Chapter 6 - Into the Dark
Total darkness fell like a guillotine. The sudden transition from harsh yellow light to pitch-black chaos ignited instant panic among Dante’s men. Muzzle flashes instantly strobed through the mist as frightened mercenaries opened fire blindly into the void. The deafening cracks of unsuppressed rifles shattered the night, sparks dancing violently off the corrugated metal containers.
""Cease fire! Cease fire, you idiots!"" Dante’s voice tore through the din, panicked and furious. ""Hold the girl!""
Nikolai was already in motion. The moment the light shattered, he had dropped low, kicking the heavy steel briefcase directly toward the closest guard’s shins. The iron box slammed into the man's knee with a sickening crunch, dropping him to the wet planks with a shriek. Nikolai’s combat knife was out before the mercenary hit the ground, driving upward beneath the man's jaw with brutal, silent efficiency.
He snatched the fallen guard's submachine gun, rolling sideways just as a hail of bullets shredded the spot where he had stood a second before.
""Sofia! Stay down!"" Nikolai’s deep voice bellowed, cutting beneath the chaotic gunfire.
""Daddy!"" Her cry came from twenty paces to his right, muffled and terrified.
Nikolai closed the distance like a phantom. He didn’t use his firearm; in the blind dark, muzzle flashes would give away his position to the snipers Dante undoubtedly had stationed on the roofs. Instead, he relied on muscle memory and instinct honed through years of warfare. He felt the rush of damp air as another guard swept past him, frantically scanning the fog. Nikolai grabbed the man’s tactical vest from behind, twisted his neck until a sharp crack echoed, and used the falling body as a human shield against an incoming spray of lead.
Across the pier, an emergency backup generator roared to life inside Warehouse 9. A sickly green emergency floodlight flickered on, cutting through the swirling mist with feeble illumination.
The scene snapped back into bloody focus. Two of Dante’s men lay dead on the wet boards. But Dante was already dragging Sofia toward the narrow gangway of a massive, black-hulled freighter moored alongside the dock. Vanessa was running ahead of them up the ramp, clutching a heavy leather duffle bag.
""Dante!"" Nikolai shouted, breaking into a full sprint across the slick planks.
Dante turned at the top of the gangway, his face twisted in desperation. He pushed Sofia roughly behind him and aimed his rifle directly down the ramp at Nikolai. ""One more step and she dies first!""
Nikolai skidded to a halt at the foot of the ramp, his chest rising and falling in steady, controlled rhythm. His weapon remained pointed at Dante’s heart.
""She’s an innocent child, Dante. Leave her and settle this with me.""
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Dante sneered, his finger tightening on the trigger. ""There are no innocents in our world, Nikolai. You taught me that yourself.""
Suddenly, Sofia bit down with all the strength in her tiny jaw onto the fleshy meat of Dante’s wrist.
