Chloe
The Russian gang leader had me by the hair. He was talking quietly, likely issuing orders at his remaining men.
I heard muffled voices from outside of the building, the scrape of movement.
A gunshot sounded from outside of the house. Two more gunshots sounded, and I heard a grunt from nearby.
An automatic weapon suddenly exploded from downstairs, in short bursts. It was deafeningly loud.
There was deathly silence. Then two more gunshots rang out from off to the my left, nearer.
The sound of rapid pistol fire cracked from the ground floor. I heard a triumphant shout from one of the men downstairs.
The leader, still holding my hair, ran towards the stairway, shouting down. I screamed in pain.
Then I heard the smash of a window from the ground floor. Another two gunshots sounded below me.
Guess you didn’t get him.
My captor flinched as a Russian suddenly started screaming in pain from the ground floor. I could hear the blood curdling agony in his voice as he carried on screaming unceasingly in a pitch even I would struggle to match.
My heart swelled with pride at the thought of Axel, his cold blue eyes emotionless as he took out my kidnappers one by one.
Axel
She was definitely upstairs. I had two bullets left in my revolver. Time to finish this.
I looked up and saw a window above me. A plan sprang into my mind. I executed it immediately.
As I stood, I smashed the window with the butt of the Tokarev as I drew it from my waist. I pointed the revolver into the room, shooting two bullets blind.
There was silence for a second.
Damn. No luc…
High pitched screaming pierced my ears suddenly. I heard pure agony in the Russian voice as he cried out in pain, probably for his God or his mother.
I threw the revolver down at my feet, ammo spent. I raced around the wall, ducking below the high, narrow windows. The screaming masked my run.
I was at the front door. I held the Tokarev in both hands, lifted my left foot and smashed the door. Wood splintered.
I was in the room in an instant. There were three men. One was on the floor, still screaming. He was holding his thigh as blood pumped in unceasing gushes onto the dirty floor around him.
Femoral artery. Game over, you fuck.
An UZI lay next to the man, forgotten in his blind agony. The other two were staring at their comrade in stunned silence as his wails started to quieten somewhat.
I shot all three in two seconds, the two standing dropped like ragdolls, joining their comrade in a macabre heap. Running to pick up the UZI, I dropped the Tokarev. I didn’t know how many rounds were left, and I wasn’t risking Chloe’s life on the preparedness of a dead Russian KGB agent.
I checked the clip of the UZI. A brass 9mm bullet shone like rose gold at the top of the magazine. A spent clip lay on the floor behind the Russian.
I had 35 rounds of death in the long clip that extended well past the handle. Enough to take out a room of Russians.
Ain’t spraying this at them with Chloe standing in the middle, though.
Chloe
Through the screaming downstairs I’d heard a door smash violently, followed by three loud, clear gunshots. The screaming ceased immediately. Heavy boots thudded along the wooden floor below us ominously. Then a couple loud metallic clicks, followed by silence.
The two remaining men had drawn silver coloured pistols. My captor had a long, brutal knife held at my throat. He backed towards the mattress I’d been seated on moments earlier.
He barked orders in Russian to his henchmen. They stared at him, open mouthed.
He screamed at them in rage. They exchanged glances, and shrugged.
They both ran down the wooden stairs to face Axel. It was over in an instant.
Axel
Shoes thudded on the floor above me. I pointed the Uzi at the top of the stairs in my right hand, steadying what I knew would be horrendous recoil by clasping my left palm over my right wrist.
Two men ran down the stairs, guns held low as they sprinted down.
I didn't even have to aim.
The UZI bucked violently in my hands as I held down the trigger. I sprayed bullets left to right at the men in an indiscriminate hail.
They both tumbled and fell to the floor in a heap, motionless.
I dropped the UZI and drew my short 9mm pistol from my boot, clicking off the safety. I unclipped my combat knife, moving it to the back of my pants, out of sight.
After a moment to ensure the two who’d charged down the stairs were in fact dead, I ran up the stairs two at a time with my gun raised in front of me, ready.
Other than a giant Russian corpse with a huge hole in his head, there was only one man left standing.
And he had Chloe held savagely by her hair, a long knife held inches from her neck.
My heart lurched at the sight of her. Head held high, her gaze defiant. She smiled when she saw me, tears streaming down her lovely cheeks.
I froze. One wrong move and it had all been for nothing. I looked at the Russian, his face was calm. His eyes blazed.
