Two shots rang out.

It was so sudden that I jumped, dropping the money I held and accidentally knocking the table, causing several stacks of bills at the edge to fall to the floor.

First, Geezer's, then Crowbar's heads exploded in a small red burst, like sacks of paint bursting. They likely didn't have time to understand what was happening. Geezer didn't even get the chance to get scared, dying first and instantly. I can't say I felt sympathy for the old man, but no one deserves such a death after honestly working their way to the end.

Crowbar tried to turn around, and the bullet hit his temple. He swayed and fell onto the table, knocking it over along with the money.

There was no third shot, although I realized a bit later that I had subconsciously expected one. I just froze, not daring to move, afraid that the next bullet would fly to me.

Malu stood with such an expression as if he himself couldn't understand what was happening. He looked shocked at the two bodies, then raised his eyes to the culprit of the bloody betrayal fest.

"Fuck, Ali, what are you doing? Have you gone mad?" He didn't believe it; I could feel it in his voice.

"I'm doing what I must," Alex's voice rang out. "I'd like to say it's nothing personal, but I'm afraid that wouldn't be entirely true."

"What the fuck?!"

The door creaked, and the lock clicked.

"Rud, Malu, step away from the table."

I slowly turned to face Alex, who was now holding a pistol in his outstretched hand. But mainly, he was aiming at Malu, although I was sure he'd be aiming at me if I made a move. As if reading my thoughts, Alex shook his head.

"Don't, Rud. This doesn't concern you. It's not your business, and you don't need to get involved."

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Malu yelled.

"Why?" I asked calmly, almost simultaneously with him.

"Why? It's business, Rud. Malu crossed a line he shouldn't have," he shook his head.

"What fucking line?!"

"Why the hell did you make a fuss about those photos back then, Malu! Why did you spew all that bullshit to Arrow?! Didn't you know what a sick fuck he is?! That he's so vindictive he won't forgive a harsh word even to his mother?!"

"Don't hide behind excuses, you jerk!"

"I don't give a damn about any excuses! The problem is your sister!" He shouted.

Silence ensued. But after a couple of seconds, Syringa started banging on the door.

"Guys! What's going on!? Hey! Open the door! Malu! Ali! Open the door!"

After a second, we could hear her voice over the radio, too, but no one was listening.

"You offended Arrow. Arrow wanted your blood."

"And you gladly joined in?!"

"I know you were acquainted with those guys who blinded Mari," he said quietly. There was no trace of his former self left in Alex, as if he was a completely different person now. "You knew both of them but didn't do anything because you were scared."

"Don't talk about what you don't know!"

"Really? You just ignored it, pretended you didn't know who it was. But Mari knew. She also knew that you did nothing before or after it. You could have saved her sight, you cunning bastard!"

"You. Know. Nothing," Malu hissed.

"I know enough to understand what a slippery and unhinged beast you are. You only fear power, like some animal. Like a beast that needs to be beaten to make it feel fear - that's the language you understand."

"TO HELL WITH YOU..."

Malu lunged at him, and Alex, without a moment's hesitation, fired. Malu was thrown right onto one of those concrete pillars, sliding down it, leaving a bloody trail as if painted with a brush. The pounding on the door became even more insistent.

I was about to jerk forward, but Alex immediately pointed his gun at me.

"Don't, Rud. You're not involved here. It's not your business. Besides, you should have just gone with Syringa, as I suggested. Maybe things could have worked out between you two."

"You betrayed our team," I shook my head. "What the hell, Alex?"

"Betrayed? Did you hear what he did?" Alex asked, slightly surprised and indignant, waving his gun at Malu. "He shrugged off what they did to Mari!"

"Yes, but… it was their business, their family matter, not yours. You're not involved at all. And you decided to resolve the issue right now. Just shooting him in the back on a mission, when we trust each other with our lives, not during a personal conversation."

You can't mix personal reasons with business. You can't kill your own on a mission. No matter how much you hate or despise them, on a job, if you have agreed to it, everyone is equal, and everyone trusts each other. They should, at least. Alex agreed. And he took advantage of that trust...

I wouldn't have said a word if they were just settling their differences out on the street. But Alex... he just backstabbed Malu, taking out two more as unnecessary witnesses.

"But now it's my business, too," he looked at Malu. "You've messed up, Malu. I've warned you so many times, but you think you're the smartest, blabbering on what you shouldn't. Back then, you also flew off the handle, not trying to stop until Arrow pointed a gun at you. He wanted to kill both of you for that stunt, Malu. He wanted to kill your sister because of you. Kill her because you, fuck, can't keep your damn mouth shut! You only think about yourself!"

"Fucking traitor..." Malu croaked. "Don't hide behind my sister! If you had told me about this, I would have come and blown his brains out!"

"Oh, how brave you are! So what, did you do it to him for those photos that reminded you of your own sins? And if you had killed him, what then? The Hassa clan would have torn you both to shreds for that, even if you later surrendered voluntarily! Many people there know you!"

