The Hunt for Jack the Ripper (The Phantomhive Diaries #1)

34. Azzurro Vanel

His heart pounded in his chest as the deafening sound of gunshots pierced the air, shattering the tranquility of the moment. The echoes reverberated through the stillness, sending a chilling wave of fear down his spine. The piercing screams of his comrades suddenly filled the air, their desperate cries for help echoed in his ears. Time seemed to slow down as beads of sweat formed on his forehead, glistening in the dim light. His eyes widened in disbelief and terror as he realized the magnitude of the attack unfolding before him. The brat's army? They're here already? How did they find us so quickly? It must have been those useless boys I hired to shoot the servants. They must have told them.

Vanel's heart raced as he leaped to his feet, gun at the ready, the study door bursting open. But relief flooded through him as he realized it was only one of his own men.

A wave of relief washed over him as he took a deep exhale.

"Urge! What the fuck are you trying to do!?" Vanel snapped at him. "You could have given me a heart attack!"

Yet, a sense of unease crept over him. The sight before him was chilling - his companion's armor stained crimson, his arm limp and lifeless, eyes wide with fear, and gasping for air.

"We have trouble, Vanel! We're being attacked!"

"Is it the brat's army!?" Vanel asked.

"There's no army, Mr. Vanel. Just one man."

Vanel's brows furrowed in utter bewilderment, his face contorting with a mix of frustration and perplexity. "Wait, what? What do you mean, there's only one man?"

"I swear! This man in a dandy suit just walked past all the guards from the front gate and now he's killing everyone."

Vanel's complexion turned ashen, his face drained of color as the words reached his ears. A man in a dandy suit? Could it be...? That brat's butler is here? And he's attacking my men alone. No...No, that's impossible.

"Well...Don't just stand there, you idiot!" he snapped at the guard. "Stop him! Kill him! And get me that key!"

The man gulped as he trembled in fear. "But sir...he broke my arm."

With a menacing snarl, Vanel leveled the firearm directly at his face, the air thick with tension. "Now!"

The man darted out of the study, his heart pounding with sheer panic. Little did he know that his hasty departure would be the only thing that saved him from Vanel's wrath. If he had lingered for even a moment longer, Vanel wouldn't have hesitated to paint the walls with his brains. The regret gnawed at him, wishing he had the courage to end it all, just like he had almost done with that insolent Owl brat.

A sinister chuckle pierced through the silence, sending shivers down the spine of the mafia leader. But it wasn't just any laughter, it was the innocent laughter of a child. A child who who reveled in the chaos. The mafia leader's eyes widened in disbelief as he turned his gaze, only to be met with a chilling sight. Ciel Phantomhive lifted his head ever so slightly, a wicked grin spreading across his face, revealing teeth stained with blood.

"You're all doomed," the boy laughed.

No longer having the patience, Vanel pulled his gun at him. "You're dead, Phantomhive."

Ciel only stared back with his cold blue eye. "...You still need the key, Vanel. Don't you want it? Don't you want access to the drugs? I'm sure your employer will be very disappointed if you fail."

Vanel's hands shook as he aimed his gun at the boy's forehead.

"I die," Ciel said. "You die, and you'll get nothing. If my butler doesn't kill you, the person you're working for will."

That fucking smartass brat is right. Failure meant certain death at the hands of Haku. It wasn't an option for Vanel. The key was his only hope for survival. The butler could not be allowed to triumph.

"Come here!" Vanel yelled before grabbing Ciel by the hair and yanking him up.

A cry of agony erupted from Ciel's lips as searing pain coursed through his head.