Gary’s smarmy grin revealed every one of his tar-stained teeth. He leant in closer and hovered a rank breath from my face.

“Not as sweet as your girl’s fine arse, I’d say.”

The rage in my blood hit boiling point. This arsehole was dead. I was going to kill him. I swung my head back, lurched all my weight forward and headbutted him square on the nose.

He dropped the blade, staggered and fell, clutching at his face as blood seeped from his fingers. I heaved my body forward to get my weight on my feet. Tied to a chair, or not, I’d kick ten balls of shit out of him.

Hunched over, I couldn’t get the leverage to kick him hard, but I tried. He blocked his face as I rained whatever force I could upon his worthless arse.

“Get this fucking twat,” Gary shouted from behind his arms.

Weasel and Daz started for me. As I looked up at them, Gary grabbed my foot and pulled it from underneath me. I fell back and heard the crack of wood as I landed awkwardly to the side. Something cold and sharp cut into my arm. It was the knife.

There was no way I could grab it with my weight on top. I manoeuvred over to the left and attempted to get it to my hands, but it stuck into my skin. The two sidekicks descended on either side of me, pulling me upright. The knife dropped to the floor. Fuck.

Gary got to his feet and shuffled over to the table. Still clutching his face. He picked up a blood stained rag and wiped his nose.

“You fucking bastard. I’m gonna make you pay for that.”

He was angry, but he’d been ruffled. He wasn’t used to his victims fighting back. “Come on then. Just you and me. I’ll tear your limbs off, you fucking punk-arse, pussy, piece of shit.”

He narrowed his eyes and huffed. “Do you think I’m stupid?”

“I think that’s obvious.”

His lips curled with hate. “Nah. I’m gonna keep you right where you are. Take my time and make you feel every last fucking ounce of pain.”

Gary threw the rag on the table and turned to face it, deciding over the array of implements that lay on top.

“Now, what should I go with first d’you think?”

He smiled at me over his shoulder.

“Knife? No? Too clean.” He looked back to the table. “Saw? H’m, maybe later. Pliers? Nah. Hammer? That could be fun.”

He picked up a heavy ended sledge-hammer and turned to me.

“Yeah. Let’s take out those kneecaps. No chance of you running—or fucking kicking—then, is there?”

I held his glare, but the dread hit me as hard as that hammer would. This was about to get brutal. He started towards me and the amusement flashed back in his eyes. I had to hold it together; I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing any fear.

“How loyal are you to Gian?” Marcus called to Gary.

Gary stopped and stared at him. He must’ve known it was a stalling tactic, but it piqued his curiosity, nonetheless. I was just grateful to spend another few moments with my knees intact. As I sighed and sank in the chair, I felt some give in the back. I pushed on it again. The left side came away from the seat. It must have cracked when I fell on it.

“More loyal than I’d ever be to you.”

“Why?” Marcus questioned. “I can’t imagine Gian treats any of you well.”

I moved my hands to inspect the break. It was clean off.

Gary laughed. “I suppose you give your’s chocolates and love notes? It’s not about that, and you know it.”

He turned and started towards me with the hammer. My attention switched quickly back to him.

“I’ve found loyalty is often irrelevant when money comes into the equation. Most men’s loyalty is to themselves.”

Gary stopped and huffed with frustration. Then walked over to Marcus. “What the fuck are you on about?”

“How much does he pay you?”

I searched up the side of the chair for the ropes. They were tied tight, but with a little working they could slip down.

Gary chuckled. “You can’t buy me off, Marcus.”

“I think I can. You wouldn’t be stood here talking if you weren’t entertaining the idea.”

As I kept an eye on Gary and his sidekicks making their way over to him, I inched the rope down on the left side.

“D’you really think I’d come and work for you?”

“No,” Marcus shook his head. “But you would consider a pay off that would mean you wouldn’t have to work again.”

“I like my job. If you haven’t already noticed.” Gary turned to Daz then Weasel, who were now stood either side of him. “Can you believe this guy?”

Weasel jutted his chin at Marcus. “What kinda pay off?”

Gary hit him in the chest. “Shut the fuck up.”

Marcus addressed each of them. “It would be substantial. After all, it is my life at stake here.”

