NIKOLAI
Then I saw them.
A dim bulb swayed above, casting uneven light over the bastards gathered in the center of the room. They were talking like this was just another f*****g night.
And Claude—
He wasn't here.
A split-second of hesitation, my blood turning to ice. No. No, they know where he is.
The first one didn't even get to turn before my bullet punched straight through his skull.
The second opened his mouth—maybe to scream, maybe to beg—but I was already moving, pressing the muzzle to his chin and pulling the trigger.
Blood sprayed. Bodies crumpled.
Chaos erupted.
One lunged at me. I twisted, driving an elbow into his throat, feeling cartilage crush beneath my arm. He staggered, choking, and I fired twice into his chest before his knees buckled.
Si
