Baron V

I was having serious difficulties with standing, talk less of moving. I'd underestimated Kawasaki apparently, and - not meaning to be stereotypical or anything - I should have expected a Japanese geezer to have knowledge of one or two martial arts. It was always like that in the movies. Well, I guess now I knew to believe some of what Hollywood shows me.

Not that it mattered now anyway.

I still had my gun tucked in the waistband of my jeans. My right hand was gripping it now, and it was not obvious because if the posture I was in, crouched on the ground.

But could I shoot? Could I trust my jarred nerves, courtesy of the kick to my back, to execute this movement at the right speed? I couldn't help being afraid. Afraid of missing. Afraid of dying here and...

Does it matter? I asked myself. If I shoot and miss, I'll be killed. If I don't shoot, I'll still be killed. Probably in a more gruesome, torturous way, - Kawasaki and Chantelle both looked like deranged f*cks who would be taken by the idea. There weren't a lot of options open to me at this point, and I had to ask fast.

He was slowly crouching towards me. I breathed deeply and took the leap of faith.

My sudden lunge towards him shocked him - be was obviously very confident in his delivery of the kick that he didn't expect me to be capable of sudden movements like that. He brought his knife down, but I'd moved too fast again, the blade grazing the top of my ear and striking the ground behind me.

Before be could lift it up to deliver the death blow, I placed the cold barrel of the gun against the isnfe of his thighs, the closest place I could reach.

"Rot in hell."

The boom was filled by his flesh and bone, bit his scream wasn't. The bullet tire through his leg and came out the other side, effectively shattering a femur that had been made brittle by age. As he fell back, I fired again, this time getting him in the crotch and eliciting another throaty scream as he dropped the knife behind me.

Propping myself against the wall, I towered over him, grinning as I took in the sight of my victory.

Kawasaki was whimpering in a pool of blood, his his legs a crimson red mess. I was sure his entire male reproductive system was gone - not exactly my intention but yet something I was proud of. He deserved it.

His shot thigh looked quite mangled. And he was conflicted on what to hold.

"Damn you! You'll never escape. You're slow, you're injured and Chantelle will kill you. She's heard this. Your gunshot must have been heard. You'll die. You'll..."

"Of course I'll die. But you know who won't be there to see it? You!" I said shooting him in the head. I took in the sight of his brains splatters across the stairs and I threw up.

Looking at the sight of my barley digested sludge of a cheeseburger mixed amongst his brain pieces made me throw up again.

I proposed his body against the handrails of the staircase, making him appear to be sitting with his back to the entrance where Chantelle supposed to be coming from.

By this time, my resolve was steeled. I was already accustomed to the situation, and I knew what I had to do. I hid on the stairs leading upwards, getting a good angle on whoever was going to come.

Soon, the stairwell door burst open and Chantelle ran into view, moving towards what she thought was her injured partner in crime proposed up against the handrails.

As she circles around and faced the corpse, she scremead as she realized that half of his head was gone.

"You're obviously not as smart as you think you are."

As she whipped her head up towards the direction of the voice, aiming, he shot her in the chest.

She crumpled to the ground and he approached cautiously, stopping to kick her dropped gun out of her reach.

"I'm f*cked now. For sure. I'll probably be arrested, killed, or something. But I'll die knowing y'all are already on your way to hell. Keep a nice place for me."

She tried saying something, but the words would not form. Her right lung was collapsing. She spat up blood as she tried to speak.

I tuned my back to her as I shot her in the belly. Stomach acid would leak out into her viscera, poisoning her and killing her in the painful way she deserved.

Running my hands through my hair, I walked out of that stairwell and out the condo.

*****

PRESENT DAY.

I had spent the last 24 hours since both murders partying hard, drinking and having marathons of sex. Living the life I couldn't live. Living irrationally. Not having to worry about anything.

If I was arrested, I was sure the corrupt police force would have someone that would do away with Mr.

Or the syndicates would send enforcers to gut me alive.

Paranoia told me so.

As soon as I saw my picture on the news, with an accurate description courtesy of the meathead securitu guard at the gate, I left my apartment which reeked of alcohol and sex, strangers in each room and ran out.

As fast as I could.

I felt the eyes on me.

All of them, looking at me, but if I looked back they weren't there.

They thought I didn't know.

But I did.

Running to the top of the eight-storey building, I took a deep breath and watched my life flash before my eyes. The door behind me burst open.

I knew it was them.

The police? The syndicate? Both? After all, both were one.

I turned and saw the six men, their knives out and their smiles menacing.

"It's time for retribution," one said as they approached me slowly.

"Sorry. I always say "I do me". I mean it this time," I said, making a cross sign on my chest.

"The heck is this nutjob sayi..."

I let myself fall.

The smile on my face stayed, even as I felt my body hit the curb below and my bones smash.

Even as I felt the flames of hell lick at my skin, giving me a taste of what to come.

*****

I'm finally done with this 😭. I'm kinda happy with the way it turned out, even though I think it went south a bit.

What do you guys think?