Page 15 of Brooks

“Ha!” Raptor laughed. “You think you can just waltz in here and make demands? You’ve got another thing coming.”

With that, chaos erupted. The Pistons charged at us with wild abandon, swinging fists and chains. We retaliated with equal force, throwing punches and defending ourselves from their onslaught. The sound of fists connecting with flesh and the grunts of pain filled the air as both sides fought.

Amid the brawl, I glimpsed the building where Tina and Kennedy were being held. It was a dilapidated old warehouse with graffiti-covered walls and broken windows. They reinforced the door with steel, and there were armed Pistons patrolling the perimeter.

“Zane!” I shouted over the noise of the fight. “We need to break through that door!”

“Already on it,” he replied, smashing a Pistons member in the face with his elbow before sprinting towards the door.

As I charged ahead, my thoughts raced, fueled by a desperate need to get my family out of there. The hideout may have been fortified, but the Red Devils were relentless. We’d break through, no matter what it took.

“Ready or not, Pistons,” I muttered beneath my breath, “here we come.”

“Regroup!” I yelled, as the chaos around us reached its peak. The Red Devils and Pistons clashed like two unstoppable forces, but we had to focus on our primary goal: rescuing Tina and Kennedy.

We retreated to a nearby alley, putting some distance between ourselves and the hideout. Zane took charge of outlining the plan. “Listen up, everyone. We need to get Brooks’ wife and daughter out of there, and we know they’re inside that warehouse.”

“Brooks and I will go through the front door,” Zane continued, his eyes locked on mine. “We’ll use a distraction to draw out the guards. Once we’re in, the rest of you will follow in pairs, sweeping the place for any Pistons and securing our escape route.”

“Distractions?” asked one of our most experienced members.

“Explosives,” I chimed in, feeling my heart rate increase at the thought. “We’ll plant them around the perimeter. The explosions will draw the guards away from the warehouse.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Alright,” Zane said, clapping his hands together. “Let’s gear up.”

The Red Devils gathered their weapons and equipment with a sense of urgency. Firearms were handed out, the cold steel a reassuring weight in our hands. We strapped on bulletproof vests, knowing we’d need all the protection we could get. Zane and I each grabbed a small supply of explosives—C-4, to be exact—along with detonators.

“Listen up,” I called out, ensuring I had their attention. “We’re heading into enemy territory, but we’ve trained for this. We’ve survived worse, and we’ll survive tonight.”

“Damn straight!” Raptor yelled, pumping his fist in the air.

“Remember our creed,” Zane added, his voice steady and strong. “‘Strength in brotherhood, loyalty above all.’ That’s what we’re fighting for tonight — our family.”

“Strength in brotherhood, loyalty above all!” the Red Devils chorused, revving their engines in unison.

With our spirits high, we set off toward the warehouse. A sudden rustling in the bushes caught my attention, and I reached for my pistol. A deer darted across the way.

As we neared the perimeter fence, I signaled for Dax and Tank to hang back. My heart pounded in my ears, drowning out the sound of their idling engines.

“Dax, you’re up,” I whispered into the comms. “Give us some cover.”

“Got it, boss,” he responded, lobbing a smoke grenade toward the far end of the compound. The canister hissed as it spewed thick, white clouds, drawing the attention of the guards and sending them scrambling.

“Go, go, go!” I shouted.

My pulse quickened with each step. The knowledge that Tina and Kennedy were so close driving me forward.

“Boss,” Dax whispered, crouching behind a crate as two guards rounded a corner. “We got company.”

“Leave it to me,” I murmured, reaching for the collapsible baton at my side. I crept forward, staying low and silent until I was within striking distance. With a swift, practiced motion, I took them both out, their unconscious forms crumpling to the ground.

“Nice work,” Tank said, helping me drag the guards out of sight. “Let’s keep moving.”

As we approached the warehouse where Tina and Kennedy were being held, I felt a cold knot form in the pit of my stomach. But this was no time for fear or doubt; my family needed me.

“Tank, keep watch,” I instructed. “Zane, with me.”

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