Fear and Fate(poly)(bxb)

Nineteen

The assignment is to take over the north. An area of Brookbottom so gentrified we can only do crime on the outskirts. We're in parking garages and alleyways, the most rundown and decrepit parts of town. There's echoing concrete surrounding us and cracks run from the ceiling to the ground.

We have the majority of our numbers here including bullets of every skill. The ones who used to dabble in our shipments and drug dealing are going first. Hyun leads the second wave and the syndicate leads the third. It's obvious Von doesn't want us to have to get our hands dirty. He's using the bullets as pawns now that we don't have any other real use for them.

Yet here we are, an hour into the gang war. Romero uses his fists to deflect an oncoming attack. He strikes someone in the chin and their entire body goes limp before they hit the ground. He punches another man dead in the chest. The sound reverberates as he's thrown across the road.

There are barely any members of the second wave left when we start seeing bullets fly within inches of our skulls. I'm an easy target because I'm the smallest member of the gang. Von has a giant bullseye on his back as the gang leader. He is directly in front of me but soon rival gang members start to come from every corner, separating us. I keep my gun raised and my eyes wide open.

Hyun staggers backward and meets us on the last level of the parking garage. He's tall and covered in tattoos that jump from under his black clothing. He makes sure Von is in earshot when he talks.

"Everyone's low on ammo. We got them to empty their guns, but they're still looking for her," he pants without a slither of eye contact thrown my way. "Running straight through us until they get to her."

"They won't," Von says as he releases the knife he jammed into one guy's neck.

"Trust me." Hyun aims and fires twice before landing a headshot. "They will."

In the underground, news spread of my kidnapping like wildfire. If a measly little gang could almost get away with it, who's to stop anyone else from trying? I'm right here on their turf anyway. We're the ones waging war on our enemies. The smartest thing they could do is cut their losses and take a hostage.

We already pulled out all of the stops. We left them with no choice.

I'm partially the reason we have to skip town anyway. The north has several counties and puts us far enough away from my dad's old precinct. They'd never be able to catch me anyway. But now that we don't want to live in the shadows anymore, we have to move. We can't expand if we're boxed in.

Hyun ends up beside me and I scan the dark blue tattoos on his neck before the red on his temple. Blood drips down into his slender left eye then he finally meets my gaze. His tattoos have the same designs as antique chinaware.

It's not like he's not too shy to acknowledge me like Kimori and a few of the other bullets initially were. Hyun just doesn't care to. He hates me. He's tall enough to get the jump on a man who comes from around the corner.

This guy is huge though. I don't think even an actual bullet would be able to pierce his skin. He swings metal poles around and knocks down two of our men at once. Hyun is next when he goes to stab the behemoth. The advantage I thought he had disappears as his tall frame is thrown away from me.

We attacked first so time is all we have. I hold up a blade for the close combat and the large man acts like I'm unarmed. He charges straight towards me. The knife ends up between his two fingers as he wraps his fist around mine. I cut him and he's acting like it didn't happen. Blood drips from him down to my wrist as he holds me in place. I'm scared, reaching for the gun at my hip clumsily as I'm manhandled.

With one hand he lifts my entire body weight from the ground. He punches me so hard in the stomach that it triggers my gag reflex. I feel it all the way from my toes to my skull as my vision flashes. In an instant, I'm back on the ground hard enough to knock the leftover wind out of me. I hear a pop and my entire arm goes numb on impact.