Chapter 93: Crushing
[Chapter 93: Crushing]
The Durham Steel Yard sat abandoned on the outskirts of Los Angeles. As a hub for crime, it overflowed with violence, bloodshed, and gunfights, painting a stark contrast to the glitzy landscape of Hollywood.
The following evening, under the full moon, a convoy of vehicles slowly rolled into the steel yard. Consisting of twelve cars with forty-eight men, the scene felt tense. As the convoy arrived, two men in black suits got out from each car, guns in hand, cautiously surveying the surroundings.
Steel frameworks and cranes loomed everywhere, with a few broken bulldozers and wrecking cranes parked nearby. One of the men scanned the area, his earpiece buzzing lightly. After muttering a few words, he approached the second vehicle and spoke to a burly white man inside. "They're not here yet, but our guys have secured the perimeter."
The man inside appeared grim. "Did you check inside?"
"Checked it two hours ago. No bombs, and we've had someone watching the whole time. Haven't seen anyone from the outside. The Crips cleared this place out."
...
The man in the car fished out his phone. "Crips, it's Kenwal. I've arrived... wait? How long do you want me to wait? You want to start a war with me?"
On the other end, Crips chuckled. "The war's already on, buddy. I don't think there's much for us to discuss -- just sit back and wait to die!"
Suppressing his anger, Kenwal hung up the phone. He couldn't understand why the Crips were doing this. Gangs often fought among themselves, but rival gangs from two different cities typically harbored no deep animosities and sometimes even helped each other out. Killing Bates had always had a good relationship with the Crips Gang, this betrayal seemed entirely unreasonable.
It was too late now, however; Kenwal had no choice. If he didn't retaliate, his crew would think he was scared of the Crips!
He said, "Keep an eye on the perimeter. Make sure no one's coming."
The bodyguard contacted the outside crew and soon shook his head. "The closest ones are still a block away. No signs of gathering."
Kenwal's fury boiled over. "What the hell is that bastard up to?"
Just then, the overhead crane suddenly roared to life, moving ominously above them.
"Shit!" Kenwal's face went pale. "It's a trap! Get in the cars and get out of here!"
...
Most of the crew scrambled into the vehicles, while a few armed men stayed outside, on high alert but using the cars as cover -- these were all armored vehicles, after all.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A brilliant flash of light burst like fireworks, plunging the steel yard into darkness except for the lights inside the cars. Then came another sharp sound.
This time it was gunfire. From within the lead vehicle, a man dressed in black toppled over, blood splattered, but to their surprise, the windows hadn't shattered.
That gunshot came from within!
Gang members barely had time to process what was happening; instinctively they trained their weapons on anything nearby, with some panicking and firing wildly into the dark. Gunfire erupted as more and more gangsters were hit, blood spraying as heads burst.
...
In Kenwal's earpiece, panicked voices cried out:
"I can't see the enemy!"
"Damn it, where are they?"
"Wait, the cars aren't being attacked. The shots are coming from inside!"
"This is betrayal -- someone has turned on us!"
Finally, someone recognized the problem, but they incorrectly assumed it was an inside job. The next moment led to shocking bloodshed, gang members caught in a grisly scene as blood and brain matter smeared the windows, creating a horrific crimson display.
"Get out of the cars!" shouted the bodyguard, reacting quickly, grabbing Kenwal and pulling him out.
...
Bang!
The bodyguard collapsed, shot in the forehead.
Panic ensued as everything fell into chaos; those inside the vehicles were trapped, ambushed, while the outside guards scrambled in confusion. With visibility low, they couldn't see the enemy and could only fire blindly.
Several gang members wielding submachine guns began to fire in all directions, and a few even inadvertently shot at their own.
...
"Get out of here!" Kenwal yelled.
The surviving members dashed for the steel yard's exit, but suddenly a bulldozer rumbled to life, plowing through and ruining everything in its path like a heavy tank.
"Oh no, my God!" screamed one of the gangsters.
The bulldozer smashed down, turning him into a mess, sweeping left and right, taking out more gangsters in its wake. Kenwal, terrified, scrambled into a corner.
As a gang leader, he had experienced gunfire and life-or-death situations before. He had once believed himself invincible; death never frightened him.
But tonight, he felt fear chilling his bones.
It wasn't just a fear of death; it was terror at the supernatural going on around him. The gunmen in the steel yard felt as if they were battling a ghost.
A terrifying, evil, powerful ghost.
...
"Fire! Fire!" Kenwal shouted, blasting into the darkness with his gun, desperately hoping they were just invisible.
But bullets flew harmlessly through the air, colliding against the opposite wall. In the same moment, the bulldozer roared forward, trampling everything and everyone in its path.
"No! Are we fighting ghosts?" the shooters yelled in fear, morale crumbling beneath them.
"Come out! Show yourselves!" Kenwal cried out, shooting into the air.
...
Bang!
The gunfire echoed as a bullet struck Kenwal in the forehead, and he fell helplessly.
Kenwal's death felt like the final straw for the remaining gangsters; they were soon wiped out.
...
Not far away, in a small building, Ian wore an elegant suit, a cigar dangling from his mouth. Next to him, a camera stood ready, and in front of him were a bunch of monitors.
Using the monitors, perspective vision, and telekinesis threads, he orchestrated the chaos like a ghostly butchery -- just a few more threads, and he could manipulate guns to fly and attack as if by telekinesis. Or maybe it was the opera performance of Yaka arrow (Whislte arrow of Yondu) in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2…
The only downside was that his right eye throbbed painfully once more.
All those present were dead. Picking up his phone, he engaged a voice changer and said, "Everyone inside is dealt with. But there are still a handful outside running eastward -- eleven in total. You go after them, and make sure they're all dead. Remember, I said dead, not questioned or interrogated. If you or your guys speak a word to them, I'll chop off a finger."
Ending that call, he dialed Leyso. "Phil... you can come over now."
Hanging up, he glanced at the monitors and sighed regretfully. "So many epic moments lost."
He had once been a reporter; now, it felt more like he was directing a film.
*****
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