Chereads / The runaway man / Chapter 6 - The price of survival

Chapter 6 - The price of survival

(English is not my language so sorry for any spelling mistakes. Any mistakes just comment on them.)

Jack got up and found himself thrown in the middle of the road. He got up and checked his pocket but didn't find his money. He checked his weapon but didn't find it. All his belongings were stolen. Jack crawled to the house. He fell every minute. He stayed for a whole hour until he reached the house. All the way he could see half of the road and it was blurry. His eyes were getting sleepy every minute. He reached the house and pushed the door and fell at the door. Joe saw him and went and helped him get up. He put him on the couch and took off his shoes and clothes and waited for the morning to talk to him. Morning came and Jack got up from his place. He went to Leo and told him to tell him everything that happened in detail. When he told the story to Joe, he saw that Leo was shocked by Jack's words. He said to him "You have a chronic disease like your brother" Jack said to him "My sister had cancer" Joe said to him "She didn't have cancer. She had a brain tumor. It seems to be hereditary. It affected your sister, your mother before her, and now you" Jack said to him "Then you don't have to do your dirty work anymore" Joe said to him "I can help you and take you to the city to get rid of the tumor. There are very advanced hospitals there" He looked at Jack for a while and said "Wait, did you say that your weapon was stolen?" Jack said to him "Yes" Joe grabbed Jack and said to him "You damn idiot, if they knew where the weapon came from and finished us off, they would kill us" While talking to Jack on the couch, Leo and Jack heard the sound of cars coming from afar and parked in front of Jack's house. Leo said "Damn they got to us" Jack said "Follow me so they don't find us" They went up the stairs and the rebels stormed the house and started looking for Jack and Joe. He hid in the operating room in Jack's sister's room. One of the rebels started talking and said "Jack, who are you with? He's deceiving you. He didn't get you out of the city. There are many who deserve to be taken out of the city, including your sister. Your sister did all his dirty work and when he knew about your sister's illness, he gave her a list to kill her. Your sister was working with us to kill him." Jack stopped for a moment and was shocked by the rebels' words. Joe whispered to him "They are brainwashing you, don't believe them" One of the rebels said "If you go out now and hand over what you have, we will release you and put you alone" Joe said to him "Look at them, they make drugs and sell them outside. The poor in the city are dying while living a life of luxury" The rebel member said "Are you going to get out of your shell, Jack, and join our cause?" Joe said to him "Don't try anything stupid" The rebel member said "Final warning" Jack said to Joe "What guarantees me that you will get me out of here and get me treated?" "Jack, there are no guarantees in this world, especially in our situation. But listen to me well...", Joe said as he approached him and spoke in a low voice "I am the only one who can help you. The rebels outside are selling illusions, and believe me... As soon as they run out of interest in you, they will kill you without hesitation. But I promised you that I "I'll get you out of here, and I'll treat you no matter what. If you trust me, your future is over." Jack fell silent and heard the soldiers coming up the stairs. He started searching the house and every corner of the house. They entered the basement and found nothing. They searched everywhere. One of the soldiers was in Jack's sister's room. He was walking and noticed a difference in the paint on the wall. He reached his hand towards the place where the paint was different. Jack saw that through the wall and took out a gun from the desk drawer. Joe also took out their gun. Until one of the soldiers called the soldier and ordered him to get out of the house. The rebels came down the stairs and left the house. They went on their way. Before the rebel leader came out, he said, "Jack, you've wasted your last chance to live." Then he went out and the cars left. Jack pointed his gun at Joe. Joe did the same thing and said "Listen I didn't trick your sister I knew she had a tumor but I never used her I just gave her the other names because I knew she couldn't get out alive because she was working with the rebels. Your sister Jack was working with Johnson and Lucille. She turned on them now at the last minute. Who do you think owns this house in this city?" Jack said to him "You better get me out of here tonight because I'm tired of killing and getting sicker by the minute." Joe said to him "I promise