SWNOVELS The Devil’s Fire by Mariam El-Hafi Chapter 17
Trigger Warning; Violence!
Damiano
Two more cars were coming from both directions of the main road. The powerful sounds of gunshots being fired were continuous and forced us to stay on the ground. I reached for the machine gun from the undercarriage that had been placed there for situations exactly like these. It wasn’t my first time, and these fuckers either had a death wish or were just plain stupid to be shooting after us.
They wouldn’t stand a chance, and I was about to show them how fast I could end their lives.
I looked over to the car next to me, seeing Lorenzo had reached for the machine gun as well. I had them planted on every single car to make sure there would always be weapons present. He looked at me and I gave a nod.
“Giovani, Antonio to your right. Dom, Luca to your left. On my count.” I ordered my men. They nodded in response and waited for the signal. I moved to the front of the car and Lorenzo followed my every move. I didn’t have to tell him anything. We were one mind in two bodies.
We were crouched down in front of the cars, waiting for the cars to come closer and for the moment the gunshots decreased. The idiots were all firing at the same time, making them run out of bullets at the same and had to reload… All at the same time.
Fucking amateurs.
“Now!” Right on cue, my men got up and shots were fired at the cars to create a distraction away from us. Lorenzo and I got up, back-to-back, and fired. The roaring blaze from the machine guns drowned out any other noises as they and the bullets flying took them down one by one. I aimed for the driver first, not giving him a single second of a chance to react as I made his face look like Swiss cheese. He slumped over the steering wheel and crashed right into a tree.
I held the machine gun in front of me and walked over to the car. The car door opened, and someone tried to make a run for it. I sighed at his cowardice and shot him three times in the back. If he was going to turn his back to his comrades to save his own life, then he deserved to be shot in the back.
I stopped by the car and opened the door to see if there were any survivors. A man in the backseat with a gunshot wound to his chest, groaning in pain, and gasping for air. I aimed my gun at him and shot him in the head without blinking an eye.
The light of a phone screen caught my attention on the floor. I picked it up and saw an incoming call, shaking my head when I saw who it was. I turned to face Lorenzo, holding the phone up for him to see the name.
“Roberto.” He sneered at the sight of his name, and I smirked.
“Wrap up and have someone clean this mess. We have someone we need to visit.” I ordered my men and got into my
car.
The sight of container ships entered my view as we drove up
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to the warehouse. I got out of the car and took a look around while the sun was slowly disappearing below the horizon. I turned around and made my way to the warehouse, two men standing on either side of the warehouse door, aiming their guns at us, ready to fire. I almost closed my eyes in
annoyance. The stupidity to think they would be able to stand a chance when they were clearly outnumbered.
How pathetic.
I looked over to the approaching form and saw Giannino making his way toward us with two more men behind him.
“Bellavia!” He smiled with his arms half-raised in a welcome
gesture.
“To what do I owe the honor for you to come all the way out here?” He stopped in front of me and clasped his hands behind his back.
“Where is Roberto?” I got straight to the point as my patience had already worn out. He looked around and saw my men were ready to fire if they tried to make a move.
“He’s inside.” He decided to answer after having assessed the situation. I looked at Antonio and Luca and motioned for
them to follow me and Lorenzo.
“Roberto!” Giannino called out. Roberto came out from the stacks of pallets that almost filled the entire warehouse. His facial expression showed nothing, but his body betrayed him as he slightly gulped, and his hands trembled before he clenched them into a fist.
“Roberto, tell me why you have troubled the gentlemen to come here?” His father asked suspiciously.
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A Man Of His Words
1 288 Vouchers
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He tried to have a brave look on his face, but he kept shifting his weight on his
feet.
“There was a drive-by shooting just outside the church earlier today. Do you know anything about it?” I raised my brow at him, giving him a chance to explain himself. He furrowed his brows and shook his head. I looked over to Antonio and Luca and nodded at them. In no time, they had their guns drawn out and shot the two men Giannino had with him. Two more gunshots could be heard from the outside, and the men who stood by the entrance went to meet their creator.
“Damiano, I demand an explanation!” Giannino erupted and looked at me with a furious expression.
“You don’t demand shit here.” I stated in a low tone and I glared at him. I looked over to Roberto, narrowing my eyes at him.
“My patience is running really low, Roberto. Tell me what you know about the episode.” Roberto glared at me and spit on the ground close to my feet. I looked down where he spat and looked back at him again.
“Wrong move.” I said calmly. Antonio and Luca grabbed Roberto’s arms and forced them behind his back,
straightening him up for Lorenzo to deliver a powerful punch in his stomach. I pulled out my pack of cigarettes and lit one up. I took a long draft and looked at Roberto who groaned in pain and tried to take a breath to compose himself.
“Roberto, one last time. I’ll spare your life.” I continued to smoke while I waited for him.
“You don’t spare anyone!” He yelled out angrily. He was taking
harsh intakes of breaths while still being held by Antonio and
Luca.
“I am a man of my word.” He looked hesitant before he finally spoke.
“Look, I don’t know who it is. A phone was put in my bag when I was doing my rounds on the streets. I got a phone call, and I couldn’t tell who it was. It was some weird robotic voice. They didn’t order us to shoot anyone, it was just to scare you.” Roberto quickly explained and I looked at him for a while. He was too much of a coward to be a part of the shooting and had sent people to their deaths.
“Where’s the phone?”
“I dumped it in the water when I received the money.”
“How much?”
“20 grand each.” I pulled my gun out.
“You gave me your word!” Roberto yelled.
“I did.” I turned around and fired a bullet between Giannino’s brows, dropping dead to the floor.
“What the fuck man!” He shouted in fright.
“For raising a cunt.” I said calmly as I walked over to him.
“I gave you my word that I would spare your life. But you see
..” I nodded towards Lorenzo.
“My brother’s soon-to-be wife was there. I wonder what my dear brother has to say to that.” Lorenzo had a devilish smirk on his face, pulled out his knife, and grabbed a fistful of
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Roberto’s hair.
“I won’t be the one killing you.” I smirked and turned around.
“No – wait!” The sound of agony reached my ears as I made my way outside. I threw the bud of the cigarette to the floor and when I neared my car. I stopped in my tracks as I looked to the right and noticed Carlos. I looked around and scoffed when Gaetano was nowhere to be seen.
That bastard always took the easy way out and let his men do the dirty work for him.
I changed my direction and walked over to Carlos, who was happily talking to two other men who also worked for the bastard. I grabbed Carlos by the collar of his shirt, and my fist went back and punched him repeatedly in the face.
One time. Two times. Three times.
I watched the blood smear out all over his face but I didn’t stop until I heard the satisfying crack as I broke his nose. No one tried to stop me. No one dared to stop, knowing it would only result in their death.
I pushed him up against the car, grabbed his jaw tightly in my hand, and took my knife out. The cries of pain satisfied me as I slowly cut deeply into his face.
“If you touch her one more time, and I promise, I will give you a slow and painful death.” I warned him in a low, cold voice. I tightened my hold on his jaw and he quickly nodded his head as he couldn’t say anything. I slammed him roughly into the car and gave him one last glare before letting him go.
I walked back to my car, now desperate to see the woman
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who had captivated me with her big innocent green eyes.