Fuego | Triple Frontier

𝟷𝟾

Everyone springs into action as soon as the first shot is heard. They all grab their guns and run for cover in an attempt to fend off the attackers. Poor Benny's shoulder is grazed, and he holds his wound as his brother rushes to his side.

The chaos of battle descends upon them like a sudden storm in the heart of the unforgiving mountain range. The crack of gunfire reverberates through the rocky terrain, the echoes bouncing off the sheer cliffs that surround them. Each gunshot is a stark reminder of the danger they're in, the price they're paying for their audacious heist.

Tom, always the first to react, dives for cover, his gun drawn as he scans the rocky crags for the source of the attack. Val, too, instinctively seeks shelter, her eyes sharp and alert, ready to return fire. The rest of the team follows suit, crouching behind boulders and makeshift barricades, their training kicking in as they prepare to defend themselves.

"Where are they coming from?" Frankie shouts, his voice tense with urgency.

Santiago, always cool under pressure, attempts to pinpoint the enemy's location, his eyes scanning the rocky terrain.

"I can't see them. They've got the high ground."

"We need to move!" Val yells, her voice carrying a note of urgency, "We're sitting ducks here!"

The team begins a frantic scramble, trying to find a more defensible position as bullets continue to rain down on them. Tom takes the lead, barking orders to keep the team together and moving. Their bags of money, now both a blessing and a curse, make mobility difficult, but they have no choice but to carry their burdens.

Just as they manage to reach a spot with better cover, a hail of gunfire erupts from above. Trapped between the relentless attackers and the jagged cliffs, the team is caught in a deadly crossfire.

Tom, always the protector, shields Val as the bullets fly, pushing her behind a boulder. His gun roars in response, firing rounds toward the unseen assailants above. But as he leans out to take a shot, a bullet pierces the air, finding its mark.

Time seems to slow as Val watches in horror. The impact sends Tom sprawling backward, his body twisting in the air before crashing to the rocky ground. His gun slips from his lifeless fingers as his eyes stare blankly into the sky.

Val's world narrows to a single, agonizing point. She rushes to Tom's side, her hands trembling as she checks for signs of life. But there are none.

"Tom!" Val's voice cracks, a raw and anguished cry that echoes through the mountains.

Tears blur her vision as she clings to him, her fingers desperately searching for a pulse that will never return. The battle rages on around them, but Val is lost in her grief, her world reduced to the lifeless body of the man who had been her comrade, her friend, and the source of so much anger and pain.

Amidst the deafening gunfire, the team fights back with a fierce determination born of desperation. Their shots ring out in rapid succession, cutting through the crisp mountain air, and one by one, the attackers fall. But the battle exacts its toll, and the losses mount on both sides.

The enemy fighters, realizing they are outmatched, begin to retreat, disappearing into the rocky terrain as the team's gunfire forces them to seek cover. But the team, their faces etched with grief and rage, continues to shoot until there's none left standing.

Silence falls over the mountains once more, broken only by the harsh sounds of labored breathing and the distant echoes of gunfire. The team stands in shock, their guns still trained on the rocky outcroppings where the attackers had hidden.

Val, her eyes red and swollen from tears, remains at Tom's side, unwilling to accept the reality of his death. Santiago, his own grief etched on his face, kneels beside her, offering a comforting hand on her shoulder.