Page 94 of Abundance of Obsession

Our men shoot. Veirix responds with fire.

“Watch out for the container!” Ryker shouts.

Otherwise, we’ll all die here, I add in my mind.

A sharp crack rings out from my sniper rifle, and a blinding flash momentarily illuminates the dust particles suspended in the air. One of the targets falls immediately, like a lifeless doll. More shots ring out, followed by another sharp crack, and the second figure also succumbs to gravity, hitting the ground without a sound.

One of our guys emerges from between the containers. Veirix takes him down in a second…

Bullets pierce the metal of the containers. The echo of gunfire fills the night to the brim. People’s screams mingle with them.

Hell has opened its gates.

I pull my face away from the scope and see Ortega grab Ruiz by the lapels of his jacket. He drags him toward one of the SUVs. Machine gun fire pierces the metal of the car. Everything’s about to explode!

They change direction and are almost at the containers when…

A shot rings out. One. Ortega gets hit. The bullet strikes his back, sending him spinning. And he falls. Hits the pavement, unmoving.

Laughter fills the earpiece. Then Theo’s words, “Target eliminated.”

“I’m going after Nico,” Ryker growls.

That’s when I notice Nico has indeed fled with his tail between his legs. Like a scared little fawn.

“Support?” I ask him.

“Cover me.”

That’s exactly what I do.

Ryker emerges onto the open space. Amid all this chaos, he marches forward, walking like he weren’t vulnerable to bullets. He shoots at anyone he can. Precise and merciless.

While the others take cover, he walks into the line of fire.

More shots ring out. I clear the others out of his way until he disappears after Nico.

Damien…

I scan the square. He’s nowhere to be seen.

Where did you hide, you bastard?

Bit by bit, I search the square, the spaces between the containers. And I find nothing.

The echo of gunfire grows fainter. Fewer and fewer people remain alive. Instead, corpses litter the ground.

I can’t see him. Damn it!

Did he escape? Did he hide?

A cold wave of disappointment washes over me, leaving a hollow ache in my chest and a bitter taste in my mouth.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

“Cover me, Theo. I’m going after Ryker.”

“Stop, Eli,” he calls out, but it’s already too late.