Chapter 2

Phoenix’s POV

Gasoline and gunpowder filled the tensed air.

I expected tonight’s operation to go horribly. Only because my crew couldn’t keep their damn heads straight. I always have to clean up after them.

“Boss, backup will come in a bit. We’re met with some trouble, they cornered us. I think someone leaked our plan,” Cuatro’s voice crackled through the earpiece, I could hear gunshots in the background.

I didn’t answer him, hiding behind a metal container in the basement. It’s not news to me. I knew there was a rat in the team. Once I deal with this, I’d make sure to lure the rodent out and teach it some lesson about crossing me.

I kept my special pistol steady and I watched from afar as they checked the weapons crate. It was our target for tonight. They thought they were sleek trying to falsely lead us away from the arms deal but they never fooled me for a second.

I silently aimed my gun to the head of their leader. With a shot, he dropped to the ground.

“Shit! Someone’s here!” one guy exclaimed.

Chaos followed.

Their gang members were sloppy as they shot wildly while I moved around the dark warehouse, searching for the intruder. I swiftly managed to shoot two other men down.

I estimate there were at least twenty people around—three already eliminated.

Checking my pistol, I saw that I only have seven bullets left. 

This will do.

Using the shadow to my advantage, I knocked down several others that went near me as quietly as possible by twisting their necks. I took down four and hit the fifth one with a metal tube pipe I found on the floor.

I hid behind a pillar and threw the metal pipe in the other direction to attract the doofuses to my hiding spot.

“There!” I heard the voice and footsteps of those who fell for my trap. When I saw them in the perfect distance, I threw three of my knives to hit them one at a time.

I moved to the second floor to find the remaining goons within a bird’s eye view.

“We are so dead,” a guy spoke to his ally and caught my attention. They were on the ground floor lined up together. Speaking out loud at a time like this? Morons.

The second one responded, “This tactic in the dark… It’s Uno’s signature.” 

“Uno? I thought no one has ever seen him?”  a rookie, I assume, asks.

“Wrong,” I decided to cut off their conversation, feeling the high of the night through my veins. “It’s not that no one sees me.”

They looked up in my direction with eyes wide in fear. 

I pointed my gun at them and said, “It’s that no one lives to tell once they see me.”

With a pull of the trigger, I shot the three of them… one bullet piercing their skulls in a straight line.

I looked at my smoking pistol—our advanced weapons development was truly successful.

The sound of the gunfire caught the attention of the others. Soon enough, they gathered below and looked up at where I was standing on the railing. I didn’t waste any time and jumped down, swiftly landing in front of them. I observed their pale expressions and shaky hands. 

Guess my reputation does precede me.

Stretching my neck, I watched them squirm. “I saved my bullets for a chosen six,” I announced while they tactically circled me and I stared at them individually. 

“Looks like you’re the honored ones.” I smirked.

In a blink of an eye, they tried attacking me at once but I dodged and swooped their feet, firing one bullet after the other until the sixth guy was bleeding on the ground.

Soon I was dusting my suit with a gloved hand as I walked towards the table where the crates are. I kicked the lifeless body of their leader away from me and opened the containers to double-check the weapons.

With my earpiece, I spoke to my second in command. “Dos, I need you in the south exit fast,” I ordered and I inspected one of the rifles. “Retrieve the weapons—”

Suddenly, I felt a piercing pain in my side and I stumbled. My eyes glared at the direction where it came, cursing under my breath.

There was a sniper hiding. 

Before I could react, I heard the man throw something on the ground. I realized it was a smokescreen when white cloud covered the place. There was a swoosh in the air and the sound of creaking above. 

I was only a second late in reacting as the container hanging from the ceiling spilled its scrap metal and rained on me.

Rolling to the ground, I was still hit by a large steel plate on the back making my injury worse. I heard the sniper start firing off bullets blindly and I crawled on the concrete floor to hide.

I found a wall and leaned on it. “Dos, can you hear me?” I spoke under my breath. There was only static and I removed my earpiece to see that it was busted so I crushed it with my fingers.

That’s when I heard the faint sound.

A clock ticking—no, I could make out a red light in the midst of a smoke—it was a bomb ticking.

I need to get the hell out of here.

So despite the pain through my ribs and leg, I stood up and dragged myself out there, far away from the storage without making any noise because I had a sniper on my trail.

Half-running and limping, I should’ve grabbed one of the guns when I had the time.

However, I knew escaping is the most important thing for now. I don’t know where I was going but the last I remembered was seeing an ice cream truck before passing out.

**

My head hurts and my body feels numb. I feel disoriented.

I opened my eyes. There was a quiet rustle of fabric. Then—

“…kidnap him!”

I paused. Kidnap? Who? Me?

I tried to adjust my eyes to see where I was but my mind was hazy and my vision was blurry. I could only make out a figure of a woman and her muffled voice. 

I tried to listen to what she was saying until she moved to a distance and it was harder to understand their conversation. Perhaps she’s trying to hide information from me.

The girl was talking to someone, “…to keep him here until I figure out what to do.”

The words echoed and my mind raced. Did one of the enemy members end up finding me after all? My memories were fuzzy but I figured they would want to take me as a hostage to threaten my men.

I wanted to move and do something yet my body wouldn’t cooperate.

I assume barely an hour or two had passed. I think the bullet was deep enough despite missing any vital spots. I barely recovered so I don’t have the strength and I can’t be reckless. I must find out where I am.

Surely the others are searching for me. I need time until they locate me.

The silhouette moved around and I closed my eyes. I could feel that she stopped in front of me. I sense her intense stare in the dark despite my ringing ears. 

There was a sound of a train honking so I only understood a couple of her words.

But I heard one thing clear.

“...kill him.”

She’s planning to kill me.

Anger and alarm coursed through my veins. I wanted to sit up and topple her to the ground before she could do anything to me.

But at that moment, I felt my consciousness slipping away again.

Ah, this girl is lucky.

Because I have only one last thought—once I wake up, I’ll end her life… before she could end mine.