Blaster raised.
Walk out slow.
Let them see me.
Let them think I’m stupid enough to play fair.
The leader smirks.
"There’s nowhere left to run, ghost."
I smile.
Mean and sharp.
"I wasn’t planning to run."
He doesn't even have time to shout before I fire.
Two shots.
Precise.
The first drops the idiot closest to the kids.
The second ricochets off the wall, catching another square in the throat.
Chaos erupts.
They return fire, panicked.
I dive behind a broken pillar, firing back in tight bursts.
Silpha’s already moving, slicing through the side, her knife flashing in the broken light.
One thug screams.
Falls.
Another charges her—she drops him with a savage jab to the gut.
The leader tries to flee.
Big mistake.
I sprint after him, tackle him into the wall.
Drive my knee into his chest.
Hard.
Over and over.
Until he stops moving.
Until the city’s screams drown out his.
I stagger back to the crate.