“We gotta get closer. Can’t see a damn thing from here,” Maverick grumbled as gunfire continued to explode around us. When Cotton nodded in agreement, I pulled out my second gun, feeling the adrenaline pumping through me as it rushed through my veins like an intoxicating drug.
Leading the way, Cotton motioned for us to follow him behind the last row of cargo containers. After loading my clip for the third time, the Pythons’ causalities were building. We continued to push forward, dodging the bullets that snickered through the air. Realizing that we were gaining ground, several of the Pythons left their positions, trying to stop our advance. When a bullet struck the wall above Cotton’s head, my instincts kicked in, forcing me out of the protective shield of the cargo carrier. After I had only taken a few steps, someone lunged out at me as he tried to stab me in the gut. Without hesitation, I grabbed his wrist and quickly punched him with a killing blow to the throat. He gurgled and arched his back as he choked for air. After several seconds, his lifeless body fell backwards onto the rocks.
While I was standing there under the light of the main warehouse, I noticed Styx laying on the ground and rushed over to him, pulling him behind the large loading crane. I searched his body for wounds. He’d been shot in the chest, and he was struggling to breathe, and in a matter of seconds, my leather jacket was drenched in his blood. Styx was still clinging to his gun in desperation, unwilling to stop fighting for his brothers. He was still holding on to that damn gun as he let out his last breath. His body fell lifeless in my arms.
“Fuck,” I shouted as I eased him to the ground.
The deafening sounds of gunfire erupted around me, but my focus was still on my fallen brother. When a bullet pierced my flesh, a stabbing pain shot through my arm. I swallowed the burning sensation, letting my mind shut down the thoughts of how much it hurt as Iifted my gun. Firing off round after round, I stalked towards the shooter until his body dropped to the ground. Once I was sure that he was dead, I made my way back over to Cotton and Maverick. The Python’s numbers were depleting fast. Their casualties were building with every shot we fired, and a wave of satisfaction washed over me when I realized that Styx wasn’t alone in his death. By the time we made it over to the warehouse, the area was clear of Pythons.
Maverick turned to Cotton and asked, “You want us to check inside the warehouse?”
“Do a sweep just to be sure,” he answered.
We made our way inside, ensuring that no one had been left behind. By the time we returned, everyone had gathered in front of the warehouse, and Rip and Dive were talking to Cotton.
“It’s done. All clear,” Maverick told him.
“There’s a shitload of artillery they left behind in there,” I informed him. “At least twenty-five crates of guns and drugs.”
“Get the truck over here. We’re taking it with us,” Cotton ordered.
“We got ’em, Prez,” Boozer told him proudly. “We won the war.”
“Not sure about that,” Dive corrected him. “Think I saw something, but it was dark. I couldn’t be certain.”
“What do you think you saw?” Guardrail barked.
“Not sure. It was out of our line of vision. You might want to check the camera feed,” Dive told him.
Cotton quickly pulled up the security camera on his phone, searching through everything that had been captured over the past hour. We all watched the blood drained from his face as he stared at the face that crossed the screen.
He turned to us with a look of pure anguish and said, “Fuck! I can’t believe I didn’t see it. It was right there in black and white, and I just didn’t see it. This fight wasn’t just about taking over our territory or running drugs through our town. It was more – so much more. We didn’t win this fucking war. This battle has just begun.”
Chapter 25
Wren
?
When I got to the room, Dusty and Wyatt were dressed in their pajamas and sitting on the bed whispering to each other about something. Their eyes widened when I closed the door behind me and asked, “What are you two up to?”
“Can Wya-it sleep in my room tonight?” Dusty asked with a pleading look. “I’ve got bunk beds, and he can sleep on top.”
“Please, Momma. I don’t have school tomorrow, and I’ve always wanted to sleep on bunk beds.”
The entire scene caught me off guard. Wyatt had only stayed the night with my parents and had never really been interested in staying with a friend before. It surprised me that he wanted to spend the night with Dusty tonight, especially after everything that had happened with him today. His little eyes danced with excitement as he waited for my answer. A huge smile crossed his face when I said, “I don’t mind. You can go, but I want you to get some rest.”
“Awesome!” Dusty shouted happily.