Page 40 of Nicco

Bria’s frantic screams over the constant stream of bullets were barely audible. The gunfire never stopped. Nicco and I were rolling our windows down at the same time.

Putting my target directly in my line of vision, I took the shot. Pop pop pop pop pop! My Glock exploded in my hand. I hoped I had all seventeen rounds on the clip. My aim was on point. I hit the driver of the motorcycle in his leg. The passenger on the back of the bike shot back at me. His aim was off as the bike swerved. I blasted again and I could see the driver trying desperately to regain control after I hit him somewhere on the side of his torso. Hopefully, somewhere that wasn’t covered by Kevlar. The motorcycle’s tires twisted when the driver looked to assess the damage I made to his body. The bike collided with the ground, sending the two men flailing in the night air. The two assassins skid across the pavement with the bike sliding inches behind them.

“Stop!” Nicco yelled out when the shooting had stopped.

My body jerked forward as the car made an abrupt halt in the middle of the street. Nicco’s car door flew open, and he hopped out the door. I looked down at a terrified Bria. I hoped my eyes conveyed how sorry I was that this was happening.

Nicco jogged behind the car. I didn’t know what he was doing, but I had to urge to open my door and follow his lead. Guard him. Help him. He was my friend and my brother.

Pop! Pop! Pop! I heard the sounds before I saw he had already put two bullets in the man whose helmet had come off his head. Righty was next to him and he removed the helmet of the other dead man a few feet from the one Nicco lit up.

Righty put a bullet in the dead man’s head. Maybe he wasn’t dead, but he appeared that way before the bullet entered his skull. I guess it was best to make sure. I turned to see the other two men that received bullets on my side of the car. One’s flesh was exposed and blood was gushing from his leg. He was the driver that I hit. He never had on a helmet. He was wearing a ski mask. He wasn’t moving, but that didn’t stop me from walking up to him and blasting three bullets into his fucking face, neck, and chest.

This bastard put Bria in danger. Instead of catching Nicco alone, they decided that killing innocent people would be the move to make. Enraged was an understatement for how I felt.

Nicco and Righty were standing next to me. Righty was bleeding from his arm. He said. “It’s just a graze wound,” while looking directly at me. I didn’t remember hearing his voice before now.

“Let’s bounce.” Nicco said, and we all retreated into the bullet-riddled vehicle.

We took off down the street in complete silence. Bria was silently crying and shaking almost violently. I held her as tightly as I could, but her body was trembling uncontrollably.

Nicco looked at Bria and then looked at me, but he didn’t say anything at all.

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