The Tail of a Wolff (UNDER MAJOR EDITING)

3. Bullets everywhere

Tallis' POV

I duck down and head to the left side of the van. Shell casings pour all around me as Reaper runs to my side. It's been years since I was in the direct range of a gun, so my hands begin to shake.

Pull yourself together Tallis. 

Reaper moves in front of me to open the driver's door to use as some sort of shield, but this car isn't bulletproof, the bullets move through it. I spot the duffle bag just under the door, so I push the door towards me and grab the duffel.

I open it and spot the assault rifles that Charlie had packed, I grab one and check if they're fully loaded. Reaper starts to move but I stop him, throwing him one of the loaded guns. I hear a short, sharp whirring, as a bullet flies deadly close next to my right ear. I slide further down the car.

"Stay here" he orders in his usual gruff voice while taking the safety off. He maintains his composure throughout this whole ordeal, which makes me wonder if he isn't apart of it, if he was expecting it? But he's a professional, right?

He starts to move around the car when I tell him to wait "One sniper on the North-East side, automatic armour piercing rifle" I tell as I look at one of the many shells on the floor. He doesn't move or a moment, I'm confused. Why isn't he moving?

Our moment is short lived when the driver's window shatters. My heart lurches as my arms come up to cover my head "Shit" I curse as the glass tears through my skin. I shake the rest of the glass off my body as I remove a piece of glass that wedged itself in my skin.

I ignore the searing pain in my right arm, and turn around, kneeling to look through the space where windshield used to be. I start to position my gun on top of the door when more gunshots resume from behind me, probably from Reaper.

I feel the familiar feeling of the gun jerking back as I fire bullet after bullet at the perpetrator. I'm aiming in the right place because his shots cease as fire for a few seconds before they resume. I duck behind the car when my rounds finish.

"I have to get out of here" I whisper to myself as I assess my situation.

Luckily, I had kept my keys in the ignition so I could easily get in and leave. Something doesn't feel right about this situation. As soon as the thought pops into my head, Reaper appears beside me.

"Monster truck. 12 o'clock" he tells me the location of the sniper. I nod and start shooting in the direction of the squandered monster truck. I hold my breath for better aim, but it only seems to add to my nervous state. All my training goes out the window when the sniper stops shooting. I start to panic - that can only mean one thing.

"He's repositioning!" I stand up and order him to find him, fast. The growl he sends shows that he's not used to taking orders.

I stand up as I aim my rifle up in front of me, towards the top of the cars. Beads of cold sweat run down my back at the eerie silence. I take my finger off the trigger as I struggle to compose myself. Times running out, the sniper would've relocated by now.

"Anything?" I call out to Reaper. He just growls a no which alarms me. The best assassin struggling to find a sniper? Something's very off about this. My blood runs cold at the thought that this might be a trap -

One of the many car's rear-view mirrors faces at an angle awkwardly behind me. Serendipity is what I can only describe this moment, when I see the sniper in the mirror. He sits perched on his stomach, wearing a balaclava. I'm right in his line of shot, so why isn't he shooting?

I desperately try to maintain the façade as I recall all of my training, calling out in a smooth tone "Nothing on my side" but that's a complete lie. Reaper starts to move away from the car and I know this is the only moment that I will get to escape.