Page 42 of Knot Happening

I peered around the edge of the pillar, my heart pounding in my chest.The Iron Serpents were swarming the place like a horde of locusts, their guns blazing as they cut down any Vulture that stood in their way.I could hear the screams of my brothers, the roar of gunfire, and the sickening thud of bodies hitting the floor.

"Damn it!"I cursed under my breath.This was a massacre, and if we didn't act fast, there wouldn't be any of us left to fight back.

Razor was panting heavily beside me, his face pale but determined."Doc, we've got to do something!"

I nodded, my mind racing."Stay here.I'm gonna flank them," I said, cocking my gun and preparing to move.

"Like hell I will!"Razor retorted, brandishing his own weapon."I'm with you, brother."

Together, we darted from our cover, moving low and fast to avoid the hail of bullets that whizzed past our heads.I could feel the heat of the flames licking at my skin as we navigated the chaos, taking out Serpents as we went.The sound of each gunshot echoed in my ears, a grim symphony of violence and retribution.

We reached the armory just as a group of Serpents breached the door.I lunged forward, my knife slashing through the air to meet the first attacker.The blade sank deep into his throat, and his gurgling cry was cut short as I yanked the knife free and turned to face the others.

Razor was a whirlwind of motion beside me, his fists and feet flying as he took down one Serpent after another.But for every one we felled, it seemed like two more took their place.

"Doc, we need to fall back!"Razor shouted over the din, his face splattered with the blood of our enemies.

I gritted my teeth, knowing he was right.We were outnumbered and outgunned, and if we didn't retreat now, we'd be joining our fallen brothers in the afterlife.

With a final, defiant roar, we broke away from the armory and made a mad dash back to the safety of the shadows.Bullets whizzed past us, kicking up dust and debris as we ran.I could feel the sting of a bullet grazing my arm, but I pushed the pain aside, focusing only on escape.

We slid to a halt behind a toppled bookshelf, our breaths coming in ragged gasps.Razor looked at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and resolve."What now?"

I quickly assessed our situation, my mind spinning with possible strategies."We need to regroup with the others.Find Torch.He'll know what to do."

Razor nodded, his face set in a grim mask."Let's go, then."

Together, we steeled ourselves for the next phase of the battle, ready to fight tooth and nail for our club, our brothers, and our survival.The Iron Serpents had made a grave mistake by underestimating The Vultures' resilience.They might have caught us off guard, but we were far from beaten.

* * *

I could see the smoke from miles away, a dark plume against the night sky, marking the location of our besieged clubhouse like a grim beacon.Razor and I had managed to slip away from the worst of the fighting, but the adrenaline still coursed through my veins, leaving my senses sharp and my thoughts clear.

We found Torch in the parking lot of a deserted warehouse, huddled over a map with a handful of other Vultures.His face was etched with deep lines of worry, and his eyes held a wild, desperate light as he barked orders into a walkie-talkie.

"Torch!"I called out, striding towards him with Razor at my side."What's the situation?"

He looked up, relief washing over his features for a split second before the mask of command slammed back into place."It's a goddamn mess, Doc," he said, his voice raspy with strain."The Iron Serpents launched a coordinated attack.They hit the clubhouse, our drug routes, the auto shop, and the bar, all at once."

Razor swore under his breath."How the hell did they pull this off?"

"They've got a rat somewhere," Torch growled, his gaze flicking to the assembled Vultures before returning to us."Someone's been feeding them information."

A cold knot of anger formed in my gut.Betrayal was the one sin no Vulture could ever forgive."Who?"

Torch shook his head."I don't know yet.But we'll find out.Right now, we need to focus on damage control."

I nodded, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders."What do you need us to do?"

He pointed to a spot on the map."Razor, I need you to get to the auto shop.See if there's anything left to salvage.And keep your eyes peeled for any Serpents who might be lurking around."

Razor gave a curt nod and took off without a word, his jaw set in a hard line.

"And you, Doc," Torch continued, turning his steely gaze on me."I need you to track down our missing shipment.The member transporting it was ambushed.He's dead, and the drugs are gone.We can't afford to lose that revenue."

I felt a surge of determination."I'm on it," I said, already formulating a plan in my mind."I'll find the bastards who did this."

As I moved to leave, Torch caught my arm."Axel," he said, his voice low and urgent."This is bigger than just a turf war.The Serpents aren't just trying to take us down.They're trying to destroy everything we've built."

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