Warbound: Rise of the Street General

Chapter 7: A Devil’s Bargain

The alley that was dark smelt like oil and rot. The sound of Enzo's boots hitting the wet pavement echoed loudly in the otherwise quiet night. He was confused, torn between his desire for revenge and the dark, unavoidable truth that he would have to walk a fine line to win this war. Carmela Santillo was waiting for him in the dark, and the flickering streetlamp made her figure hard to see.

"You're here," she said, her voice smooth but cold, with a businesslike tone. "I knew you'd come around."

Enzo stopped a few feet away from her, his face tense and his eyes narrowed. He couldn't trust her; he didn't trust her. But there was no way to avoid the truth. Luca Moretti had to fall, and Carmela was the only way to go.

Enzo said, "You've got your weapons," his voice full of doubt. "But why should I trust that you'll do what you say? Your loyalties change all the time.

Carmela smiled, but it wasn't a warm smile. "You're right to be careful. But right now, we both want the same thing: Moretti to die. And what about the guns I'm giving you? They'll help bring him down. But I need something back.

Enzo's stomach tightened, but he didn't move. "I'm paying attention."

Carmela pointed to a map on the table between them and said, "The shipment." "It's well-protected, but once you have it, you'll be able to finally take care of Moretti." You're going to need more than just guts to do this job, though. A group of mercenaries is guarding it.

Enzo's jaw tightened. "Mercenaries? You didn't tell me this was going to be a fight.

"Everything worth having costs something," Carmela said calmly. "And the cost is your willingness to do what needs to be done." If you do this for me, I'll give you everything you need to kill Moretti. He won't know what hit him.

Enzo looked at her, trying to figure out if she was just playing another game. The clock was still ticking, though. Rossini's empire would fall apart even more if he waited, and he would lose his chance to take over Havencroft. He didn't have a choice.

He finally said, "I'll do it." "But after this, you and I are done. No more deals.

Carmela's smile got bigger. "Okay." But for now, let's get you what you want.

Enzo's mind raced as he left the meeting. The deal weighed heavily on his mind. He got closer to his goal with each ally he made, but he also became more vulnerable with each step forward. He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was using him, but there was no other way to get what he wanted.

Enzo called together his crew at the safe house, Bianca, Carmela, and a few others who owed him favors and told them what to do.

"We leave at dawn," Enzo said in a strong voice. "We hit the shipment, take out the mercenaries, and take over those weapons." No room for mistakes. "We're dead if anyone hesitates."

As usual, Bianca was the first to say something. She asked with cold eyes, "What's the point of this?" "You know that getting the weapons alone won't get us Rossini's head. We have to get to him; he's the real prize.

Enzo's eyes grew dark. "We're going to take him down, but first we need the right tools." These mercenaries won't be easy to deal with, but once we have the guns, we can move on Rossini.

Carmela stepped forward, her face hard. "I've set everything up. The shipment will be safe, but my contacts will help us get in. You only need to make sure that your people do their jobs.

Enzo nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling of unease. The mercenaries were trained to kill, and they wouldn't think twice about killing anyone who got in their way. Every step they took brought them closer to a bloody fight.

But it wasn't just the hired guns that scared him. His crew was starting to not trust him. He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was giving the enemy information. He could feel the tension in the room, and every look his crew members gave each other made him more sure of it.

The air was so tense that it felt like you could cut it with a knife as Enzo and his team got closer to the weapons shipment. The mercenaries were hard to find, and they moved in a precise and planned way. Enzo knew this fight would be the hardest of his life, but he wasn't going to give up now.

Carmela's contacts had taken them to a hidden warehouse on the edge of Havencroft, where they were keeping an eye on the shipment. Enzo and his crew came up carefully, guns drawn, ready for the worst.

"Stay sharp," Enzo said quietly to himself. "We move quickly. There is no going back once we get inside.

As soon as they crossed the queue, everything went wrong. Gunfire came out of nowhere, and the mercenaries came out of the shadows, shooting with deadly accuracy. The air was full of smoke, and gunfire rang out in all directions.

Enzo's heart raced as he and his team fought back, ducking behind crates and using the cover to their advantage. Bianca moved with deadly grace, looking for enemies as she shot without thinking. But even as they killed mercenaries one by one, Enzo felt the weight of something else: betrayal.

As the chaos continued, Julian Serrano, Rossini's hitman, came out of the smoke with a wicked smile on his face. He had been expecting them.

"You really thought you could just walk in and take what's mine?" Julian made fun of them, and his voice could be heard over the gunfire.

Enzo's blood was boiling. This was it, the moment he had been waiting for. But Bianca did something surprising just as he was about to hit. She walked towards Carmela, who was standing off to the side and didn't seem to be affected by the chaos.

As Enzo turned to kill Julian, he saw it: Bianca clearly moving to side with Carmela. When Bianca pulled out her gun and aimed it at him, his heart sank.

"Bianca, no!" Enzo yelled, his voice a mix of anger and disbelief.

But Bianca's face was a mask of cold resolve. "This is about staying alive, Enzo." It was always about staying alive.

The gun went off, but it wasn't aimed at Enzo. It was aimed at Julian Serrano, and it hit him before he could do anything.

Bianca said coldly, "You've been played, Ghost," while Carmela grinned behind her. "And you won't make it out of this alive."