Chapter 7 - The Heavy Cast
Preston advanced on Kate, twirling the silver knife in his hand.
Kate pushed her mother behind her, refusing to let him touch the sick woman.
Damon could not shoot Preston without Leo pulling the trigger on him first.
"Don't do it, Preston," Damon warned, his voice vibrating with lethal intent.
"You are not in charge anymore, Blackwell," Preston sneered, lunging forward.
He reached out to grab Kate by her uninjured shoulder.
Kate remembered her mother's lesson to stand in the corner and disappear.
She decided in that exact moment to unlearn it forever.
Instead of retreating, Kate stepped directly into Preston's space.
She swung her broken right arm, using the heavy, rigid fiberglass cast like a medieval club.
The solid plaster collided violently with Preston's jaw.
A sickening crunch echoed over the crashing waves as Preston's jawbone shattered.
He dropped the knife instantly, screaming in agony and falling to his knees.
The sudden, brutal movement distracted Leo for a fraction of a second.
That was all Damon needed.
Damon spun around, dropping to one knee to avoid Leo's wild gunshot.
He fired twice, striking Leo squarely in the chest.
The young traitor collapsed against the SUV, his eyes staring blankly into the fog.
Total chaos erupted in the shipping yard.
The remaining five mercenaries loyal to the Senator realized they were completely outmatched.
They opened fire wildly, trying to cover their retreat toward the town car.
Matteo and Damon's men returned fire with devastating, synchronized precision.
Bullets tore through the metal shipping containers and shattered the windows of the vehicles.
Damon ran through the hail of gunfire, diving in front of Kate and her mother.
He tackled them behind a thick wooden shipping crate, shielding them from the crossfire.
"Are you hit?" Damon yelled over the deafening noise.
Kate shook her head, clutching her throbbing arm and gasping for breath.
"I think I broke it again," she managed to joke, despite the tears in her eyes.
Damon actually smiled, a genuine, terrifyingly beautiful expression.
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"You just took down a heavyweight with a broken wing," Damon praised her.
The gunfire suddenly ceased, leaving a ringing silence in the damp air.
