A dicey escape

Marcus dug his cane into the grimy casino carpet, forcing his muscles to work through the pain. Elena stumbled beside him, still dazed. He gritted his teeth, every step feeling like a mile.

The heavy knocking on the door grew louder.

He had to act fast.

The door burst open and three armed guards stormed in, their gazes quickly locking onto Marcus and Elena.

Marcus straightened himself and put on a commanding tone. "Gentlemen, the Black Hoods have broken the Casino rules. I need your immediate assistance in the maintenance room. Very urgent."

The guards looked confused. "Who are you?"

Marcus pointed to his pocket. "I am an inspector for Mr. Black. Check with him if you have doubts."

As the guards hesitated, Marcus reached for his Quick Draw pistol. In two swift movements, he had taken out the first two guards with laser shots to the chest. The third managed a wild punch, but Marcus awkwardly swiftly, shooting him in the back.

"Elena, stay close," Marcus whispered, leading her through the hallway. Elena clung to his side.

Moving stealthily, they inched down the corridor, avoiding eye contact with anyone they passed. Fighting the fatigue off his limbs, Marcus guided them to the staircase leading to an exit.

His system chimed in his head.

[Warning: Multiple threats detected in the vicinity. Immediate action required.]

Wonderful.

They hadn't reached the staircase when more guards appeared at the far end of the corridor. Marcus needed a distraction. Marcus eyed a nearby fire detector and shot by it a few times with his laz pistol. The charred ceiling triggered the alarm.

Loud sounds began to filled the casino as the alarm went off and so did the sprinklers. The guard's vision blurred, and amid their confusion, Marcus slipped under their line of sight, staying low.

He dragged Elena with him, feeling the sweat trickle down his back.

As they reached the staircase, an alarm began to blare, different from the fire alarm, this was an intruder alarm. The guards were now alerted.

"We need to move faster, Elena!" Marcus urged, hobbling down the stairs, cane striking each step with a thud.

Above them, shouts echoed.

At the bottom of the stairs, Marcus took a brief moment to catch his breath. He knew more guards would come soon.

Suddenly, a thunderous crash came from behind them. Turning around, Marcus saw a figure crashing through a wall of the casino—a mountain of a man.

Brick.

Brick's hands gleamed with metallic brass knuckles, muscles bulging, confidence smearing his face like a story he'd told before. "Running so soon, intruder?"

Marcus realized this was someone he couldn't outwit or shoot from a distance.

"Elena," he whispered, his voice steady. "Go to the exit door. Now."

Elena blinked at him, confused. But seeing the urgency in his eyes, she ran.

Brick's chuckle was low and dangerous, like rocks grinding together. "Can't save her, you know?"

Marcus raised his chin. "Your fight is with me."

Brick almost seemed disappointed. "So this will be over quickly."

Before Marcus could react, Brick lunged forward. Marcus managed a quick draw shot to Brick's shoulder, but Brick barely flinched as the bullet reflected off an invisible force-field that surrounded the man.

A deflector shield!

Marcus swerved to the side, the cane quivering in his grip as he tried to anticipate the next attack.

Brick swung his brass-knuckled fist, and Marcus sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the impact that cracked the wall behind him.

"How clumsy," Brick sneered.

The system chimed again.

[Recommendation: Increase distance from target. Escape advised.]

Unhelpful.

But Marcus had to try. He used what steely determination he had left to stay light on his foot and swing the cane as Brick lunged again. The cane struck Brick's knee, but the man barely felt the impact.

Marcus knew his situation was dire. He didn't have time to feel exhausted, to be frail. He needed to take risks.

Brick swung again, but Marcus ducked, attempting a sweep at Brick's feet. This time, Brick lost balance momentarily, which gave Marcus a split-second advantage.

Bringing his Quick Draw gun up, he aimed at Brick's face, but Brick was already recovering. He grabbed the barrel and tore it from Marcus's grip, tossing it aside.

With his weapon gone, fear clawed at Marcus's resolve. Brick grinned menacingly, his arm swinging wide towards Marcus. It was at that moment that five casino guards wielding sub machine guns decided to make their appearance in the corridor.

They looked at the two men confused and Marcus jumped at the opportunity making use of his insider knowledge and intimidation. Marcus dug deep into his mind's eye. He conjured every scrap of tactical brilliance he possessed, looking for an edge. He couldn't match Brick's strength, but maybe he utilize another's strength.

"Took you long enough! Mr. Black wants this thug dead, he's going for the safe on the third floor!" Marcus screamed and Brick paused tilting his head.

"Wha-" he began but was cut off by a hail of submachine gun fire as the guards decided to shoot.

Brick scowled as the gunfire erupted.

Bullets sparked against his deflector shield. Taking a deep breath, Brick lunged forward with terrifying strength, his brass-knuckled fist plowing into the closest guard. The man flew backward, crashing through a wall.

Marcus took the chaos as his cue. While Brick engaged the guards, he pushed himself into motion, cane tapping rhythmically with each step.

The urgency of his escape fueled his exhausted limbs.

Brick was unstoppable. He moved fluidly, despite his large size; the guards were no match. One by one, they crumpled under the sheer force of his punches. He didn't tire, he didn't hesitate—every move was lethal, every strike a testament to his brutal strength.

A guard aimed at Brick's head, but with a swift move, Brick's brass knuckle connected with the guard's sternum, stopping him cold. The guard fell with a gurgle, his machine gun sliding across the floor.

Marcus reached the casino's rear corridor and glanced back. Brick had reduced the squad of guards to a mess of broken limbs and writhing bodies. But Brick was not done; his eyes scanned for his primary target—Marcus.

But then a shadowy figure fell from the ceiling out of thin air, a tall man that sent shivers down Marcus's spine.

It was dagger, the assasin from before.

"You think you can kill Mr. Black's men and get away with it? We let you use this space as a courtesy you Black Hood scum!" Dagger snarled and moved to intercept. It seemed he hadn't seen Marcus or hadn't seen through his disguise enough to care. Either way it was time to leave.

Gritting his teeth, Marcus urged his legs to move faster, guiding Elena who was waiting ahead of him. They reached the emergency exit—an old metal door that was ajar. Their way out.

"Keep running," Marcus forced the words out, pushing Elena through. His system chimed in his head, blaring warnings.

[Proximity alert: Hostile at close range. Probability of survival: Low.]

As they stumbled out into the night air, Brick's roar and Dagger's vile laugh echoed behind them.