The Devil's Trap

His head throbbed as he got to his feet, adrenaline pulsating through him like a raw, electric current. The armored soldier in front of him raised its assault rifle, the barrel gleaming ominously. The blast from the explosion still rang in his ears, and his body ached from every inch of the fight. Blood drenched his clothes and his hands, but that wasn't enough to slow him down. Not now. Not when the end was so close.

The battle axe warrior moved swiftly, standing between Jake and the charging soldiers.

The axe swooshed through the air with a fluid motion and hacked down the closest soldier, whose body fell to the ground with a sickening crunch, spilling blood all over. The air reeked of gunpowder, sweat, and the metallic taste of death.

Jake didn't have time to feel sorry for the fallen soldier. His eyes were locked on the new threat, the heavily armored soldier standing in the doorway.

The rifle was raised, its scope trained directly on Jake's chest. Vito, still standing smugly in the back of the room, was watching the chaos unfold with an eerie calmness.

"You didn't really think you could win, did you, Renzo?" Vito's voice rang out, cold and mocking. "This was always my game. You were just a pawn."

Jake gritted his teeth, his mind racing. A pawn? He'd never been a pawn in anyone's game. But that's what this was. A trap. A fucking trap, and now he was the bait.

"Shut the hell up, Vito!" Jake screamed, his voice raw. He went for his gun, holstered to his side, the familiar weight anchoring him.

He's not out of this fight.

The armored soldier took another step closer to Jake.

The rifle is now pointed at his head. He's ready to pull the trigger.The figure with the battle axe jumped forward. He seemed to burst into a blur.Down swung the axe, its power and precision those of an experienced warrior. The armored soldier brought up his rifle, trying to hold off the attack, but the axe cleaved through the barrel like hot butter. Sparks flew, and before he could act, the figure again heaved the axe, cutting through the soldier's neck in one clean, brutal stroke.

The soldier's head thudded lifelessly on the floor, the body of which crumpled and fell right away.

The room was silent for a split second, weighed down by the beauty of the kill. Jake had his chest heaving as he pushed forward and finished the fight.

"Shit," Jake muttered, viewing the bloody remains of the armored soldier twitching on the ground. He turned back to Vito, with anger flashing in his eyes.

"You really brought all this shit down on me, huh?"

Vito's smile didn't falter. "You think you're the only one who's been playing the game, Renzo? You've been a distraction, a minor inconvenience.

This whole thing " he gestured to the carnage around them "was "never about you. It was about power. You're just a casualty."

Jake took a step forward, his gun raised, but a sharp pain shot through his side, making him stagger.

The blood loss was taking its toll. He could barely keep his grip on the gun, his vision blurring around the edges.

"Stop talking," Jake snarled, aiming at Vito. "I'm done with your fucking monologue."

But Jake hadn't pulled the trigger when a third soldier, wearing full tactical gear, sprinted around from the side, grabbed him, and knocked them both to the floor, taking the force into Jake's gun hand so the gun slid away, the weight of his attacker pressed against his chest, forcing his breath from him as they pinned him down.

Get the fuck off me!"Jake snarled, kicking out from beneath the soldier's weight.

His hand reached out, flashing toward the knife at his belt, but the soldier seized it away before contact. Jake's fingers scraped across the floor, but it wasn't enough.

The soldier's fist shot into Jake's jaw, sharp pain racing through his skull. His vision was flashing, and his edges were going out of focus. Sweat and blood combined on his chin as he spat out a metallic taste in his mouth.

But then—

The figure with the battle axe moved again, this time faster than Jake had ever seen, cutting through the air and plunging the blade into the soldier's back with a sickening crack.

The soldier let out a strangled scream before collapsing his body, his body falling limp atop Jake. The weight was almost too much, but Jake didn't have time to react before the figure pulled the body away, throwing it aside like a rag doll.

Jake groaned, sitting up, still confused but alive.

"Thanks for the help," he muttered through a strained voice.

The figure shot him a quick, almost laughing glance. "Don't thank me yet."

More boots came into the room. More soldiers. Jake's mind was running wild.

How many of these bastards were there? At least a dozen now, all armed to the teeth, moving in on them.

Vito's voice cut through the tension. "You've only delayed the inevitable, Renzo. This is the end. You and your little friend don't stand a chance against me. Not anymore.

Jake's blood was boiling. This was it. There was no way out. The army, Vito, and the figure with the axe they were all closing in.

Jake could hardly hold onto his gun, but he knew one thing. If he was going down, he wasn't going down without a fight.

The battle axe swung again, and this time, the figure cleaved through two soldiers at once, their bodies falling with a sickening crash.

The room erupted into chaos once more as the remaining soldiers began to fire, bullets whizzing through the air, ricocheting off the walls.

He dove behind a pillar as the fight sounded around him like a thunderstorm.

Vito's laugh in the distance sounded icy cold and hollow as it was a reminder of his strength. Jake's hands trembled with fear over his gun as he took another look over the pillar, fired, and managed to kill yet another soldier targeting the battle-axe man.