The empire of Darkness

el Mo

l of blood, black smoke

o look down to know: the bullet has gone in. Too clean to be a simple se

pact of the explosion. It all happened too fast. One minute we were driving through the night, Matteo at the wheel, three of my men

jacket, sticky with blood. I feel the warm liquid slowly trickling dow

essed to his chest. His face is tens

got to m

men are scattered around us, some inert, others groaning in the darkn

des in my shoulder. I grunt, clench my jaw. Ev

he

ed at the sm

ust

waiting for reinforcements. If my enemies have had the audacity to attack here, it's

al?" ask

f the q

al, it will take an army to get me out alive. I have to disapp

And I have an optio

at me, waiting

ave s

ebrows

nfid

No. But she's the only one who ca

blood, inhale slowly. My

e to Alb

a R

of the nig

rent calm. An engine slowing down too close to my building. Footsteps stopping in front of my door.

er really sleep, not deeply, not since I ran away from what

harp knocks a

. Someone who know

he blade cold be

Open t

ow, but instantly recogn

ver comes in person. When one of his men is wounded, he sends someone else. Yet

e blade and u

thing I se

in. His right arm hangs slightly, stiff, unusable. He's been shot. His eyes, as cold as steel, l

the threshold wi

se th

ind him, cr

id this

sion doesn

s it

hing. I don't ask questions,

for my clandestine patients. He drops onto

off you

s his lips, a glint of

e me shirtless, all y

s, I wouldn't choose a night when

the buttons on his shirt. He doesn't grimace, but I can see the

evealed. A clean wound, a clean entrance. The

y. It passed ri

always

k up

hat your condi

me to dig deeper. I grab a pair of gloves and

want an a

el sn

e it