image [https://img.wattpad.com/story_parts/1495542709/images/18075b1f4fa9748f783573480551.jpg]
Johnny walked away from the mansion's entrance, pulling a pack of cigars from his pocket. He grabbed one, flicked open a lighter from his other pocket, and lit it up nice and slow, taking a deep drag as he looked up at the sky. The moon was full, stars all out in force that night.
If Ivan thinks he can play me, he's got another thing comin', he thought, clamping the cigar between his teeth with a sly grin.
Memories started comin' back. Must've been between '07 and '14. He remembered how some of the Spyders' members got snatched up. Ears cut off and mailed out. And even an execution when a Spyder wouldn't spill on their leader's whereabouts. Then he recalled some college kid who had been pushing crack for the Spyders. It was '10 and Jacob was there that day, all hyped to get in on the action. A year after slaughtering Viktor.
They were just outside Vicary City, still in Kansas, but out in this run-down little town called Ellsworth County. The place was a total dump, half the walls crumbling, busted windows, and graffiti all over.
Inside, it was worse. Mold everywhere, beams about ready to cave in. The whole place looked like it would fall apart any second.
The dude was tied to a chair in there. They had grabbed him in an alley, thrown a bag over his head, and dragged him in. With his hands and feet tied up, the Cobras ripped off the bag.
The kid looked about twenty-five. Long brown hair, a little chubby, blue eyes. College boy type. They used to call him "Angel Face" because he was this squeaky-clean kid from the high-end part of Dragonhill. Totally unsuspected.
Johnny and Jacob sat across from him, both on these old wooden chairs, just watching as the kid muttered his last words [https://img.wattpad.com/c42b4d5e5806a47501cd96b6c1f671d786b3208e/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f44674376546c7170527533746e673d3d2d313439353534323730392e313830636462323137616239336537373339343233383139303338362e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Johnny and Jacob sat across from him, both on these old wooden chairs, just watching as the kid muttered his last words. Johnny had his arms crossed, while Jacob was almost laughing at the scene that was unfolding before his eyes. The goons with them were totally pounding the kid's gut and ribs.
«Alright, boys, stop,» Johnny told them, and they stepped back as they heard the sound of his voice [https://img.wattpad.com/887990b234e9f88b9804536e7be5887b7f9b5110/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f43435675586d7348797878714a773d3d2d313439353534323730392e313830636461633364313233353835643332353234373233353531352e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
«Alright, boys, stop,» Johnny told them, and they stepped back as they heard the sound of his voice.
The kid started coughing up blood, spitting some out along with a couple of teeth. He looked dazed, barely breathing.
«L-look, guys... you... you don't gotta do all this...» he stammered, catching his breath in between. «I just... I'm just in it for the... cash,» he said, as Johnny got up and walked around him.
The kid then stared at Johnny as he got closer. To his left.
«I... don't care about the... Spyders, I... I could help you make bank,» he tried to bargain, nodding like he was serious. «Y'know, I got this... guy...» he kept going, but Johnny just stopped at his side, looking down at him like he was almost convinced.
«That's enough,» Johnny said, pulling his Desert Eagle from his hip.
He pressed the barrel to the dude's temple, and the poor guy started sweating bullets, but then Johnny's eyes shifted to Jacob.
«Genghis Khan, Pol Pot, Alexander the Great. You know why they came out on top, Jacob?» Johnny asked with his chin high.
Jacob wasn't expecting that kind of question right then. He remained silent but furrowed his brows. He then shrugged like saying, «No clue.»
«'Cause they had the guts to do what others wouldn't,» Johnny replied to his question and pulled the trigger, splattering the dude's brains.
Jacob jerked his neck slightly at the sound of the shot and blinked a couple of times. It was the first time Johnny had ever lectured him like that.
I didn't think he'd actually do it, thought the Cobra scion as he watched his dad approach, but Johnny then stopped and turned to his guys.
«Cut him up, I want him in a suitcase,» the boss ordered, as he threw a look at his victim, still with his blue eyes open.
