I glance at Danika, and we're already moving, stepping over the bodies without hesitation. We continue scanning for movement. My pulse is steady, and my adrenaline sharpens my focus rather than clouding it.
Besides my brothers, I've never moved with someone like this. I like it.
"How many do you think are left?"
"Too many," I say, reloading my pistol. The empty magazine clatters to the floor, and I slam a fresh one home.
Danika drops her gun and picks up one of the weapons from the recently deceased men, along with his extra magazines.
We continue moving and reach the stairs.
She glances at me.
"Up we go," she says.
We move up the stairs, and I feel a bit nervous as the walls feel like they're caving in on us. If someone appears in the doorway, we don't have anywhere to go.
We make it to the top, and I pop my head out.
"Anything?" she asks.
I shake my head. "Empty."
"He's still here," she says.
I nod and move out into the kitchen area. Danika follows behind me, our guns sweeping the area.
"Stay here," I say and come out of the kitchen into a living area.
I look around and motion for Danika to come.
We keep moving, and suddenly, the area around a large column to our left erupts with noise. Footsteps, shouts, the metallic click of weapons being readied.
I spin around, my gun rising. Men are advancing, their weapons raised, their faces twisted into angry scowls.
"Down!" I shout, grabbing Danika's arm and pulling her behind a concrete pillar.
We move simultaneously, breaking from cover. I go right, firing as I move. One man drops, then another. I press my back against the wall to reload as Danika takes out another guy.
Two left.
I drop my empty magazine. But before I can slam a fresh one home, a heavy boot kicks it out of my hand.
A guard flanks me, raising his rifle point-blank at my chest.
I don't have time to think. I lunge, grabbing the hot barrel of his rifle and shoving it upward just as it fires into the ceiling. We grapple, slamming hard into the wall. I throw an elbow into his throat, but he's massive, his hands reaching for my neck.
Suddenly, a loud gunshot echoes from the left.
The guard goes limp, dropping his rifle. I turn and see Danika standing entirely out of cover, her gun still raised. She saved me. But the last remaining guard pivots, leveling his weapon at her exposed position.
He fires.
Danika cries out, her body jerking violently backward as she hits the floor.
"Danika!" I yell, and the world goes blood-red. I snatch the dead man's rifle from the ground, pivot toward the shooter, and squeeze the trigger over and over. My bullets slam into him, knocking him back until he crashes face-first into the door I know Dimitri is behind.
I drop to my knees beside her.
