*Thmp* *Thmp*
Evident from the sound, I was soon to have company. Just a second later, I decided it was time and flew around the corner with my glock aimed forwards.
*PUCH* *PUCH* *PUCH* *Thud* *Thud*
Two men had made it off of the staircase when I swung, one shot hitting each of them with the third missing. I watched the light leave their eyes as the bullet in their respective neck and head dragged them to the floor.
As they hit the ground, the barrel of another AK began to round the corner. I quickly ducked back inside the bedroom.
*TUTUTUTUTUTUTUTUTU* *PSHHHHH*
Chunks of wood and drywall exploded through the air, leaving behind a faint layer of dust that laid afloat. This home was being destroyed needlessly and I was partly at fault.
*Thmp* *Thmp*
Steeling myself, I swung the corner again, squeezing the trigger at first sight of the enemy.
*PUCH*
There was only one man. I watched my bullet crack open the space between his eyes, bloody pieces of his skull and brain becoming a piece of modern art upon the floor behind him. It painted a gorey scene with the white carpet underfoot as the canvas.
I sprinted across the hall without waiting for his body to hit the floor. Directly across from Caleb's bedroom was a bathroom. I rushed inside, squeezing myself against the vanity.
There was barely enough room between the vanity and the opening of the door frame. With the absence of more gunfire, I hoped that they didn't notice me crossing the hall.
*TUK* *TUK* *TUK* *TUTUTUTUT* *TUK*
Gunfire continued to come from the ground floor, revealing the violent struggle between Tucker and the Bratva thugs. It was a warzone. Bodies littered the floor and bullet casings were scattered all over.
The most apparent was the smell. The scents of gunpowder, sweat, and blood served as a constant reminder of the danger afoot.
*Thmp* *Thmp*
"Prover'te komnaty."
A few more had made it upstairs. Just a moment longer and I would drive them off to the afterlife. That moment passed quickly.
*PUCH* *PUCH*
I rounded the corner, squeezing the trigger twice and luckily hitting both of the men that I could see. One bullet landed in a forehead, sending another swath of blood cascading onto the floor.
"AGHHH!" *TUTUTUTUTUTU*
The other bullet landed in the second man's shoulder. He screamed in pain, wildly firing his AK as he collapsed to the ground.
I had to raise my right arm to shield my eyes from the debris his bullets sent flying. The last thing I needed was to go blind.
From the lack of footsteps, it appeared that there were no more men coming up the stairs. I heaved a sigh of relief, appreciating the moment of respite.
I left the bathroom, moving down the hall towards the men I had killed. The man I had shot in the shoulder was squirming in pain, clutching his shoulder to stop the slow leaking of blood.
*DMPH*
Raising my right foot, I smashed down upon his forehead with my heel. He instantly lost consciousness and laid limp upon the floor. If possible, I didn't want these animals to be let off so easily with a quick death.
*SCRRRREEEEEE*
"AH NU CHEEKI BREEKI IV DAMKE!"
*TUK*
Evidently, another vehicle had arrived. Where the hell did they get all of these people from? There's no way they could have known that a huge firefight would break out.
With a new threat at hand, I moved quickly. After shoving my glock in the back of my pants, I bent down and picked up an AK from one of the men who hadn't gotten a shot off. I then also grabbed 4 magazines off of their bodies before squeezing them into my hoodie and back pockets.
Upon having that done, I walked back towards Caleb's room. While walking, I slightly pulled the charging handle back, revealing the large 7.62 mm round that was in the chamber. This assured me that the gun was loaded.
I entered Caleb's room. "Caleb, I'm coming over there."
A few steps brought me to the other side of his bed where I found him sitting quietly in the corner. He was holding his knees with both arms and shivering.
I sighed as I placed the AK down and held his shoulders with both hands. "Caleb, look at me. There are more bad men coming. I need you to go hide in the bathroom. I promise you that everything is gonna be okay."
I thought for a moment and then smiled. "How about this. If you can go hide in the bathroom and be super quiet, I'll buy you anything you want. Skins? Games? Toys? You'll have it all. How does that sound?"
His eyes instantly lit up. Kids really are so damn easy to bribe. "I-it's g-good."
I smiled, moving my right hand and ruffling his hair. "Alright. Go ahead and hide. I'll be there as soon as it's safe."
I stood up and stepped to the side with a wry smile adoring my face, allowing him to scurry past me and exit the room. He really was a good kid. I'll have to make sure I take care of him after this. He doesn't deserve to suffer.
Now, what's the deal with this vehicle?
I leaned against the wall to the left of the window in Caleb's room. The curtains were open so I pushed them away slightly from the edge of the window, allowing my right eye to see what lay outside.
There were two vans parked behind the first one with a large number of men filing out. With just a glance, I counted at least 20 but I was sure there were more.
I tightened my grip on the AK, taking a deep breath as I raised it. With my right hand holding the grip, I used my left hand to flick the curtain over my shoulder as I stepped in front of the window with my right foot slightly behind my left.
*CHSHHHH* *TUTUTUTUTUTUTUTUTUTUTUTUTUTUTU*
Fifteen times I felt the buttstock press into my shoulder. If I hadn't instinctively positioned my feet as I had, I was confident that my ass would be on the floor.
The last thing I saw before I dropped to the floor was six men falling to the ground while the others scattered like rats before a torch.
*TTUTUTUTUTUTUTTTUTUUTUTUTUTUTTTTUTUUTUTUTUTUTUTUTUTUTTTUTUU*
A seemingly endless stream of bullets tore through the walls, causing everything in the room to explode into the air. Wood, glass, drywall, plushie stuffing, fabric, all of it sprayed through the air, covering me with a layer of debris as I covered my head in prayer. I prayed to the force, to the gods, to anyone that was listening, that none of those deadly rounds would hit the mark.
With another few seconds having passed, the pouring rain came to a halt. I could finally breathe again as I started to crawl across the floor.
It took me several seconds but I reached the door of the room. "TUCKER! WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT EXFIL?"
*TUK* *TUK* *TUTU* *TUKUTUK*
Several shots screamed from the floor below as my protector yelled in response. "50 SECONDS!"
*THUMP*
I slammed the floor with my fist in frustration. Had it really only been four minutes? I genuinely felt that at least 30 minutes had passed.
Once I reached the hallway, I stood up and rushed towards the stairs. I mounted up at the corner of the wall and took a deep breath.
*TUTUTUTUTU* *TTTTUUTTTTTTUTUTUTUTUTUTUTTU*
I fired just five rounds before another wave of lead crashed towards me. I took a few steps away from the corner of the wall as I watched the place upon which I had just been standing become shredded.
This was the home stretch. These next 45 seconds would decide whether I live or die. There was no respawning here. Reality was an understatement. I could only persevere, defending this position with my life.