Chapter 296
Suzy, who had been fast asleep, had opened her eyes, too. A trace of confusion still lingered in them, but she quickly snapped to full alertness.
Aaron walked over to the window, pulling the curtain aside just enough to leave a small crack, and leaned his side against the wall to peer outside. From this angle, he couldn’t see much—only the overcast, gloomy sky and the grey facade of the building opposite them. However, he could hear that the commotion out there was substantial.
Shouts were occasionally interspersed with the sound of gunfire. It was too far away to make out the exact words, but the tone carried a distinct edge of exasperated fury.
"Can you see anything?" Suzy asked.
"No." Aaron shook his head. He stared out for a little longer, but still seeing nothing, he was forced to give up. He turned and walked back into the living room.
"It has begun," he said, offering only that cryptic remark.
Suzy, however, understood exactly what he meant. The gunfight had started. Thomas and his group were currently trading fire with the other side.
At that thought, a pang of anxiety rippled through Suzy’s heart, but she quickly suppressed it.
It’ll be fine. It should be fine.
With their abilities, dealing with this crowd shouldn’t be too big of a problem. Moreover, they were all male leads of the story—the chosen children of destiny. They wouldn’t meet their end so easily.
Furthermore... they had the spiritual spring water and the equipment she had provided. Surely, nothing would go wrong.
In reality, things were unfolding pretty much exactly as Suzy imagined. Thomas’s side hadn’t run into any trouble. The gunshots were purely meant as a deterrent, and their advance was entirely unhindered.
When Ray learned of this, he was driven nearly insane with rage.
The moment he woke up this morning, he had received the news of Chris’s death. If it were just a death, he could have sucked it up, but the gun in Chris’s hands was gone too! This was going to be a massive problem! It was never a good thing if firearms fell into the hands of the opposition. He couldn’t afford to give them time to react!
After careful deliberation, Ray decided to organize a crew of his own elites to wipe out Suzy and the rest of those troublemakers once and for all. Little did he expect that before he could even order his men to move, the people from Building Eight would launch a preemptive strike and storm right over.
What was even more fatal was that the bastards actually had guns! And it seemed like they had more than one.
What kind of monsters had he provoked? Even he didn’t possess that many firearms. It had taken him a lot of effort just to get his hands on two, which was already considered a massive haul.
One he kept for himself as a means of self-defense, and the other he intended to hand over to someone else only at a critical moment.
Damn it, where on earth did these demons come from? Ray was truly on the verge of a breakdown.
Inside the apartment, only Ray and his brother-in-law remained. The sound of gunfire downstairs was clearly drawing closer, leaving both men in a state of utter panic. Ray had already retrieved his pistol from the safe, gripping it tightly.
In the past, the mere existence of this handgun was enough to intimidate everyone in the organization. But when up against opponents who were similarly armed, the gun lost most of its psychological edge.
"What do we do now?" Ray’s brother-in-law stared at the door with a tense expression, his legs trembling uncontrollably.
He hadn’t expected to experience something so thrilling first thing in the morning. A group of people had suddenly forced their way up with guns, leaving them completely powerless to fight back!
Were they really going to die here today? No, he absolutely didn’t want to die!
Ray desperately forced down the panic in his chest. Scanning his surroundings, he failed to spot a certain familiar figure. Where had that woman run off to?
"Where’s your sister?" Ray demanded.
"Sister? My sister? She went out early this morning," his brother-in-law blurted out. When he woke up, his sister was nowhere to be seen. He had heard from others that she had gone downstairs, but no one knew where she had gone.
The gunfire downstairs continued to edge closer, and the agonizing screams echoing from below filled both men with a mixture of irritation and terror. Ray paced back and forth across the room. After a moment, a tempting thought struck him, and he strode quickly over to a desk.
"Come here. I’ll give you a gun. Make sure you back me up when the time comes!" As he spoke, Ray pulled open the locked drawer.
It was completely empty.
Ray’s expression twisted instantly, and he couldn’t help but growl, "Where’s the gun?!"
Beside him, his brother-in-law looked utterly bewildered. Ray began rummaging frantically through the drawer, but his other firearm was nowhere to be found, and even the ammunition was running short.
A sudden realization flashed in his mind, turning his face a mottled shade of blue and white. Could that woman have stolen it?!
Before Ray could fully wrap his head around it, a commotion sounded at the entrance.
Through the door panel, a frenzied female voice rang out, "He’s right inside!"
The familiar voice caused Ray’s eyes to widen instantly. Damn it, that bitch is actually acting as their guide!
Before Ray could even process his fury, the apartment door was violently kicked open. A woman with a crazed expression marched in, leading a group of large, imposing men with an air of absolute authority.
Ray squeezed the gun in his hand, glaring at them with total vigilance. The newcomers were none other than Thomas and his crew.
"Kill him! Hurry up and kill him!" The woman stared at Ray, eagerly urging them on.
Ray glared at her venomously and spat, "You bitch!"
Startled, the woman hurriedly took a few steps back, shrinking behind Thomas and the others.
Leonard sized Ray up with great interest.
"So, you’re the boss?" Leonard felt that this organization was a bit different from what he had imagined. Their strength was far weaker.
He had initially thought it would be a fierce battle, but storming up here hadn’t required much effort at all. They only had to flash their weapons and fire a few warning shots, and most of the people stopped resisting entirely.
Then again, they were all just ordinary people. The so-called "elites" in this building were merely physically strong civilians. Even the boss of this organization... Leonard swept his eyes up and down Ray. The man didn’t possess an ounce of gravitas; he was just an ordinary, middle-aged guy. The only reason he could play king here was probably because he had a gun.
"That’s me. Fellas, we can talk this out," Ray forced out a smile. He lowered the hand holding his weapon slightly, pointing the muzzle toward the floor, while spreading his other hand in a gesture that screamed, I mean no harm.
"It’s all a misunderstanding. Let’s sit down and talk. There’s no need to resort to weapons."
Leonard looked at him, a playful, amused smirk playing at the corners of his lips.
"A misunderstanding? You had people keep tabs on our building and sent men to smash our doors, and you’re calling this a misunderstanding?"
Beads of sweat formed on Ray’s forehead, trickling down his temples. The corners of his mouth twitched, producing a smile that looked more miserable than crying.
"It was all the lackeys acting without discretion. I was also misled by slander. Look, fellas, how about this: I have supplies and weapons here. Take whatever you want, I won’t say a word. From now on, we’ll stand on equal footing in this neighborhood, sharing everything."
As he spoke, he surreptitiously shifted half a step to the side. His gaze darted between Leonard and Thomas, swiftly counting their numbers. Four people were standing at the door, but only one was holding a gun.
Maybe they only have one gun? Then I still have a chance!
As long as he could strike first, take out the one with the firearm, the remaining men would be lambs to the slaughter.
Having finalized the calculation in his mind, Ray’s gaze swept over Thomas once more. This man hadn’t uttered a single word since entering the room. He wasn’t holding a gun either, merely standing there quietly. However, his build and aura made it obvious that he was a trained fighter. He would have to be the second one eliminated!
With his mind made up, Ray swiftly raised his gun, pointing it directly at Leonard.