Van Gogh Reborn!

Chapter 172: Eroica (8)

Chapter 172 Eroica (8)

A deafening blast froze everyone in the gallery.

The Parisians, who had experienced several terror attacks, felt a flash of old nightmares in their minds.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay away!”

Jerome Kerbier shouted furiously.

His bulging eyes were shaking so much that anyone could tell he was out of his mind.

“Hyeeek.”

Vida Rabani couldn’t keep his sanity. He trembled and cried in the sudden horror.

Jerome pressed the muzzle of his gun against the boy’s jaw again.

The heat from the fired bullet hadn’t cooled down, and the boy’s tender skin blistered.

“Aaaaaah!”

“Stay still!”

The boy writhed in pain from his burning skin, but Jerome’s arm was too strong for the 15-year-old boy who hadn’t grown much due to malnutrition.

Everyone who witnessed the situation frowned.

They were afraid that the gun in his hand would point at them.

As soon as the security guards tried to draw their guns, Jerome aimed his gun at them.

“Don’t try anything funny. Do you want to see this kid die?”

“Huueeeng.”

The security guards had no choice but to let go of their guns.

Vida Rabani didn’t know why he got involved in this mess.

Was it because he nagged his mother to buy him a new pastel?

If he hadn’t come to the gallery and begged at the subway station as his ‘uncle’ told him to, this wouldn’t have happened.

He just wanted to eat some candy.

He just wanted to see Henri Marso’s work.

He didn’t know why he had to go through such a scary thing.

He could only shed tears endlessly.

Meanwhile, Michelle Platini, who was in a meeting, sensed something was wrong and went outside.

The staff were very anxious by the gunshot, and Michelle approached the three people gathered by the stairs.

“What’s going on?”

She asked cautiously.

Andreas Farmer showed her the CCTV screen on his smartphone.

She covered her mouth as she saw the hostage situation on the first floor.

The boy who had been visiting the Marso gallery for a month was held hostage by Jerome Kerbier.

The sobbing sound was clearly heard through the stairs.

“It seems he has a grudge against the artist. The police will be here soon.”

Arsene explained the situation, but it was hard to accept.

Michelle turned her head and fixed her eyes on Henri, who was watching the CCTV.

He was biting his lower lip with his eyes narrowed.

It was a nervous look that he rarely showed.

“…My God.”

Soon, Michelle also spotted a boy crouching behind Jerome Kerbier.

It was Kohoon.

He must have failed to escape because he was too close.

“Come out right now!”

Jerome yelled.

“I know you’re here! If you don’t come out, this kid’s life is over!”

“Huuuuuuuung.”

Michelle grabbed Henri.

She was very worried about the boy, but she couldn’t let Henri Marso face that madman.

Then.

“Stop it.”

A voice filled with anger rang out softly.

“That idiot.”

Henri Marso muttered.

No one could move recklessly, no matter who the hostage was, but Kohoon was different.

The criminal must have known who Kohoon was. He could have easily judged that he was a more advantageous hostage than the Muslim boy.

The situation would only get worse.

Henri Marso clenched his fist and glared at Jerome on the CCTV screen.

***

I shouldn’t go out.

If something goes wrong, I’ll leave my grandfather alone.

I have a mountain of works that I want to see and countless things that I want to draw.

I can’t waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I can’t lose my grandfather.

But.

I can’t forget the sound of that child crying.

Can I subdue that man?

No.

It might be possible if he was as frail as Henri Marso. But as long as the gun is in his hand, he won’t tolerate a single mistake.

“Come out right now!”

He seems to have a grudge against Marso.

If he had any reason left, he wouldn’t do such a stupid thing as giving up the hostage.

He must be determined to meet Henri Marso at any cost, even if he has to do something crazy.

He might do anything, but he won’t give up the hostage until he achieves his goal.

Someone must have reported to the police by now. For now, I have to stall time to keep that child safe.

“I know you’re here! If you don’t come out, this kid’s life is over!”

Grandfather, I’m sorry.

“Stop it.”

I’ve never had such a hard time speaking.

I’m scared.

I want to run away right now, in case that lunatic shoots.

“…Kohoon?”

He seems to recognize me. He must be someone who works in the art field.

I wonder why he did such a thing, but I don’t have time to think about it now.

“It hurts, doesn’t it? What are you doing to a kid?”

The kid who was grabbed by the man shakes his head. He tells me not to do that, when he’s terrified.

“Why. Do you want to be the hostage instead?”

He says something ridiculous.

I pity Marso for having to deal with such a person.

“Oh, right. You’re close with that Marso bastard, huh?”

“Heeit!”

The man tightens his grip on the kid. I wish he would take his gun away. He’s not in a state to talk.

“If you don’t want to see this kid die, call him out. Now!”josei

It would be endless if I gave in to his threats.

He wouldn’t come even if I called him, and he shouldn’t come anyway.

He had a clear purpose, and I didn’t know what he would do to Henri Marso.

I shouldn’t act rashly.

I had to think of buying time until the police arrived.

“How can I call him when I don’t know where he is?”

“Don’t lie! You think I don’t know he’s here?”

“I don’t know. Really.”

His eyes were bloodshot.

“If you have something to say, I’ll pass it on. Or do you want to talk to him?”

“Don’t move!”

He shouted as I tried to take out my smartphone.

“You’re trying to be smart, huh? Don’t you dare move a finger. You think I can’t kill this damn Muslim brat!”

