They reach the bottom of the stairwell.
"Garage should be through here," Slim says, voice low.
"Go on, then," Tyler responds.
Slim pushes the door open. Inside, tall crates and idle cars fill the wide room, broken up by rows of heavy concrete pillars.
"We're lucky, it looks like he's still here." He points to a matte black car, standing apart from the rest.
They make their way toward the car when, suddenly, voices draw nearer from behind a set of double doors.
"Move, someone's coming!" Slim waves the group back.
They scramble behind nearby crates and pillars, seconds before the doors burst open.
Three men push through the doors. The first keeps flicking his lighter, the flame refusing to catch on the cigarette clenched between his lips. The two others follow close behind.
"Those fuckers are gonna pay! They show up at our spot and pull this shit?!" The man continues to furiously flick his lighter. "The Greenbacks won't let this slide, they'll make damn sure of that."
Tyler looks over at Slim and gives a quick nod.
Slim turns his head to Jake and whispers, "Move on me."
Tyler and Slim leap from cover, guns drawn and aimed straight at the men.
Jake hesitates for a moment.
Goddamn it.
He finally moves, snapping his weapon up as he joins the standoff.
"Well, ain't that funny… This job makes a whole lot more sense now. You guys? With the Greenbacks?" Tyler chuckles.
"Seems, you've picked the wrong friends, Knox."
He responds, "You'll learn soon enough that it's better to have some friends as opposed to none. Your gang's never going to get anywhere the way you're running things. That lone wolf shit isn't going to cut it."
"Oh. You haven't heard? Why do you think we're here? What'd you think—we just came for a quick chit-chat? Let's just say the pack's grown."
"Bullshit! There's no way they'd be working with a shit crew like yours." Knox snaps back.
"Doesn't matter what you believe." He pauses, then adds, "The Doyles though, huh? What could they possibly want with you?"
"I don't have to tell you shit." He spits near Tyler's feet.
"Cute…"
"So what do you want, huh? Shooting up our ring wasn't enough, now you gotta come on our turf? And what, cause chaos, is that it?"
Shouts echo down the corridor, footsteps pounding closer.
"It's not really about what I want. It's just business. And as much as I'd love to keep chatting, it sounds like it's time for me to make my exit."
He tightens his grip on the pistol, locking his aim on Knox.
"I would say don't take this personally, but I've never really liked you. Sayonara."
Tyler fires two quick shots—bullets rip through the man's head and chest.
Jake flinches as gunfire cracks through the air.
Amidst the chaos, the other two men quickly reach for their weapons.
Slim fires, one of the men drop instantly. Jake's eyes lock on the other, who's fumbling for his gun. He raises his pistol at the man but hesitates, his finger frozen over the trigger.
Before he can pull the trigger, Slim fires and takes down the other.
Slim shoots Jake a disapproving look. "You're gonna have to use that thing eventually."
"Let's get ou…"
The double doors slam open, men spill through in a rush, guns raised.
"Oh shit!" The group dives for cover as bullets whizz overhead.
Slim and Tyler pop up, let off a few rounds, then drop back behind cover.
"We're pinned! Anyone got any ideas?"
"What about the car?" Jake yells.
They all look back at Knox's whip.
"If you can make it, we got you covered!" Slim shouts over the gunfire.
"I got it!"
"Go now!" Tyler and Slim pop back up and lay down covering fire.
Jake breaks for the car as bullets hammer the pillars, concrete shards snapping loose at his heels.
Don't get hit, don't get hit.
He hops in the front seat and slams the door, ducking his head. He goes to start the car.
"You got to be kidding me…"
He throws the door open. "Where are the fucking keys—?!"
Slim looks to Tyler and shakes his head.
"Where the hell did you find this kid?"
"What's the plan?!" Jake yells from the car.
"We're working on it!"
He goes to fire again—click.
"Damn it. I'm out!"
He stuffs his piece away and snatches up a pipe from the floor.
"I probably got 2 shots left." Tyler leans out and burns them both.
