A pellet pinged off the brick wall, marking a notch on the red clay in as the ricochet nearly took out a man in hiding, causing him to instinctively flinch while he took cover under a flipped circular table, the wooden surface already riddled with holes. His partner ducked as well behind a buffet table line, cursing under his breath as he fumbled the pellets in his handgun, his hands trembling.
“When the fuck is the backup coming?” The man whispered urgently to the partner.
“I don’t fucking know! If you would just stop asking me and focus on staying alive, maybe you’ll be able to see them arrive.” The partner shot back.
When did the Ravens fall this low? The man lamented as he peeked out from his cover, looking across the pub that was now filled with the whimpers of innocent diners cowering behind their chairs and the dead bodies of his fellow Ravens. Fuck! Where are the town guards I bribed for the last three years?!
“Step out Garreth!” A loud voice bellowed from the front of the restaurant, stemming from a group of mercenaries. “You don’t rule this town anymore!”
“Just because the Cretins are backing you doesn’t mean you’re a big shot, cocksuckers.” Garreth scowled, gripping his own handgun tightly. He glanced at his partner, who finally reloaded his handgun and nodded his head in response, their eyes locking.
“Better than your dead boys. You’re losing your grip, old man! Soon, the Ravens won’t even exist anymore once we’re done!” The leader of the mercs grinned, motioning for his men to move forward. They inched forward carefully, moving from table to table and slowly surrounding the two remaining Ravens.
Garreth held up three fingers, slowly closing each one of them in a countdown. Now!
Both of them burst out in a furry of pellets, nailing the three closest mercenaries and tearing through their armour. The previously tense restaurant burst once again into a fierce firefight, pellets dominating the air while diners suffered wounds from ricochets, some even being killed by the fanatical shooting of both sides wildly aiming.
Garreth ran from pillar to pillar, avoiding the incoming shots while firing back his own. He aimed his handgun right at the head of the leader, about to pull the trigger when he heard a wail erupting from his partner, whose body was already now seeping blood from various new holes and crumpling to the floor. “Shit!”
Before he could react, the remaining mercs had already surrounded him, holding him at gunpoint. “End of the line, Garreth. But I rather keep you alive so you can watch me takeover the rest of your dumbass Ravens.”
Garreth was tied up to a rope attached to a wagon, humiliated by the mercs in broad daylight as his body was dragged along the gravel streets of the town, while the leader of the mercs shouted out his victory.
“The Ravens aren’t the biggest fuckers in town now – I AM! And soon, I will be the king of Kregol!”
The sight was a shock to many of the civilians who watched behind barricaded windows, many too afraid to leave their houses now as instability reigned in the town. Everyone recognized that it was a hostile takeover, and no one dared to stand up for the Ravens either. Not against such firepower.e
Once the leader was satisfied with the humiliation of Garreth, he dragged Garreth back to their safehouse, tossing him into a concrete cell, his lips kissing the dusty stone floor. His body was severely bruised all over, his skin raw and torn, bleeding.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om
“Look! The supposed district leader! Grovelling in a cell like a dog!” The leader taunted, earning the laughter of his fellow mercenaries.
“You’re the dog.” Garreth spat back. “Sucking the toes of your Cretin daddy. How you like that Raktor dick, huh?”
His insult earned him a steel capped kick to the face, gashing his forehead as his head whiplashed back, his neck injured.
“And right now, you’re sucking my toes. How does that make you feel?” The leader pulled out a pouch of rakels, waving it in front of Garreth’s bruised face before tossing it in. “Here. I got more than enough from the Cretins. You’re going to need it. Maybe share it with your boss as well once you join him in hell. HAHAHAHA!”
“You dare - !” The door slammed shut onto Garreth’s cell before he could defend his boss’s pride.
Just outside the door was a young Raven soldier, panting as he gripped a handgun tightly, his face covered in grime and sweat. “Garreth! You’re alive!” The young Raven exclaimed.
“What happened here? Did you kill all of them?”
“I wished – there were two other strangers in full armour that helped me. Did you hire mercenaries?”
Garreth didn’t know what to say, but nodded his head for the time being. “Let me in, I need to call the boss now!”
The safehouse was filled with the groans of injured Ravens, with barely any medical treatment as they simply lay on the floor, pus oozing out of their wounds. Garreth strode past all of them, quickly heading for the office where an arctech radio was directly connected to the leader.
The moment the call connected on the other side, Garreth spoke rapidly into the radio. “Put me through to the boss, now!”
[Sir Garreth, you know that it has not yet been determined who will inherit the mantle yet.]
“You and I both know who the successor is. Put him on the line now!”
[I’m listening.] A lady’s voice responded. [Speak.]
Garreth explained everything that he had seen and heard, also passing on the message of the negotiation.
[Who are the strangers who helped us?]
“I... I do not know. But they have saved the Ravens in this town, while eliminating the other minor gangs. They seem to be at war with the Cretins.”
[So, another major gang from Raktor? Were they not all united together? This could be a ploy by the Cretins to get me out for another assassination attempt.]
“I truly believe this is our way out. Right now we cannot hope to fight against a Cretin-backed alliance. If we can find our own allies who would support us, then we can climb back to power!”
[My father was adamant about not succumbing to others. Ravens have their own pride, Garreth. I see you have lost yours.]
“Damn this pride if every men and women dies under my command!” Garreth shot back. “We are at a war for survival – every chance and opportunity has to be snatched! I called for backup, yet none arrived.”
[Our manpower is spread thin. You are not the only town under attack!]
“Then it is exactly why it is time to find allies! We cannot hold on indefinitely forever!”
The lady did not respond immediately, remaining silent as Garreth fumed to himself. “Be a better leader – think of the people under your command! Only with power can you afford pride!”
[Indeed. The two do come hand in hand. Tell the strangers that I will meet them tonight at the town, but not alone.]