Brink of Extinction | Book 1 | Sudden Impact

by Shupert, Derek

  I grimaced. Anna’s smile was wry as she gazed upon the displaced woman’s face.

  “Do you know how many of those Young Bloods are in the area?” I asked.

  The back of the woman’s hand swiped across her lips. She peered at the glove with a revolted look on her face. “No clue. One is too many if you ask me.”

  She wiped the back of the glove along the surface of her torn, denim jeans. She moved with a slight limp as she stepped over the debris that covered the floor.

  In the corner of the run-down building was a yellow-stained mattress. Two dingy-gray blankets were wadded-up and sat near the edge of the torn bedding. A shopping cart filled with various nick knacks was parked close by.

  More crackles of gunfire echoed in the air. Anna flinched and drifted closer to me.

  The woman appeared to be unafraid of the gang that loomed just beyond her walls. She reached the mattress and plopped down onto the discolored fabric. She panted, then sighed, acting as though breathing was a challenge.

  Anna grabbed my arm. Her nails dug into my skin. She looked to the opening of the building, then tugged. “I think I hear someone coming.”

  I trained my ear to the street and listened. The low, muttered sounds of voices chattering caught my attention.

  Shit.

  It was hard to tell who was heading this way. I craned my neck and skimmed over the building, searching for a way out. The darkness beyond made it challenging to see. “Do you have another way out of here?”

  The woman coughed some more. She turned to the side and pointed to a hallway across the space. It was shrouded in blackness, and didn’t offer any hint of what loomed beyond.

  “Head down the hall and make a left. You’ll run into an exit door back there. It’ll dump you into the alley that runs behind these buildings,” she said.

  Anna tugged at my arm some more. The voices of the men grew louder with each second we stood there. “I’d get going if I was you.”

  “Thank you,” I said with a tilt of my head.

  The woman dismissed the statement with a wave of her hand.

  We worked our way back through the interior of the building. Our pace was hastened by the growing clamor of the nearby men.

  I reached out in front of me and probed for any walls. The tips of my fingers were met with a rough, textured surface. Like a blind man trying to find his way, I fumbled through the dark hallway to the rear of the building.

  My hand slid along the surface while my other arm felt for any obstacles ahead of us. The shuffling of our feet melded with the quickened breaths that escaped our lips.

  “Well, look what we have here, Jerome,” a young, boisterous voice said. “I thought we told you to bounce, you old bird.”

  “To be honest, I thought for sure she’d be dead,” his partner added.

  The further we moved down the hallway, the less we could make out what they were saying.

  We didn’t stop or look back, but kept going.

  The wall curved. A small bead of light bled through a narrow opening that erased some of the darkness.

  The voices of the thugs faded away as we hurried down the hallway. The exit door was cracked open. A slight breeze moved it back and forth, making the hinges squeak.

  Anna fell in line behind me and stayed hot on my heels. I slowed down, and hugged the wall next to me. Creeping up to the exit, I peered around the corner, and trained my ears to listen for any movement just outside of the building. It was silent except for the wind that swayed the dense-steel door back and forth. “Come on, I think–”

  A gunshot rang out from the front of the building. I recoiled. Anna gasped, then covered her mouth. She spun around, and peered back the way we’d come from. I followed her gaze as I thought of the homeless woman being gunned down.

  Degenerates.

  “They killed that woman,” Anna said through her fingers pressed against her mouth. “I can’t believe they murdered her.”

  I moved closer to the exit, and looked out through the opening. I searched for any armed degenerates, but spied nothing more than a set of large, steel trash cans.

  The wind howled as I pushed the door open. I stepped out into the alley, and glanced behind the door. The coast was clear.

  Holding the edge of the exit, I turned toward Anna, and waved my hand in front of her face. “We need to keep moving.”

  Anna rushed out in a flash. I pushed the door closed with a gentle touch.

  She crossed her arms over her chest, and shook her head. “What the hell is wrong with people?”

  “People are shit. Not sure what else I can say except for that.” I knew that fact all too well. I had been associated with the worst sort of scum society had to offer for many years.

  I glanced to the door, then to her sullen face that was filled with regret and sorrow. There wasn’t time to think of what had happened to that woman. Our necks were on the chopping block.

  Anna brushed her arm across her face. She gathered herself, then nodded.

  We took off down the alleyway in a dead sprint. The searing pain in my side flared up, and caused me to slow down. I kept moving as fast as I could go.

  The plot of land next to us was overgrown with tall, brown weeds. The chain link fence that ran alongside the perimeter was in a state of disrepair. Portions of the woven steel had come apart, and offered gaping holes.

  The street ahead of us appeared to be clear. There weren’t any signs of the Young Bloods.

  Anna kept a few paces ahead of me. Her ponytail bounced all over. She pressed her arm against the bag secured by her side. She didn’t seem tired or like she needed a break. I was envious of her youth.

  We approached the street with care. My sluggish stride was reduced to a clunky amble.

  Anna placed her hands on her side as she glanced back to me. “How’s your ribs doing?”

  I offered a thumbs up even though I felt like crap. “They’re good.”

