The last man spins around wildly, his gun sweeping the hall. He fires into the wall as I let off two rounds that slam into his upper chest. He stumbles backward against the door and slides down, leaving a thick red streak behind.
I keep my gun trained on him, moving slowly. When I'm close enough, I kick his weapon away and check his pulse. Nothing.
I lean against the heavy, bullet-dented door and call out.
"Victor. Victor, it's me."
There's a tense moment of silence. Then the heavy deadbolt unlocks, and the door swings open. Victor is standing there, looking down at me.
"Took you long enough," he says with his familiar smile.
I brush a loose strand of hair out of my face with the barrel of my gun. "Well, I had a few things to take care of."
Victor nods, his gaze dropping to the dead man at my feet, then looking past me.
“I guess it was your turn to save me,” he says and leans down and gives me a kiss.
Then he takes my hand.
"Come on. This isn’t over. I'm going to kill that motherfucker."
29
VICTOR
Danika and I move through the villa's lower level quickly and quietly, our footsteps barely audible. The corridor ahead is dimly lit by flickering overhead bulbs. The air smells of gunpowder and blood that's already been spilled.
We're about halfway down when I stop us.
"What?" she asks, looking around.
I undo my bulletproof vest. "I forgot I had this on," I say, taking it off. "Come here."
She doesn't move, so I approach her and put it on her.
"What are you doing?" she asks.
"I'm giving this to you so you live."
"What about you?"
"Well, you better cover me then," I say and help her strap it on.
"Does it feel okay?"
She nods and looks up at me. "You sure?"
I nod. "This all falls apart if anything happens to you, Danika."
We hear noise, and I nod and gently stroke her cheek. Then we start moving again.
I glance at Danika as we approach a junction. She's pressed against the left wall, her gun raised, eyes scanning ahead. I mirror her position on the right, my pistol steady in my grip. We move without speaking, our communication reduced to subtle hand gestures and quick eye contact. She holds up two fingers, then points right. I nod.
Two guards ahead.
She waits, letting me take the lead. I move first, stepping around the corner in one motion. The first guard is glancing back, his attention focused on something farther down the hall. I fire twice, and the silenced shots punch through his skull. He drops without a sound.
The second guard turns, his eyes widening, but Danika is already there. She fires a short, loud burst, and the man's chest explodes in red. He collapses backward, his weapon clattering to the floor.
