Playing with Fire

Chapter 27 - Brooks

Lorenzo blinks a few times, trying to conclude what had occured moments ago. Just as he was about to comment, the sound of a gun firing rips the silence. Everyone ducks low and then spreads out to go into positions. I go around one of the buildings and head in from the back entrance, soon realizing I entered the main warehouse. Thankfully, no one is around giving me ample time to snoop around. The guns continue their rhythmic sounds and don't stop once, but it's nothing I'm not used to. When I finally reach all the storage boxes a few of their men see me and begin shooting. Swiftly, I duck behind a large box and pull out my beretta 92 and begin shooting at each of my targets heads, hitting them all. Once all their bodies drop I move from the box and come to find more men running towards me.

Taking out the old magazine, I input a new one and run towards them. Each of them gain a bullet hole, decorated beautifully in the center of their head, but one because I shot him in the kneecaps. When the idiot drops to the ground I pick his limp body up from the collar of his shirt.

"Where the fuck is your boss," I spit.

"Fuck..you." Well that's one way to answer me if your looking to make things difficult.

"Good choice," I say while replacing my gun for my knife. Gaining a good dripI onto the handle, I slight the man's throat and soon his blood begins to splatter onto me. Once I drop the body I see a figure in the doorway and point my knife towards their direction, preparing to cast it.

"No, don't throw, don't throw!" The girls panicky voice ensures me that it's just Adrianna.

"Shit, I forgot about you. How did you find your way in?"

"I'm aware your forgot you dipshit and it wasn't too hard to get in. We weren't that far away." Her once nervous tone is gone and replaced with annoyance. Getting a good look at her, I can see that her clothes are still in perfection, following her curled hair. She doesn't look like she's been running.

Walking towards her, I clean my bloodied knife with the fabric of my pants and place the blade back into its holster.

"Come on, we gotta head upstairs and see if anyone is running this shit." Right as I am reaching the door Adrianna lifts her gun and pointed it in my direction. Concentration mixed with a hint of worry marks her face. Is she actually that annoyed me forgetting her?

"Adrianna put the gun down we have more important matters to get to." She doesn't oblige and instead begins aiming her gun more precisely. Putting my hands up in surrender, I continue playing around.

"Okay, you got me now, put the gun away."

Suddenly what she does next surprises the both of us. Everything happens in slow motion and each movement becomes so apparent. Once she places her pointer finger onto the trigger, she shoots. The gun slightly cocks back and the bullet is off. Missing my ear by inches, the small deadly object fires past me. In fear that she hit me I pat around my body and find no new blood seeping out. I feel unharmed and nothing has faded away yet. Instantly, the sound of a body dropping behind me brings me to a realization. Adrianna just saved me.

I turned around to see a man's deceased body a few feet away with a bullet hole in his forehead. I can't lie, for someone who hasn't ever used a gun, that was a clean shot.

Turning back to Adrianna, I find her in the same position as before, but now she's frozen. She doesn't speak a word. Suddenly, everything around me seems to go quiet despite the gun sounds and explosions occurring in the background. Everything around me shuts out besides Adrianna in front of me. I've killed hundreds of people before and have seen my men kill many, but for some reason when Adrianna pulled the trigger it was different, new. Something about it felt odd but engrossing.

Adrianna lowers the gun steadily, and doesn't remove her eyes from her movement. I walk towards but am lost when observe her lips fixating upwards. Her head goes to my direction and she softly speaks, "Brooks..."

"Yes, Adrianna?"

She lightly begins to chuckle. "Is it wrong for me to feel somewhat better now?"

Still inching closer to her, I now stand directly in front of her. After hearing her confession; I am unsure of what to say.

"I'm not sure how to explain it, but the second I pressed on the trigger, the moment the bullet left the gun... everything felt good. Everything felt right."

"Really?"

"Yes," she says through a smile. "And I know killing someone should make me feel strange and wrong but it didn't and I don't feel bad."

"Well, in that case," I tread carefully, "Wanna finish the mission and kick some ass?"

As I wait for her to answer, I become aware of the door I just opened. I have let Adrianna into this wild life and am curious as to where it will take her. Something inside me wants to push her limits and see how far she'll go. Where will this need feeling take her?

Finally she speaks again, excitedly, "Yes."

Then she wraps her arm around mine and walks towards the second floor staircase.