Page 7 of Fall of Hellfire (Hellfire Society #3)
six
ARSEN
“ W e have company,” I call out. While Cash finished packing his files and Riot was tending to Ali, I moved to the window to make sure the coast was clear. Unfortunately, it was not. “They’re packing heavy heat.” I glance back towards Riot and Ali. How the hell are we going to get out of this one?
Riot's features morph as he turns back to Shane. “Change of plan. You take her.” Shane drops the duffle as Riot approaches. Holding out his hands, Riot passes over a still unconscious Ali as he moves to cradle her gently against his chest. Riot, on the other hand, leans down and starts digging through the duffle and grabbing everything he finds useful. He throws on a tactical vest over his bare chest and loads it up as well before looking back up to Shane. “You protect her with your life. Anything happens to her; I’ll string you up by your feet and slowly skin you alive.” I have to give Shane credit as he gulps hard before tightening his hold on our girl. “Good.”
While he finishes his threats, Cash and I grab a few more weapons and each vest up as well.
None of us were prepared for the night ending in a shootout, so Riot and I are in sweats while Cash is still in his slacks, but that won't stop us.
I take another peek out the window, spotting a whole tactical team slowly moving towards the building.
There are probably six or seven men that I can spot from my position, but there is no telling if any moved to the back.
Or even if some are waiting down the street.
Riot steps up next to me to take a look as well.
He sees what I’m seeing and begins to grin.
The Riot we are used to seeing is back and looks a little too excited to play.
If only Ali were awake to see this. He turns back to the room, “We keep one alive for questions; otherwise, these fuckers hurt our girl. It’s time for them to pay in blood. ” At least we all agree on something.
With there only being one way in and out of the upstairs apartment, we know there is only one place where we can move this fight.
Downstairs. Riot moves to the door first but holds for the rest of us.
Cash turns to Shane. "You stay behind us.
Once we get outside, we need to move three blocks east. I have a backup vehicle parked in the garage of an old auto body shop.
You know it?" Shane nods, looking more panicked than I would like.
He has the most important job out of any of us, keeping Ali safe.
"Good." Turning to Riot and me, he continues, "Did we get a count? "
"I'm guessing a dozen or so. Fully decked out and heavily armed. Professional, if I had to guess," I tell him, and he nods.
"Okay, so a walk in the park." Shane makes a worrying sound but doesn't say anything. "Riot, you know what to do." Riot scoffs as if Cash just insulted him.
"These fuckers have no idea who they are about to dance with.
Maybe I should record this so Ali can see when she wakes up.
" As if the idea has merit, a manic smile lifts his lips as he tilts his head from side to side, cracking the joints.
I shake my head at him, because of course what doesn't scream romantic gesture more than recording yourself killing a bunch of people who tried to kill us first. It makes perfect sense.
Why don't all men declare their love for a woman this way?
Shuffling noises from downstairs have us all focusing back on the front door.
"Let's move," Cash calls out, and then Riot leads the way down the stairs.
Cash follows right behind him, then Shane holding Ali, and I take up the rear.
We've done this a million times over, but never with someone we cared for and wanted to protect in the center of the mess.
Especially since we only have an idea of what we are walking into.
For all we know, there could be an entire army on the other side of the door.
The moment we hit the bottom of the staircase, Riot glances back, nodding to each of us.
I tap Shane on the shoulder and point to the wall.
He must understand what I mean because he shifts until his back is to the wall and then crouches down until he is fully behind Cash.
Moving my gun to the ready, I give Riot the final nod before he turns back.
With one last stretch of his neck, he reaches for the doorknob and ever so slowly turns it.
The door hasn't even cracked open when the first shot goes off.
Riot throws open the door and starts firing two semi-automatic AR-15s tucked into his sides wildly.
He doesn't even care where he is aiming, but that's not the point of the move; it's to give us a chance to move away from the bottleneck attack.
The moment he starts firing, Cash moves.
