Chapter 56: The Price of Kindness
The instant they were about to burst through the front door—
Hanks' abnormally sharp danger sense screamed a warning.
Acting purely on instinct, he grabbed Kenny by the collar and yanked him backward with all his strength.
"Down!"
They stumbled and fell back inside the post office—
—and in the very next instant—
Whizz—whizz—BANG! BANG!
A storm of bullets poured in like torrential rain.
The wooden doorframe exploded into splinters, glass shattered in all directions, and bullet holes bloomed across the walls in seconds.
Across the street, a rusted pickup truck and two off-road vehicles crudely reinforced with steel plates screeched to a stop.
Seven or eight armed men took cover behind the vehicles, unloading their weapons at the post office without restraint.
"We've got them! They're in the post office!"
A shrill voice—half sobbing, half seething with hatred—cut through the gunfire.
It was the teenager.
"They knocked me out and stole my stuff!"
Hanks and Kenny pressed themselves against the inner wall, bullets cracking past so violently they couldn't even raise their heads.
Kenny's face had gone deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
He looked at Hanks, shock, fear, and guilt all tangled in his eyes.
"It's that kid… he brought them back."
Pure killing intent flashed across Hanks' eyes.
Philosophy?
To hell with philosophy.
"I told you," he snapped coldly, scanning the building's interior while shouting over the gunfire,
"kindness has a price!"
Bullets hammered the entrance, wood chips and glass spraying everywhere, pinning them inside the lobby with no chance of a frontal escape.
"Fall back! Find cover!" Hanks roared, grabbing Kenny and dragging him deeper inside.
They dove behind overturned desks and a metal service counter, using them as makeshift cover.
Clang! Crack! Thud!
Bullets slammed into metal and walls, the sound terrifyingly close.
Hanks popped up long enough to fire several controlled shots in return, but the attackers were well-covered—his rounds did nothing.
"Shit—shit! We're boxed in!" Kenny gasped, knuckles white around his shotgun.
He looked at Hanks, voice shaking. "Hanks, I—"
"Save the regret for later!" Hanks cut him off sharply.
"They've got too much firepower—we can't push out the front! Find a back door or side window!"
The shout snapped Kenny back to reality. He clenched his teeth and nodded hard.
They moved deeper, leapfrogging between cover as bullets shredded the furniture behind them.
"The gunfire's slowing—wait, no!"
"They're trying to run!"
Outside, the gang realized what was happening.
"Split up!" someone yelled.
"You—go around the side! The rest of you, push in and keep pressure on them!"
"Yes!"
The gang divided instantly, rushing toward their positions.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Men ran ahead while bullets chased close behind.
Hanks and Kenny stayed low, sprinting forward.
"This way!" Kenny spotted a narrow corridor leading toward the back.
"You lead—I'll cover!" Hanks spun around, raised his pistol, and laid down precise suppressive fire at the men charging in behind them.
The price of kindness had come due—and it was being collected in lead.
Bang! Bang!
Two gang members who dared to pop their heads out dropped instantly, sending the rest scrambling back into cover in panic.
Gun barrels jutted out from behind obstacles as they fired wildly downrange.
Kenny raised his shotgun and sprinted into the corridor.
At the far end—just as he'd hoped—was a rear door.
But a heavy padlock secured it from the inside.
"Shit!" Kenny yanked at the lock with all his strength. It didn't budge.
"Step back!" Hanks barked.
He raised his P226, lined up the lock, and fired three shots in rapid succession.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sparks flew as all three rounds struck nearly the same spot. The lock cylinder shattered.
Hanks kicked the door open.
Outside was a narrow back alley, cluttered with trash bins—no enemies in sight for the moment.
But shouts and pounding footsteps surged from behind. The enemies at the front had pushed through and were closing in from the rear.
"Which way?!" Kenny shouted anxiously.
Hanks scanned both directions in a split second.
Faint movement flickered at the left alley mouth. The right side led deeper into a maze of residential blocks.
"Right! Follow me!" he decided instantly, bursting out the door at a dead run.
Kenny followed close behind.
They'd barely gone a few steps when figures appeared at the left alley entrance.
"They're in the back!" someone yelled.
Bullets whined past, smashing into the walls beside them, stone chips spraying everywhere.
Hanks yanked Kenny back a step, leaned out, and squeezed the trigger twice.
Bang! Bang!
One gang member collapsed on the spot, his trachea shredded. He clawed at his throat as blood poured between his fingers.
Using trash bins and debris as cover, the two sprinted forward.
"Hanks! This isn't working—we can't outrun bullets!" Kenny gasped, his face flushed with exertion and fear.
Hanks stopped cold, turned, and raised his gun.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suppressive fire erupted again—precise, ruthless. Two of the leading pursuers dropped instantly, forcing the rest to dive for cover.
The chase stalled.
"Move!" Hanks shouted, dumping an empty magazine and sprinting again without hesitation.
Kenny's heart hammered. Every time he witnessed Hanks shoot like this, it felt unreal—terrifying, awe-inspiring.
He clenched his teeth and forced his legs to keep up.
They weaved through twisting alleys, curses and scattered gunfire snapping at their heels.
Bullets skimmed past their ears, slamming into brick walls and exploding into showers of debris.
"This way!"
Hanks suddenly grabbed Kenny and dragged him into a cramped courtyard filled with discarded planks and junk.
A quick scan—at the far end, a half-collapsed fence led into yet another narrow alley.
"Now! Through there!"
They scrambled over the broken fence, tumbling awkwardly into the next passageway.
Hanks panted hard, lungs burning, but his mind raced.
They couldn't keep running like this. Either they fought back—or vanished completely.
His gaze locked onto something ahead.
A rusted, overturned school bus lay across the alley.
"Kenny! Get behind the bus!"
Hanks barked as he emptied a few more shots and slammed in a fresh magazine.
Kenny understood instantly, diving behind the bus's massive undercarriage.
Gasping for air, he raised his shotgun and watched their back trail, regret gnawing at him.
Hanks didn't hide.
He took one deep breath—and leaned out.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suppressive fire roared again. The P226 barked with brutal precision.
The first two pursuers never stood a chance—blood burst from chest and head as they collapsed screaming.
The rest were stunned by the sudden counterattack, scrambling desperately for cover and spraying bullets toward the bus.
Clang! Clang!
Rounds slammed into the thick metal frame, sparks flying.
Hanks seized the precious seconds this bought them and ducked back behind cover.
"Now! Go!" he shouted to Kenny, pointing past the bus. "Deeper into that alley!"
They broke into another full sprint, finally opening some distance between themselves and the suppressed pursuers.
They plunged into a narrower, more secluded alley piled with garbage—
the stench of rot hitting them like a wall.
The escape wasn't over yet.