A gunshot echoed somewhere in the distance, the explosion bouncing through the abandoned mill and causing Alan to stop dead.

Alex?

Following the sound, Alan picked up the pace. He stopped briefly and pulled his phone from his pocket but there was no reception within the structure.

No way to contact Sam.

With just the two guns for support, Alan headed towards the door on the far side of the production floor, hoping it would bring him closer to Alex.

* * *

The unmistakable clap of a gunshot echoed weakly in the distance, and all three men turned their attention to the back window. Sam prayed that it wasn’t Alex. That he was too late.

Since his demand of being taken to her, Vasquez had become increasingly tiresome. Casually puffing his cigar, he was adamant in maintaining his air of control.

It was the opposite for Sykes. With his masculinity threatened by Sam, Sykes had responded with vitriol and had made several promises of a grim demise for Sam, and an even worse fate for Alex.

It was all for show.

Sam had pieced together much of what was happening. Sykes and Vasquez were planning a working partnership and Sykes, forever the attack dog for Wyatt, was keen to show Vasquez that he could wield the axe if need be.

He was desperate for parity with a man who had clear intentions to keep him one step behind.

‘What was that?’ Sykes spun in his chair, his eyes betraying his confidence. Sam and Vasquez maintained their composure, their lack of fear only adding to Sykes’s increasing paranoia.

‘What is it you hope to happen, Sam?’ Vasquez asked, extinguishing his cigar in the ashtray. ‘How do you expect to walk away from this?’

‘I don’t,’ Sam replied coldly. ‘Just as long as she does.’

‘Admirable.’ Vasquez chuckled. ‘Tell me, are you looking for work? We could use a man like you.’

‘What are you doing?’ Sykes turned to Vasquez, his fist slamming the table.

‘It’s called business,’ Vasquez snapped back. ‘There are times where you assess a situation and don’t look for the immediate outcome. You look a few steps ahead.’

‘First off, I don’t think this partnership you guys are building is going to work. Just a feeling.’ Sam kept the gun trained on Vasquez. ‘Second, those are wise words but third, I’m not for hire.’

‘That’s a shame.’ Vasquez sat back in his chair, nonchalantly twirling the cigar case on the table. ‘Once you told me your name, we did some digging. Quite the life you’ve had, eh? Sam Pope, the man who brought down criminal empire after criminal empire. You would make an excellent trigger man.’