Phantom Rider: The Aftermath | Book 1

True Villain

Yekaterinburg, Russia

The black SUV and the convoy of four sports cars screeched to a halt at the gates of Victor's mansion. Four tall, heavily armed men stepped out, their weapons ready. Without hesitation, they opened fire on the guards, cutting them down in a brutal display of firepower. There was no subtlety here - this was a full-on assault.

The old man from the SUV took over the controls, manipulating the security systems to open the gates. The vehicles roared to life again, charging toward the mansion's entrance. Tokyo's most dangerous gang was here, high on a deadly mix of drugs and adrenaline, ready to turn this mansion into a war zone.

Inside, chaos erupted. Tom's icy glare met an unknown woman who dared to confront him. "Run and warn the staff to get out. Run! Bitch! Or you will all die!" he shouted, gun pointed directly at her.

She bolted, stumbling as Tom fired at her feet, pushing her to sprint even faster. Sergei dashed after her, leading the house staff through the back door and into a van, aiming to get them away from the massacre.

Inside the mansion, an eerie silence settled over the chaos. Bill's desperation grew as he raced upstairs, bursting into room after empty room, his heart hammering with fear. Mila was somewhere in this house, and he had to find her.

Victor watched the scene unfold from the safety of his security room. His face was calm, almost serene, as he observed the movement on camera monitors. He knew exactly how to counter the invasion. He strategically positioned his men to cover key areas, turning the mansion into a deadly maze of grand staircases, narrow hallways, and hidden rooms.

Bill, driven by emotion and separated from the other gang members, was the weaker link. Victor sent his assassins, already hidden in the house, to chase after him.

Bill raced to the third floor, only to find himself surrounded by armed men in bulletproof vests. They opened fire. He sprinted, dodging bullets, his adrenaline surging. Two assassins blocked his path. He leaped at one, tackling him with all his strenght and rolling to avoid another shot.

Quickly regaining his feet, he sprinted again, the assassins' bullets whizzing past him. He grabbed a chair and threw it at a balcony window. Glass shattered. Without hesitation, he leaped outside, gauging the distance to the ground before jumping into the bushes below.

The impact jolted through him, a sharp pain searing his body. Gritting his teeth, he got up and sprinted back inside, only to be caught once more by the guards.

Victor marched slowly toward him. "You're not leaving this house alive!"

"Not today, piece of shit!" Gustav ran down the stairs, firing at Victor's guards. Georg approached from a side hall, followed by Tom's brutal gunshots. Victor grabbed Bill by the shirt and dragged him toward the exit. Bill avoided the grip, delivering a powerful blow to Victor's chest and knocking him off his feet.

Bill stomped on Victor's chest and aimed his gun at his head, ready to end it.

"Stop!" Mila appeared at the top of the stairs, aiming at Bill.

Bill's focus shifted. Victor seized the moment, sweeping Bill off his feet and kicking the gun away. The battle raged on around them, guards falling and new ones replacing them.

Victor ran, and Bill jumped to his feet, pursuing him. Mila fired at Bill. He glanced over his shoulder, meeting her eyes with confusion. With no time to understand, he chose to chase Victor instead.

Tom tossed Bill a new gun. Bill caught it effortlessly, as if he had done it a million times - and he had. It was time to show Victor what he had made them to be.

Tom and Bill locked eyes. The same soul split into two bodies. There was no force greater than their united minds. Tom ran with Bill, and they reached the room where Victor was hiding. They kicked the door open, and Bill followed Tom's lead.

Victor felt the shift in energy, the darkness filling the corridors. An inhuman force seemed to push against him, death trailing behind twins as trusted companion, as they closed in.

They entered Victor's room, their large, imposing figures filling the doorframe. Victor turned to run, but there was no escape.

Tom fired first, bullets slamming into the table in front of Victor, forcing him to dive for cover. Bill charged, grabbing Victor by the collar and yanking him up. He choked Victor, forcing him to meet his black gaze.

Victor struggled to break free, but Bill tossed him around, kicking him behind the leg and sending him crashing to the floor. Bill stepped on Victor's chest with his spiked boots, gun aimed at his face.

Tom loomed behind Victor, leaning in. "How does it feel, old man, to be scared?" He kicked Victor's gun aside. Victor shivered in pain.

"What do we do with him?" Bill's laughter echoed coldly.

"How about a little torture?" Tom's laughter matched the ice in Bill's.

"Just kill me!" Victor's voice cracked, his composure shattering. Bill's sneer deepened.

"No, you're not dying so easily." Bill pulled a knife from his pocket and pressed it against Victor's chest, drawing blood with deliberate slowness. Tom held Victor in a tight grip.

"Where do you get all this drive?" Victor genuinely wondered. "After everything you've been through, you still keep pushing forward. My compliments to you for that."

"I don't need your admiration!" Bill spat.

"No honor for me, yet you want my daughter?" Victor chuckled theatrically. "In my day, you'd have asked for the father's blessing."

"I already asked Sergei!" Bill's response hit Victor like a punch.

"Enough of this chit-chat. Kill him!" Tom snapped.

But Bill continued. "Why so surprised, old man? Wasn't Sergei the one who raised your daughter while you tortured innocent kids?" Bill's sneer was triumphant.

Victor's eyes widened. "You've done your homework," he said, regaining some composure.

"The thing is, I don't need to. People talk to me. They trust me." Bill's confidence grew. Victor no longer intimidated him.

Victor laughed harshly. "Oh, boy! You really think Sergei and Mila told you everything?"

Before Bill could respond, the door burst open. Mila's rage-filled eyes met his. Tom, furious, shoved Bill off Victor, taking the lead in pinning him to the ground with all his strength. Blood pounded in Tom's veins, and adrenaline surged.

Mila fired at Bill, forcing him to dive for cover. "What the hell, stop!" Bill shouted.

She didn't answer. She reloaded her gun, preparing to shoot again.

"Baby, please talk to me!" Bill begged, but Mila looked away, her face set in stone.

"I am here, it's okay. You can drop the act, you are safe now." He walked toward her, waiting for her to acknowledge him.

"Bill?" Tom also stared at Mila, noticing her hand slipping toward the trigger. Bill didn't react to Tom and continued walking toward Mila.

"Bill!!!" Tom shouted. "Bill, stop!"

In the last moment, Tom's heavy body fell on Bill, covering him from bullets. Victor ran toward Mila.

Bill looked up, seeing Mila with her gun still aimed. She didn't hesitate to shoot again. They both jumped up and ran for cover behind the table. Victor escaped towards doors, protected by her bullets.

"That bitch shot me!" Tom shouted, getting up and running after Victor and Mila, who had already fled through the lengthy hall of the house. Bill's mind was paralyzed for a few seconds. "What the fuck just happened?"