The goons nodded, pulled out their machetes and whatnot, and got to work, while Johnny and Jacob headed out of the building.
«Why didn't you give him a shot, Dad?» Jacob asked, pausing before opening the door to Johnny's McLaren. «If he was as good as he said he was, he could've made us better deals.»
«We don't take prisoners, Jacob,» his father stopped and answered. «That guy would have said anything to save his ass. Anything.» Johnny continued, leaning on the door of the car. «Never show mercy to your enemies, Jacob. Ever. Remember that,» Johnny finished, as the two got into the car.
Back in the present, Johnny took out his phone, opened up his Telegram convo with his brother Wade, and sent a quick message.
«I'm about to meet with Ivan. Might be something big. You in?»
His brother's reply came quick.
«Can't. I'm dealin' with a trade.»
Johnny read it and sighed. Wade was talking about their meth business.
Shortly after, he saw four luxury cars pull up a little ways off. A black Bentley, a white Mercedes AMG, a dark gray Maserati, and a light gray Lamborghini. Out of the Bentley came Hank, from the Mercedes Elijah, from the Maserati Henry, and finally, from the Lamborghini, Theodore. These were his trusted men.
«You seriously trust that bastard?» asked Elijah as he walked past Johnny's parked car. He was big, broad-shouldered, totally jacked. A tank. He had a tight blond ponytail, green eyes, and tattoos going from his forehead down to his neck. He wore a white shirt and a black vest.
Johnny shrugged and took another drag off his cigar [https://img.wattpad.com/229643068668ac4b00b4647db3750af4a7bab058/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6d4e354153554f623161496c75513d3d2d313439353534323730392e313830636462333839666333613737333134343737303431353131342e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Johnny shrugged and took another drag off his cigar.
«I trust no one, Eli,» he started, watching his guy step up and stop in front of him. «But if what he says is true, we better be ready.»
«Honestly, I've never even heard of 'em,» added Hank, standing to Johnny's left. He was skinny, had a receding hairline, big black eyebrows, and a scar over his left eye. He wore a black suit with a red tie.
«Wade backed it up, and so did Samantha,» replied Johnny, pushing off the wall and looking at each of his guys [https://img.wattpad.com/90e908dbf4300c950116a82612f705fd1ca8c6d8/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f47575051725069753570476939513d3d2d313439353534323730392e313830636462386635316462623739303838323733363632373637312e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
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«Wade backed it up, and so did Samantha,» replied Johnny, pushing off the wall and looking at each of his guys.
«I did hear about them too. The issue is, these outcasts know how we work,» Henry chimed in from Johnny's right. He was kinda chubby, bald, and wore a navy blue suit with a round face.
«Why don't we just take Ivan out first? Screw these Eagles, better to get rid of that rat before he tries something,» Theodore suggested, standing next to Henry. He had a gray pinstripe suit, dark shades, red hair slicked back, and a long beard. Total hipster vibe.
Johnny sighed and nodded, then dropped his cigar stub to the ground [https://img.wattpad.com/f740b130ad4d33bc79f0de2bc8009cf845149afa/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4d71307341314e49394f4d4d48773d3d2d313439353534323730392e313830636462373436623964633766333735303237343631323632392e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Johnny sighed and nodded, then dropped his cigar stub to the ground.
«The last time we met, nothing went down. And from his voice, he sounded real, like genuinely worried. Maybe some of his guys already got taken out,» Johnny replied, cracking his fingers. «Y'all got your bulletproof vests?» the boss then asked, looking from one side to the other. «We don't need to get jumped here,» Johnny added, hardening his expression as he walked over to his gray McLaren.
«Yeah, they're brand new,» Hank replied first, trailing after him. «But how're you gonna handle this Eagles stuff?» he asked as they stopped by Johnny's car. Johnny turned to face him.
«I still haven't figured it out yet but if Ivan's lying, he'll regret it. With his life,» Johnny replied, opening the door. «If he's telling the truth, then we got new players on the chessboard,» he continued, settling into the driver's seat. «And I wanna know who they are.» he finished, closing the door.
