Chapter 5: 3. Assassination and Counter-Assassination
On the slick, muddy coastal road where people were scarce, Donnie had already walked for about five or six kilometers without seeing a single soul.
The Ford Model T car that was looking for Donnie had just left Atlantic City at this time, and seated inside were indeed those two men wearing duckbill hats.
One man was driving while the other sat in the passenger seat, the latter was wiping a handgun in his hands.
"Brill, why did the boss want us to kill a soldier who just returned to Atlantic City? Did this guy have a good relationship with the brigadier before?"
As he finished wiping his gun, the man gazed curiously at the muddy road ahead and asked.
"But if that were the case, how could Donnie Block take over the Korla Bar, a bar about to close down due to the Prohibition?"
Without turning his head, Brill replied, "How should I know? We just need to get the boss's assignments done, why so much chatter?"
After pausing, Brill continued, "Daniel, Donnie Block must be heading back to his home town, and he's sure to be carrying some cash. Remember to find his money before we kill him!"
Daniel nodded, his face displaying a bloodthirsty grin as he said, "Of course, the earnings from the Korla Bar these past few days plus his demobilization funds should be enough for us to have a blast at the Ritz Hotel for a few days!"
Brill also showed a smug smile, then said, "We still need to be careful though. The boss mentioned that Donnie Block showed a lot of bravery on the battlefield and he's quite skilled. We definitely need to avoid capsizing in a ditch!"
At this moment, Daniel thought of the instructions their boss gave them when they set out on the mission, and he spoke with some disdain.
"The boss is being overly cautious. How could the two of us possibly be overpowered by one man!"
Brill chuckled and said, "It's still better to be careful. Our families are in the boss's hands. Even if we do get overpowered, we must stick to what the boss told us, otherwise you know the consequences!"
From Brill's tone, it was evident that he also didn't believe that the two of them, armed with guns, could not subdue an unarmed ex-soldier!
"Instead of thinking about such improbabilities, better think about who we can find at the Ritz Hotel to entertain us tonight!" Daniel placed his handgun in his pocket, then leaned back in his seat with his hands behind his head, wearing a relaxed smile on his face.
"Even if the kid doesn't have much money on him, the reward given by the boss will be enough for us to live it up for a while!"
After hearing this, Brill also wore a smile.
At that moment, Brill suddenly caught sight of Donnie walking alone in front of them!
"Look quickly, isn't that the guy?"
Brill pushed Daniel with his right hand.
Daniel sat up straight, pulled out a photograph from the pocket of his coat, and on it was a picture of Donnie during his military service.
"How would I know just by looking at his back!"
Daniel complained, holding the photograph.
Brill floored the gas pedal, and the car accelerated, splattering mud from the ground.
The roar of the car caught Donnie's attention. He turned around and saw the Ford Model T, as well as the expressions of the two men in the car as they sized him up.
Seeing the strangers' expressions, Donnie's expression tightened. Although Donnie of the past had become corrupt in the police force, his skills were genuine, especially when it came to sizing up people.
The two men in the car had a fierce look in their eyes, their expressions were icy, and their gazes were fixed on him. Those were not the eyes of merely curious onlookers.
Thinking this, Donnie tensed up as his right hand headed to his trouser pocket, where a loaded 'Colt 1911' was ready.
Meanwhile, Brill and Daniel had already recognized Donnie's identity.
Having identified Donnie, Brill floored the accelerator and the car sped past him. Donnie stood still, watching the car turn about 3 meters in front of him and come to a halt across the middle of the road.
Then, Daniel, sitting in the passenger seat, stood up in the car and jumped over the window... The passenger door of this generation of Ford Model T cars could not be opened.
Seeing the other person's move, Donnie didn't hesitate. He immediately drew out his gun and fired at Daniel, who was on the passenger seat.
Bang!
The gun fired, and Daniel, who had not yet landed, widened his eyes in disbelief, looking at Donnie. He couldn't understand how Donnie had a gun?
Moreover, Daniel couldn't comprehend why Donnie fired without any hesitation?
Did the other party know their purpose?
But only the two of them and their boss knew about this mission. Unless their boss had betrayed them, which was impossible!
Are people so violent now?
Shoot on sight at strangers?
