Cruz scrambled up the metal stairs, his boots slipping on his own sweat, and slammed his heavy office door shut. He threw the deadbolts, shoved an iron filing cabinet against the handle, and backed away, gasping for air. He unholstered his custom nickel-plated .45, chambered a round, and held it with both shaking hands aimed dead-center at the door. "Come on..." he whimpered, his teeth chattering. "Come on, you motherfuckers..." CRASH! The reinforced window behind his desk exploded into a shower of jagged glass. Before Cruz could even turn his head, a massive black shadow flew straight through the frame! Beast landed heavy on the hardwood, skidding to a halt right between Cruz and his desk. The giant Cane Corso locked his dark, bloodshot eyes straight on Cruz, lowered his broad head, and let out a low, vibrating, bone-chilling growl that rattled the windowpanes. Grrrrrrrrrr... That sound broke Cruz completely. The sheer terror flooded his veins so fast his fingers went totally numb. His nickel-plated pistol slipped right out of his sweaty grip, clattering loudly against the floorboards. He backed into the corner, dropping to his knees with his hands up, trembling like a leaf. "Please! Don't... don't let him bite me!" Cruz whimpered, his voice high and pathetic. Paco climbed in through the shattered window right behind Beast, dusting glass off his tactical vest. He walked straight over to the barricaded door, hauled the heavy filing cabinet out of the way with one hand, unlocked the deadbolt, and pulled the door wide open. I stepped through the entryway, my heavy 12-gauge slung over my shoulder, my custom bowie resting on my chest. I looked down at Cruz, my eyes cold as ice, a slow, dark smile cutting across my face. "Please, man!" Cruz wept, sniveling like a scared kid. "I—I got money! Up in the safe! Half a million in cash! Take the quarry, take everything! Just don't kill me, please!" "Dude, I don't even want to hear all that sniveling," I said, my voice smooth, quiet, and deadly. "You already fucked up, Cruz. There's no changing this. It's going to happen, okay? You just gotta accept it." I stepped in close, resting my hand on my hip, right near my sidearms. "Now it's just about how it ends," I whispered. "Whether I finish you off with my nines, let Paco beat you to a pulp, or maybe... just for shits and giggles, I let Beast handle your dumb ass." Right on cue, Beast took a step forward and let out a heavy, deafening bark—WOOF!—that echoed off the walls. Cruz flinched so hard he damn near jumped out of his skin, curling into a tight ball on the floor, weeping hysterically. I looked down at the pathetic wreck shivering at my boots. The smell of copper, gun oil, and pure fear filled my lungs, and for the first time in three years, something deep inside my chest unlocked. The cold thrill of the hunt came rushing right back through my blood like pure lightning. "Now you sure enough fucking brought me out of retirement," I said, a mean, dark laugh bubbling up from my throat. "You made me remember how all this death makes me feel."

No Way Out