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I scramble to the right, trying to work out what to do. By the time I’m leaning on a crate with bullets flying around me. I’ve got it all figured out.
Diego was working for Don Colombo. Took a big payment to join his side. Brought me here like a meek lamb. Was supposed to shoot me so I couldn’t run. Then no doubt Don Colombo was going to have some fun with me, try to make me scream for what happened to Alessandro, maybe even get me to tell him where Kelly is right now.
I’m shooting as I think, firing up at the men in the office, hitting one in the cheek, seeing him vanish from sight but another pops up an instant later to take his place. We’re losing.
I reload and as I lift myself up to fire again, a shot hits me in the shoulder, sending me flying backward. I land with a thud, grunting in pain, blood starting to flow through my shirt. Another shot hits me in the leg and it goes numb. I can’t move it at all. One more hit like that and I’m done for.
I fire blindly, hoping I hit someone, ideally the Don.
We’re going down. I can tell. I feel a hand on me. I turn around, ready to shoot but it’s Albert, dragging me away from the battle. “Got to get you out of here,” he says, groaning with the effort of shifting me around a corner.
“We can’t leave them behind,” I reply. “Let go of me.”
“You can’t die. You owe me my pension.” He drops me, lifting his gun and shooting as someone runs around the corner at us. He’s got a shotgun and he’s raising it my way. Albert fires again and the guy drops, blood spurting from what’s left of his groin.
Albert grabs me again, yanking me through the fire exit, sweat pouring down his brow. He fires back into the warehouse as two men appear from behind crates, guns drawn. They duck back out of sight before he can hit them.
“Don’t you die on me,” Albert says as the world starts to turn gray. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
I try to get up and walk but my leg’s refusing to do anything I tell it. All I can do is limp in Alfred’s arms, getting back to the car utterly exhausted from the effort. “The plastique,” I tell him, looking into the back seat. “Where’s it gone?”
He realizes just before me. We dive out of the car just as it explodes. The wall of heat hits me before a blinding light fills the night. I might be on fire. I can’t tell. Albert’s under me, grunting in pain. “Shit,” he mutters. “Should have guessed he’d wire it up as a back up plan.”
I shift so he can get up. He looks around the inferno. “That one,” he says, pointing at the only car that appears undamaged. “Wait there.” He runs over and looks underneath, limping slightly as he goes. “We’re good,” he shouts back as he returns my way.
“Only had enough for one car,” I reply as he helps me over to it. “Had to pick mine, didn’t he?”
“I can’t believe Diego turned,” he says, loading me into the back. “I don’t get why he’d switch sides like that.”
“Doesn’t matter now.”
“You good?”
I look back at the warehouse. The gunfire has become more sporadic. “Did we get Don Colombo in there?”
“We will,” he replies. “Saw you take out Diego, the son of a bitch got what he deserved.”
“Get me to the club. Call the doc and get me everyone.”
“Everyone?”
“They need back up in there. Call them while you drive.”
I lay back and shut my eyes. I feel like a coward. I’ve left my men behind. They might all be dead by the time backup arrives. I think back to that book about the war. The guy who wanted to go back in but had to think about the overall strategy of the thing.
If I go back in there I could get wiped out before I end this thing. I need to think of the bigger picture. Get patched up and then take out Don Colombo and everyone who ever worked for him. Wash the streets red with their blood. Make them wish they never tried to fight me.
He’s out there right now, laughing at me. Thinking he’s won.
I’ll show him. For Kelly.
If I can stay alive long enough. I feel myself fading. I get a few snapshots. Albert on the phone as he drives. Getting into the club. Seeing that Albert’s been shot as well. Blood’s soaked through his pants and he’s looking white as a ghost. He’s on his back next to me, telling me he wants hazard pay from now on.
The doc above me again, scolding me for getting shot so soon after my stab wound had healed. I get one last clear image. Me telling the doc to phone Kelly. I get the word, “Doc,” out but then the rest is garbage as my entire world turns to black.
SIXTEEN
KELLY
