"Stay here," Alex instructed the children firmly, rushing into the house without hesitation.
Inside, two men stood menacingly: one aimed a gun directly at Josephine, while the other struggled to rise from the floor-a clear sign that Josephine had already put up a fight.
An elderly woman sat silently in her wheelchair, her eyes filled with both fear and defiance.
"Drop that stick," the gunman barked at Josephine.
"This time, I won''t miss. I''ll shoot you!"
Josephine stood her ground in front of the old woman, her arm bleeding from a grazed bullet wound.
"We''re not selling thend," she dered fiercely. "Go back and tell your boss he can go straight to hell!"
The man fired a warning shot at the floor near her feet, causing splinters to fly. "Looks like you don''t understand who you''re dealing with," he sneered.
The other man, clutching his injured leg, red at her as he staggered upright.
"You little bitch," he hissed.
"You dare to fight back? Take off your clothes. Sign the papers to sell thend, or I''ll kill the old woman and make you wish you were dead."
His gaze roamed over her with a lecherous glint; despite her simple attire, Josephine''s beauty was unmistakable.
"I wouldn''t advise that," Alex''s voice cut through the tension as he stepped into the room.
"Who the hell are you?" the gunman asked.
This was supposed to be an easy job-an old woman, some kids, and a young woman who wouldn''t resist.
He never expected this to be so difficult and time-consuming; his boss was already rethinking his capabilities.
"Take one more step, and I''ll shoot," the man warned, aiming his weapon at Alex. Unfazed, Alex continued to advance.
Before the gunman could react, Alex swiftly disarmed him, twisting the gun out of his grasp.
fx
+25 BONOS
"When you threaten to shoot someone, you should know what it''s like to be on the other end."
Alex turned the gun on the man and fired into his thigh.
The man cried out, copsing as blood seeped through his pants.
"I aimed for the flesh-you''ll live," Alex stated tly.
"Now kneel and apologize, or the next one''s going in your head."
Panic shed across the man''s face. "You... you wouldn''t dare..."
Without a word, Alex shot him in the other leg.
The man screamed, pain and fear overtaking him.
"Stop wasting time," Alexmanded. "Say you''re sorry.''
Whimpering, the man dropped to his knees.
His partner, seeing the resolve in Alex''s eyes, quickly followed suit, bowing his head in submission. "We are truly sorry."
Josephine''s face was pale, her eyes wide with concern.
"Alex, these men are with the mafia. You need to leave. They''lle after you."
Alex nced down at the wounded men.
"Are you going toe back and harass them?"
"We... we won''t," the man stammered.
Alex gave a curt nod. "Good, I don''t buy it. Take me to your boss."
He grabbed one of them by the cor, lifting him slightly. "Let''s go."
"Alex, what are you doing?" Josephine eximed, grabbing his arm. "These are dangerous people. You can''t just confront them!"
He looked into her worried eyes. "I injured their men; it''s only right I meet their leader."
"They belong to the ck Snake gang," she insisted urgently. "They''re one of the biggest mafia
groups around since the Walker syndicate fell!"
Alex offered a reassuring smile. "Trust me. I have stood on fields where bullets fell
like rain. Their threats are nothing but empty words to me."
"Please, promise me you''ll be safe," Josephine pleaded.
+25 BONOS
"I promise," he said gently, before leading the two men outside.
They climbed into the mafia''s ck SUV. As they drove, Alex nced at the men.
"Take me to your boss."
They exchanged uneasy looks butplied, secretly hoping their gang''s headquarters would be the end of this idiot.
Alex took a first-aid kit from the dashboard and tossed it into the back seat. "Tend
to your wounds."
The injured man red but begrudgingly began to bandage his legs.
"You," Alex addressed the driver coolly, "why does your boss want theirnd so badly?"
The driver smirked, confident that Alex''s fate was sealed.
"Big redevelopment ns in the Vancouver slums. Some part of thend used to
be an orphanage. Our boss wants to buy it cheap and flip it to developers for a huge profit."
Alex''s jaw tightened; it was his n.
"So you''ve been strong-arming others out of their homes?"
"Yeah," the driver admitted smugly. "We''ve scooped up lots of properties, selling
them for twenty, fifty times what we paid. Easy money."
Disgust churned in Alex''s stomach. "Exploiting the vulnerable for profit."
An hourter, they arrived at a towering twenty-story building-the gang''s headquarters.
"Tell your boss I wish to speak with him," Alex ordered.
The driver didn''t need to be told twice.
He bolted from the car, shouting, "There''s a guy out here who attacked our men! Get out here and finish him!"
Alex shook his head, unperturbed. He nced at the wounded man in the back seat, who sneered defiantly.
"You''re a dead man," the thug spat. "And because of you, those orphans will suffer. I will make that youngdy scream, you jerk!"
Without hesitation, Alex raised the gun and shot the man.
"That''s for yourck of remorse," he said coolly.
+25 BONOS
Stepping out of the car, Alex stood tall, his gaze fixed on the building.
"Criminals like you are a cancer on this city," he murmured.
"And like any cancer, it''s hard to destroy-but I happen to be a doctor."
He squared his shoulders, his gaze steady.
Above, shadows shifted behind the windows as armed men moved into position, weapons glinting ominously.
About a hundred people were ready.
Alex took a step forward.
One man''s courage can defy an army; one heart can be stronger than a thousand
weapons.