Page 68 of Madness & Mercy

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I nod once and move toward it.

Nico follows, silent as a ghost.

We press in close to the metal, listening. There’s faint movement inside. Muffled voices, two or three of them. Maybe more.

I glance at Nico.

He gives the smallest nod.

I push the door open with the toe of my boot and step inside.

It’s dim inside. The air smells like old oil and cigarette ash.

And somewhere inside this rotting building is our guy.

Maybe not alone.

I move low, back against the wall, edging toward the sound. One breath at a time.

Behind me, I can feel Nico’s presence like a blade at my spine. Every step, every breath, he’s measuring me.

Not just the target.

Me.

I’m still a suspect. Still not trusted.

Stillvery muchdisposable.

And as I press closer to the source of the voices, it hits me…

If I fuck this up?

I won’t need to worry about the men inside pulling the trigger.

Because Nico will beat them to it.

The voices go quiet, just like that.

Something in my gut twists hard, and I freeze mid-step, my eyes narrowing at the steel door cracked ahead of us.

It’s not silence.

It’swaiting.

“Fall back,” I whisper, just loud enough for Nico to hear.

But it’s too late.

The first shot cracks through the air like a whip, splintering a pipe over my shoulder. Ricochet sings past my ear.

“Fuck!”I drop down, ducking behind a rusted barrel.

Two more shots. Nico’s already moving, fast and lethal. He doesn’t flinch, just raises his weapon and returns fire withdeadly precision. One body drops. Maybe two. Hard to tell over the ringing in my ears.

My shoulder burns, white hot all of a sudden.

I look down.

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