Chapter 6 - The Ambush
The old hospice center loomed at the end of the street like a haunted mansion.
The building had been abandoned for years, but Carl had arranged his "care" in a private annex in the back.
I walked up the cracked concrete path, clutching the heavy silver ring on my finger.
The front door was completely unlocked, swinging open with a terrifying creak.
The smell of dust and cheap antiseptic hung heavily in the stagnant air.
I walked down the dark, familiar hallway where I had brought him tea and played countless board games.
"Carl?" I called out, my voice trembling in the empty corridor.
A sudden, wet cough echoed from the room at the end of the hall.
I rushed forward, pushing the heavy oak door wide open.
Arthur was sitting on the floor, clutching his stomach, his gray suit stained dark with blood.
"You really shouldn't have come here," he gasped, his face pale.
"Where is he?" I demanded, keeping a safe distance from the lawyer.
"He's beneath us," Arthur choked out, pointing a trembling finger toward a heavy metal door I had never noticed before.
"He played us all, he never intended to let anyone walk away with the money."
Before I could ask another question, the sound of breaking glass echoed from the front of the building.
Heavy tactical boots stomped through the main lobby.
"The syndicate sent their cleaners," Arthur laughed weakly.
"They are going to wipe this entire building off the map."
He reached into his jacket and slid his handgun across the floor toward me.
"Take it, and get down to the basement."
I grabbed the heavy weapon just as the hallway outside was flooded with blinding tactical flashlights.
"Target acquired in the rear ward!" a deep voice shouted.
I didn't think twice.
I pushed open the heavy metal door, slipped inside, and slammed the deadbolt shut.
A barrage of bullets instantly hammered against the thick steel, deafening me in the small stairwell.
May you like
I turned and looked down the long, spiraling concrete staircase that descended into complete darkness.
With nowhere else to go, I began to walk down into the abyss.
