“Agata…?”
“Hmm?” She raised her head, meeting my gaze.
“Is something wrong?” I asked. “You don’t seem comfortable being out here.”
A pause.
She let out a quiet sigh. “I have a bad feeling about this. I think we should turn back.” Her eyes locked onto mine, as if pleading with me to listen.
“Relax, Agata,” I said, a small grin tugging at my lips. “We’re not alone.”
There was a car in front of us and another behind us. These bodyguards were skilled and armed to the teeth.
She stared at me like she wasn’t convinced we were safe. But she didn’t push. She just stayed quiet and turned her face toward the window.
Less than three minutes later, the car stopped at a red light on a busy street. Across the road, construction was underway, the noise of their machines filling the air. Pedestrians were on the sidewalk, everyone minding their own business.
Impatient drivers blared their horns, yelling and cussing. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just another Tuesday in the city.
I glanced up at the countdown. Twenty seconds until the lights turned green again. Agata was still uneasy, tapping her feet and squeezing against the hem of her dress.
“Seriously, you need to calm down…” I began.
But before I could even give voice to my next thoughts, the entire atmosphere plunged into chaos.
I heard a loud honk, and it sounded too close to my ear. When I looked out my window, I saw an oncoming truck with its headlights on. My eyes widened in horror before the impact that knocked us off course.
Screams filled the air, accompanied by the loud screeching of tires and rapid gunshots. Our vehicle veeredoff the road, spinning out of control with smoke rising from underneath.
Windows shattered, glass shards pricking my skin as the driver struggled with the wheel. Finally, the car stopped.
“Ma’am, get down!” the driver yelled, gun in his hand.
I reached for Agata, grabbed her by the neck, and forced her down with me. Bullets hit the body of our car as Karik’s men exchanged fire with the attackers.
“Are you okay?” I asked Agata, my voice trembling with fear.
She managed to nod, shaking.
One of the doors opened, and we both screamed at the top of our voices.
“Let’s go, let’s go—move!” It was a familiar voice.
I held Agata by the hand as we climbed down the vehicle, heads lowered.
“Go, go, go!” The guard led the way, shooting any enemy in his eyeline. “Stay close!”
Dead bodies lay sprawled across the streets; some were Karik’s men, the others masked assassins. Cars were abandoned, and people were running for their lives, screaming. It was complete chaos out here.
I never let go of Agata’s hand as we hurried behind the brave guard. He fought the assassins, gunning them down with precise shots. It seemed he was the last guard standing, so our chances of getting through this alive were very slim.
We ran through the streets, hiding behind cars as they shot at us. Soon, he was out of armor.
“Shit.” The guard tossed the gun away, arming himself with a knife.
When two assassins popped up in front of us, he stood his ground, swinging that blade with practiced ease. He killed them in no time, staining the asphalt with their blood.
“Come on, let’s go!” he said to us.
