Final Call for Mercy

67

Forty-five feet ahead, past the bushes and trees and the broken gate, is the building where Santino Mussolini resides. My blood clogs in my veins at the thought of it. He's there, mere feet away, unbeknownst that today'll be the last day of his life. I didn't expect to feel a thrill out of this, or even happiness, so I'm not surprised to be without those feelings in this moment. But what I feel is not numbness. Just... 

Calm. Ready. I can do this in my sleep. Without the power of his army, he is nothing. I am the power of an army.

Just like Devina said, there are four men on the outside. Of the two I see, both don't hold their guns in a readied position. Rookies, like Devina implied. "Carlos come with me to the front. Hans and Leo to the back. We go on three. Ready?"

Both men nodded and I start to give the signal to move forward, but then I feel the hairs on my arms raise and with them I lift my gaze to a window on the second floor. I hold my breath as I watch a figure move around in the dim light. It's him. I know it in my bones that it's him. He's holding a mug, awake at this hour for some reason. Perhaps unable to sleep, the paranoia can keep even the most vile things up at night.

He moves around, the mug securely in his hand. It must be some sort of kitchen, I note, as he places what looks like knives and cutting boards away. My eyes don't tears away for the time he takes setting everything away. He crosses, seemingly about to leave, but stops with the mug halfway to his lips. A fist is lodged in my throat and for a moment I'm convinced he knows I'm here. He'll turn and he'll spot me and shit will hit the fan, ruining the entire plan. If he knows I'm here, he'll run. I know it.

But then he gives a slight shake of his head and finishes raising the mug to his mouth. Santino's figure disappears behind the brick wall, not a moment later, the light going with him. He's gone. I blow out my breath, feeling a slight ache at the strain on my lungs. It's time.

I give the signal. Crouched, Carlos and I walked forward into their line of sight while Hans and Leo move through the objects that provided cover towards the back. The two hadn't seen us, so Carlos and I waited, guns held up and ready to shoot. I made sure we attached silencers at the end, giving me more of an advantage in the surprise attack.

"At the back," Hans confirms. I look over to Carlos and he nods. We're ready.

I take a deep breath and risk a quick glance above. The sky isn't as dark as an hour ago. Black is replaced by teal and barely-there hints of yellow. The stars that only hours ago shone like diamonds now barely visible. I bite my lip, looking back ahead. Dawn is coming and fast. If we let it catch up, this will get a hell of a lot harder.

"One," I start and we start moving closer, risking being seen with every step. "Two," the two men at the front see us, scrambling to get their guns in a ready position. "Three," I order and the soft pop of bullets circles the building as they go down. The two men in front of Carlos and I go down at the same time. I touch my ear to piece, opening my mouth to speak when a loud pop startles me. Carlos' gun raises and I go rigid everywhere. Not more than five seconds after the muted sound of a bullet through the silencer goes off.

"Hans?" I ask through the earpiece. "Leo?"

No answer. Carlos' eyes meet mine and I know we both think the same. I jerk my head to the side, signaling for us to move toward the back. I keep my gun raised, calling Hans' and Leo's name over and over but still receiving no answer. Shit.

Shit. Shit.

With our guards raised as high as they go, we make our way to their spot. Both of us break into a sprint at the body laid on the floor with another person kneeling next to it. I stop next to Leo, who's putting pressure on Hans' neck that bleeds and bleeds. Leo, too, is bleeding from his side and it's stained through his shirt and dripping down his leather jacket. I put my hand on his shoulder, pulling him back and off Hans. He's dead.