"I only know how to use a handgun,"
Eve admitted honestly.
Alex Cross didn't hesitate.
He reached down to his boot, drew out a compact backup pistol, and handed it to her.
"Stay close to me and Anna," he said calmly. "If things go south — shoot first."
Eve accepted the gun, her expression a mix of tension and excitement.
From what Alex could tell, her years of assassin training had focused mostly on hand-to-hand combat, reflex conditioning, and theory — but she'd only recently started practical firearms training.
"Mr. Cross… who are we fighting?" Eve asked, her tone cautious.
Alex's eyes sharpened slightly.
"The Hallstatt clan — a mercenary tribe. Brutal, disciplined, and loyal only to blood."
At those words, Eve's gaze turned fierce.
Alex knew this battle — before the "Continental Hotel exile period" ended tonight — would be her true trial by fire.
The perfect lesson for a future queen of killers.
---
RAT-TAT-TAT!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Upstairs, the sound of gunfire erupted — sharp and heavy.
The Sisterhood assassins had made contact.
Alex didn't delay.
With Anna and Eve close behind, he rushed up the stairwell.
Moments later, they regrouped with the Sisterhood on the third floor.
Drawing his dual Glock 34 TTI Tactical Masters, Alex advanced up the final steps.
> [9mm Round Detected — Threat Level: 56%]
[Trajectory: Left Chest]
[Evasion: Move Right 17cm]
[9mm Round Detected — Threat Level: 88%]
[Trajectory: Left Eye]
[Evasion: Tilt Head Right 45°]
He moved.
Rightward shift — head tilt — shoulder roll.
Alex slipped through the deadly line of fire like a shadow, narrowly dodging each round.
Then came the counter.
BANG!
BANG!
One bullet tore through a pillar, hitting a sniper's knee.
The second shattered the wrist of another gunman behind sandbags.
Two screams echoed through the crumbling building.
And in that instant, their bodies were exposed.
Without needing Alex's order, the eight Sisterhood assassins raised their TTI TR-9 submachine carbines and unleashed hell.
RAT-TAT-TAT!
RAT-TAT-TAT!
A wall of bullets shredded the air.
The two Hallstatt killers dropped instantly, collapsing in a storm of blood and dust.
---
"Mr. Cross is that powerful?"
Anna whispered, watching his tall, composed figure moving through the smoke.
Beside her, another assassin smiled faintly.
"That's just a glimpse of what he can really do. Eve — you've got a lot to learn."
Anna dashed forward, springing from cover.
She rolled behind a broken pillar, peeked out — two bullets flew past her cheek.
She ducked, spun sideways, and countered.
BANG!
BANG!
A scream — one enemy down.
Another groan followed behind a rusted concrete mixer.
The Sisterhood's gunfire followed immediately.
RAT-TAT-TAT!
The second killer's head snapped back violently — and silence filled the floor once again.
Eve stepped up, inspecting the fallen bodies.
On each of their wrists was a burned "X" mark.
Her doubts evaporated instantly.
Everything Alex Cross had told her — was true.
For the first time, she didn't resist her fate.
Being taken from the Roman Syndicate, forced into the Lighthouse Organization — maybe it wasn't a curse after all.
Maybe it was her rebirth.
She tightened her grip on the pistol and followed Alex upstairs, her determination burning.
---
Hallstatt Village
Ten minutes later.
The town mayor's phone rang again — the same number as before.
His brow furrowed as he answered.
The voice on the other end was panicked, desperate.
"Mayor! We've been ambushed! John Wick and Alex Cross joined forces — they're slaughtering us!"
"What?! Baba Yaga is there too?!"
The seventy-year-old mayor froze.
And in that instant, the truth hit him like a bullet.
Daniel had betrayed them.
The bastard had taken his daughter and defected — joining forces with Cross.
He'd hidden the truth about John Wick's presence in Prague.
He'd even used their own men — sending them to die in a trap!
The realization burned through the old man's chest.
His vision blurred with fury and shame.
"You—traitor—"
PFFT!
A surge of blood burst from his mouth.
His body convulsed, eyes rolled back — and the mayor of Hallstatt collapsed into darkness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you're interested, you can read advanced chapters:
pat reon .com / Samorash