CHAPTER TWO: THE HIROSHIMA TWINS
The city lights blurred past as Victor Logan maneuvered his sleek black Aston Martin down the freeway, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. The USB drive burned like a brand in his pocket. Whatever was on it had been enough for Magnifier to die for and for Dorian Kane to betray him.
His phone buzzed on the passenger seat.
Naomi.
A rare smile ghosted across Logan's lips as he reached for the device. But just as his fingers brushed the screen-
CRASH!!
A monstrous 18-wheeler truck smashed into the side of his car, sending metal screeching as the Aston Martin spun out of control. Glass shattered. Tires screamed. The world turned into a chaotic blur as the car flipped twice before landing on its roof.
Smoke curled from the wreckage. The faint sound of honking cars in the distance mixed with the shrill ringing in Logan's ears.
Pain seared through his ribs as he groaned, forcing his body to move. Blood dripped from a gash on his forehead as he unbuckled himself and kicked the door open.
He barely had time to breathe before two figures stepped into the flickering glow of the streetlights.
The Hiroshima Twins
One was a towering brute, his stomach bulging under a black silk robe, his hands wrapped in leather-strapped gloves. His Kung Fu stance was rigid yet fluid-balanced. Deadly.
The other was leaner, dressed in a tactical suit a katana resting on his shoulder. His cold gaze was razor-sharp, like the blade he wielded.
They stared at Logan with unsettling calm.
The fat one smirked. "Damn. Are you still breathing? Tough bastard."
Logan spat blood, wiping his mouth. "If Kane wanted me dead, he should've sent someone better."
The swordsman tilted his head. "He did."
The fat one cracked his knuckles, stepping forward. "Name's Shun. That's my brother, Ryuu. We're here to kill you."
Logan exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah?" He reached behind his back, gripping his pistol. "Guess we have a problem."
Ryuu was already moving.
CLANG!
The katana sliced through the air, forcing Logan to sidestep. He barely dodged before Shun barreled forward like a freight train, sending a knee flying toward his ribs.
Logan twisted-too slow.
The impact sent him skidding back, pain exploding through his side. But he stayed upright, raising his gun and firing three rapid shots.
Shun snatched a street sign from the pavement, spinning it like a staff, and deflected the bullets mid-air. Sparks flashed as the metal clashed, the bullets ricocheting into parked cars.
The highway was now chaotic - honking, screaming pedestrians, and cars swerving to avoid the wreckage. But none of that mattered.
This was a fight to the death.
Logan charged forward, flipping his gun in his grip to use the butt as a blunt weapon. He parried Ryuu's Katana strike, twisting his body to deliver a brutal elbow to the swordsman's jaw.
Ryuu staggered but came in from the side.
A palm strike landed on Logan's chest like a battering ram, sending him crashing into the hood of a car. The windshield shattered under the force as Logan gasped for air.
Shun grinned. "Told you, man. Kane pays us too well to fail."
Logan coughed, gripping his ribs. "You talk too much."
He reached into his jacket, flicking a switchblade open. Then he launched.
Shun swung the street sign, but Logan ducked, slicing the blade across his forearm. The fat man roared in pain but before Logan could follow up
Ryuu's Katana came down'
Logan barely twisted in time, the blade grazing his cheek, cutting a thin, bloody line. He countered with a brutal sidekick to Ryuu's Knee, forcing the swordsman off balance.
Shun, undeterred, lunged forward with a spinning kick but Logan rolled, grabbing a loose motorcycle helmet from the ground and hurling it at his face.
CRACK!
The helmet exploded against Shun's nose, sending him stumbling back. Logan took the opening, driving a hard punch into the fat man's throat, causing him to gag and stagger.
Ryuu recovered fast, twirling his Katana. "Enough."
His blade flashed under the streetlights, cutting downward in a lightning-fast arc. Logan, instinct sharp as ever, grabbed a metal car door that had broken off his Aston Martin and used it as a makeshift shield.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as the Katana struck metal. Logan pushed forward, smashing the car door into Ryuu's chest, sending him crashing against a taxi.
Shun wiped blood from his broken nose, panting. "You're better than we thought."
Logan cracked his knuckles, eyes locked on them. "And you're not as good as you think."
Sirens echoed in the distance, cops were closing in. The Hiroshima Twins exchanged a glance.
Ryuu exhaled, flicking the blood from his katana. "We'll finish this later."
Shun chuckled, licking the blood from his split lip. "Try not to die before then, yeah?"
They vanished into the chaos, slipping into the flood of panicked bystanders before Logan could give chase.
Panting, he wiped the sweat and blood from his face. His body ached, but he had no time to rest.
Then he remembered Naomi's call.
His heart sank.
Ignoring the pain, he stumbled toward his wrecked car, snatching up his shattered phone. He pressed the screen -no answer.
Dread crawled up his spine.
Something was wrong.
With adrenaline pumping, he hijacked a nearby motorcycle and gunned it toward home, tires screeching against the asphalt.
He didn't know it yet, but by the time he got there-Naomi would already be dead.
The moment Logan stepped into his home, something felt off. The air was heavy. Too still.
Then he saw the blood.
His heart stopped.
On the floor, Naomi lay motionless, her once-warm eyes now lifeless. Blood pooled around her delicate frame, a bullet wound piercing her chest.
A guttural scream tore from Logan's throat as he dropped to his knees, cradling her limp body. His hands trembled as he held her close, rocking back and forth in silent agony.
A single note lay beside her.
"You should have stayed out of it. - Dorian Kane"
Logan's breath shuddered. His client-Dorian Kane, the man who had hired him - had done this.
His hands curled into fists.
If Kane thought he could erase him so easily...
He was dead wrong.