In the burning corridor, thick smoke billowed, flames licked at the tapestries on the walls, and the smell of char combined with the scent of blood was suffocating.
Zhang Jie leaned against a stone pillar, gasping for breath, the ringing of the stun grenade still echoing in his ears.
His HK416's barrel was scorching hot, with only 20 rounds left in the magazine.
James leaped from the second floor, limping slightly on his right leg upon landing, evidently having sustained a minor injury from the explosion's impact.
He quickly reloaded his Beretta, his gaze solemn as he scanned his surroundings.
"They've re-grouped."
James whispered, "The Hounds aren't reckless; they'll be more cautious now."
Razor Woman darted out from a side room, clutching a newly acquired HK416, but her movements were noticeably stiff; firearms were not her strong suit.
"Ammunition?" Zhang Jie asked.
"Two magazines," Razor Woman replied curtly.
She then tossed them over. Zhang Jie caught them, checked them, and then tucked them into his tactical vest.
James checked his own gear: "Three rounds left in the Beretta, the spare magazine is empty."
Zhang Jie was silent for a moment, his ears twitched, then he picked up a brass casing from the ground and lightly tossed it towards the end of the corridor.
Clink—!
The crisp sound of the casing hitting the floor was exceptionally jarring in the silent corridor.
The next second.
Da da da!
Three bullets accurately struck where the casing landed, sparks flying.
"Position confirmed."
Zhang Jie sneered, "The Hounds are probing."
James nodded: "They're waiting for us to show ourselves."
Razor Woman tossed the HK416 in her hand to James, gripping her Razor tightly, her eyes cold: "We can't just sit here and wait to die."
James took the HK416, checked the magazine, and found 27 rounds. If he conserved them, it should be enough.
Zhang Jie took a deep breath, then suddenly raised his gun and fired three shots at the ceiling!
Da! Da! Da!
The chandelier's iron chains snapped, and the heavy metal light fixture crashed down, instantly blocking the passage on one side of the corridor.
"Go!"
The three immediately used the confusion to move, retreating upwards along the spiral staircase in the side hall.
The Hound's voice came through the earpiece, cold and composed:
"Targets moving, second-floor gallery, lock down all exits."
In the shadows of the second-floor gallery, Zhang Jie half-crouched behind a stone sculpture, his gun barrel slightly raised, aimed at the stairwell.
Footsteps grew closer.
One step.
Two steps.
Zhang Jie held his breath, his finger lightly resting on the trigger.
The moment the third step landed.
Da da da!
Three bullets pierced the darkness, accurately hitting the first KH Alliance member who peeked out.
His bulletproof vest was torn, and the man grunted, stumbling back.
James followed up with a shot from the other side, his Beretta's bullet piercing the opponent's throat, ending the fight.
But the next second, a stun grenade was thrown up from below the stairs!
"Hide!"
Zhang Jie lunged to the side, the shockwave of the explosion making his eardrums ache, his vision blurred for a moment.
By the time he recovered, the Hound had already led his men up to the second floor!
"Damn it..."
Zhang Jie gritted his teeth, raising his gun to return fire, but his HK416 had few bullets left, forcing him to conserve firepower.
The Hound sneered, raising his hand and waving.
Two team members immediately threw smoke grenades, and a thick, grayish-white smoke instantly enveloped the entire gallery.
"Crossfire!"
Three HK416s from the KH Alliance squad fired simultaneously, bullets raining down like a storm, tearing apart stone pillars, walls, and floors; wood chips and shattered stone flew everywhere.
Zhang Jie was forced to roll to dodge, a bullet grazing his shoulder, a burning pain.
Thanks to Crisis Response!
"Zhang Jie!" James roared, "Cover me!"
Zhang Jie didn't hesitate, suddenly standing up and firing continuously into the smoke!
Da da da!
Three bullets forced back a team member, and James seized the opportunity to rush forward, aiming his Beretta at the Hound's head.
Bang! Bang!
The Hound sharply tilted his head, the bullet grazing his earlobe, leaving a trail of blood.
Click!
Out of bullets, bolt locked back!
James directly hurled the Beretta in his hand!
"You're courting death!"
The Hound roared in fury, raising his hand and unleashing a burst!
James rolled to the side, but a bullet still grazed his thigh, blood instantly soaking his pant leg.
Razor Woman suddenly burst out of the smoke, her Razor flashing coldly!
Swish!
The blade precisely cut a team member's wrist; the opponent cried out in pain, his firearm dropping from his hand.
But the next second, another team member's gun was already aimed at her back!
"Watch out!"
Zhang Jie lunged, pushing Razor Woman away, and both of them rolled into a side room.
Da! Da! Da!
But he himself was grazed in the ribs by bullets, his bulletproof suit torn, blood seeping out.
"Zhang Jie!" Razor Woman's pupils contracted.
"It's nothing..." Zhang Jie gritted his teeth, struggling to stand, "Not dead yet."
He immediately began roughly stemming his own bleeding; Medical Lv1 finally came into play.
But the situation had completely reached a dead end.
James silently used a tourniquet to bind his thigh and stop the bleeding.
The three were cornered in the gallery's corner, ammunition almost depleted, while the Hound's squad still had 3 members intact, and their suppressing fire remained fierce.
The injured team members also observed from the side, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.
Only one person was truly incapacitated; the remaining 5 still possessed combat capability.
The Hound's voice came from the smoke, cold and mocking:
"Gentlemen, the game is over."
Somewhere in a safe house on the outskirts of London.
John Wick stood by the window, the 1911 in his hand still emitting faint gunpowder smoke.
On the floor, a corpse lay still, a bullet hole in its forehead still oozing blood.
John pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"Marcus, what's the situation over there?"
On the other end of the line, Marcus's voice carried a hint of teasing:
"There's a slight hiccup right now, but don't worry, I'm watching."
"Thanks!" John only said that, and there was no further conversation.
Marcus also knew John's personality: "It's rare for you to seek me out."
After a pause, he asked again:
"Where did you find such a talent? This is the second one!"
John was silent for a moment, not answering, just quietly hanging up the phone.
Then, he dialed another number.
"Veronica."
On the other end of the line, the woman's laughter was lazy, as if she was still enjoying her beauty sleep: "Oh, it's rare for you to call me proactively. Do you miss me?"
John's voice remained calm:
"Do you know who the members of the KH Alliance are?"
Veronica's laughter abruptly stopped.
In the phone, only heavy breathing remained.
"What do you want to do?"
Many pieces of information flashed through Veronica's mind, but in the end, she couldn't help but ask.
"Revenge!"
John's tone was very cold, but Veronica felt as if all the blood in her body was about to freeze.
"Are you sure you want to do this? The KH Alliance might be more complex than you imagine."
Veronica took a breath and continued, "And things might not be as simple as you think. Wait! You wouldn't..."
"Yes, I've already declared war on them!"
"Damn it! You're too reckless! You can't imagine the power of the KH Alliance!"
But it was too late to say anything now.
She knew John's personality; since he had already declared it, then going forward, no matter who he was, John would relentlessly hunt him down!
Being targeted by a top assassin... just thinking about it made her feel completely unwell.
"You've probably already taken one out, haven't you? Now you'll have to be careful; their influence spans across all of Europe..."
Veronica, for once, seriously explained to John.
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