"We move," Lev says. He looks at the flames. "We can't stay. We cook, or we fight."
"There are too many of them," I argue, panicking. "If we go out there, they’ll kill us."
"If we stay here, we burn," Lev says, unbuckling his seatbelt. He looks at Andrei. "Formation Diamond. We shield the Director. Push to the wall."
"Understood," Andrei says.
Lev looks back at me. "On my mark, run. Don't look back. Run for the maintenance ladder on the side of the bridge."
"I can't!" I protest.
"You can," Lev says. "We’re Bratva. We don’t die quietly."
He kicks the armored door above him. It groans against the twisted metal.
He kicks it again, and it pops open.
"GO!"
In a rush, Lev pushes the door open.
Andrei climbs out first. He rises out of the burning vehicle like a demon, gun roaring. He sprays the bridge, forcing the attackers to dive for cover.
Heavy rounds hammer against his chest. The Kevlar vest absorbs the impacts, but the force is enough to crack ribs. He staggers, grunting, but doesn't fall.
He plants his feet, using his body as a shield to cover my exit. He ignores the impacts, firing in short bursts. Drops the first man. Swings toward the second, suppressing the left.
He’s holding the line.
Then—
A single shot rings out. It catches him above the collar of his vest, tearing through his throat.
Andrei drops his gun, clutching his neck. Bright red blood paints the hood of the car.
He looks at me one last time, eyes fading, before he tips backward into the flames.
"Move, Helena!" Lev grabs my arm, dragging me out.
I stumble onto the asphalt. The heat is intense. The air smells of gunpowder, burning rubber, and blood.
The rear guard pushes me behind the wreckage, covering me. He fires, taking down a man with a crowbar.
Then—Crack.
The guard's head snaps back. A sniper shot from the girders above.
He crumples at my feet, eyes open, staring at the gray sky. Blood pools around his head, soaking my shoes.
I scream, scrambling backward.
"Lev!"
Lev is the only one left. He fires his pistol with one hand, gripping my jacket with the other, dragging me toward the edge of the bridge.
"Get behind the wall!" he roars, firing blindly.
He fires. A man drops. He fires again.