  I stooped down, and peered around the corner of the building. I inched out onto the sidewalk, trying to locate the lookout I had spotted earlier.

  There was no sign of him within the cluster of vehicles.

  I peered over the dead weeds to the street that showed no activity of any kind. There were no gang members in sight.

  Anna followed my lead as I darted out onto the sidewalk. I ran for cover behind a red hatchback that was parked next to the curb. We slunk down the side of the vehicle.

  I peered over the hood of the car, and spotted a young couple scurrying down the sidewalk across the road. Their faces were thick with fear as they scoured the area for any threats. They stopped at a blue sedan and jumped inside. The vehicle roared to life, and sped away from the curb. It raced for the intersection at full speed.

  Another roadblock had been set up. More cars sat static in the crosswalks. The car maintained its speed, and bore down on the mass of stationary steel.

  Gunfire erupted from the vehicles and hammered the front end of the car. It swerved from side to side before crashing into a parked truck. The horn blared as smoke sifted out from the crumpled-up hood.

  The driver’s side door flew open. A man, slathered in blood, dumped out onto the street. He crawled away from the car and struggled to get to his feet.

  A single shot rang out and tore through his skull. His lifeless body dropped to the pavement.

  A frantic woman screamed from the confines of the vehicle as two men approached with AKs shouldered. They yanked her from the car by her hair. She kicked and screamed, fighting to get away. It did little good.

  My hands balled into fists. I wanted to save the woman, but the weapons the thugs carried and the fact that more could be in the area stayed the notion.

  I lost sight of them as they dragged her flailing body down the street. Her pleas for help died off. I dropped to my backside and turned to Anna. She was staring at me with wide eyes full of uncertainty. She leaned against the hatchback.

  Oh shit.

  There was movement
at the intersection from the next block over. A man stood on the corner of the sidewalk with his AK trained in our direction.

  I cut my eyes over to Anna, and then back to him. She started to turn around, but I grabbed her wrist.

  “When I say go, you stay on my ass and run.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  SCARFACE

  Lawson was proving to be resourceful, and a tougher mark than we had been led to believe. He was cunning and elusive, and added a complexity to us delivering to Mr. Rhys as we’d promised. It made no difference, though. In the end, he’d feel the tip of my blade, and I’d release him from this world. That was inevitable.

  The babysitters were gone. The team of mercs had been diverted to another location within the city that Lawson could run to. It was a wild goose chase, but one that we didn’t mind sending Brawny and his men on.

  Lawson was our mark, and we didn’t need any help bringing him in.

  Jackal stood watch at the window of the building we were hiding in. His head moved from side to side as he scoured the streets for any additional squad cars.

  “I’m not seeing any more pigs. I think that prowler was just passing through. We should be good to go.”

  I thumbed through the pages of Lawson’s little black book of secrets that I discovered while rummaging through the contents of his bag. It contained names of contacts in various cities, their addresses, and other insightful intel.

  “I doubt the police are too concerned with the part of town we are heading to. The closer we get, the less likely we’ll see any sort of police presence. I’d imagine the slums are on the low end of their give a shit scale compared to the rest of the city.”

  “Sounds like our kind of place, especially if the cops don’t venture that way,” Jackal said. “Find anything else of use in that book?”

  “Perhaps.” I pointed to a notation marked “LA” that had several names and addresses next to them. One possible lead, Tripp, had “Five Large” written beside his name and address. A question mark was scribbled next to the money. Tripp was also the only contact shown that was within the same area that Lawson was heading to. “Looks like our boy is seeking out a payday. Five grand to be precise.”

  Jackal turned away from the window and stared at me. I tossed the black book to him. “Check out the page marked ‘LA.’”

  Jackal thumbed through the pages and stopped. He raised his eyebrow in curiosity. “Five grand, huh? We might be able to kill two birds with one stone here. Get Lawson and grab some extra cash for all of the shit he has dragged us through. I think we deserve it, considering he should’ve been taken care of back at the hotel. Damn earthquake.”

  I kicked Lawson’s bag with the side of my foot. “Because of that earthquake, he left his bag behind and all of his possessions, including his wallet which had some money in it. He’s hurt and desperate. This is good for us. Bad for him.”

  “I hope so.” Jackal pitched the black book to me. His face crinkled in confusion. He looked like he had something else on his mind.

  “What’s wrong?” I secured the book in the front pocket of my trousers.

  Jackal crossed his arms and leaned against the scarred wood of the building. “I’ve been thinking of that whole situation with that girl who paid those two low lives to pretend to assault her. Seems kind of convenient that Lawson came across her as all that was going down.”

  It smelt funny. I had no doubts about that. “Likewise. Could be the contractor after our mark.”

  Jackal cringed at the thought. He looked perplexed, then shook his head. “They described her as a young girl. Do we know of any contractors that fit that bill?”

  I wasn’t aware of any, but that didn’t mean much. There was a vast network of contractors who could be pulled from all over the world if the money was right.

  “Doesn’t matter really. We stay on task. Finish our job. Get Lawson’s head and deliver it to Rhys. If and when we come across this contractor, we’ll handle that was well.”

  Jackal agreed. “You know our to-do list is growing, right? That’s a lot of body bags.”

