Chapter 2 - The Ghost from the Past
Gunfire shattered the eerie silence of the foggy woods before Ramon even had time to draw a breath.
He instantly tackled the injured woman and the screaming child to the muddy ground, shielding them with his own body.
High-caliber bullets chewed through the rough bark of the ancient oak tree where the woman had just been hanging.
Victor and Diego did not panic, as they had survived countless ambushes in their violent, bloody careers.
They immediately drew their suppressed automatic weapons and returned precise, deadly fire into the swirling gray mist.
Matteo grabbed the woman's arms and began dragging her toward a natural trench formed by the massive tree roots.
Ramon scooped the terrified little girl into his arms and rolled fiercely into the shallow ditch beside them.
He knew instantly that these unseen attackers were not ordinary street thugs or rival gang members.
The flawless tactical coordination of the deadly crossfire proved they were highly trained, professional paramilitary contractors.
"We need to fall back to the armored cars right now!" Victor shouted over the deafening roar of the rifles.
Ramon nodded in agreement, pulling his own custom-engraved handgun from its leather shoulder holster.
"On my mark, we provide maximum covering fire and move as one single unit," Ramon commanded with ice in his veins.
He counted down from three with his fingers, making sure his men were completely ready to move.
When his last finger dropped, Ramon and his men popped up from the trench and unleashed a relentless storm of bullets.
The deafening suppressing fire forced the unseen attackers to briefly take cover behind the thick, damp pine trees.
Ramon carried the bleeding woman over his broad shoulder while the little girl clung fiercely to his leather belt.
They made a desperate, agonizing sprint back down the winding dirt path they had just walked up.
Sharp branches whipped against their faces, but raw adrenaline kept the physical pain completely at bay.
They finally burst out of the dark tree line and reached the idling black SUVs parked on the misty road.
Diego threw the heavy armored doors open, aggressively pushing the mother and child safely into the reinforced backseat.
Ramon climbed into the driver's seat and slammed his heavy leather shoe onto the gas pedal.
The powerful V8 engine roared to life, but the heavy vehicle did not move a single inch forward.
A massive, earth-shaking explosion suddenly rocked the forest, flipping the secondary SUV completely upside down in a ball of fire.
Thick black smoke billowed across the wet asphalt, completely blocking their only route of escape down the mountain.
A solitary, impeccably dressed figure slowly walked out from the center of the burning wreckage.
The man stopped in the middle of the road, smiling a cold, incredibly familiar smile that made Ramon's stomach drop.
May you like
Ramon felt his blood run completely cold as he stared through the cracked, bulletproof windshield.
It was Julian, his former mentor and boss, a man Ramon had personally watched burn to death five years ago.
