only God knew what was going on back at Lotus Blossom.
I knew how crazy Banks could get.
I also understood that Lei might fucking lose it and beat the shit out of Marcy and Banks if they went too far.
Then there were my sisters, who had come to their new home and a cookout, to only find out at the end that their sister had been kidnapped by Lei’s father.
Fuck. I hope they’re okay.
Leo’s voice lowered. “Are you ready, Monique?”
I trembled. “Yes.”
“Then, the game begins. . .now.”
Shit.
My heart pounded. Without thinking, I pulled the trigger.
The gunshot echoed across the mountain, loud and jarring in the quiet night.
Fast, the bullet hit dead center on the gold point, a small puff of splinters bursting from the target as it made impact.
There you go.
Relief washed over.
First bullet hits. Now for the next.
I exhaled sharply.
“Good Job, Monique.”
I shifted my stance, already lining up for the second target. It was a bit farther away, but nothing I couldn’t handle.
The later targets would be the ones that would truly test me.
I aimed.
My finger tightening on the trigger, and then I fired.
The bullet flew through the air, hitting the gold point again with precision.
The target shook, and I felt a small rush of excitement as I realized I was doing it—winning this twisted game.
Fuck yes!
Leo chuckled. “The game just hit a minute and you’ve taken out two.”
Get this shit done, girl.
The third target went down just as easily, the bullet striking true. The recoil of the guns in my hands felt familiar now, the power of each shot flowing through me like an electric current.
You’re killing this shit!
I was in control, and for the first time in this whole nightmare, I felt like I might actually win.
Alright. Stay focused.
Each time I hit a target, I imagined the call with Lei—his voice calming my nerves, his reassurance that everything would be okay.
I had to win this.
I had to get that call.
The fourth target went down with ease then the fifth.
My confidence soared with each successful shot.
I was getting closer to the hundred points.
Closer to Lei.
Leo chuckled again. “We’re at three and a half minutes. At this rate, you’ll win with no problem.”
Song spoke. “She’s faster than I expected.”
“This is why she’s the Mountain Mistress.”
Let’s go. Let’s go.
But just as I shifted my aim toward the sixth target something caught my eye—a dark liquid dripping from the first target.
Wait. What’s that?
My heart skipped a beat.
I blinked, trying to get back to the game, but. . .something was very, very wrong.
“Focus, Monique.”
But. . .what the hell is that on the first target?
The golden point I’d hit wasn’t just splintered—it was slick with something red. The drip was slow at first, but then it began to pool at the base of the target.
No. That can’t be happening. It doesn’t make since.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a brief second and opened them again hoping I was imagining things.
But the liquid was still there, dark and glistening under the floodlights.
Is that. . .what I think it is?
Leo thought of himself as some dark illusionist. That much had become clear over the time I’d spent in his twisted presence.
He wasn’t just the Grand Mountain Master—he fancied himself a master of manipulation, of bending reality to his will.
Surely, this had to be another one of his magic tricks.
Therefore, the red liquid had to be a trick.
Another test.
It’s all fake. Leo’s playing mind games again.
Panic began to creep in.
My hands trembled slightly as I aimed for the sixth target.
“Hurry!” Leo’s voice cut through the night. “Time is ticking!”
Shit.
I forced myself to focus trying to shake the unease gnawing at my gut.
I had to keep going.
Ignore it for now. Just win.
I fired at the sixth target.
Just like that, the bullet hit its mark.
I’d thought that these targets would give me problems but they were easier than I’d assumed.
I rushed to the seventh target, my mind was spinning now replaying the image of that red liquid over and over.
Is it what I think it is? No. It can’t be.
Unable to help myself, I glanced back at the second and third targets.
No. . .
Now both of those targets were dripping red too.
No. No. No.
My stomach churned and a cold sweat broke out along my neck.
This wasn’t paint.
This wasn’t some sick illusion Leo had set up.
It looked too real.
Too much like blood.
But how can this be possible?
Song spoke. “Focus.”
Shivering, I shot the seventh target, the force of the gunshot vibrating through my arms.
So off my game, I missed.
I blinked and shot again.
The bullet didn’t even hit the target.
Alright. Stop thinking about the blood and just hit the circle. You can do it.
I only got three shots. If I couldn’t get this gold point then it didn’t matter that I had hit the earlier ones.
The game would be over.
You can do it.
I cleared my mind and aimed.
The bullet hit the mark this time, creating another jolt of vibration along my arms but the satisfaction I had felt before had faded.
The red liquid on the first three targets gnawed at my mind, distracting me.
