บท 53: Into the Fire
The explosion threw everything into chaos. The blinding flash of light was followed by a deafening roar that rattled my bones. The vehicle I was in lurched violently, sending me sprawling forward. My hands gripped the edge of the seat, my heart hammering in my chest, as the world around me was swallowed by dust and debris. The blast had come out of nowhere—an ambush, pure and simple.
"Get out! Get out!" Dante's voice sliced through the confusion, filled with urgency. His commands were unmistakable, and I didn't hesitate for a second. As the vehicle came to a screeching halt, I threw open the door and leaped out, hitting the ground hard on my feet, my heart still racing from the explosion.
I scanned the area, adrenaline flooding my system. The convoy was in disarray. One of the vehicles had overturned, its wheels still spinning in the aftermath of the blast. Others had been damaged by debris. Men were scrambling for cover, their guns raised, eyes darting in every direction.
"Where is he?" I muttered, searching through the smoke.
And then I saw him.
Dante was standing, somehow unscathed, his posture straight and commanding as always. His eyes were locked on the compound, his face grim, blood staining his shirt from a gash on his arm. He was already assessing the situation, his mind calculating the next move, but I could see the flicker of something else in his gaze—a flash of concern when he saw me.
"Elizabeth!" he called, his voice sharp as he motioned for me to move toward him.
I didn't hesitate. Running toward him, I felt the heat of the blast still lingering in the air, the acrid smell of smoke and burning metal stinging my lungs. It wasn't over. This was only the beginning.
"We need to get inside," Dante said, his voice low but commanding as he pulled me closer to him. "They'll be waiting for us."
"I know," I said, my gaze scanning the compound ahead. There was no sign of Maria yet, but I could feel her presence lurking in the shadows, just waiting for us to make the wrong move. The explosion was only the opening salvo. The real fight was about to begin.
Without wasting another moment, Dante motioned to his men. "Cover the perimeter. We move in now."
We stormed forward, moving through the rubble and debris of the courtyard. The once-imposing gates of the compound had been blown wide open, leaving a gaping hole in the security. But it was clear that Maria's men were ready for us. The compound had been turned into a fortress, with heavy barricades and armed guards posted at every entrance. This wasn't just an ambush—it was a trap designed to wear us down.
"Dante!" Victor shouted from behind, his voice carrying through the smoke. "They're setting up defenses inside. We're going to be pinned down if we don't move fast!"
"Then we move faster," Dante snapped, his voice filled with authority. "Break through the front gates. We need to take control of the compound before they do."
The plan was simple—overwhelm them with sheer force. But I knew it wouldn't be that easy. Maria had been planning this for too long. She wouldn't leave anything to chance.
The compound's walls loomed ahead, tall and imposing. We reached the first line of defenses, where a group of Maria's men were already taking position behind barricades, their guns trained on us. The standoff was tense, the air thick with the promise of violence.
"On my mark!" Dante shouted, raising his hand. "Fire!"
The sound of gunfire erupted, filling the air with a symphony of chaos. Bullets ricocheted off walls, and the ground shook beneath our feet as we advanced. I could feel the heat of the battle surrounding me, the weight of every decision hanging in the balance. But there was no time to think about the consequences. All I could do was keep moving.
Dante's men fought like wolves on the hunt, their movements precise and deadly. They pushed forward with relentless force, cutting down anyone who stood in their way. But for every man we took down, another one seemed to take his place, appearing from the shadows, reinforcements rushing to defend Maria's stronghold.
"Push forward!" Dante yelled, his voice a rallying cry that echoed through the chaos. His gun was steady in his hands, his focus unyielding as he moved with purpose.
I moved with him, staying close, my senses heightened. I could feel the tension in the air, the weight of the battle pressing down on me. But beneath it all, there was something more—something that gnawed at the back of my mind.
A feeling of unease. A sense that we were walking into a trap we hadn't even begun to understand.
We reached the compound's inner courtyard, where the fighting was fiercer. The air was thick with the sound of gunfire, shouts, and the clang of metal against metal. I could see Dante's men slowly pushing forward, but we were running out of time.
"Where's Maria?" I asked Dante, my voice sharp with worry. "She's not here. Why aren't we finding her?"
He didn't answer right away. His jaw tightened as he scanned the area, his eyes moving with deadly precision from one point to the next. "She's here," he said finally, his voice low. "Somewhere."
But I could feel it—something was wrong. We weren't just fighting Maria's men. We were being led into the heart of her trap, and we had no way of knowing where the real danger lay.
Suddenly, the ground beneath us shook with a deafening roar, and the compound's gates slammed shut with a thunderous crash. The world seemed to freeze for a moment, the sound of battle dying down as a new, far more ominous presence filled the air.
I turned toward Dante, my heart skipping a beat as realization hit me like a ton of bricks.
"She's playing us," I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips. "This was all a diversion."
Before Dante could respond, the ground beneath our feet gave way, and we were plunged into darkness.
---
When I regained consciousness, I was lying on a cold stone, my body aching with pain. My vision was blurry, and for a moment, I couldn't remember where I was. My head spun, and I tried to push myself up, but a sharp pain shot through my side, forcing me back down.
"Dante?" I called out, my voice weak.
There was no answer. Panic rose in my chest as I pushed through the haze of confusion. I tried to move, but my limbs felt heavy like they didn't belong to me. Every movement was slow, deliberate, and full of effort.
Where was I?
The darkness around me seemed to close in, and I could hear faint footsteps echoing in the distance. Someone was coming. Someone I didn't trust.
"Elizabeth," a voice rasped, low and familiar.
I froze, my blood running cold.
Maria.
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