Chapter 9 - The Impossible Choice
Nora’s hands were shaking violently, but the barrel of the revolver remained pressed firmly against my temple.
She sobbed quietly, apologizing repeatedly while keeping her tear-filled eyes completely locked on mine.
I slowly lowered my assault rifle, refusing to make any sudden movements that might trigger an accidental discharge.
I gently asked her why she was doing this after everything we had just fought through together.
She confessed that Carmine had secretly texted her a secure message while we were on the crane.
He had promised her that if she executed me in the garage, he would leave Leo alive on the pavement and drive away.
She was an innocent mother forced into an impossible, horrific situation to protect her only child.
Carmine's voice suddenly echoed across the concrete garage, amplified by a megaphone from behind the armored SUV.
He laughed cruelly, praising Nora for finally making the smart decision and ordering her to pull the trigger immediately.
I looked deeply into Nora’s desperate eyes, realizing that Carmine would never actually honor a deal with a witness.
I whispered very softly, telling her that if she shot me, Carmine would kill them both the second my body hit the floor.
Nora squeezed her eyes shut, her finger tightening dangerously on the heavy steel trigger of the revolver.
She let out a piercing, agonizing scream of frustration and abruptly shifted her aim away from my head.
Without a second of hesitation, she fired three rapid shots directly into the explosive fuel drums stacked near Carmine’s convoy.
The massive drums detonated with a catastrophic, deafening explosion, sending a massive fireball rolling across the garage ceiling.
The shockwave knocked us both to the hard concrete floor, showering the area in burning debris and thick black smoke.
The explosion completely disabled the remaining SUVs, blowing the heavy armored doors completely off their hinges.
I scrambled to my feet through the suffocating smoke, raising my rifle and charging directly toward the burning wreckage.
Carmine’s mercenaries were severely disoriented, staggering blindly through the flames and coughing violently.
I eliminated the remaining threats with precise, ruthless efficiency, refusing to slow down or show any mercy.
I found Carmine trapped beneath the heavy steel door of his ruined vehicle, his leg severely crushed by the metal.
He was desperately grasping for his dropped pistol, coughing up dark blood as the flames crept closer to him.
Leo was huddled safely behind a concrete barrier a few feet away, entirely unharmed but crying hysterically.
Nora ran past me, scooping her terrified son into her arms and holding him incredibly tight.
I walked over to Carmine and kicked his pistol away into the burning wreckage, towering over his broken body.
He looked up at me with absolute, unfiltered hatred, spitting blood onto my ruined dress shoes.
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He smiled wickedly and managed to choke out his final, venomous words before the sirens arrived.
He told me I was a fool for thinking he was the one actually orchestrating this entire betrayal.