Gary shook his head. “Yeah. Then our lives would be at stake. Gian would hunt us down if we crossed him.”

The rope edged off, and I unwound it from my arms, careful not to let it slip and be seen. My wrists were bound with the cable tie, but I was free from the chair. Now, I needed to figure out how to get that knife without them seeing me do it.

“Do you think Gian’s going to be around much longer if I get out of here? He’ll be gone before the end of the night.”

Gary rolled his eyes. “And so will we. Why pay us off when you can kill us?”

“I never welch on an arrangement. If you know anything about me, then you should know that.”

“Nah, don’t think so, Marcus. No deal.”

Weasel turned to face Gary. “Hold on. You don’t speak for us. We might wanna do it.”

I saw my opportunity and eased from my seat.

Gary argued back. “Don’t be a fucking mug, Weasel. He’s playing us.”

“What if he ain’t?”

I crouched to the floor and fumbled for the knife.

“Of course he is. A guy in his position will say anything.”

“Yeah, and pay anything, too. I heard he’s on the level.”

Unable to feel where it was, I turned to look.

“You heard wrong. Him and that fucker… Oi!”

Fuck. I knew what I’d see without turning round, staying focused, I grasped the knife and inverted it to cut the tie.

“How the fuck?” Gary shouted.

When I looked back, Weasel and Daz were closing in. I only had seconds before they reached me.

“Get the fucker,” Gary demanded.

With one last push on the plastic, the tie snapped. The pressure released from my wrists. I reached for the gun down the side of my boot, and aimed it at Weasel first.

His eyes bulged from his wiry face when he spotted it. I squeezed the trigger and shot him in the chest. Then moved my aim to Daz, who backed away in surprise. I pulled the trigger and shot him straight through the forehead. They both fell at the same time. Weasel was the only one wailing in pain.

I stood and stared across at Gary. The fear on his face gave me no end of satisfaction. I’d remember it for the rest of my life. His eyes wide and fixed on me. His jaw gaping and bottom lip quivering. He looked like a deformed pig who’d already been hit by the bolt gun.

I stepped forward with the gun and pointed it at his head.

Gary edged back. “You don’t need to kill me. I ain’t gonna stop you leaving.”

“On your knees.”

He continued to edge back. His voice wavering. “Come on, man. You don’t need to do this.”

My eyes narrowed. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

He didn’t listen. “I was just…”

I lowered my aim and shot him in the groin. He screamed and clutched at the wound, falling to his knees in agony. His cries echoing around the large, empty room. I kept my focus fixed on the wailing, bloodied mess of a man hunched before me. “What do you think he deserves, Marcus?”

“Nothing short of what he was going to do to you.”

I walked towards him and placed the gun against his head. “Look at me.”

He looked up with tears lacing his panicked eyes. “Please. Please, don’t kill me.”

“Going to make her squeal were you?”

“No. I was just messing with you. I didn’t mean it. Please, don’t kill me.”

“At least I got to hear you beg. Think yourself lucky I don’t have time to make you plead even more.”

His eyes widened as he realised I was about to do it. “No. Don’t.”

I pulled the trigger and his skull exploded from the other side. Blood and clumps of brain matter sprayed out across the floor. His lifeless body slumped and fell with a wet thud. Staring at his bloodied corpse, I felt nothing. No remorse, no guilt. Given the chance, he would have hurt Olivia, and that alone justified his execution. For her, I’d kill a thousand times over.

“Are you alright, man?”

I turned to Marcus and nodded. “Fine. Come on, we need to get to Olivia.” I walked around and untied his ropes.

“How the fuck did you manage that?”

I laughed. “Just call me MacGyver.”

He laughed back. “Alright. How the fuck are you gonna figure out the next step?”

“Dunno. I was hoping you could help on that one. How many are upstairs?”

“Not that many, as far as I recall. Ten or so.”

My heart sank. “Ten? How are we going to manage that?”

He paused as he thought. “There’s one on the basement door. We take him out and get his gun. There will be a group of them sat around in the main warehouse. We take them out from the doorway at the top of the stairs. If we’re quiet with the first guy, they won’t be expecting it. We pick off the rest as we move through. Easy.”