All these thoughts were momentary. By the time Daniel hit the ground, the bullet had entered his chest. Although it didn't kill him outright, it did cause everything to go dark before his eyes as he completely passed out.
Brill, who was also shocked by Donnie's shot and preparing to get out of the driver's seat, instinctively ducked to use the door as a shield from Donnie's bullets, at the same time drawing his own gun with one hand and trying to open the car door with the other!
Donnie's actions were smooth and connected. After firing the gun, he discarded his backpack, moved in a 'Z' shape while running toward the car.
Although Donnie did not know the true intentions of the two men, for his own safety, he certainly did not harbor any thoughts of sparing the innocents.
Even while running at full speed, Donnie did not forget to shoot at the driver's seat of the car. At that moment, Brill had completed his action and finally took cover behind the car body, ready to retaliate against Donnie with his pistol.
But, because he had parked too close to Donnie, by the time he was ready to fight back, Donnie had already circled to his front and shot through Daniel's wrist. A muffled sound rang out as the pistol fell to the ground.
"Ahh!!!!"
Brill let out a terrible cry, tightly grasping his bleeding right wrist with his left hand!
It was at this time that Donnie had already reached him. He first kicked the pistol on the ground away, then with his right hand holding the gun against Brill, and his left hand threw Brill's hat away, grabbing his hair, he dragged him to the other side of the car and threw him next to Daniel, who leaned against the car body.
Only after seeing that the two posed no further threat did Donnie finally breathe a sigh of relief; had he hesitated even a little, he would be the one lying on the ground!
Picking up the pistol Daniel had dropped, Donnie slapped Brill fiercely across the face and asked coldly, "Who sent you?"
Facing these unexpected assailants and their pistols, Donnie could think of only two possibilities: the first was a robbery, and the second was that someone had sent them to trouble him.
After all, Donnie Block had no memory of these two men.
Now that Donnie was directly asking who had sent them, he was actually employing a small interrogation technique. He was setting their crimes as facts, which could subconsciously make them believe that their actions had been seen through.
If their mental fortitude was not strong enough, they might just spill their beans in line with Donnie's insinuations!
The severe pain in his wrist snapped Brill out of his dazed state, and his thoughts aligned with Daniel's at that moment.
How could Donnie Block have a gun?
How could Donnie Block dare to shoot directly?
But in the current situation, it was not his place to have a say. After witnessing Donnie Block's actions, he was convinced of one thing—Donnie Block was ruthless!
"I'll talk, I'll talk!"
Despite the intense pain in his wrist, Brill said tremblingly, "We were hired by George Kurle; he paid us to kill you!"
"George Kurle?"
Donnie, holding the pistol, felt a wave of confusion.
He was familiar with George Kurle, as he was his former company commander!
"Is the other side trying to silence me, or is it something else?"
Donnie couldn't help but think, "No, it doesn't make sense for them to do this. Donnie Block had already accepted his conditions. There shouldn't be any conflict between them now, should there?"
"Why did he send you to kill me?" Donnie asked Brill, unable to understand.
Brill shook his head, "We don't know, we just take money to do jobs, but... but..."
"But what?" Donnie questioned, pressing the pistol against Brill's forehead.
Brill stammered, "I vaguely remember hearing him say that he feared you'd blab some secrets!"
"Then it's silencing a potential blabber!" Donnie subconsciously thought. However, he quickly dismissed his guess as the situation seemed too convenient.
They came to kill him, yet before doing anything, they had given away the reason for the murder.
And the man involved was George Kurle, with whom he had an entanglement!
This made Donnie feel like the motive was deliberately revealed to him!
Bang!
With that thought, Donnie did not hesitate and shot Brill in the thigh, saying sternly, "What do you take me for? You dare deceive me with such a reason? I saved George Kurle's life back in the day! How could he possibly want to kill me?"
Ahh!!!!
Once again, Brill was shocked by Donnie's ruthlessness, and the pain in his thigh made him scream in agony.
This screamed, coupled with his own pain, roused Daniel from his unconsciousness!
Seeing Daniel wake up, Donnie violently struck Brill on the head with the butt of his gun and then turned to the newly awakened but utterly weakened Daniel, "Who sent you?"
Daniel was still in shock over Donnie Block's ruthlessness, and just as Donnie was getting impatient, Daniel hurriedly said.
"It was George Kurle, George Kurle!"
.
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