As the lady guest drove off with her car, Caroline and Jason slowly drove out of the inn’s parking lot and started following the lady guest.

 

“Don’t get too close, if she’s as smart as you think, she’ll notice.” on the front passenger seat, Jason was a bit nervous.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ve done this before.” Caroline made a shush gesture while not taking her eyes off the lady guest’s car.

 

“That’s one more complicated life related question about you answered.” Jason sighed as he adjusted his camera on the dash to record what was in front of the car, “Why do you care so much about this girl you don’t even know??”

 

“Well … I feel I kinda have to, you know?” Caroline struggled a bit with her reason, “A girl who escaped from an abusive ex, barely making it on her own, alone and scared, paranoid. I doubt the cops are able to help her. I can feel for her. And her ex, you might not know this, but they look like they are from a gang.”

 

“A gang?” Jason was unpleasantly surprised, “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

 

“Then you wouldn’t come.” Caroline grinned as she made a hard left turn on a crossroad, the inertia made Jason swallow his follow up complaints and questions, “And trust me, I am not planning to get anybody killed tonight.”

 

“That’s not reassuring.”

 

“Yeah well, you heard what Boss said, once we are in the second layer, bullets won’t hurt us… that much.” 

 

“Yeah, but we just passed the first layer, I am not feeling anything that different. ” Jason took a look at his hands and arms, “It felt good right after the practice for sure, but now I just feel really normal.”

 

“Huh, so you actually believe in his cultivation talk?” Caroline gave Jason a slightly judgemental look.

 

“Well, don’t you?”

 

“Not fully, that’s for sure.” the scene of her first meeting Jianmen flashed back in her head, “Look, I know he’s incredible at Kung Fu, and he’s willing to pay me to waitress and give me a place to stay, that’s all I care about.”

 

“Interesting, didn’t know your standards are so low.” Jason tried cracking his knuckles, but it does not sound too special either.

 

“Yeah well, at least until I saved up enough and figured out what I want to do, I am happy to go along with this Kung Fu and cultivation mumbo jumbo.” Caroline squinted as she pulled over to the side of the road, since the lady guests’ car stopped near the crossroads in front of them.

 

And on the right side of the crossroads, was a community with two story houses inside, decorative plants as well as slick looking nightlights. The community has a high and metal decorative gate that was not closed, on the gate hangs flowers as well as colorful words of positivity.

 

“Well you better have faith soon, I heard Boss is going to add meditation sessions to our schedule.” Jason chuckled as he got off the car with Caroline, while holding his hand held camera and adjusting his second mini camera he placed on his shirt pocket.

 

“Careful, don’t let her find out.” as two of them slowly followed the lady guest from a distance, Caroline whispered as she looked around, “I wonder what she is doing here. This place is way too fancy for a hideout.”

 

“I know, didn’t you say a gang was involved? ” Jason asked in a low voice, “Looks like she could be safe here, should we go back?”

 

“Just follow me.” Caroline ignored Jason’s plea and walked right through the decorative gate.

 

“Remember you promised no law breaking?” Jason had no choice but to follow Caroline through the gate.

 

The community was quiet and had a calming smell in the air, slightly like the back side of the inn, but not as serene and did not seem to have the same head-clearing atmosphere. There were big and artistically designed flower pots that are waist high with pink and light yellow flowers inside, some of which even had smaller flower pots on top, containing other kinds of smaller flowers.

 

The lady guest was hasty, barely after Caroline and Jason walked through the gate, she entered one of the houses inside the community. 

 

House 1204 - one with a small garden in front with some small cacti and flowers inside of it.

 

“Ok, there’s this house, and we are not invited in. Can we go now?” Jason folded his hand held camera and seemed couldn’t wait to get out of this short misadventure.

 

“Let’s wait a bit, Ok? Don’t be a child.” Caroline dismissively and impatiently waved Jason off.

 

Just when Caroline decided to try to circle the house for a quick look, three loud bangs came out of the house.

 

“Shit, guns!” Caroline and Jason swiftly found the nearest cover and hid behind it, “It’s coming from the house!”

 

“Help! Help!” following the gunshots, two people burst through the front door of the house and started running towards the gate of the community in panic while crying for help.

 

“That’s her!” Caroline picked up a piece of rock from where she hid and jumped out of her hiding place and ran towards one of the escapees from the house.

 

“Dammit Caroline!” Jason also jumped out of his place and started running as well.