  “It always is.”

  A loud thumping sound resonated from outside the building.

  Jackal leaned to the side and peered out of the window. “I think I may have found us a ride. It’s a bit gaudy, but it’ll do.”

  I scooped up the bag, and tossed it over my shoulder. Through the window, I spotted a large, black hummer that was tricked out. The grille, trim, and wheels were cast in gold. The windows of the truck were blacked out, making it impossible to see inside the side windows.

  Gangbangers. All flash, no class. Still, their ride would do.

  Jackal removed the Glock from his waistband. He ejected the magazine, and skimmed over the rounds that were loaded inside. “We’re going to need to resupply soon.”

  I nodded in the direction of the Hummer. “Perhaps, they’ll have some hardware inside that rig.”

  Jackal slapped the magazine back into place, and chambered a round. He moved toward the door, and grabbed the silver handle with a firm grip. He swung it open, then slipped outside.

  I followed behind and stayed on his six. We kept low and close to the building. The hummer drove in the middle of the street at a snail’s pace. The driver and back side windows were cracked open. Trails of smoke escaped from the openings.

  Rap music blared from the truck. The bass was so rich and intense that it rattled the vehicle’s steel frame. It was deafening and annoying at best. Not my cup of tea by any means.

  Jackal secured the Glock in his waistband behind his back. He turned to me. “I’ll be right back.”

  He bolted out onto the street. His arms waved in the air, trying to nab the driver’s attention.

  The Hummer stopped. The music lowered. He kept his hands up in front of him as he approached the idling giant.

  The driver’s side window slid down. A mountain of smoke vented from the cab. From my viewpoint, I couldn’t lay eyes on the driver or anyone else in the vehicle for that matter.

  Jackal stood next to the side-view mirror, and spoke with the occupant. I couldn’t make out what was being said. He motioned with his hands, then pointed in the opposite direction the truck was heading.

  Stop messing around.

  His hand snuck back to the Glock as he leaned close to the cab. He nodded his head as he continued to converse with the driver.

  I watched him work with an attentive gaze. I retrieved my dagger from its sheath. My fingers wrapped around the handle as I waited to engage.

  Jackal grabbed the grip of his Glock, and pulled it free of his waistband. The piece dangled by his side. He shot me a quick glance.

  He took a step back, and trained the barrel of the sidearm at the occupant. The back-passenger door flung open. A large, black man stepped out in a huff of anger. Clutched within his glove-sized hand was an Uzi.

  I charged the vehicle, and hurled the dagger in his direction. The blade twirled end over end, and burrowed deep into the side of his thick neck. Blood rushed from around the blade of the knife and down the man’s dark skin. He slumped against the vehicle, then down to the pavement in a heap of dead blubber.

  Jackal opened fire on the cab. The suppressor mounted on his Glock silenced the weapon to almost nothing.

  I hovered over the dead gangbanger, and retrieved my knife from the side of his neck. Blood squirted from the wound. His enlarged eyes peered at me–glassy and dead. I looked inside the cab, and found three more dead bodies slumped in the seats.

  “Let’s get these bodies unloaded,” I said.

  Jackal confirmed with a bow of his head.

  We moved fast. Each body was taken from the Hummer, and dumped into the street. Tucked away in the floorboard, behind the front passenger seat, was a large-black duffle bag.

  “I think I might have found something,” I said.

  Jackal tossed the driver’s body to the street, then peered over the driver’s seat in my direction. “What did you find?�
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  I unzipped the bag, and opened it up. “A lot of hardware.” I sifted through the firearms, taking stock of what was inside the bag. “Looks like some more Uzis, Glocks, and some AR-15s.”

  “Yeah. That should come in handy if we run into any more trouble,” Jackal said, while looking over the weapons.

  I slammed the rear-passenger-side door shut, and noticed there weren’t any visible blemishes to show what had happened. No cracked glass or exit holes from any firearms. It was perfect placement on his part.

  Jackal jumped into the driver’s seat as I slipped into the front passenger side. He tossed his piece onto the dash, and situated himself into the plush leather captain’s chair.

  The rig was still idling, and the dreadful hip hop music continued to play from the speakers.

  I turned the radio off, favoring peace and quiet over the obnoxious music. “I’ve never understood how people can listen to this garbage. Hurts my head just thinking about it.”

  Jackal put his window back up. He smirked then chuckled. “There’s a time and place for it, partner. When this kind of stuff plays in the club, the ladies go wild and dance like crazy to it. Add some drinks to the mix, and it’s a good time all around.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’ll take your word for it.”

  Jackal put the Hummer into gear and punched the gas. The rig tore off down the road in a mad dash. He took the first right at the intersection.

  He glanced at me as I worked on the large navigation screen that was mounted in the dash. No signal appeared on the screen.

  “You know I’ve been telling you for years that you need to loosen up some, and come party with me. Getting some tail would do wonders for you. No better way to relax and unwind than to get some–” Jackal jerked the wheel counterclockwise. The Hummer veered around an abandoned car that was parked in the middle of the street.

  I was thrown from side to side. “How about we focus on not killing us, and leave the other alone. We have a job to complete, remember?”