Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 140940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
I thought about Max and Valentina. “We can’t just leave everyone.”
“Mysh—”
“There might be people in the front who need our help.”
Kaz’s expression hardened, his jaw clenching further. “Listen to me. Right now, our priority is getting out alive. If we get trapped or killed, we can’t help anyone.”
I knew he was right, but the thought of leaving others behind twisted in my gut like a knife.
More bombs exploded with deafening roars.
Again, both in the front and behind us.
The ground shook.
Kaz grabbed my free hand.
“The enemy’s plan is to create a death trap.” He pointed to the back. “They are bombing the exits, forcing everyone towards the center.”
“Fuck.”
“It is a classic pincer move—squeeze the life out of the target. I have used it before. It is designed to kill as many as possible either by fire, explosion, or smoke.”
The horror of his words sank in.
I coughed through the smoke. “So we get to the bathrooms—”
“And then climb out the windows.”
“Alright.” I kicked off my heels, knowing I couldn’t run in them. “Just let me know when to run, baby.”
“Once we are out, we find cover, assess, and then help everyone else.”
My nerves flared. “Got it.”
His plan was clear, his leadership unquestionable. In that moment, despite the fear, despite the chaos, a strange sense of confidence washed over me.
Kaz was in his element, and we would be okay.
Suddenly, the sound of shattered glass and the heavy thud of boots announced the arrival of people rushing through the back.
Come the fuck on. First, you bombed us. Then, you run in to shoot us.
Fast, Kaz’s men pointed their weapons towards the direction of the intruders and unleashed a barrage of gunfire.
Shit.
The staccato bursts of bullets echoed through the air, competing with the invaders’ own weapon fire in a cacophony of chaos. Both sides were locked in a deadly dance, trading shots and dodging bullets.
Adrenaline pumped in my veins.
Kaz’s hand tightened around mine, and his voice cut through the terror. “Now!”
We darted between Kaz’s men and made a mad dash down the hallway, racing in the direction of screams and more gunfire.
Sprinting.
He turned to look at me. “Stay close.”
There was no room for argument in his tone.
I risked a glance over my shoulder.
Kaz’s men continued their fierce battle with the invaders. The flashes from their guns illuminated the hallway.
My breath caught in my throat as I saw one of Kaz’s men get hit. His body jerked violently before collapsing to the ground, motionless.
Motherfucker.
Another stumbled backward, clutching his side.
I turned my face forward, forcing my legs to move faster.
This is a goddamn war zone.
The gunfight faded into a dull roar behind us, but the danger was far from over.
Each step took us deeper into the true heart of the chaos, towards the unknown threats that lay in the main floor.
Meanwhile, as we ran, the hallway seemed to stretch into infinity, a never-ending tunnel that promised no safety, only more danger.
The thud of falling bodies filled the air behind us.
Kaz’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Keep moving!”
“Okay, baby.”
His strength gave me the courage to keep running, to push through the terror and the pain, towards the hope of escape.
We neared the end of the hallway and burst onto the main floor of the club.
No. No. No.
The full extent of the night’s horror unfolded. This once vibrant space, pulsating with life and rhythm, was now a scene of devastation and despair.
Flickering lights struggled to maintain their glow amidst the chaos.
Smoke and the scent of death ran thick in the air, creating an oppressive atmosphere that clung to my lungs and stung my eyes.
Tables and chairs were overturned.
Shattered glass littered the floor.
The bar was decimated, bottles reduced to shards, the alcoholic contents fueling the flames that danced with malevolent glee across the ruined space.
And then there were the bodies.
No. No.
Dancers, patrons, staff—people who had come with us for a night of escape, now lay motionless, scattered across the dance floor and piled around the stage.
Where’s Max? Valentina? Lemon? Tisha?
I slowed up, frantically scanning the space. “I don’t see—”
“It does not matter, mysh—”
“But, Max and—”
“We have to get out of here.” Kaz dragged me forward. “The bathrooms are behind the stage.”
“Kaz, we have to check for—”
His grip was like an iron shackle, unyielding. “No time. Remember the plan.”
“O-okay.” I followed him and stayed close.
The thought of possibly leaving behind the people we loved carved a hollow pit of guilt deep within my chest. And each step away intensified the weight of that guilt, making it almost unbearable.
My heart ached with the fear that they hadn’t made it out, that we were abandoning them to a fate we were desperately fleeing from.
There was this horror in not knowing their status, of not being able to turn back and search for them.
It gnawed at me with sharp, relentless teeth.
Their faces flashed in my mind.