"Yup, now I'm dry. We're going to have to make a run for it! We'll head out the garage and circle back to the cars!"
"Right behind you boss."
Tyler moves first, bolting forward, ducking as bullets snap past him. He reaches the car, skids over the hood, and disappears behind it.
"Alright Slim you're up!" he shouts.
Slim breaks from behind cover, feet pounding against the pavement.
Suddenly, a figure emerges from behind one of the pillars—gun raised, sights locked on Slim's back.
Jake spots him. Time slows.
Something takes over. Without hesitation, he pulls his piece and aims at the man.
His finger hovers over the trigger. His heart slams against his ribs.
The figure steadies his aim.
Slim just a few steps away.
A shot cracks and the man drops.
Jake's eyes slam shut at the recoil, throwing his hand back.
"Holy shit!" Tyler laughs. "The kid's a natural!"
Slim makes it behind the car.
"Good looking out, kid. Didn't think you'd pull the trigger…" He nods in respect. "Glad I was wrong."
W-was that me?
It happened so fast.
Jesus…
I didn't even freeze.
It just happened.
Why didn't I freeze…
Slim cuts off his thought, "Now let's bounce."
Jake jumps out of the car, and they all sprint out of the garage as gunfire erupts behind them.
They spill into the alleyway where the cars were parked, finally slowing to a stop.
Slim bends over, hands on his knees, chest heaving. "Everyone—good?"
"Ah damn—" Tyler inhales deeply. "Haven't ran that fast in a good while. How we doing Jake? Hanging in there?"
Jake nods, managing a breathless "Mhm."
"Good, now let's get the hel…"
Sirens erupt, and police cars flood in from every direction.
"One thing after the fucking other!" Slim shouts. "There!" He jabs a finger toward a narrow alley between the buildings. "Move!"
They dash down the alley, vaulting over trash cans and debris as flashlights sweep the walls behind them.
They're forced right and burst into an open space, only to hit a dead end. A tall wall seals off the end of the alley.
"We're fucked!" Tyler shouts.
Panic flares through the group. Slim doesn't hesitate. "We can use that to get over! Hope y'all been hitting the weights!" he yells, nodding toward a massive dumpster pressed against the wall.
They struggle to muscle the dumpster into place. Slim hops up, breath ragged.
"Let's go boss, you first."
He braces himself and shoves Tyler up the wall.
At the top, Tyler throws a hand down. Slim sprints up the wall, jumps, and catches it. Tyler hauls him up, and Slim scrambles into place.
"You're up next, kid!" Slim yells, hand already reaching down.
Jake hauls himself up, but the lid suddenly gives way, crashing down and dumping him into a pile of trash.
"Shit!" Jake shouts. "What do I—what do I do?"
Flashlights sweep the alley. Police gear rattles closer.
Slim glances down the alley, back at Jake, then over the wall, before returning to him again.
He wouldn't…
"I'm sorry kid…" he slides over the other side of the wall.
He did.
"You fucking asshole!" Jake yells, his voice cracking.
The police draw closer. Jake panics, clawing trash over himself as he sinks to the bottom of the dumpster.
The police stop just outside the dumpster, looking up at the wall. Flashlights shining up at it.
The light flashes into the dumpster.
Jake steadies his breathing as best he can.
It lingers for a moment, then moves on.
"They must've gone over… let's try and cut them off, " an officer yells, and they rush back down the alley.
Tears well in his eyes as he lies buried at the bottom of the dumpster.
After all that… they just leave me?
He sits there for a while, motionless, letting it all sink in.
His legs ache. The smell churns his stomach. It's time to move.
He pulls the trash off himself and peeks out of the dumpster, scanning for any remaining uniforms.
"Coast looks clear," he says as he hops out, swatting loose trash off himself.
He carefully sneaks back the way they came. At the start of the alley, he looks left—two officers and their dog sniffing around—then right, an opening to the street.
"Right side it is," he whispers to himself.
He eases down the right side, checking behind him with each step.
Tires shriek as a black SUV cuts in. The door snaps open, and he's flung inside.