“Axel. How nice that you could join us. I’m sorry I was not able to be more… hospitable. In other circumstances I’m sure I could have offered you a lucrative deal, but alas.” He motioned at the body near my feet.
“Right. If you think I’d ever even consider working for you, think again you slimy fuck. I’m not here for money.” I glanced at Chloe.
“Ah. Aha! I see now. So you are more than just a bodyguard. How very touching.” He sneered.
“And if I kill her now, all of your considerable efforts will be for nothing. Then I will kill you.” His face started to contort, twitching with anger.
“I don’t think so,” I said, calmly, calling his bluff. “You kill her, you got nothing. All of this will be for nothing. Weeks, months of preparation. Promises to your buyer you can’t keep. Debts you can’t pay.” I looked him in the eye. He seethed with rage.
“No. Listen to me. Because I have one final offer for you.” I threw the pistol I was holding down the stairs behind me, the metal clattering loudly on the wooden steps.
“I will give you one chance to kill me, you dirty Russian fuck. I’m unarmed. That was my last gun I just threw away.” I held my hands up.
“Put your fucking hands on your head.” He spat. “Do it!”
I complied. He pushed Chloe away behind him, and she fell to the floor heavily with a thud.
My hands were on my head as he approached suddenly, knife held in his right hand at his waist.
He inched forward as he neared me, incredulous as I stood stock still. His eyes were wide, anger mixed with adrenaline and fear.
The gang leader dropped into a fighting stance, his left arm raised in a guard. He thrust the knife at my gut, punching it forward from his hips, expelling air powerfully as he did so.
I twisted my body to my left, and the knife slashed through air. I reached behind my back to draw my combat knife, and in one fluid movement I brought the knife up into his gut, twisting the knife brutally as I yanked it back.
Amazingly he pivoted as I stabbed him, sending his knife slashing across my chest. He’d swung the blade wildly at my neck in a last ditch attempt to kill me outright. I’d simply leant back, the tip of the blade merely grazing skin, and ripping my t shirt open, revealing bulging muscles beneath.
I stepped back from him, sidestepping to put myself between him and Chloe. I kicked away the gun lying near the big dead Russian as I did so.
The man in front of me struggled to stand, blood pouring from the wound in his gut. Even with immediate medical aid it would still likely be fatal, I knew.
“You fucking bastard. This is my favourite t shirt,” I said calmly as I stood a few meters from him.
He laughed softly. “You Americans think you are so funny. It won’t be funny when my employers find you and kill you! I will be waiting for you in hell!” He began laughing maniacally, blood frothing from his mouth.
It was my turn to laugh, deeply and heartily. He looked up at me, frowning. Blood loss had forced him onto his knees and he held onto a chair behind him for support.
“You mean the rogue government agents who hired you? I don’t think so. Last I heard, two were dead. And the one you were working for, well let’s just say someone I know was onto him. He won’t be alive for much longer.” I shrugged. “Probably already dead, actually.”
The man in front of me was a vision of rage as he stood up through the pain, and took a faltering step towards me.
“You… you fucki…”
He collapsed to the floor, still. I kicked the knife away from his hand as I approached. I checked his pulse. He was dead.
Chloe
Axel had appeared at the top of the stairs like an avenging angel. He was as calm as ever, steady and motionless as he’d taken measure of my captor. My heart swelled at the sight of him, tears flowing from my eyes unashamed.
I’d managed to see the swift and brutal knife fight from my vantage point on the floor. It was over as soon as it had begun. I began weeping uncontrollably with joy as the evil bastard collapsed to the floor.
Strong hands gently raised me from the ground. Blue eyes locked onto mine with deep concern, scanning my body for injury. Big fingers brushed tears from my cheeks.
“Sorry, Chlo’. I let my guard down for one second, and…” His voice cracked, raw with emotion.
“Shut up, you big idiot.” I kissed him passionately, my tongue massaging his as we locked each other in an embrace. He winced as I grabbed his arms with my hands.
I saw blood on his left sleeve. “Its nothing.” He grunted, shrugging. “You should see the other guys.”
I laughed, stress and fear lifting as he held me close. I kissed him again. He grabbed my ass.
“Calm down, Axel.” I leant back, my dainty arms small around his massive neck. “Not now. Vladimir is staring at us!” I pointed to the guy who’d stupidly poked his head out the window earlier.
We both burst out laughing, tears of manic joy pouring down our cheeks.