Why Is He Back??

A Bullet To The Heart

Olivia was pacing back and forth, her thoughts spiraling as she rehearsed what she wanted to say to Zack about Zivia. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the door open until Zack's pained voice broke through the silence.

"Liv..."

The single, strained word shattered her concentration. She spun around, her heart dropping as she saw Zack leaning heavily against the doorframe, blood seeping through his shirt and dripping onto the floor. His face was ashen, his eyes barely staying open as he clung to consciousness.

"Oh my God, Zack! You're bleeding!" Olivia's voice was laced with panic as she rushed toward him, her mind racing to comprehend what had happened.

Zack tried to offer a faint smile, but it twisted into a grimace of pain instead. "Yeah... no shit, babe..." he muttered weakly, his legs nearly giving out under him.

"What happened? What the hell happened?!" Olivia cried out, her hands trembling as she tried to figure out how to help him.

"For Christ's sake... stop screaming," Zack groaned, leaning heavily against the wall as he struggled to stay upright.

"We need to get you to a hospital," Olivia insisted, her voice rising in fear as she tried to support his weight.

"No... no hospital..." Zack rasped, shaking his head. "Not an option..."

Olivia's mind whirled, trying to figure out what to do. She was about to argue when she noticed the bullet wound near his chest, dangerously close to his heart. Her breath caught in her throat. "Zack... the bullet... it's-"

But before she could finish, Zack's knees buckled, and he started to collapse. Olivia barely caught him, her heart pounding as she tried to keep him upright. "No, no, no, don't you dare pass out on me!" she yelled, her voice thick with fear. "Stay with me, Zack!"

As she struggled to keep him conscious, Zack's mind began to drift, pulling him back to the events that had led to this moment.

**Flashback: Earlier That Day**

It was supposed to be a routine deal, nothing out of the ordinary. Zack and his team were meeting with a small Italian mafia group to trade drugs for diamonds. The Italians weren't a major power, but they had a reputation for getting their hands on some of the best quality diamonds in the underworld. Zack had decided it was worth the trade.

The exchange was set to take place in an old, abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city-a neutral location, or so it seemed. As they arrived, Mike, Zack's right-hand man, couldn't shake the uneasy feeling gnawing at him.

"Boss, something's not right," Mike murmured, his eyes scanning the area as they approached the warehouse. "Feels like a setup."

Zack brushed off the concern, confident in his team's ability to handle anything that came their way. "We'll be fine, Mike. In and out. Quick and clean."

But as soon as they stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted. The Italians were already there, their faces hard and unreadable. The exchange started smoothly, with both sides laying out their respective goods. But then, just as Zack reached for the diamonds, the air exploded with the deafening sound of gunfire.

The Italians had set a trap.

Zack dove behind a steel cupboard, cursing under his breath as bullets ricocheted around him. His men returned fire, the warehouse erupting into chaos. Blood splattered across the concrete floor, and bodies dropped on both sides. The air was thick with the stench of gunpowder and blood.

Zack clutched the diamonds in one hand, his gun in the other, scanning the room for a way out. But then he spotted something that made his blood run cold-a sniper perched on a mezzanine, his rifle aimed directly at Zack.