Three Gangs and a Silver Sin

Chapter 72, Forgiveness

I watch my giant silent friend fire his bazooka at anyone that comes near him and pure joy shines in his face at all the pretty explosions. I'm not dying until I hear that guy say something. I refuse to.

"Okay, let's go," Blake instructs and helps me up so we can cross the road and head to the more covered area. We try our best to avoid the grey-clothes Southerners and their downward arrows. I think Blake's own grey jacket and determined look makes them ignore us. At one point one of the men even nod to Blake out of respect before giving him a smile and running along.

I feel nauseous with all the running we're doing through the blood and bullets and explosions. I don't know how much further my legs can take me. I feel so weak and whenever I look down to my hand that's clutching my stomach, I panic at all the blood.

"Hide," Blake commands and pushes me to the side. I fall down next to a truck and watch in horror as two Southerners approach Blake.

"Why are you here?" One of them ask.

"I was instructed to clear this area," Blake says - his grey Southern jacket is what's saving him right now.

"What? By who? Was it that damn Jason that gave you orders," the second guy growls.

"Uh, yes," Blake says.

"Don't worry. We don't support him. He might be the one with the original blood, but he's not a true leader. All the men agree his decisions are sloppy," the shorter one replies.

"He's... He's definitely not thinking straight," Blake improvises.

"Agreed," The second guy says before adding, "Hopefully he dies during this fight so we can get moving with the real plans. I'm tired of being limited to this town."

"What are the new plans?" Blake asks and fucks everything up.

It's definitely the wrong question, because the two men look at him differently and then realization and shock hits them as they raise their guns towards Blake.

I try getting up to save Blake, bit I'm too late and two shots ring through my ears.

What gets me to start breathing again is when I see it's the two Southerners drop and Xavier comes jumping in from one of the bonnets of the trucks. "Dammit," Xavier says as he chucks his empty guns to the floor and looks up.

Blake doesn't know if he wants to be grateful or shocked, but he looks at Xavier with wide eyes. "You saved me," he says.

"Yes," Xavier answers and grabs the Southerners' guns - too distracted too care about Blake's relief of not dying.

"Why are all my enemies saving me today?" Blake asks himself.

"Maybe you need to rethink who's the real enemy," Xavier shrugs just as half a dozen Southerners come running in. Xavier chucks one of the Southern guns to Blake and they duck behind a wrecked and smoking car before firing at the South. The South shoots back but three of them go down while the other three run out of bullets just as Xavier and Blake runs out of amo as well.

I watch in horror - hating how useless I am, as Xavier jumps over the bonnet of the car and runs to tackle one of the Southerners. Blake jumps over as well and the Southerner only has a moment to look at Blake in shock and surprise before his face gets smashed by Blake's fist.

Xavier gets back up and kicks the guy he tackled. The third Southerner grabs Xavier from behind in a choke-hold, but Xavier lets his hands hold on the the arm around his next before going down - flipping the Southerner over him. Just when Xavier is free, the Southerner that was on the ground is up and tries sneaking in a punch into Xavier's side, but my leader is too kick and dodges it easily before sending a left, right and upper cut that makes the attacker stumble back.