you." Joe said to him "You have one more target left." Jack said to him say his name. Joe said to him "You're going to kill the bartender." Jack was shocked and said to him "There's no way I'm going to kill him he's been by my side for years the list is long I can kill anyone from it." Joe said to him "Forget the important list the half is done we want to kill any other evidence we will allow your name from This town and the bar's rare is the only one who knows your name." Jack started crying and Joe said to him "Are you going to do it?" Jack continued crying as he looked at the ground, confused between his options, then raised his head and said in a broken voice: "How do you expect me to kill him? He was always by my side, helping me when I couldn't find anyone. He's the only one who didn't betray me or take advantage of me." Joe, with a firm look, said calmly: "Jack, I know it's hard, but this town knows no mercy. If you don't kill him, you'll become a target for these people. He's the only witness to everything we've done. After everything we've been through, this is the only way to survive. Think about yourself, about your life... about your future." Jack, still crying, said in a weak voice: "Is this the price of survival? Killing the ones we love?" Joe put his hand on Jack's shoulder and said: "This is the reality here. There's no room for emotions, just survival." Jack closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and took a deep breath before saying in a low voice: "I will do it... but don't forget your promise. Once this is over, I want out of here forever." Joe said to him "You will be a national hero in the new capital after you finish the mission, meet me in your basement." Jack said in a weak voice "Okay." Jack took his gun and covered his face and went to the bar. On the way, he walked and looked at the city where he grew up and looked at every corner and remembered every minute he spent here. He entered the bar and the bartender came to him with a cheerful voice "What are you doing at this time of night? Let me guess, lemonade like every day?" Jack began to tremble and picked up his gun and said in a weak voice "This is the price of getting out of here." He pulled the trigger and the bartender fell to the ground. The place was filled with blood. Jack began to cry again and heard the sound of the revolutionaries' marches from From afar. He went quickly and entered the house. The rebels' cars arrived at the place and followed Jack to the house. Jack entered the house and found Joe there with machine guns. He gave Jack a machine gun. He started shooting at the rebels from across the wall. The machine guns were powerful. The bullets were easily penetrating the walls. When they were sure they heard the silence outside, they went down to the basement. Joe opened a hidden door in the wall. Jack was not shocked now, all his thoughts were on the waiter he killed. He started running in the search that led to the new city. In the tunnel, Joe stopped halfway and Jack asked him in surprise. Jack asked him in surprise. "What are you doing? Let's move so we can get there." Joe looked at him with a sad look and said to him. "Sorry Jack, you were like my son, but try to burn all the evidence." He shot Jack in the shoulder.... Joe shot Jack, and the bullet hit him in the shoulder, so Jack fell to the ground in pain. He raised his head with difficulty and looked at Joe, his eyes filled with betrayal and pain. "Why, Joe?" Jack said in a broken voice, trying to process what had happened. Joe stood over Jack, holding the gun firmly, and said in a calm, but sorrowful voice: "I didn't want to come to this, Jack. But you know too much now. You should have stopped there. I tried to protect you, but now I can't risk leaving you alive. This is the world I lived in, you either become a part of it or you become a victim of it." Jack, lying on the ground with his hand covering the bleeding wound on his shoulder, spoke with difficulty: "You're a liar... you used us all, even my sister." Joe smiled sadly and said: "Maybe. But I've always been honest with you, and that's more than you'll find anywhere else." As Joe prepared to fire the last shot, they suddenly heard voices from the tunnel, and the lights of oncoming cars. Jack tried to take advantage of the moment of distraction, he rushed towards Joe, and pushed him with all his remaining strength. The gun fell from Joe's hand, and the two of them fell to the ground. But Jack was weak from his injury, and he was unable to control the situation. Joe grabbed the gun again and pointed it at Jack, saying calmly: "This is goodbye, Jack." But before he could fire, the tunnel door exploded and the rebel forces entered, firing. In a moment of chaos, Jack managed to crawl away while Joe was busy fighting .....