"Go to hell!"

"And I did," Alex grinned. "I accidentally found out about this when I went to the bar. One of Arrow's drunk buddies told me about it. He was smirking, saying that soon they'll kill you and your sister, and I'll have to work without you, running errands for others. So, I went straight to Arrow; I came to plead for Mari. I said I'd do whatever was required of me if he wouldn't touch her. Arrow swore he wouldn't harm her if I did him a favor. You know Arrow never makes idle promises."

At that moment, a single shot from an automatic was heard outside the door. Followed by a girlish scream. Most likely, the bullet ricocheted into Syringa herself, who was trying to shoot the lock. There's a bolt there, idiot.

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Alex flinched a little, turning around, and Malu made a new attempt to attack him, even with a shot shoulder. But he had virtually no chance. Alex shot him in the stomach, throwing him back against the post.

"Arrow wasn't planning to kill Rud, Inna, or me. Just you and your sister. So, I offered my services in exchange for her. And he agreed," he continued nonchalantly.

"For what," Malu spat out viciously.

"Your life and all the money with the cargo. If I give them, they won't touch your sister," Alex smiled strangely - as if someone had just kicked him in the groin. "Weren't you ready to give your life for your sister?"

"Go to hell!" Malu spat at him but hit his own leg.

"Hold on, Ali, why did you say 'all the money'?" I asked, not fully understanding the meaning of his words.

"Rud, listen..."

"No, wait, you bought Mari's life with all this money?" I nodded towards the bags.

"I have to do this, or else she's a goner," he began to justify himself. "Understand, it's either them or Mari."

"And what about the fact that if I don't get this money, my sister is a goner instead?" I asked quietly. "Do you understand that you bought Mari's life with my sister's?"

"We can negotiate with Arrow."

"I'm not going to negotiate with anyone. I want my share."

"We can talk and get the money you need! He will give it if we negotiate!"

"What the hell, negotiate!? I did my job! I want my damn money that I need right now! I'm not going to work for the money that is already mine to get it someday.

"It doesn't have to be someday!"

"I'm not going to deal with this shit anymore, Alex. I'm out of the game. But I'm leaving with the money. I have no desire to be this freak's lapdog for a few more years."

I took a step towards Alex, and he pointed his gun at me.

"Rud, don't, seriously," he pleaded. "I need this money."

"You screwed us over! Betrayed all of us! Me, Syringa, these two! No matter what Malu did, you betrayed him too because you started a fight on a job when everyone trusted their back without a second thought! If it was after - fine, but not on the job! And on top of that, you disposed of all the money for your purpose, like it was yours, and now you're justifying that we'll just have to work our asses off to get it back!"

"I don't wish ill on you or Syringa. If Malu had kept his mouth shut then, none of this would've happened!"

"I don't care about your grudges and Mari, Alex. As, in principle, you don't care about Nataliel. But I wasn't planning on paying with Mari's life for my sister's behind everyone's back like you did."

"I didn't pay," he shook his head.

"Oh, really? Turns out, we were all working only for your Mari, but I don't give a damn about her, as much as it's a pity. I'm only concerned about my sister."

I took a step towards him.

"Rud, don't."

"Do what you want, but I'm going to get my money. Maybe Arrow won't notice."

"He knows how much there should be. He'll notice two million."

"I don't care about that. You got yourself into this, so get yourself out."

"Please, don't make me, Rud," Alex muttered, clicking the hammer back. "We're friends. I can even earn your money back, but let's not start a war between us now."

But Arrow won't agree to return them all at once. He simply won't give you two million on your word. In installments, but definitely not all at once, to keep you on a leash as long as possible. And when he finally returns it to you, Nataliel will already be dead. And if you say it's for me, he might give it all at once, but then I'll be working for him, and for who knows how long.

In addition, Arrow would probably make me say why I need the money and why I'm willing to work for him for it. Then he'll realize he can control me through my sisters. I fear that more than ending up in his service - I'm afraid that their lives will be in his hands. I suspect he's already laid a hand on one of them, and I don't want him to do it again to both. I simply won't let him. I've had enough of this shit.

So, I have another question for Alex.

"So tell me, were you the one leaking information about us to Arrow behind our backs?"

His eyebrows twitched slightly. He first wanted to say something but then shook his head as if throwing out unnecessary thoughts.

"Leaking info to Arrow? You kidding? I never leaked info about our group and what we do. Not even on Malu."

"Fuck off, asshole!"

"You fuck off, Malu. This all started because of you."

"You're also to blame for this, Alex," I said. "You dragged us into your business and then screwed everyone over, so screw you!"

I calmly walked towards the table when a shot rang out, and pieces of concrete flew at my feet. Someone drummed on the door again but stopped after only a few seconds.

"Don't, I'm serious. We're friends. But I value Mari too much to choose you."

At that moment, Syringa contacted us again on the radio.

