Chương 23: The Fall of Inferno (Part two)
The dozens of men who had turned back to rescue Felix stood frozen in place, their hands trembling as they held their knives. They stared at Mark and his blood-soaked stiletto, fear overwhelming them and sapping their will to fight. "The deputy leader is dead! Run for your lives!" one Inferno gang member shouted as he bolted into the darkness. The others, previously frozen, began to flee in all directions.
Hearing that their deputy leader had been killed and witnessing their comrades flee, the Inferno members fell into disarray. They scattered like headless flies, trampling over their wounded companions in their panic. The twenty-four Iron Guards and the two hundred Blood Edge members relentlessly pursued the fleeing Inferno gang, cutting them down as they ran. Those who had fallen reached out for help, only to be trampled by their own fleeing comrades.
With most of Inferno's forces scattered or dead, around three to four hundred lay on the ground, the night filled with the sounds of their cries and screams.
Mark conducted a headcount; none of his two hundred and twenty-four men had fallen, and only a few had sustained minor injuries. Satisfied, he said, "Excellent. You have proven yourselves worthy of the Reaper gang. But our battle is not over. Our next target is Inferno's headquarters. By dawn, we must obliterate them."
While Mark and his men were engaged in combat with Inferno, Reaper gang's T City branch leader Liam led two hundred men to attack Inferno's various establishments in the city. With Felix having taken most of their elite fighters, the venues were left with only guards and a few thugs, who were easily overwhelmed by Reaper's forces. In less than two hours, over twenty Inferno properties, including clubs, bars, and underground casinos, were destroyed.
Inferno's leader, Owen, was in bed with his lover when the commotion began. Annoyed by the knocking, he cursed, "Damn it, can't you wait until I'm done?"
"Boss, it's bad. The Reaper gang has killed the deputy leader and wrecked more than twenty of our places," a guard reported from outside.
Startled, Owen sat up, incredulous. "Where are all our men?"
"Boss, only about three hundred made it back. The Reaper gang is about to break in," the guard replied cautiously.
Owen hurriedly put on his clothes, and his lover held his waist and said softly, "I'm still not happy, so just leave, you heartless thing."
Owen ignoring his lover's complaints. He slapped her hard, snarling, "My life is at stake here! You can enjoy yourself alone!" He stormed out, heading to the conference room.
In the conference room, Owen, looking at his groggy lieutenants, demanded, "The Reaper gang is almost here. What's your plan?"
These people had just gotten out of bed, with heavy sleepiness on their faces. One of them yawned and said, "Boss, we'll do whatever you say." The others nodded in agreement.
Furious, Owen shouted, "If I had a plan, I wouldn't be asking you! Useless idiots! Get out!"
As they shuffled out, Owen slumped in his chair, his mind racing with questions. He couldn't understand how the Reaper gang had become so formidable or how his seven to eight hundred men had been routed by just a few hundred.
Suddenly, his lieutenants rushed back in. "Boss, the Reaper gang has surrounded the headquarters and is about to break in!" one exclaimed.
Owen's hand trembled. "They came so fast," he muttered. He stood and ordered, "Hold every entrance. We must hold out until morning when the police arrive."
One of his men whispered, "Boss, maybe we should call the police now. If the Reaper gang breaks in, you'll be in danger."
Owen kicked him under the table, shouting, "Idiot! What would I tell the police? That we're losing to the Reaper gang? And do you think the police will help us?"
"Stop standing around and go guard the entrances!" he roared.
His men hurried out, securing every entrance with tables and chairs. Owen, in the third-floor conference room, had the lights turned off and peered out the window, seeing hundreds of shadows approaching. His bodyguards drew their guns. One asked, "Boss, should we shoot?"
Owen considered it. "Only if we can't hold them off any longer," he decided. He knew that shooting would escalate the situation, making it difficult to explain to the authorities.
Mark stopped twenty meters from Inferno's headquarters, studying the three-story building. Seeing the lights go out, he knew they were prepared. He turned to Liam and said, "Take your two hundred men and two hundred Blood Edge members to feign an attack on the first floor and draw their attention. I'll take the Iron Guards and attack from the second-floor windows."
Liam nodded. "Don't worry, Mark. We'll manage."
"Reaper gang, follow me to crush Inferno!" Liam shouted, leading the charge. The Reaper gang surged towards the building.
Inside, the Inferno members, seeing the mass of attackers, gripped their weapons tightly, sweat soaking their palms. Their focus was entirely on Liam's men, unaware of the twenty-five figures moving like shadows towards the building's side.
Mark and the Iron Guards reached the side wall without a sound. The dark first-floor windows offered no view inside. Mark crouched and whispered, "I'll go in first; follow me."
"Be careful, Mark," the Iron Guards murmured.
Smiling at the four-meter-high second-floor window, Mark sprang up, kicking off the wall to gain height, and grasped the windowsill. With a powerful pull, he was inside. The sound of breaking glass echoed as he entered an office. Listening at the door, he heard faint footsteps in the corridor. One by one, the Iron Guards followed, entering through the broken window. Drawing his stiletto, Mark commanded, "Let's charge."
Dozens of Inferno members patrolled the second-floor staircase, their nerves on edge. The sudden crash and the sight of black figures charging towards them sent them fleeing to the third floor in terror.
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