Chapter 6 - Rain of Brass
The steel mill turned into a warzone. The sound of gunfire was a continuous, deafening drumbeat.
Brick moved through the shadows with the lethal grace of an apex predator. He used the environment to his advantage—dropping heavy steel girders on advancing mercenaries, detonating C4 charges behind rusted furnaces, and picking off targets from the catwalks. He was a one-man army fueled by a decade-old blood debt.
But the Syndicate was highly trained. Eventually, they pinned him down near the central smelting pit. A bullet grazed Brick’s shoulder, spinning him around. Another caught him in the thigh. He dropped behind a heavy iron pillar, gasping, his rifle clicking empty.
From the smoke stepped the leader of the Syndicate—a tall, elegant man in a bespoke suit, holding a silver, suppressed pistol.
"You fought well, biker," the man said smoothly, his boots crunching on broken glass. "But you are bleeding out. Tell me where the boy is, and I will let you die quickly."
Brick dragged himself up, leaning heavily against the pillar. He spit a mouthful of blood onto the floor and laughed—a wet, rattling sound. "You talk too much."
The suited man sighed and raised his pistol.
Suddenly, a heavy metal wrench dropped from the catwalk above, smashing directly into the suited man’s shoulder. The gun discharged wildly into the floor.
Brick looked up. Leo had climbed out of the safe room. The terrified but furious boy was standing on the catwalk, having thrown the tool to save his protector.
The distraction was all Brick needed. With a roar of pure adrenaline, he launched himself forward, tackling the Syndicate leader over the edge of the guardrail. They crashed onto the lower platform. The suited man scrambled for his gun, but Brick was faster. He pulled the massive .50 caliber Desert Eagle from his holster and fired.
The thunderous boom echoed into silence. The leader lay still.
The remaining mercenaries, seeing their boss fall and their numbers decimated, broke formation and fled into the night.
Brick collapsed onto his back, staring up at the rusted ceiling, his breathing shallow. A moment later, Leo’s small face appeared over him, crying uncontrollably.
"I told you... to stay put," Brick wheezed, though a faint smile touched his lips.
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"You left your luck," Leo sobbed, opening his hand. He had kept the gold coin. "I had to help."
Brick closed his eyes, laughing softly. "Good kid."