I huffed. “Easy? Yeah, walk in the park.” I cut the cable tie and walked round as he circulated the blood back into his hands. “So, how do we get the guy at the door?”

“Can’t use the gun. I’m sure the guys upstairs are used to hearing gunshots from here, but if it’s out in the hallway, it’d be too loud. Leave him to me, I’ll take him out. You have the gun ready just in case.”

“How do we stop the guy raising the alarm when he sees us at the door?”

Marcus looked across to Weasel lying groaning on the floor. “We use him.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Marcus stood and gestured to Weasel. “Shall we?”

I nodded and walked over to where he was laying. The shot had hit him in the upper right chest. It had punctured a lung judging by the way he was gasping for breath. Marcus knelt and lifted his head.

“Weasel. Can you speak?”

“Yes.” His voice was raspy and pained.

“Good. Can you stand?”

“I don’t think so.” He coughed out.

“Well, you’re gonna have to. If you want any chance of surviving through this.”

Weasel nodded and tried to move. The pain was evident on his face. Marcus helped lift him by the arm, and I grabbed the other, dragging him up to his feet with plenty of agonised protest.

“Pull it together,” Marcus demanded. “We’re gonna walk you to the door. All you have to do is stand against the wall and distract his attention for a second. Cover the wound, don’t speak and act like everything’s fine. Understand?”

He nodded. “Got it.”

“Aaron’s gonna have the gun pointed at your head. Any sign you’re tipping him off and you certainly won’t survive. Understand?”

He nodded again. “Yeah.”

“Okay. Let’s do this.”

Marcus and I walked Weasel to the door and leant him against the wall. Then took position behind it and knocked. The heavy lock was loud as the mechanism released, and the door grated on its hinges as it opened. Weasel kept his composure and held strong, showing very little signs of pain.

It’s amazing what a gun to the head will do.

“Everything alright?” The door guy asked.

Marcus grabbed the door and swung it wide. Then lunged forward and pulled the guy into the room, holding his mouth and his neck in a tight choke hold.

“Get the door.”

I grabbed the edge and held it open, watching Marcus grapple with the guy. Unsure if he needed my help. He dropped the choke and grabbed his shoulder then grasped his chin with his other hand. There was an almighty crack as he twisted the guy’s head and snapped his neck. Marcus stepped back and let his body drop to the floor. He certainly didn’t need my help.

Marcus took the gun from the guy’s waistband and nodded up at Weasel. “You get to live… for now.”

We regrouped at the bottom of the stairs as the door closed behind us. Marcus checked the clip on the gun and gestured for me to do the same. There were ten left, plus the one in the chamber. That should be enough for taking out those upstairs, I hoped.

“I’ll position up on the right side of the door frame. You take the left.”

I nodded and started up the stairs. If I said I wasn’t nervous, I’d have been lying. There were only two of us and any number of them. It would not be easy, despite what Marcus said.

We hit the top of the stairs and I positioned with my back to the wall while Marcus darted over to the right. So far, so good.

Peering around the frame, I clocked a group of six sat at a table in the centre of the warehouse. There were two more over the far side by main roller doors. I couldn’t see any others.

“Take out the group closest first,” he whispered.

I nodded, then positioned myself half-leaning out of the doorframe.

The first shot exploded out from Marcus’ gun, and the guy with his back to us fell slumped against the table. They all turned to face us and I took aim on the one reaching for his piece. My finger squeezed the trigger, and he fell onto the chair clutching his chest.

The table overturned as they used it for cover. One guy darted to the side trying to get behind it and I shot him in the back. Another fell to the side by Marcus’ shot.

A bullet ricocheted above us and I ducked. It came from behind the table. I aimed at the top of it and waited for him to reappear. His hand came above the edge and fired blind. It hit wide to the wall. I moved my aim to where I thought he would be and shot into the table. It went clean through, and the hand dropped limp from the top.

Another shot screamed through the doorway and hit the wall behind us. This one came from further in the room, but I couldn’t see where. Then two more fired in quick succession. One hit the door frame above me, and I felt the splinters of wood rain down.

I crouched to the floor and pinned further behind the wall. That was too close.

A head appeared from the right side of the table. I took aim, but blood sprayed from his forehead before I pulled the trigger. Marcus was laid on the floor, his gun aimed forward as he rested on his elbows. He scrambled back into the doorway and glanced across at me.