I place a hand on Shane's shoulder and push, letting him know to follow.
He does as he is told and follows, staying low and keeping Ali tucked in tight to his chest. Cash and I help return fire, but the room is too dark to see any bodies.
Fortunately, the flash from the guns gives them away.
So as Riot moves in the opposite direction, Cash and I start taking out the men we can spot.
Gunshots and pained moans fill the large room as we continue to move against the wall.
We focus on the ring for cover, and once there, Shane ducks low to the floor, using his body to cover Ali's small frame.
Moving close, I hand him the gun he had had earlier.
"Stay here and stay low. Shoot anyone that comes near you, even if you think it could be one of us.
I'll let you know when to move." In the low light I barely see him nod as he accepts the gun and repositions himself better.
Satisfied, I tap Cash on the back to let him know we are good.
Now it's time for us to have some fun.
I stay close to the ring as Cash moves further into the darkness.
The only light in the entire place came from a single glass door across the room.
All the windows had been boarded up long ago, it seems. Plus, it probably helps with the appearance of being abandoned for Shane’s special fight nights.
The gunfire has quieted to a halt, and now the shuffling of feet is the only sound heard as everyone tries to get their bearings while not giving themselves away.
Someone yells over the silence, the voice echoing off the walls.
“We only want the heirs. No harm will come to the girl if you just hand yourselves over.” I hear a light scoff to my right, from who I’m guessing is Riot as the guy continues.
“Do you really want to get your little whore killed when we have you all outnumbered and outgunned?” I wince at the disgusting name he referred to our girl as, but knowing what happens when you speak ill about someone we love has me smirking.
They have no idea what they just walked into and who they are actually dealing with. It’s sort of funny, actually.
I expect Riot to be the one who calls out a response, something threatening and depraved, but I’m surprised when it’s actually Cash.
He lets out a deep, dark chuckle, the sound coming further to my left but filling the room with a sudden chill.
“You were already dead men walking for the way our girl came home to us, but now I hope you know that whoever hired you signed your death warrants.” A few scoffs of disbelief sound out around the room as if no one truly believes a word he is saying, but that is just dumb on their part.
Another voice speaks from across the room.
This time it’s not meant for our ears, but with no one wanting to give away their position with noise, we hear it loud and clear.
“Fuck this,” he hisses. “Who cares about the bitch, let’s just take them.
There’s more of us than them.” Someone shushes him, but it’s too late.
I hear a snarl come from Riot’s direction before a single gunshot is heard.
Curses sound before a loud thump comes from the front, causing my head to snap in that direction.
I can see a large shadowy form laid across the floor through the dim light and grin.
I have no idea which guy Riot just shot, but one down and a few more to go.
"That is your only warning. If you wish to live, turn around and leave now.
If you stay, you will die at our hands," Cash calls out, and I wait with bated breath for these assholes to wise up and leave, but after a long, tense moment of more silence, I know this night will end in a bloody mess.
I shift around the ring, wincing at the slight pain pulling at my stomach.
It was only two weeks ago that I was shot by my own father, but I got the last laugh.
Now the last two ruling members of the Hellfire Society are trying to double their efforts to take out their own sons.
It's laughable, — they taught us most of what we know, but as we grew, we saw the change in the men that raised us.
We knew there was a chance they could pull something, but we never thought it would come as far as to send men upon men to take us out.
You would think they would learn their lesson that we aren't as easy to kill as they thought.
A pained moan sounds from behind me, and I freeze.
Shane's whispered voice can be heard among the shuffling of feet as we all decide who will make the next move.
"Shhh... it's okay. You're going to be okay.
I know it hurts, but you need to be quiet.
" I know the words were supposed to be a whispered calm, but the sound that follows breaks something inside of me.
Ali's pained moans and weak sob as she comes to breaks the silence in the room.
The sound breaks the standoff as Riot's bloodthirsty monster takes over.