The Matters of Power

Chapter 58- One Final Night [5]

The first Yan says when we get within normal conversation range is, "Dammit, guys, you better have a great explanation for whatever's been happening. We just got here, and it looks like you just went through the gates of Hell." "Look, we don't have much time to explain, but Quarter and I just barely managed to escape a whole army of Crimson Group thugs with guns from the floor below us, and we got no match against them who won't hesitate to shoot a kid. We need to fall back and figure out a way to fig-" "There they are! The weasels are trying to run topside, get over here!" Oh no, one of the thugs spotted us as he went ahead of the army and is staring us down with his gun pointed at us! "You ain't running now!" I can sense that he's going to pull the trigger and hit me straight in the legs! Dammit, how do I stop his gun from firing, do I just break down the whole thing altogether or mess up the gunpowder inside the ammo?! A shot suddenly rings out, stopping us all in place, my ears feeling the massive impact of a gun for the first time. And yet somehow, none of us were hit, rather the thug's pistol just blew up in his hands and he recoils from the backfire and hurdles on the ground, clutching his hand. As he writhers in pain, I try to grab Yan's hand to get him to safety before we're about to be outnumbered and outgunned. "C'mon, we gotta go! We got no counter against that, we gotta fall back, pronto!" No matter how hard I try to yank him back, he still resists my attempt to get him to safety. "Marcus, wait! Don't worry, we didn't come all the way here unprepared for this sort of thing." I look back and I see Swift Cross members pulling out various items from their bags and pockets: firecrackers, balloons filled with some sort of liquid, slingshots, stink bombs, and other sorts of things. As the first wave of Crimson Group thugs reach the top of the stairs to this floor, Swift Cross chuck whatever they have in their hand right into their faces, sending them backwards and on a violent tumble down the stairs where they knock other thugs back and having to go back up the stairs again. "...See?" Yan seems particularly proud of that display. "Yeah, but what are going to do against guns of all things? Those party tricks aren't gonna stop a bullet, and they aren't gonna be able to hold them off with just this. Can any of these guys know how to use a gun of all things?" Quarter gives a stern look, "In case you've forgotten, we're in the state of Texas of all things, and San Anton isn't shy about letting people practice their marksmanship in the various gun ranges in the city. I know a good number of members in our group that have basic training and knowledge of firearms, and they know what's at stake when they use one."

"Yeah, but are they willing to take the life of a human being when it is needed, especially now of all things?" Neither Yan nor Quarter give an immediate answer. Even though their faces express absolute confidence, I can sense they have concerns within. "I trust them enough to make the call, Marcus." Yan pats me on the shoulder, "We all knew the risks tonight of taking down the Crimson Group, and we're gonna make sure we finish this all tonight, I can promise you that." His words put me a bit at ease for a bit, at least. Our conversation is quickly interrupted by another wave of Crimson Group thugs ascending the stairs again, and this time with increased ferocity. "Guys, hold them off! Make use of whatever you find on this floor to stop them from advancing further! Furniture, wall and floor accessories, tools, handmade weapons, find anything and everything so we can give Marcus and Quarter time to destroy the Crimson Group's leadership tonight! Swift Cross!" "Swift Cross!" Yan's speech must have awoken a demonic power within the Swift Cross members, because they suddenly appear far more motivated and aggressive than before that I'm amazed at their ability to quickly mount a makeshift barricade of the base of the stairs from furniture and other bits the Crimson Group stored away on this floor, all the while sending wave after wave of thugs tumbling down the stairs again and again. Honestly, I'm amazed at such a sight. "Alright, looks like they're good here, let's get going." Yan yanks at Quarter's shirt and they head towards the stairs to the next floor. "Wait! What about Phinn? And those other girls?" "...Who's Phinn? What girls?" I quickly explain to them about them and what Mina had to say about where they went. "...Sorry. Even though we were the only ones on this floor, we didn't find anyone else as we searched through the rooms. We entered Red Buster's from the loading area after we saw groups of people exit some supply trucks and enter inside the building, and after a small fight, we went down a hidden set of stairs that they had unlocked to a massive warehouse that had all sorts of illegal items. We went down another set of stairs to only find ourselves on this floor and had decided to split our forces to cover more ground here before alarms were going off and we got to where we are now." Sunofabitch, that Mina! No doubt she took them with her as soon as the alarms were set off because of me, I gotta stop her before she does something crazy to them! "We gotta go, she must have taken them with her to the upper floors. Thanks for the assistance, Yan, we're gonna head on forward." "What are you talking about? I'm going with y'all and not leaving you behind this time." I'm honestly left perplexed by his sudden decision considering the situation. "What about the rest of the guys here? Are they even okay with that?" He glances back at the Siege of the 3rd Staircase and nods his head. "It's not an issue. They'll be able to handle themselves, and the three of us need to combine our strength for any strong fighters that 'Mina' person will throw at us."