Page 38 of Depraved

"Layla!" I shouted, my voice lost in the chaos erupting around us.

Gunfire erupted from the tree line, muzzle flashes illuminating masked figures advancing on the cabin. I dove for cover behind a weathered wooden pillar, feeling splinters dig into my palms as bullets thudded into the wood.

Through the haze of gun-smoke and adrenaline, I caught glimpses of the attack unfolding. Sarge barreled out of the cabin, roaring like a bear as he charged towards the truck. But before he could reach it, a blinding flash lit up the night. The concussive force of the flash-bang sent him staggering backward, momentarily stunned.

I fumbled for my weapon, cursing as I realized I'd left it inside. Rookie mistake. The kind that gets you killed in situations like this.

Sarah stumbled out onto the porch, her face pale. Blood had soaked through the makeshift bandage on her thigh. "What the hell is going on?" she demanded, her voice shrill with panic.

"Get back inside!" I yelled, grabbing her arm and shoving her towards the door.

Before Sarah could make it back inside, a bullet whizzed past my ear with a sickening whistle. Time seemed to slow as I watched it slam into Sarah's chest, the impact spinning her around. A spray of crimson misted the air as she stumbled, her eyes wide with shock.

"No!" I screamed, lunging forward to catch her as she fell. Her weight drove me to my knees, her body limp in my arms. Blood bubbled from her lips as she tried to speak, a wet gurgling sound that chilled me to my core.

"Stay with me, Sarah," I pleaded, pressing my hand against the wound in a futile attempt to stem the flow of blood. It seeped between my fingers, hot and sticky. "Come on, you stubborn bitch. Don't you dare die on me now."

Her eyes were glassy and unfocused. I watched the light fade from them, feeling a piece of myself die along with her. We'd never been close, always butting heads, but she didn't deserve this.

The chaos around us faded into a dull roar as I cradled Sarah's lifeless body. A bullet splintered the wood next to my head, jerking me back to the present. A figure materialized out of the smoke, their face obscured by a black tactical mask. I didn't hesitate and grabbed Sarah’s firearm. My finger squeezed the trigger, and the masked assailant crumpled to the ground. Another appeared to my left, raising their weapon. I pivoted, firing twice in rapid succession. Both rounds found their mark, and the attacker went down in a spray of blood.

“Sarge!” I called out as another masked man emerged from the smoke. I put a hole in his head too.

The remaining masked attackers melted back into the trees like ghosts, leaving only the acrid stench of smoke and spilled blood in their wake. My ears rang in the sudden silence, broken only by the crackle of flames from somewhere behind the cabin. Smoke hung heavy in the air, stinging my eyes and coating my throat.

I staggered to my feet, my legs unsteady beneath me. Sarah's blood soaked into my clothes, still warm against my skin. My gaze swept over the carnage surrounding the cabin, taking in the bullet-riddled walls and shattered windows. Bodies lay scatteredacross the ground, their black tactical gear marking them for what they were.

In the distance, I heard the screech of tires on gravel, engines roaring as vehicles tore away into the night. My stomach lurched as I stumbled towards the truck where I'd last seen Layla. The vehicle was a wreck, its windows blown out and frame peppered with bullet holes. Blood spattered the interior, glistening wetly in the faint light. But there was no sign of Layla, River, or Alex.

"No," I whispered, my voice hoarse. "No, no, no..."

The crunch of gravel made me whirl around, Sarah's gun coming up instinctively. Sarge emerged from the thinning smoke, blood and gore coated him from head to toe, his hair coming undone and hanging in wet ropes around his shoulders.

“They took all three of them,” he said, his voice a growl that sounded like he was closer to an animal than man. His eyes were wild with bloodlust and rage. “What the fuck happened to this place being fucking secure?!”

I ran a shaking hand over my face, but only managed to smear blood all over it. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, leaving me feeling hollow and drained.

"Right before the attack, I got a call from an old friend—Tate. He was on my old team at the DEA. He warned me to get out. Said I had three minutes before all hell broke loose."

Sarge's eyes narrowed, his massive frame seeming to grow even larger as he loomed over me. "And you didn't think to mention this earlier?"

I took a step back. "Dude, it all happened so fucking fast. I barely had time to process it before they were on us. I think they want revenge for Charlie and Leon. This is way off the fucking books." My gaze drifted to Sarah's body, still crumpled on the porch where she'd fallen. A horrible thought began to form in my mind, twisting my insides into knots. "Maybe it was her that tipped em off."

Sarge's brow furrowed, following my line of sight. "The blonde bitch? Why would she do that?"

I sighed heavily, the pieces falling into place with sickening clarity. "Sarah was sleeping with Charlie before he died. They'd been together for months, keeping it quiet because of department regulations."

Sarge's eyebrows shot up, surprise momentarily replacing the rage on his blood-spattered face. "Shit," he muttered. "That explains a lot. I thought you were the one fucking her."

"That’s old fucking news, and it was shot lived." My gaze drifted back to Sarah's body, a pang of guilt twisting in my gut. "After Charlie died, Sarah threw herself into work, determined to bring down everyone even remotely connected to his death. But I think her real target was always Layla."

“So why the fuck would you ask her to help Claudia? Are you a fucking idiot?” Sarge was seething.

"I didn't have a choice, man. Sarah was already suspicious of my connection to Layla. If I'd tried to hide Claudia on my own, she would've known something was up. I thought... I thought I could control the situation."

Sarge snorted derisively. "Control the situation? You've been out of the game too long, Warren. You should've put a bullet in her brain the moment she started asking questions."

I flinched, even as a part of me knew he was right. "Yeah, well, hindsight's 20/20. Right now, we need to focus on finding Layla and the others before?—"

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