Reshi left the flat half an hour later, his resolve cold and unwavering. He carried a standard-issue pistol and a small arsenal of hunting knives strapped securely to his belt. Each step he took was deliberate, every breath measured.
He found himself retracing his steps to the spot where the van had dumped him like garbage. Out of habit, during the ride, he'd counted every turn, right, left, straight, tracking the klicks in his head. Now, he reversed the path, one calculated step at a time.
The streets were quiet, the kind of quiet that filled the air before a storm. Reshi felt the old him returning with each step he took. He used to want to protect, even at the cost of his life, and he felt that man returning. Waking up from his slumber of grief and misery. His heart was steady, and for the first time in a long time, he felt a faint spark of something he thought he'd lost forever: purpose.
'Maybe changing was never the way after all,' he mused, a faint smile on his face. It felt good to be back.
It wasn't long before the abandoned building loomed ahead, its silhouette jagged and broken against the night sky.
He hesitated for only a moment. "God, you've never answered me before. But I figure you owe me one. Let me save them. Please."
He stepped inside, moving like a shadow. His gun was raised, his ears tuned to every creak and whisper of the decaying structure. The building was divided into three large rooms. He entered the first one carefully, his eyes scanning every corner. It was empty.
The second room was also barren, save for a body crumpled on the floor, encircled by a pool of blood.
Reshi's heart sank.
"Mary," he croaked, his voice breaking as he knelt beside her.
Her face was barely recognizable beneath the bruises and cuts. Her chest rose and fell in shallow, labored breaths. Yet somehow, when her green eyes fluttered open and landed on him, she smiled.
"Hey, Reshi," she whispered, her voice soft, like a fragile thread.
"I... I'm so sorry, Mary. This is all my fault. I failed you. I'm so, so sorry." Tears blurred his vision, spilling freely down his face.
She shook her head weakly, her smile unwavering. "Shhh. You don't owe me an apology. You saved me once. You gave me a week of happiness I never thought I'd have. That was more than I ever thought possible, so thank you Reshi."
Reshi's throat tightened. "It shouldn't have been just a week. It should've been so much longer."
Mary laughed softly, though it turned into a cough, flecks of blood staining her lips. "Is that an offer? You want me to move in now? You don't waste time, do you? You'll be proposing next."
Reshi managed a weak chuckle through his tears. "How about it, Mary? After I save Judas, the three of us will live together. A fresh start. What do you think? But you have to stay alive."
Her eyes glimmered, though they were unfocused now. "Sounds nice. Alright then, it's a deal."
He held her hand tightly. "It's a deal," he promised.
Minutes later, her breaths slowed... until they stopped entirely. Her hand went limp in his, and her vibrant green eyes fluttered closed, never to open again.
Reshi knelt there, his mind a storm of grief and guilt. The wretch was back, whispering insidious thoughts into his ear.
'Failed her, didn't you? All you bring is death. You're a monster. Just give up. Just go in a corner and die.'
But he didn't give in this time. Not again. He shoved the thoughts aside and rose slowly to his feet, his hand gripping the pistol tightly, rage clearing his mind.
There was still Judas.
He made his way to the third room, his movements quieter than the breath of the dead. Without hesitation, he kicked the door open, the sound like thunder in the silence.
The room was filled with twelve men. All of them turned at the sound of the crash. Four of them were dead before they even realized what had happened, their bodies crumpling to the floor as Reshi's bullets found their marks.
He ducked behind a rusting piece of furniture just as the remaining gunmen opened fire. The air was thick with the crack of gunfire and the acrid smell of smoke.
Peeking over the edge, Reshi fired again, hitting one of the shooters twice—once in the chest, once in the shoulder. Before he could duck back into cover, a bullet tore through his own shoulder.
Pain flared, hot and sharp, but he forced himself to roll out of cover, squeezing the trigger and watching as his second target's head exploded in a remarkable display of pistol art on the wall behind.
His gun clicked. Jammed.
"Shit."
He threw the weapon at the nearest thug, causing the man to flinch. In the same motion, Reshi unsheathed a knife and lunged forward. The man swung a metal bat with wild force, but Reshi ducked low, driving the blade upwards into his throat. Blood sprayed as the man gurgled and collapsed.
But before Reshi could breathe, a knife stabbed into his side.
He stumbled forward, the pain a white-hot lance. Then the bat connected with his face, shattering his nose with a sickening crunch and sending him sprawling to the floor.
Through the haze of pain, he scrambled to his feet. His vision was blurry, his body trembling, but his mind was clear. He charged forward with a primal roar, sinking his teeth into the second attacker's throat and ripping it out.
Hands grabbed him from behind, dragging him to the ground. A boot slammed into his ribs, the crack of bones echoing in the room.
"Stop."
The voice was calm, smooth and utterly commanding.
Reshi was hauled to his knees. Through the blood and sweat clouding his vision, he saw the Boss. He stood tall and composed, one arm holding a pistol, the other wrapped around Judas.
Judas was unharmed.
"Again, we meet, Reshi," the Boss said, his tone almost conversational. "You've caused me quite a bit of trouble, you know. Like a piece of gum on my shoes."
He handed the pistol to Judas. "This man is the reason your mother is dead. If you want my forgiveness, kill him."
Judas trembled, his small hands barely able to hold the gun.
Reshi smiled through the blood and pain. "It's okay, Judas. Don't be afraid."
"You killed my mother," Judas whispered, his voice breaking.
"Yes," Reshi admitted, his voice soft. "And I'm so sorry, Judas."
A gunshot echoed in the room.
Reshi felt the bullet pierce his chest, and he fell backward, the world tilting as he fell to the floor.
First Person - Reshi
I heard the clatter of the gun, followed by the sound of small footsteps. Judas's face swam into view, his tears falling onto my bloodied face.
I smiled, feeling something strange. A profound peace, gentle and warm like rays of sunlight. It's funny, only when I was dying did I realise the truth. I'd been afraid of living, never of dying. Living without my family, living without being me. Ahh man, it was honestly a shame.
I wonder what life I could've lived, if I could do it again. I'd live properly, I'd do it right.
"Why'd you come?" Judas sobbed.
I reached up, my hand brushing his face. "Because, Judas... what would I do without my bodyguard?"
Beyond him, I saw the living room again. My family was there, my father with his newspaper, my mother cooking, my siblings laughing.
And there was another. Mary. Her green eyes were shining, as she smiled warmly at me.
I tried to reach for them, but my hand fell short, landing on Judas's cheek instead.
"You've only got one life, Judas. Don't waste it... like I did" I coughed.
Then the darkness swallowed me whole. With one final sigh, I felt my soul leave the world behind.