He screamed and glared around, breathing heavily.

He had backed up to the corner of the building to prevent the security guards from approaching him from behind. It didn’t look like an accidental act.

He had planned this.

“Well. He doesn’t seem to come out as long as I have this kid. How about you? Huh?”

“…”

“Raise your hands and walk slowly.”

I shouldn’t.

“Hurry!”

But I couldn’t ignore that terrified child.

What should I do?

“Mr. Kerbier, the child is.”

Bang!

Another gunshot and explosion rang out.

The ceiling that covered the roof collapsed and fell with a thud.

The captured child and everyone in the gallery were in a state of panic and froze.

The security guard who tried to help was helpless against the man who had lost his sight.

Maybe it was better not to provoke him.

I had no choice but to stretch out my foot, and a sharp scream rang out.

“Henri! No! Henri!”

It was Michelle.

Clack. Clack.

Henri Marso appeared with a nervous footstep.

“Damn it.”

His dry voice rang out.

He came down the stairs as usual, holding his chin up.

Michelle showed up at the end of the stairs for a moment, but someone pulled her away.

“Hu. Huhuhuhuhu.”

He turned his gun to Henri Marso.

“Finally, you showed up.”

Henri Marso fixed his eyes on him and said.

“I was thinking of taking a trip to Vienna, but what do you know. How dare you cause trouble here?”

“Kuhuhuhu. You’re so Henri Marso. Even in this situation, you’re talking nonsense.”

“Get lost.”

He wasn’t talking to him.

He was talking to me.

There was no reason to bring up something that wasn’t on the schedule. He remembered that I had said I was going to Vienna and signaled me to avoid him so that he wouldn’t notice.

Sure enough.

As he took his eyes off Henri Marso, the security guard came and dragged me away.

I managed to keep some distance, but I couldn’t leave him alone. I watched the situation behind the wall.

“So. What do you want? To die together?”

“Huhuhuhuhu.”

A nasty laugh.

“Don’t be so scared. I don’t intend to kill you.”

“…”

“It’s very simple. All you have to do is confess in front of these people that you embezzled the Antermittang grant. And that you framed me and the association members to cover it up.”

Nonsense.

“You’re just telling the truth, right? If you’re just a little honest, you and everyone here can be safe.”

He threw the child aside and took out his smartphone.

Whether the security guards protected the child or not, he filmed Marso with his left hand.

“You’d better not say anything useless. I don’t even know what I’ll do.”

That kind of statement would be useless.

He was a planner, but he was sloppy.

Henri Marso looked incredulous.

“Well. A thousand people have joined, so let’s wait a little. If it’s Henri Marso’s national apology broadcast, we should at least see tens of thousands, right?”

I thought he was filming a video, but he turned out to be streaming online.

“Now, kneel down.”

“What?”

“Kneel down. Kneel. Beg. To me. To the association members who were unjustly expelled.”

I didn’t know who he was, but I had a little idea of what he was thinking.

He had repeated lies to himself until he believed his own lies.

According to Henri Marso, everything was following the legal procedure, but if he wasn’t a fool, he wouldn’t think he could win the trial with this ridiculous blackmail broadcast.

This was a nasty play to destroy Henri Marso’s pride and humiliate him.

Henri Marso, who had more pride as an artist than anyone else, couldn’t say or do such things in front of others.

He wanted to completely destroy his precious pride.

He knew Marso well.

“…”

Bang!

The gun pointed at Marso spewed fire.

“Henri!”

“Master!”

“Marso!”

My heart didn’t calm down even though I saw the bullet miss and hit the stairs.

“What are you hesitating for!”

Henri Marso looked down at him with his chin up, even though a bullet had flown at him.

And he opened his mouth without a hint of hesitation.

“Go to hell.”

Me too.

He and everyone else were speechless at Henri Marso’s defiance.

“You think I’ll beg you just because you have a gun? Don’t be delusional. I won’t listen to a word from a criminal like you.”

Henri Marso sneered and pulled his chin up.

“Have you looked up how to dispose of burning trash?”

“Shut up! Do you want to die? Beg! Beg me!”

The man, high on drugs, threatened Marso with his gun again.

He knew he could lose his life, but Marso laughed.

“I’d rather die than live shamefully like you. Unlike you, I have a sense of dignity.”

Marso took a step forward.

The man took a step back.

“Don’t come closer! I’ll shoot. I’ll shoot!”

“Shoot.”

Another step. And another.

“I told you not to come!”

Marso approached him fearlessly.

I couldn’t lose him like this.

He hadn’t finished the painting that showed a more beautiful color than any other work I had seen.

I didn’t know what amazing works he would create in the future.

He was a lunatic, but I couldn’t help but expect something from him.

I never got bored talking to him for hours. His pride based on his strong ego was annoying, but sometimes I envied him.

I envied his confidence, which I could never have, and I nodded at his skills, which justified it.

He always taught me something new, no matter what we talked about. He seemed like a madman, but he was a deep friend.

I didn’t want to lose him.

As the man moved his finger to pull the trigger, I moved without thinking.

“Ouch!”

I pushed away the security guard’s hand and shoved the man with all my strength.

Bang!

The gunshot rang out.

Henri Marso pinned the man to the marble floor.

***

1)The 2015 Île-de-France attacks, the Saint-Quentin-Fallavier attack, the 2016 Nice attack, the 2016 Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray church attack, the 2018 Strasbourg shooting, and the 2020 Nice Notre-Dame basilica stabbing.