The explosion rattled the room, a deafening roar that sent shards of glass and concrete flying through the air. Jake's ears rang as he was thrown backward, his body slamming against the cold marble floor. His breath was knocked out of him, and for a moment, he couldn't tell if he was dead or alive. The world spun, blood and dust mixing in the air.
His vision faded in and out, the edges of his consciousness flickering like a bad TV signal. Pain clanged through his body, but he tried to focus.
The explosion had sent debris flying everywhere, the walls groaning under the blast's weight, and the air was chock-full of smoke and the acrid smell of burning metal."Get the fuck up!" a voice screamed through the chaos, cold and commanding.
Jake's eyes flicked open, and he looked down at the masked man battered, bloody, and crawling through the debris, his movements slow but determined.
And he was alive, but just barely. And if he could move, Jake sure as hell wasn't going to lie there and die."Move!" the masked man spat, pulling Jake up by the collar with a strength that defied his injuries. The masked man was bleeding heavily from his side, his eyes wild with determination.
Jake shook his head, trying to clear the ringing in his ears. He was barely keeping his balance, but he could feel the adrenaline kick in.
He had no choice but to follow. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew he couldn't waste any more of his time.The room was a warzone bodies, blood, and rubble everywhere, like some twisted, grotesque puzzle, scattered across the floor.
Only the faint crackle of fire burning in the corners and the occasional groan of the walls as they started to crumble broke the stillness."Where are they?" Jake croaked, his voice barely above a whisper, as he squeezed the gun tightly in his trembling hand.
They're coming," the masked man replied, his voice grim. "But we need to move. Now."
Jake didn't question it. He didn't have the luxury. He followed the masked man's lead, stumbling through the debris, his heart pounding as he heard footsteps approaching fast.
A door slammed open on the far side of the room. Gunshots rang out, sharp and terrifying, sending more rubble flying. The sound of boots slamming against the floor grew louder, and then, from the shadows, they appeared.
Vito's men.
Jake's stomach churned. There were at least five of them, armed to the teeth, their faces twisted in anger as they scanned the room for any sign of life.
And when their eyes landed on Jake and the masked man, the smiles on their faces were more like snarls."Well, well," one of them sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "Looks like the rat's still alive. How convenient.
The masked man didn't hesitate. He pulled out his gun with lightning speed and fired off two shots. The first man dropped to the ground, his body jerking as the bullet tore through his chest.
The second man didn't even get a chance to scream before he, too, was sent sprawling, blood pooling around him.But the others weren't so easily deterred. They fired back, their bullets tearing through the air with deafening force.
The masked man dove for cover behind a toppled table, dragging Jake down with him as the bullets flew overhead."Get your shit together, kid!" the masked man barked, his voice rough as he checked his weapon. "We're not dying here."
Jake's heart thumped in his chest as he hauled himself up again, adrenaline pumping through his arteries.
He didn't know how much more he could keep doing this, but the idea of being shot down like a dog pushed him on.He peered over the side of the table, surveying the other Vito's men remaining; two were already reloading, and the last one was creeping behind a pillar, shooting blindly in their direction.
"Now," the masked man commanded.
Jake fired first, his shot taking out the man behind the pillar with a clean headshot. This body fell with a thud, and the two remaining turned their attention to him. But by this point, it was too late.
The masked man leapt from his cover, his gun blazing. The first shot hit the closest man in the leg, sending him stumbling backward, howling in pain.
The second shot was faster, a clean shot to the head. His body crumpled to the ground without a sound.Jake didn't have time to revel in his victory. The last man a hulking brute with a face like a bulldog charged at them, knife drawn, his eyes filled with rage. Jake barely had time to react before the man was on top of them.
With a brutal roar, the brute swung the knife, and Jake barely dodged in time, the blade slicing through the air just where his throat had been seconds before.
The impact sent Jake crashing into the wall; pain shot up his spine as his head cracked against the stone.The brute wasn't finished yet. He launched himself at Jake again, his knife raised high, but the masked man was already there, tackling him to the ground with a ferocity that sent them both rolling across the floor.
They collided with a chair, the impact knocking the knife from the brute's hand.You want to die, fat fuck?"The masked man growled, pinning the brute to the floor as they struggled for control.
The brute was strong, his muscles bulging, but the masked man was faster. He grabbed a shard of glass from the broken table and drove it into the brute's side with a sickening squelch.The brute's eyes bulged with shock and agony, but he didn't die immediately. His massive legs kicked out wildly as he thrashed, but the masked man would not let him go. Blood spattered everywhere across the floor as the masked man twisted the shard deeper in his body.
His face screwed up in a grimace.Jake watched, panting, as the man's struggles slowed. And then finally the brute's body went limp, his life oozing out in a crimson pool.
The masked man gets to his feet, removing all the blood that clings to his hands, as he scans their surroundings and sees the mess they have made. "Weak," he says almost to himself, looking over at Jake.
"They didn't even suspect a thing.Jake could barely catch his breath, his body aching, his head spinning. But there was no time to rest.
The walls were groaning again, and he could hear more footsteps more people coming. They wouldn't have long."Come on, kid," the masked man said, grabbing Jake's arm. "We're not done yet."
Jake stumbled as he was pulled to his feet, his vision swimming, his body battered and bloodied. He could feel the weight of the gun in his hand, his fingers slipping from the sweat and blood coating his palms.
"Where are we going?" Jake rasped, barely able to keep his eyes open.
To finish what Vito started," the masked man replied, his tone very serious, "and maybe just possibly get out of here alive."
Jake nodded weakly, his brain racing as he stumbled ahead. He had no idea how this was going to end, but he did know one thing: he wasn't going to let them hang him out there without going down swinging.
The creaking of more footsteps distant at first but getting steadily closer rang through the falling building. And right as they hit the door, it exploded inward, and fresh gunfire chased out the last remnants of the smoke.