“Six from the table down. There’s at least two others further back.”

“We will have to go in and get them.”

He nodded. I peered back into the warehouse and searched the room for cover. There were wooden pallets stacked to the left, and a few oil drums over to the right. A shot fired, and I ducked into the stairwell.

It hit the wall behind me. Fuck.

“Wherever they are, they’ve got good sights on us.”

I looked over at Marcus. “Easy, huh?”

He smiled. “Okay, maybe not so easy, but it’s the most fun I’ve had in years.”

I glared at him and shook my head. “You cover me and I’ll head out to the pallets. I’ll do the same and you head out to the oil drums. There should be plenty more fun waiting for you in the warehouse.”

He nodded then slid up the wall and took position. “On three.”

I readied myself to sprint.

“Three!”

Fuck.

A shot rang out above me and spurred me around the frame. I kept low and moved as fast as I could over to the pallets. A bullet hit the wall behind me and I dived for cover. I heard Marcus fire shots over to my left then stop.

As I gathered myself to my feet, I glanced back at Marcus and nodded. Preparing the gun in my hands, I stood and aimed over the pallets to the left, firing a shot blind. Two came back, one from somewhere behind the car in the corner. I focused there and shot through the windscreen, keeping watch for any signs of movement. A head popped up from behind the bonnet. I ducked and looked for Marcus. He’d made it to the drums.

I kept low, shuffled to the side and peered through the slats in the wood. There wasn’t a clear sight to the car from here, so I scrambled to the next set of pallets along. Shots fired on the other side of the warehouse. Hopefully, Marcus had clocked the other guy. I looked between the slats with a clear sight to the bonnet.

I aimed, waiting for the guy to reappear. The moment I saw his head, I fired. It hit the headlight, and he ducked before he leant back over and fired in my direction. I pulled two in quick succession, both missed. Fuck.

Taking a grounding breath, I collected my focus and waited. His head raised again. As soon as he was about to fire, I pulled my trigger. Blood fountained across the white wall behind and he dropped to the floor.

The warehouse turned quiet. I didn’t know if Marcus had got the other guy or not. I peeked over the pallets. There was no movement. Dread crept up my spine. It was too quiet. I ducked back and called out. “Marcus. Did you get him?”

“Yeah. Did you?”

His voice sent the relief washing over me. “Yeah.”

I stood and Marcus appeared from behind a pile of wood on the other side of the room, looking as relieved as I felt. He grabbed at his chest and leant forward on the wood. Catching his pounding heartbeat if it was anything like mine.

A click caught my attention, and I turned to see a door ajar on the left wall. I could’ve sworn it was closed before.

I signalled for Marcus to get down. Then made my way back behind the pallets and over to the wall with the gun trained at the door. I edged closer.

It swung open and a rain of gunfire blasted through. As soon as I saw him step out, I fired. He clutched at his ribs, staggering forward, then turned to fire again. I hit him with a shot to the head and he collapsed to the floor.

My heart hammered in my chest. I took a breath to relieve the tension.

Another guy appeared from the doorway. As I pulled the trigger, I heard nothing but a dull, metallic click. My stomach dropped through the floor.

Fuck. I was out.

I stared down the barrel as he turned in my direction. This was it. I closed my eyes and waited for the shot.

The boom echoed in my ears, but the searing pain didn’t arrive.

Opening my eyes, his body slid slowly down the doorframe. His face a mangled mess of blood and tissue. I looked across the room and saw Marcus walking towards me. His gun still held high.

I fell against the wall, held my hands against my pounding heart and laughed. Marcus came over and checked the room behind the door then walked over smiling.

“Can’t let you take all the glory today, can I?”

Still laughing, I reached out and pulled him in for a hug.

He slapped my shoulder a few times then moved away. “Easy, man.”

I shook my head. “I thought I was a fucking goner.”

“Yeah, well. Don’t get too optimistic. We’ve a lot more bullets to dodge before today’s over.”

I nodded, took a breath and collected myself together. The thought of doing all this again at Gian’s house soon sobered me up. The stakes would be even higher, it wasn’t just our lives that hung in the balance. It was hers.