The goons looked at each other. Not all of them agreed with what Johnny was saying. Hank, Theodore and Elijah seemed the most skeptical, while Henry seemed to be more on board with what Johnny had just laid out. Johnny was the boss, though. What could they really do?
«Follow my lead,» Johnny ordered with a nod to his men, who headed back to their cars.
Meanwhile, Johnny shrugged his shoulders a bit and tried to relax, taking a few deep breaths. Then he bit his thumbnail.
If even Wade, Samantha, and Jacob have heard of these guys, maybe it's true, thought the boss of the Cobras as he watched the others get into their cars.
Or, maybe it's only half true. Better let them go first when we got there, he kept thinking, biting his lower lip.
After the others got in and fired up their engines and lights, Johnny started up his gray McLaren and pulled out first. He made a quick move to get out of the lot and headed down the road toward Tigereast.
They didn't notice, though, that someone was by the side of the road, sitting in his red Nissan Juke. It was Tommy, one of the Spyder guys, who had been watching their meet-up from not too far away. He was a guy with jet-short brown hair, gray eyes, and a rugged beard. He had a leather brown jacket on.
After snapping a few pics with his phone, he opened up a chat with Ivan and sent him a message [https://img.wattpad.com/fe87be31fba4bc471b632c2bd3743d832dfe58f6/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f357041485243314c6d7552707a413d3d2d313439353534323730392e313830636462643864633134303564363930303232373335303431322e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
After snapping a few pics with his phone, he opened up a chat with Ivan and sent him a message.
«They're on the move,» he wrote before firing up his car and starting to tail them at a safe distance.
As Johnny and his goons headed deeper into Tigereast, Tommy kept on following, giving constant updates. Ivan's plan was starting to unfold.
Sasha and Senwe, on the other hand, were waiting on a rooftop to the right of the warehouse, dressed in dark clothes with balaclavas on. Their fingers were ready on two Dragon sniper rifles, while Ivan stood behind them, wearing his maroon jacket and a black shirt.
The Cobras rolled up to the square ten minutes early, but no one was around. Just the Spyders' cars: a deep blue Aston Martin, a silver one, and a black Bugatti.
The spot wasn't that big. Folks from Tigereast called it "The Four Palaces" because four buildings surrounded it. Two on each side, facing each other. It almost looked like they were squaring up. One of those buildings hid the warehouse. The plaza in the middle, on the other hand, had uneven paving. The asphalt was kinda busted. Full of potholes.
That's Ivan's Bugatti, thought Johnny as he turned off his McLaren and narrowed his eyes.
The Spyder luxury cars were parked in a way that made it look like they were waiting for them inside the warehouse, and the rugged door was left slightly open.
The Spyder luxury cars were parked in a way that made it look like they were waiting for them inside the warehouse, and the rugged door was left slightly open [https://img.wattpad.com/7ec72914625df0ac87cfa9e18a4d9b61df21cb07/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f695767752d6c537934647a6133413d3d2d313439353534323730392e313830636463613435646463333032333135383135313131313739322e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
«There they are, walkin' right into their fate,» Ivan muttered, watching as Johnny and his men parked just outside the warehouse.
«These Cobra fools look like a buncha amateurs,» Sasha commented, adjusting his grip on the sniper rifle.
«We got 'em right where we want 'em,» added Senwe, closing his left eye to line up a better shot.
Johnny's men got out first, positioning themselves some up front, some in back, some at Johnny's sides. However, Johnny was the first to notice the cracked door. Something didn't feel right, and a chill went down his spine for a moment.
Don't tell me... he thought, looking around.
«TAKE 'EM OUT!» Ivan shouted to his Spyders.
«IT'S A TRAP!» Johnny yelled, hearing a noise and turning to his men.
But it was too late. Before he could finish the sentence, bullets found their targets, hitting Johnny's goons in the head. Perfect headshots.
