Chapter 1 Point Blank

"Just kill me, you fucking bastard!"

The bald, pot-bellied man spat the words. Before he could finish, a heavy punch slammed into his face. His head snapped back violently as blood flew from his mouth.

The man punching him smirked and re-tied the cloth around his knuckles before delivering another devastating blow. This one shattered the prisoner’s nose, sending fresh blood gushing down his face.

"No... no! Stop hurting my papa!"

The little girl’s cry was instantly muffled as one of the men in black clamped a rough hand over her mouth.

"If you make another sound," the thug growled, "I’ll rip your head off right in front of your papa."

The girl nodded repeatedly, eyes wide with terror. Tears clung to her lashes, sparkling briefly before trickling down her cheeks.

She glanced at her mother, who was also gagged and held firmly by another man. Fear was etched across the woman’s face as she struggled to stifle her sobs, watching her husband being brutalized by a man built like a wrestler.

If this continued, her father wouldn’t last much longer.

"Just tell me what you want… and let my family go," Williams yelled, spitting out more blood.

His tormentor smirked and landed another punch. "We’ll continue your torment while we wait for the boss." He chuckled, noticing the fear creeping into Williams’s eyes.

The other men joined in the laughter, but it died abruptly when the door swung open.

A petite woman in a sleek cobra-black suit entered. A feathery hat adorned her head, and her lips were painted a deep blood-red. She swung her pistol casually around her index finger, the sharp click of her heels the only sound in the room.

Trailing behind her was a timid fifteen-year-old girl — Kyla. She stopped a few steps back, rubbing her palms together nervously. The horrific scene before her made her stomach twist, but she had no choice but to watch and learn.

Her eyes swept across the room: the men from her clan, the tortured Williams, his wife gasping desperately, and finally the little girl staring at her with desperate, pleading eyes, silently begging her to be their savior.

Kyla quickly lowered her head as the woman in front spoke.

"Well, well, well… Williams," the woman drawled, placing her gun on the nearby table. She settled onto the couch, crossed her legs, and adjusted her hat. "Long time no see."

"Luna…" Williams grunted, struggling to breathe. He glared at her.

"Yes… you remembered my name perfectly," Luna smiled.

"What do you want from me?" he muttered harshly.

"You know exactly what I want, Williams." She gestured to the picture on the table. "Tell me where to find him."

"I already told your men — I don’t know!" Williams yelled.

A punch immediately crashed into his nose. He groaned in pain.

"Arghh… can’t you just stop this? I’m telling the truth!" he cried bitterly.

Luna stood and walked toward him. "You know me, Williams. I hate liars. I won’t hesitate to pull their heads from their necks. You know where ‘The Mask’ is. Your family is at risk if you keep lying."

"Leave my family out of this, Luna! They’re innocent. You want me, not them!" he gritted out.

"Then fucking give me the information I need!" she seethed.

"And I said I don’t know!" he yelled in her face.

"Damn… fuck this!" Luna slammed her fist on the table, grabbed the gun, cocked it, and aimed at his wife. She pulled the trigger without hesitation.

"Mom!" the little girl screamed as her mother collapsed, blood gushing from the bullet wound in her forehead.

"No… no… you bitch!" Williams roared, tears streaming down his bloody face. "She was innocent! I hate you, Luna… you’re a beast!"

Luna kissed the tip of the smoking gun and licked her lips. "You dragged her into it, so she paid for your sins. She was going to die anyway — I just made it faster. Thanks for hating me." She winked.

"You’ll never get to ‘The Mask’. He’s many steps ahead of you," Williams snapped.

"Too bad you won’t live to see me win. You’re joining your wife soon… and your daughter will follow."

Williams’s face hardened. He couldn’t bear the thought of a bullet going through his little daughter’s head. She was too innocent for all this. He wished he had never dragged them into his dangerous life.

"Please… don’t kill her. She’s too young," he begged, still groaning in pain.

Luna tilted her head. "You know I don’t do mercy, Williams. You have three seconds to say your last prayer."

Then she smiled. "Actually… I won’t kill you."

Hope flickered in Williams’s eyes for a split second.

"She will." Luna pointed at Kyla and stretched out the gun.

Kyla’s heart pounded. "N-no… I can’t… I can’t do it!"

"Kyla," Luna said sternly. "We’ve talked about this."

"But—"

"Take the fucking gun and blow this bastard’s head off!"

Kyla took the gun with shaking hands. She aimed at Williams, then looked at the little girl staring at her with pleading eyes. Her hands trembled violently.

With a broken scream and eyes squeezed shut, she pulled the trigger. The bullet hit Williams in the left eye. His head jerked back, and he breathed his last.

The little girl cried out in horror, but no one paid her any attention. Luna clapped slowly.

"That’s a good start. Now do the same to his daughter. And be confident this time."

Kyla couldn’t do it. The girl was too young. When Luna threatened her again, she fired in panic. The shot went wide.

Her legs gave out. A stinging slap landed across her face.

"Bastard," Luna spat.