BELMONT CITY BORDER
Armored cars and armored trucks screeched to a halt on a vast expanse of scorched land, and men armed with AKs, shotguns, and even RPGs rushed out of these vehicles. They made use of their armored trucks as a barricade. Their guns were aimed and ready to shoot whatever was coming from afar.
"Boss, we're at the border now, the gringos haven't showed up yet, but we have information they will soon be here in half an hour." A man armed with an AK was speaking on the phone. He was wearing a Kevlar bulletproof vest, and on his waist holstered a SIG.312 handgun.
"Stay on guard, no one is taking Belmont City from us." A deep gruff voice spoke from the phone.
"Yes Boss." The man replied and shoved the phone into his pocket. Just then, an armored car drove up from Belmont to the border. A young man dressed in a casual outfit walked out.. but despite his casual wear, none of the armed men dared look down on him.
"What's he doing here?" The armed man muttered.
"Is that him?"
"..the devil of Belmont City."
"..I heard he can't be killed."
"..I heard that every time he's killed, he rises up even stronger than before. That's why he's called a revenant."
Whispers of tall tales swirled around as the man walked up to the armed man who had just shoved a phone into his pocket earlier.
"Are you in charge here?" Damon asked.
"Yes. I am Vatro, from the Alejandro district." The man replied.
"Good. Get me your best man, he will act as a guide while I scout ahead. I will thin the herd, and you can pick up the stragglers that slip past my fingers." Damon spoke with authority.
The man frowned, but he knew he had no power to refuse Damon. The man turned another beside him. "Get Valentina over here."
Just then, a young sexy latina walked over. "You needed me, Boss?"
"The leader of Revenant group needs you. You will act as his guide." The man said.
"Let's go." Damon said and walked back to his car.
*
They were driving toward a small town controlled by the Belmonts. Suddenly he saw a truck speeding towards them.
"A truck?" Damon muttered, his eyes narrowing.
A shiver ran down his spine. He suddenly said, "Step on it."
As he spoke, he pushed on Valentina's knee. It was her cue. She understood immediately and slammed her foot down on the gas pedal.
Her car was automatic...she hated driving manual...so just that small nudge was enough to make it speed up.
The engine of the F150 roared loudly as it picked up speed.
Just then, Damon spotted something massive moving nearby. Headlights flared to life, and the deep growl of another engine followed. A huge truck was charging straight at them from the side street.
Damon's chest tightened. His heart pounded.
Blinding lights flashed...and then the shape of the monstrous truck became clear.
It was coming straight for them.
"Faster! Go, go!" Damon shouted.
BANG!
The sound was deafening. Damon didn't pass out, but for a second, the whole world spun.
It was the car.
Their armored vehicle spun off the road, crashing through a line of wooden fences before slamming into the front yard of someone's house.
They had barely escaped.
Damon's quick reaction...and how well he and Valentina worked together...had saved their lives. The truck missed the passenger side by just inches. Instead, it smashed into the back of their car.
If they had accelerated even a second later, Damon would've been crushed on the spot.
His heart pounded in his chest, wild and fast.
About ten meters away, hidden in the bushes, a pair of cold, watchful eyes stared at the half-destroyed armored car.
"Now," the owner of those eyes ordered.
Da-da-da! Da-da-da!
Gunfire exploded around them.
Damon's body was stronger than most. Even so, the crash had knocked the wind out of him. His seatbelt squeezed his chest, making it hard to breathe.
But when the bullets started flying, he immediately ducked and yelled, "We need to move! Now!"
Valentina was still dazed, but she reached for her door, unlocked it, and tried to push it open.
It didn't move.
"It's stuck!" she said, panic creeping into her voice.
Damon looked and saw the problem: a wooden railing was blocking her door. It could only open a few centimeters.
"Damn it!" he snapped, quickly yanking off his seatbelt. He unlocked his own door and kicked it open hard...it swung wide without anything in the way.
He didn't waste a second. He grabbed the heavy firearms between the seats and shouted, "Crawl over to my side! We're getting out through here!"
They had to move fast.
In just a few seconds, the gunshots had drawn closer. Bullets tore through the hedges and smashed into the car. The attackers were trying to turn their vehicle...and them...into Swiss cheese.
Damon pushed himself out in a weird, clumsy motion, half crawling and half sliding.
As soon as he got outside, a sharp pain stabbed him in the side.
It wasn't a direct hit...it felt more like a bullet had scraped his ribs. Still, it hurt like hell.
He knew that even with a bulletproof vest, shots from that close could do damage. But at least he wasn't bleeding. The vest had done its job, barely.
Gritting his teeth, he reached back into the car with one hand and pulled Valentina out with the other.
Together, they crawled to a corner of the yard.
The car was mostly hidden behind flowers and bushes, but the rest of the yard was too open. If they stayed there, they'd be sitting ducks.
They were still catching their breath when more gunshots rang out.
This time, the noise came from behind them. Valentina turned to run out of fear.
"Are you crazy?" he snapped. "There are at least seven guys shooting at us. You'll get killed before you take two steps!"
"I have to help them!" she shouted, trying to break free. "I can't just leave them!"
Damon didn't hesitate...he slapped her.
That shocked her into stillness.
"Do you want to lead those gunmen right to them?" he barked. "You charge in like this, and your whole family dies."
Valentina froze, shaking.
Damon didn't stop moving. He pulled on a bullet belt and grabbed a shotgun. He tossed a tactical vest to her and said, "Put this on. We're gonna kill every last one of them."
Then, softer, he added, "Trust Robert. He won't let anything happen to your family."
She hesitated for a moment, but nodded. She trusted Damon.
She pulled on the vest. It had five loaded magazines. Damon threw her an M4A1 rifle, and she caught it.
Her eyes hardened.
"Let's kill them all," she said.
Damon gave a small sigh of relief. He had been worried she'd lose control and rush to her death.
He nodded and said, "Cover me while falling back. Keep them busy."
"What about you?" she asked.
He slung the shotgun over his shoulder. "I'm going to circle around and hit them from the back. Through Bill's house."
She understood immediately.
Bill's place was across the street. If Damon got there, they could trap the attackers between two directions. The gunmen would be stuck in a crossfire.
"Got it," she said.
She ran to a safer spot, crouched low, and started firing at the gunmen advancing through the yard.