Suddenly, I think of Nia and the gift she has brewing in her belly.
I’m not risking anything tonight, I tell myself. This isn’t for fun anymore. I’m fighting for three people now; I’m fighting for my own family.
And with that thought, I take aim at Semyon’s twisted little face and pull the trigger.
His head explodes like an overripe watermelon, scattering his brain-matter across the street.
That’s for Nia, you fucking son-of-a-bitch!
There’s no time to admire my artwork, though, because my loft is immediately drenched in a responding hail of bullets. I duck behind my fortified wall and crawl to the window that looks over the
opposite street. If the Russians are on one side, then the Italians should be on the other.
Sure enough, I spot a cast of familiar looking characters through my night-vision iron sight. I’m only really looking for one though, and there’s no sign of him yet. The Barone’s haven’t started shooting either, so I decide to leave them for the time being and crawl back over to the Russian side of my war.
The pitter-patter of lead against my bullet-proof windows sounds like rain. It’d almost be relaxing if I wasn’t so hopped up on adrenaline.
I peak through my open slice of window and let my own storm of bullets rain down upon those below. There’s lots of shouting, but no one seems to know exactly where I am. The battering ram has been dropped in the middle of the street, and no one’s coming out from behind the cover of their cars to fetch it. It’s pure chaos.
Windows shatter on my lower floors and I’m glad that no one else is home. This place needs a renovation anyways. I’m going to need to child proof it, right?
My sniper runs out of bullets and I sink back down to the floor to reload. I can hear orders being shouted from the Italian side of my building now, and I decide to go investigate.
It looks like the Barone’s have brought every last soldier out to this fight, too. I guess I did kill their godfather, after all.
He used to be your godfather, too...
But I have my own family to fight for now.
I search my line of vision for a specific target, but there’s still no sign of him.
God damnit, you coward, where the hell are you!?
I know I just need to get rid of the remaining remnants of leadership before I can truly start to wipe out the soldiers. I’m hoping that if I can just keep from firing on the Barone’s until the man that I’m looking for arrives, then they won’t be able to keep him safe.
Suddenly, a black SUV screeches from around the corner. I hold my breath and watch as it pulls up right into the midst of the Italian scrum.
My finger caresses the trigger on my gun. Come on, you big lug. Show your face!
A driver hops out of the SUV and races around to the back door. He pulls it open and a familiar figure emerges.
I can’t help but smirk.
Luca Barone is finally in my sights.
There’s no hesitation in me as I pull the trigger and blast him to hell. My bullets shred through him like a rag doll and I quickly mow down his nearby body guards as they try to scramble a return of fire.
Before the Italian bullets can even start raining down against my windows, though, I’m back on the floor and crawling towards the weapon that can help me end this shit once and for all.
I’m glad to have gotten my personal little vendettas out of the way. Now, it’s time to spend some time with an old friend.
I wipe the dust from the mighty weapon and caress its barrel as bullets rain down all around us. The rocket launcher is a little dusty, but I’ve checked all of its parts and everything seems to be in working order.
How about one last hoorah?
I stuff the world-eater full of love and make my way to the Russian side of the battlefield.
This is for you, Nia, I think with a bittersweet smile, before I fill the streets below with hellfire.