The gunshot rang out, but it wasn’t aimed at me—or any of my men. It was shot up at the sky.
I snapped my gun up, scanning the area. From the shadows, a figure emerged, his steps slow, deliberate. He held his gun raised toward the sky, but there was no fear in his posture. Instead, he carried himself like a man with nothing to lose.
I kept my weapon trained on him, finger steady on the trigger. Whatever game he was playing, I wasn’t about to give him the upper hand.
The man stopped a few feet away and did something unexpected.
He knelt.
A wicked smile stretched across his lips, his eyes glinting with something unhinged.
“My master has a message for you.”
I didn’t respond. My grip on the gun didn’t waver, but I could feel my patience wearing thin. This wasn’t a negotiation.
The man
