Page 3 of The Councilor

The nail gun was just out of my reach, but I wasn’t giving up the fight. Besides, the gleam in the asshole’s eyes pissed me off. I stretched as I used every ounce of strength left to keep him from shooting me in the face. I managed to shove the weapon to the right just as he fired off a single shot. The damn thing missed meby a hair’s breadth but the jerk in his arm after firing allowed me to finally get my hands on the creative weapon of my own.

The second he managed to shove his gun back toward my chest, I used nearly every ounce of my strength, issuing a primal bellow of my own as I lifted the heavy piece of construction machinery. It had been a long time since I’d worked construction, but nothing had been lost. He did his best to fight me, but I wrapped my fingers around the base, my finger on the trigger.

Using the nail gun was somewhat more challenging than I’d believed, but the moment the enemy jammed his gun against my ribcage, there was no room for doubt.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

The three nails driven into the man’s brain were instantaneous but it took him a few seconds to react. As soon as his eyes started to roll into the back of his head, I pitched him from my body onto the floor. I’d seen many a man in his condition capable of firing off a shot or two before succumbing to their injuries.

“Jesus,” I huffed, taking gasping breaths as I struggled to get off the table.

“Wow, my friend. I had no idea you were that good with construction tools.”

Vadim’s words were followed by an immediate laugh. Since the beginning of our friendship, we’d teased each other relentlessly, but I had to admit, I wasn’t much in the mood. As I managed to ease up from the plywood, I gave him my middle finger, hating that I’d been put in such a horrific position. Once off the table, I snagged my weapon, realizing the shooting had stopped.

Dead bodies littered the warehouse space, blood seeping from gunshot wounds. “Yeah, well, there’s a lot about me you don’t know.”

Vadim laughed. “What a damn shitstorm.”

I eyed him carefully. I had no doubt the next round of retaliation was going to be much worse. “You like playing with fire.”

“Hell, yeah. You only live once.”

I’d always prided myself in following my gut. This time, a series of sensations prickled every nerve ending. I reacted without thinking as one of the gunned down soldiers struggled to his feet, leveling his gun in Vadim’s direction.

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

The entire moment was in slow motion but as the fucker finally went down, I continued to hold the weapon in both hands.

Vadim also reacted slowly, his face going slack as he turned around. I could tell the instant he realized he’d almost lost his life. “Well, fuck. I guess I owe you twice for saving my life.”

“You mean three times,” I hissed, kicking a couple of the bodies to ensure they were dead.

He snorted and shook his head. “Your count is off.”

“No, yours is. Remember that delivery driver from about ten years ago? You didn’t check him and he came this close to nailing your sorry ass?”

It took a few seconds, but the event dawned on him. “Okay, fine. Three times.” He walked closer, clapping me on the back. “I appreciate it.”

“Yeah? I’ll remind you of my heroic deed when you least expect it.”

The soldiers were already checking the warehouse to ensure there wasn’t anyone else hiding. Exhaling, I raked my hand through my hair. “I’m getting too old for this shit.”

“You’re fucking forty-two, for God’s sake. I’m telling you. The best way to remain youthful is having a beautiful woman by your side every day and every night.”

I’d never seen Vadim so happy, his eyes constantly lit up when he talked about his lovely bride. “Not going to happen. The playboy life is perfect for me.”

“You’ll learn. Mark my words.”

“Boss. You should take a look at this.”

We looked at each other then toward our soldier, who was holding up a sheet of plastic hanging from the doorway. As we followed the man, the other two employees were actively prying open crates.

As we headed closer, I had a bad feeling regarding what we’d find. Every crate was filled with clear plastic-wrapped bundles.

Vadim was already grinning, removing his switchblade and driving the blade into one of them. The slit was just big enough for him to slide a finger in, which he did, sniffing then tasting the substance. “Heroin. From what I can tell, top quality.”

I could see a different level of gleam in the man’s eyes. “Well, shit.”

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