I knew that seventh had fucked up my good time.
In seconds, I was in front of the eighth target.
Alright. Focus. You knew these were going to give you trouble.
I missed the first one.
Goddamn it. Stop fucking up!
I closed my eyes and steadied my breath.
Leo kept his voice low. “Keep your head in the game, no matter what you see.”
My bottom lip quivered. “Why is there red liquid dripping down the targets?”
“Do you have the time to hear that answer?”
“Maybe I should make the time.”
“Then, you will lose the opportunity to check on Lei and your sisters. Are they truly okay? Couldn’t a call from you be powerful for them tonight?”
My hands shook.
“Tick tock, Monique.”
I aimed at the target.
The sight blurred as tears welled in my eyes.
I fired.
The bullet hit just below the point.
Still, I watched in horror as red liquid trickled from the hole I had created.
No.
It was blood.
I was sure of it now.
I have to. . .do this. . .right? I need to call Lei. Not just for him, but. . .m-me.
I told myself that it had to be an illusion. There was no way it could be anything else.
In fact, my mind wouldn’t accept another option.
I shot again.
The bullet slammed into the target and the wood jerked violently under the impact.
Leo's voice came again, smooth as ever. “Keep it up, Monique. You're doing so well.”
His words didn't reassure me at all.
In fact, they made my unease grow stronger. There was a twisted excitement in his voice that sent a shiver down my back.
I was now pretty sure that the reasoning for why those targets were dripping red was also the third purpose of why he wanted me to play the game.
The ninth target went down easily.
At this point, I was barely aware of my own actions.
“You are still making good time.”
I shouldn’t have but I turned to face the first few targets again.
More red liquid was pooling around them, now more than could possibly be produced by a simple trick.
As the wind blew my way, the scent of iron filled the air and realization crashed over me like a cold wave.
It is blood. No, Leo. What the fuck?
I lowered the guns and just shook like a monster was racing my way.
Song got closer. “Focus.”
“W-why are they dripping like that?”
“You’ve almost won.” Song kept his voice calm. “Shoot the tenth target and you’ll get all the answers.”
Leo jumped in. “Don’t stop now, Monique. Remember Lei and your sisters.”
His words cut through my panic like a blade.
I had to finish.
I had to get that call.
Yet, the thought of what I was seeing, the blood seeping from the targets, made me want to drop the guns and run.
I was terrified of what I might have already done.
I fucking hate this.
A simple game had now turned into a horror film but what else could I have expected with Leo.
Come on. You’re almost done.
I aimed at the tenth target and pulled the trigger without thinking.
The gunshot echoed through the quiet night once more mingling with Leo's ominous laughter.
The bullet hit the point.
Song clapped.
I gazed back at the other targets.
More blood seeped from those holes like before, dark and vicious, pooling at the base of the targets like some grotesque offerings.
Now I was shaking so hard that I almost couldn’t remain standing.
My breath came in short, sharp gasps.
The weight of what I’d possibly done came crushing down on me.
Leo walked over. “You’ve won your phone call.”
I didn’t feel like I had won.
My heart hammered in my chest while my throat grew tight with fear and confusion.
The air around me shifted to thick and suffocating.
I lowered the guns, and my hands were shaking violently. “Why. . .why are the targets dripping red like that?”
Leo’s smile was slow and deliberate. “Go see.”
“I don’t want to.” I shook my head. “Just tell me.”
“I couldn’t do that.”
“Please just tell me.”
“Trust me.” He winked. “It’s better to see it for yourself.”
I didn’t want to move.
I didn’t want to know the truth, but I could feel Leo’s gaze on me, waiting, expecting me to follow through.
I glanced at Song.
He shrugged and took the guns from my hand. “I’ll reload these.”
“Why?”
“You’ll need to use them again.”
I swallowed. “For what?”
“For Leo’s next lesson.”
“I don’t think I want any more lessons.”
Leo walked off. “Come on, Monique. Let’s see what you’ve done.”
Slowly, I followed him. “I. . .didn’t do anything.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Somehow I got to his pace with my trembling legs.
Do not let this motherfucker get in your head. You know who you are.
Leo began to whistle.
The sound unnerved me even more.
I’m not going to like this. I can already tell.
The threat of insanity loomed.
As I neared the first target, the smell of blood hit me harder.
Thick and metallic.
My stomach twisted.
It’s going to be okay. Do not worry about it.
I swallowed hard, every nerve in my body screaming at me to stop, but I couldn’t.
I had to see.
“Here we go.” Leo got behind the target and pointed.
Oh God. What will it be?