Everything goes still for a heartbeat. Then the shouting starts. “Get her! We can get that money!”
They lunge toward us. I don't think - I just shoot.
BANG. A man drops, clutching his neck.
BANG. Another hits the ground.
BANG. A third one goes down.
“RUN!” I scream. “GO!”
We sprint. I can hear them chasing us. My heart is pounding so hard it hurts. Suddenly, my foot catches on a piece of trash, and I trip. I hit the ground hard, and the gun skids away across the dirt. Before I can move, a man is on top of me, his hands crushing my throat. I can’t breathe.
“Kostya!” Yegor yells from ahead. “Get the gun and shoot him!”
I look up. Kostya is standing right there, looking at the gun on the ground.
“Kostya!” Yegor shouts again.
Kostya follows my gaze to the gun. His smile widens. Then his boot slams into it, kicking it far out of reach. “That’s what you get.”
Then he turns and runs.
“WHAT THE FUCK?!” I hear Yegor’s voice fading as he keeps running with the girls.
The man on my neck leans down. His breath is disgusting. I’m starting to see spots. I pull my legs up and kick as hard as I can, right into his groin. He screams and rolls off. I scramble for the gun, grab it, and shoot him point-blank.
BANG.
I’m up and running again. I turn the corner and see Lev and Grigori with their guns drawn. “We heard shots,” Lev says. “We saw your friends. What happened?”
I’m gasping for air, clutching my throat. “Where is he? Where is that bitch Kostya?”
“What’s going on, ma’am?” Lev asks, his hand already on his gun.
I’m gasping for air, and my throat is burning. “Just go. We have to go now!” The shouting from the alley is getting louder and closer. “Don’t ask questions! Just drive!” I scream.
We run for the SUV. I rip the door open and see Yegor, Yulia, and Larisa already inside. They are huddled together in the back seat, looking completely terrified.
“Drive! Drive! Drive!” I shout as I jump in and slam the door.
Lev doesn't wait. He shifts into gear and the engine roars.
“Where’s Kostya?” Grigori asks, looking at the empty seat.
“We can’t talk about that now!” I yell. “We need to go!”
The first gunshots hit as the men from the alley run after us, shooting into the air and at the car while Lev floors it. We go speeding through the narrow streets so fast the tires arescreeching on every turn as we swerve to dodge parked cars, trash cans, and anything else in the way.
A black car appears behind us, tailing us perfectly, and more gunshots hit the back of the SUV with a heavy thud that makes everyone jump.
“They’re shooting at us!” Yulia screams, covering her ears and ducking as low as she can.
Grigori takes action immediately, opening the sunroof and starting to aim his gun at the incoming car. While the black car swerves to avoid the bullets, it doesn’t pull away. Two more cars join in until there are three of them now, all firing at us at once.
“We need backup!” Grigori shouts into his earpiece. We’re under fire, and we need backup in the south district near the textile factories!"
Lev is weaving through traffic, cutting corners, and driving over curbs. The SUV skids sideways. My phone starts ringing in my pocket. It's Alexei.