Noah's hands gripped the windowsill, knuckles white as he peered out into the night. The street below was a tableau of terror, more than a dozen men standing in a line, their machine guns aimed menacingly at the house.

"Fuck-!!"

- DADADADADADADADA!!!

The rapid, relentless bursts of machine gun fire drowned out Noah's panicked exclamation, each burst of bullets a relentless assault against the safety of their home. He staggered back from the window, nearly dodging the bullets aiming for his head, his heart pounding in his chest.

The walls seemed to close in around him as the reality of the situation settled in. He was trapped in a nightmare, his family's lives hanging by a thread. The gunfire outside continued, a brutal reminder of the danger they were in.

Noah collapsed onto the floor, his hands covering his ears as if trying to block out the horrifying sound. His mind raced with thoughts of escape, of survival.

-DADADADADADADA!!!

The sound was deafening, a cacophony of destruction that filled every corner of Noah's mind. The walls of the house seemed to tremble with each impact. The once-familiar rooms now felt alien and hostile, as though the house itself had turned against them. Noah's breath came in ragged gasps, his heart pounding in his chest like a drumbeat of impending doom.

'Mom, Dad!...'

In the chaos, He quickly got up and bolted down the stairs, his legs moving almost instinctively. The living room was a stark contrast to its usual calm.

Gary and Avanta were huddled in the kitchen, the only sanctuary from the storm of bullets. Avanta's face was pale, her eyes wide with fear as she clutched Aaron for support.

Gary, his face set in grim determination, had already taken a position near the door, a grim expression etched on his face.

"Dad! Mom!" Noah's voice cracked with urgency as he skidded to a halt in the kitchen, the cacophony of gunfire muffled but still omnipresent.

- Woof! Woof!!... Woof!!

Aaron saw him, his desperate cries muffled by the loud sound of gunfire.

Gary glanced up briefly, his eyes meeting Noah's with a look of grave concern. "Noah, get your mother and get out of here!" he shouted over the din, his voice firm yet tinged with an edge of desperation. "Get to safety, now!"

"No! I'm not leaving you!" Noah protested, his voice barely audible over the roar of the guns.

Gary's face hardened, a storm of emotions flickering across his features. "There's no time for this! I'll try to hold them off. You and your mother need to escape. Go, now!" The gun in his grasp tightened, the weight of it seeming to embolden him. "I'll take care of this."

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Noah's heart pounded as he looked between his parents, the terror in Avanta's eyes a stark contrast to Gary's steely resolve. "Dad, no—"

"Go!" Gary's voice was commanding, cutting through Noah's protests with an authority that brooked no argument. "I love you both. Now, go!"

With a heavy heart, Noah took Avanta's arm and guided her towards the back door.

"Mom! We need to go!.."

"N-, No, Gary!!"

- Woof! Woof!

Her tears flowed freely, her silent pleas for her husband hanging in the air like a heavy shroud. Noah led her through the chaos, every step a desperate scramble to escape the relentless barrage of bullets...

Outside, the night air was colder, a sharp contrast to the oppressive heat of the house. Noah and Avanta stumbled through the backyard, their movements frantic as they tried to find cover. Behind them, the sounds of Gary's struggle filled the night, a grim reminder of the fight he was putting up...

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***

- DADADADADADADA!!!

- Thup!! Thup!!... Thup!!

Inside, Gary was a figure of grim determination, moving with practiced efficiency. He ducked behind furniture, the gun in his hands a tool of desperate resistance. Each burst of fire from the outside was met with a counter-fire, his familiar home now a battlefield. The once orderly space was now a chaotic war zone, with overturned furniture and splintered wood creating makeshift barriers.

He moved with a precise, calculated aggression, using the layout of the house to his advantage. He knew every corner, every nook, and cranny, and he used that knowledge to keep the attackers at bay, eliminating more than five men in the process.

But despite his best efforts, the odds were not in his favor. The gunfire was relentless, and each passing moment brought a new wave of attackers.

As Gary fought valiantly,

- Thup!!

"Argh!!"

A sudden, sharp pain erupted in his chest. The force of the bullet threw him backward, his breath escaping in a harsh gasp. He collapsed to the floor, the gun slipping from his grasp. The world around him seemed to blur, the sounds of the gunfire fading into a distant roar...

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***

Noah and Avanta had managed to find temporary cover behind a building, the walls offering scant protection. Noah's heart ached with each muffled sound of gunfire, his hold on Aaron's snot, preventing him from barking out loud. The knowledge that Gary was fighting and possibly dying behind those walls was unbearable.

"Dad...," Noah whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "I'm so sorry. I should have listened. I—"

A chilling realization cut through his thoughts. The gunfire had suddenly stopped, replaced by an eerie silence. Noah glanced back towards the house, his eyes wide with fear. The absence of sound was almost worse than the noise. It meant something had changed.

Avanta clutched Noah's arm, her eyes filled with a mix of dread and determination. "We have to go, Noah. We can't stay here."

He nodded, forcing himself to focus. They had to keep moving, had to find safety. But the moment he turned his back, a sharp, single sound of gun firing pierced the air, followed by a chilling silence. Noah spun around, his heart racing as he saw the flickering lights of gunfire.

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***

Gary's figure, once standing firm, now lay motionless on the floor, his blood staining the wood beneath him. The attacker responsible stood over him, a cruel satisfaction evident in his eyes. Robert Williams, his suit pristine despite the chaos, approached Gary with a cold, calculating gaze.

"Ah, Gary Wilson," Robert said, his voice smooth and mocking. "I've heard so much about you. An ex-military captain, skilled in martial arts, a man of principle and strength. I must say, I've always admired those who can stand their ground."

Gary, struggling to breathe, looked up at Robert with a mixture of pain and defiance. "Who... who are you?"

Robert's smile widened. "The name's Robert Williams. I'm the man who's going to end your miserable existence. You see Gary, your squirt caused a lot of trouble for me. Killed my one and only son, so I'm here to return the favor."

Gary's eyes flared with anger. "Mothefuc*er... I already called the cops to arrest my own son... was this really necessary?..."

Robert chuckled, crouching down beside Gary, his face inches from his. "Oh, but it does. I've always believed in a certain... balance. You kill my child, and I must balance the scales. It's just the way things work in my world."

Gary gasped, blood staining his lips.

"You... you think this is justice?"

"Justice? Hahahahah!!" Robert's voice was filled with laughter. "No, no, no, Gary! Please don't talk like that! We are both killers, hell, you killed more than me in Afghanistan than I killed in my entire life!" He paused, voice filled with mockery, "... No, Gary. This is vengeance. There's a difference. And you, my friend, was great with the gun, that I can applaud."

Robert's gaze flickered around the house, a small smile adoring his lips, "I must admit, I've grown fond of this house, it reminds me of my humble beginning. You've done well to protect it. But now, it's time to bring down the curtains."

Gary's vision blurred, his strength waning. "You'll never... get away with this..."

Robert straightened, his eyes gleaming with sinister light. "Oh, but I already have, Gary. The police? They're bought and paid for. Your family? They'll be dealt with in due course. But first, I need to send you to Bruno. Please say hi to him.

With a final, chilling smile, Robert aimed his gun at Gary's head.

- Thup!!...

The sound of the shot echoed through the room, a brutal punctuation to Robert's psychopathic monologue. Gary's head snapped back, and he fell to the floor, lifeless.

Robert stood over him, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Goodbye, Gary. It was... interesting meeting you."

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