Riding the Winds.

The splashes of water racked the alleyway as the group split into two. They were moving in opposite directions and in different corners of the city.

The rain fell as strong as ever and the winds blew swiftly. Isabella's tied her hair into a ponytail to stop it from swaying too much, the walls stopping the winds were the only reason the group could even afford to walk in the rain.

The group of just eleven people could walk free and fast, hiding among the buildings which were clogging out smoke due to being set on fire by the explosions. The fire was no more but still the smoke was flying through the sky covering the vision.

In the open winds, the groups moved in shadows. Isabella had her knives in her hand, three more buckled around her riding habit pants, the wear was very loose allowing her to move more freely. Her white coat was still visible in the night.

The soldiers beside her were more a two-layer of armour, a core iron chest plate painted with the colour blue and a chainmail inside for a chance of stopping a bullet which was far enough. Some wore the velvet armour on top and some wore the hat too but it flew away in the wind.

How did they keep the hats on when the winds were even harsher?

Isabella wondered if she might found if she injured a few mafia men and asked them about it or she might never have found it out. It was a game of time.

Isabella walked alongside Jonas, trying to navigate through the buildings and find the most untravelled road to the warehouse. Any pre-reached combat will only act to lower their number and make the enemy more aware and swift in their work.

The plan was to intercept the longest path to the warehouse, going across the city through different alleyways trying to spread up in groups of three with one member dressed in the Italian dress for a possible chance at deception but the main purpose was to cover and analyze the maximum area possible in minimalistic of time.

Isabella was growing more unpleasant with the eerie feeling of the environment each second, as she approached a high wall ahead of her. She needed to infer the situation.

"There might be a possibility they are hiding collectively in a position trying to protect the warehouse. In that case, how are we going to halt them if they throw their entire weight at us?" She inquired.

Jonas heard her question alongside the soldier walking them, Jonas signalled him to be weak walking as he tried to answer the question. While the group kept progressing and switching positions.

"....hmm. If they throw their entire army at us. It is best to retreat into the streets and hide as you did earlier. The guns they use can fire multiple bullets in a single pull of the trigger. So it is a waste to even try fighting them in a gun battle." He answered.

Multiple bullets in a single pull?!

It was the truth if the enemies armed with weaponry far superior to theirs they stood no chance, however...

"But If we can make this battle a hand-to-hand combat zone, I have absolute confidence there is no possibility we lose unless the white coat gets involved. With the combat skills of my comrades and your skills, we will win."

Jonas's words of pure confidence pulled some hope in Isabella, his trust in these soldiers was quite visible and skilled they must be but she was sensing another problem. She leaned closer to Jonas to make sure the soldier didn't hear it.

"Is your left arm okay?... I don't think it is a very good shape... Can you even hold a knife properly with it?"  She whispered.

From the time she pushed him into a corner, Isabella noticed it wasn't her just her agility to kick Jonas's knee before he could react. It was because he was not able to counter-act with his other arm it was in the rest position the entire time.

Even now his gun rested on his right shoulder and he headed the map with the same hand. This left arm of hanging on the side, just like he was holding a lantern. Full of opening in close combat.

"...."

For a second he stopped, he was frozen. It gave away the fact that he was hiding it, that his arm was injured in some manner and now that he had been caught he had no answer.

"I can ..." He gave a strong-looking yet obviously deceiving reply. It worried Isabella further. He was not fit, she did not know what injured his arm but he was hiding it and for what reason? it was beyond her comprehension.

*whoo-whoo

"!!?"

A whistle sound came from the left altering the entire group of soldiers for the enemy ahead of them. From the deep sound, it wasn't a small amount either.

The group soon reunited behind a large building which was a bar from all the alcohol and beer flowing out with its nose-catching smell. The group made it a discussion.

"What happened? Did you find the enemy?" Jonas enquired.

A soldier nodded to his question. His face was looking worried now, opposite to the confident face which was there while disbanding from the larger groups. His visible shaking made others confused.

Jonas laid the map in front of the group asking him to deliver the location and and actions of the enemy. The soldier looked at the map and began speaking.

"Sir, I have inspected the area by going ahead and I have intel on the enemy. The Italian soldiers are working on loading their crates with black pearls, they have burned down every building in the area except the warehouse the path to the warehouse is just through the front stoned path." He took a small pause before he spoke again letting everyone digest the situation.

"There are no hiding points and enemy soldiers are lined up on the entire way. The number is in the hundreds. They have sneaked passed men across the walls."

"Are you sure about every detail of this? Are there no places left for us to make a stronghold?" 

 The news was terrible in every way possible, the enemies were in greater numbers and the path had no place to hide. If this was the truth there was in no world a possibility of winning a battle in the open field. They needed to hold a place to survive until the forces came to help them.

"I don't think. So, All the shops in the vicinity of my vision were destroyed." The soldier replied. Placing his hand on a dotted path on the map. Everything on the dotted line was planned to be burned to the ground.

There was one narrow path to the warehouse with shops along the way from the direction the group was approaching but there was a bridge, made of newly found Portland cement. It connected the warehouse with the central port. The group was nearly 300 meters away but the rain and lack of light made it difficult to see ahead.

"The barracks for the food and explosives should still be there but it is still more than 200 meters away from the warehouse and the bridge connecting the warehouse with the port can be easily used to escape," Jonas spoke up.

"I have a plan, I think we can do something about this situation, I think we can use the barracks to our advantage," Isabella spoke up.

"What-"

*** BangBangBang

The noise of bullets being fired rang across the ears of the group something had happened. It was close, very close to them.

"....!!!?? What the hell happened?" 

"aaaa.... Run.." A help cry was heard in the ear of the group, those were defeintly someone's last words.

"Ross....." The soldier who told the intel became frozen and the words exited his mouth.

Then only did Jonas realise only 10 people were standing here and now, only 10 of them remained. One was already down.

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