After watching Hank and Elijah get taken down, Johnny immediately figured out where the shots were coming from. To his left.
It took him a split second to pull out his Desert Eagle, but Sasha hit him multiple times in the chest.
Johnny's body jolted from the impact, but he managed to stay on his feet, while Henry and Theodore were both hit. One in the right eye, one in the forehead by Senwe.
You sons of bitches, Johnny thought as he stretched out his right arm to aim up at the rooftop.
He closed his right eye as he was about to fall and fired three shots at his targets. One of them hit Ivan's left ear.
«ARGH!» the Spyder leader yelled, but Sasha got another shot off, and the bullet tore through Johnny's chest.
Johnny and Ivan both hit the ground at the same time. Ivan covered his ear to stop the bleeding while Johnny's vision blurred, but his mind stayed locked on one thought: Jacob.
Sasha and Senwe, on the other hand, quickly stashed their rifles in guitar cases and helped Ivan up, getting him back on his feet.
Meanwhile, at a Cobra apartment in Lionwest, right on the Tigereast border, Jacob was discussing the Spyder meet-up with Enzo, Bruno, Oliver, and Manu. Jacob was pacing back and forth, while the others sat by a table, playing cards, looking way more chill.
They were all dressed casual; Enzo had on a gray hoodie and sweats, Bruno had a flannel shirt and ripped jeans on, Manu a light blue shirt and dark pants, and Oliver a yellow tee with track pants.
«OH MY GOD!» Enzo jolted at the sound of the shots, throwing the cards down and jumping up.
«NO!» Jacob shouted, rushing out of the base right away.
The others quickly followed, hopping onto their Honda SHs to speed to the scene. When the five dudes arrived in the square, what they saw was tragic. The Spyder cars were gone, only Johnny's crew's cars were left, with their bodies lying on the ground. Dead.
«No... Dad...» Jacob whispered, standing next to his father, eyes wide.
His hands were shaking. He didn't know what to do. All he could see was Johnny sprawled out, his left arm across his chest, blood dripping down, his back on the dirty floor, and his face turned sideways, eyes ajar. His chin was twitching just a bit. The Cobra was still alive.
Enzo knelt down next to Johnny and put his ear to his chest, trying not to get covered in blood, and then let out a sigh of relief.
«He's still breathin',» he said, looking up at Jacob, then back at the others, who'd taken cover behind cars to shield Jacob and Enzo from any more attacks. «We gotta get him home now!» Enzo exclaimed, turning to Manu, who had already stepped up.
Jacob regained control and reached into his dad's pocket, pulling out the keys to the McLaren. Then, he and Enzo carefully lifted Johnny's wounded body, their hands shaking as they tried to keep him steady, carrying him over to Johnny's car.
«Hang on, Dad. H-hold on,» Jacob said, his voice cracking as they opened the door. As soon as Enzo and Jacob managed to get Johnny into the passenger seat, Jacob immediately turned to Oliver, Manu, and Bruno, who were covering them with their guns drawn.
«I'm takin' him home, you guys follow me on the scooters!» Jacob barked at his boys.
Oliver was the first to turn around and nodded, then gave Manu a quick tap on the back to let him know he needed to come with him. Bruno stayed back for a second. He still couldn't process the gravity of the situation, and Enzo noticed.
«MOVE!» Enzo yelled.
«Y-yeah,» Bruno stammered, blinking a few times before shaking it off and heading toward his scooter. He fired it up, and Enzo climbed on behind him.
Jacob, on the other hand, sprinted to the driver's seat of his dad's McLaren, fired up the engine in a split second, and reversed out. Then he made the turn as fast as he could and peeled out. After leaving the square and cutting through a few shortcuts, he'd glance at his dad's body in the passenger seat every now and then.
Don't leave me now, he thought, shooting a quick look at his dying father and shifting gears.
He didn't even care about the lights or the right of way. The only thing that mattered was getting home fast and getting his dad to their trusted doctor.
Would Johnny have survived?