Page 164 of Capuleto

"I’m going after him, but promise me you’ll be alive when I return."

"I promise, now go." I couldn't classify the emotions flowing through my body because there were too many. I gave her a short kiss that felt like a sealed pact and gently laid her on the ground.

I ran to the door and peeked out, looking for the trail that would lead me to him.

A shot welcomed me. This time it didn't hit me.

“Is this what you wanted? A duel?! Then come out of your hiding place and face me, you cowardly piece of shit!” Yuri reproached me.

“The cowardly piece of shit is you!” I snapped, looking for the origin of the voice. “You didn’t have the guts to show your true face or your intentions. You preferred to stab me in the back rather than shoot me from the front, and that only has one name.”

“Strategy,” he cut in from somewhere.

The smell of salt stung my nostrils, the port lights were already on, so the darkness wasn’t absolute.

“What pisses you off the most?” he asked. “Realizing you’re a fool, that I screwed you without you realizing it, or that what you thought was love was nothing more than my secret weapon blowing your balls off?”

“It seems your secret weapon only wants to kill its creator. Even Nikita doesn’t want you alive. You’re finished, Korolev!”

I made another attempt to see where he was and received a second shot that nearly took my nose off. From the notch the bullet left on the battered steel door, I understood he was hidden somewhere to my right.

Before entering the place, I did a visual sweep.

Yuri had positioned himself near where he had parked. I saw a long line of containers, some stacked and others standing alone. That bastard could have used one of them as a hiding spot. I looked up, in the crane cab used to move them I saw no one, so he had to be behind one.

If I ran in a straight line, I could reach another of the containers ahead. Five meters of open ground.

My side was burning, and I was losing blood. I needed to act quickly to have all my faculties and defeat Yuri. I had always been good at running and avoiding moving shots. I had gone paintballing with my men more than once, and I even managed to dodge Aleksa, that should be useful.

I fired in the direction I guessed Yuri was to buy a few seconds. The reaction to a shot was always to hide. I pulled the trigger, took off running, and prayed to God for a chance to do justice.

I didn't get much maneuvering space; after three steps, bullets burst like fireworks. Fortunately, my skill allowed me to cover four meters without incident, and on the last, I jumped like one of those flying squirrels, except in my case, I was almost two meters tall.

I landed on the side of the container. I was lucky none of the shots hit me, though the wound had taken a good hit.

I gritted my teeth and tried not to think about it. How many shots had he fired in total? It was important to know the enemy’s ammunition; every missed bullet was a chance to stay alive.

From the type of weapon Yuri was using, he should have about five bullets left, assuming he had no spares or that I hadn’t miscounted.

“What’s the matter, Capulet?! Are you dead?”

“Why don’t you come and check my pulse?” I muttered tersely. I couldn’t keep resting; Nikita’s survival depended on me.

I walked crouched, sticking to the back of the yellow container. From where I was to the row of containers where Yuri was supposedly positioned, I had a couple of meters. I needed to cover them and, if possible, with the same efficiency as before. My muscles were tense, I couldn’t fail, everything depended on me doing things right.

“Come on, Romeo, you have to make up for everything that bastard has done to you.”

I focused on the target. One last breath and go for it.

Bang, bang, bang.

Three more shots aimed to tickle me. My breathing was erratic when I managed to lean my back against the metal. I looked at the sky and gave thanks.

“Mom, I know it’s you and Dante who are protecting me, and I know why. I swear I won’t disappoint you if you let me finish him.”

“Romeo, Romeo, fucking you will be my trophy,” Yuri sang mockingly.

“Is that your problem?” I taunted him. “That you have a thing for me? Now that I think about it, you always watched me when we fucked and kissed me that night… Is that what’s wrong with you? That I turned you on and you knew I wasn’t into that?” I asked as I moved. I hoped what I was saying would keep him entertained.