"Hey! Answer me! Can you hear?! Hello! Some cars are coming here, and I'm getting out! I'm giving you a minute, and I'm leaving!"

"It's Arrow," Alex informed us.

"Do you understand that they might kill us all as witnesses after this job?" I asked. "Considering the fact that we attacked the house and took something valuable, which the whole city was chasing us for, Arrow could get rid of us all, as the last thread. That's why we wanted to give him the money separately. And you could have hidden from him with Mari and Malu."

He just shook his head.

"Do you think you can just walk away? Do you believe in that?"

"Yes."

"It won't work out. You can't escape from this, no matter how hard you try. Clans are everywhere - they'll just catch you somewhere else."

I know the problem with people like Alex. They believe what they're told. They're like a herd - wherever the shepherd drives them, they run. He genuinely believes that some jerk like Arrow can track them down anywhere. Their thinking is narrow; they're just paralyzed by fear, which prevents them from looking at things rationally. He's afraid of Arrow to such an extent that he can't even imagine the possibility of screwing him over, both on money and on this matter.

"You're the coward, Alex," I shook my head. "You're scared of Arrow; you believe in his power so much that you can't even think about another option. You consider him omnipotent and all-powerful, as if he has such authority that he can get you anywhere. You can't even think about screwing him over on money, leaving only the cargo, which would be a good payoff for him anyway, and then disappearing into the sunset with Mari."

"I'm not scared of him," Alex pursed his lips.

"Yeah. I see. Yet, he's an ordinary person who's very easy to get to. Just a lowlife with a gun who will die from a single bullet and is nothing special. Arrow is not the president of the country or a minister who has great security. He's just an ordinary jerk who you can approach and shoot in the back of the head, even on the street. And no one will care - because he's a nobody. His place will just be taken by others. His power is fear. And you're afraid of Arrow; you're afraid of his imagined, ghostly power and authority, as if he can get you in another country. You're so scared that you don't even think about going against him, even though he's just dirt on the road."

"Screw you! You don't know how many people he has and how powerful he is!"

"Coward's excuses," I spat out these words. "They're nobodies with no names. They feel fear, too; all you need to do is scare them to death. But you have something in common - you and they are both scared shitless of Arrow and his," at this point, I raised my hand and made air quotes, "great power."

This whole hierarchy is built on fear. Only on fear and money. Some say that the hierarchy of the criminal world is also built on power, but they're wrong. Power is just a means to achieve fear, its derivative. As long as it's there - they're scared of you. And money takes away the sense to resist, convincing you: what's the point of struggling if you're being paid well anyway? Just like a leash.

Alex has been cornered by fear. So much so that he doesn't even think to resist, believing in Arrow's power.

"It's not too late to back off, Alex. To snatch all the money and disappear into the sunset. Otherwise..."

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Not the way Syringa did - leisurely, calmly, as if they were knocking at your home. And Alex turned away for a moment. That very second, Malu lunged at him. And I jumped in, too. We had to disarm this asshole while we had the chance.

Alex jerked the gun at Malu, who flinched first, but immediately pointed it at me because I was closer.

A gunshot rang out.

This time, I didn't feel pain. Just a blow so powerful that it would've thrown me back had I not been a one-hundred-kilogram hog. So, it just threw me onto my back. The wind was knocked out of me, just like last time, when a security guard's bullet hit my bulletproof vest. But here, there was only one shot, though much more powerful than before. Everything went dark before my eyes, then suddenly lit up - as if someone had turned on a spotlight.

All other sounds were distant. As if we were underwater, and someone was trying to shout into it to reach me. All I saw was darkness, but I heard voices, and after a while, I began to understand what both Alex and Malu were saying.

"...you. You simply can't live normally, without attacking others like a dog."

"I don't kill friends..."

"But you put them in danger with your actions. If you hadn't flinched just now, I wouldn't have shot anyone. And you don't care about the others. You're simply unreasonable, cruel, and mad."

"Fuck off..." Malu muttered.

"No, you fuck off, everyone's sick of your shit already..."

At that moment I realized that it was only dark around me because my eyes were shut. When had I closed them, what had happened, why hadn't I died, and why was there pain in my heart area? Why was it so hard to breathe, as if the volume of my lungs had diminished?

All of that was secondary. I needed the money that Alex wanted to give away, and in that sense, our paths diverged. Despite understanding that he was my best friend, and had I not tried to attack him, he wouldn't have shot, it also became clear that our goals were diametrically opposite. And now the question is - me or him. His Mari versus my sister.

It is also true that if I were in his shoes, I would most likely have done exactly the same for my sister. Charity begins at home, and we will protect what is dear to us first and foremost.

Alex stood almost with his back to me, aiming at Malu. This was my only chance, and ignoring the pain and lack of air in my lungs, I quietly crouched, preparing to pounce on him. But whether he felt it or heard the noise, Alex began to turn sharply towards me.

I lunged at him.