novelraw Chapter 1321 - 718: Exposed
Chapter 1321 - 718: Exposed
Jimmy opened the door a crack, barely able to see the staircase entrance. With Steven behind him, he had to act somewhat normal. "Follow me."
Quietly approaching the staircase, the two started moving from the second floor to the third floor. As the people above were about to reach the third floor, Jimmy seized the moment to swiftly grab one by the clothes and fling him to the ground. The person following him upstairs didn't have time to react before Jimmy sidestepped to the staircase and kicked him in the face, sending him tumbling backward to the landing between floors.
Jimmy kicked the head of the person he had dragged up, then maneuvered down the stairs to the middle section. The person who had fallen here was already moaning in pain, alerting a few others on the second floor. Jimmy kicked him again as he passed by, then rushed down to the second floor, directly confronting two security guards. He grabbed one by the arm and used him as a shield against the other's punch. Quickly kicking both of their legs, he pushed them slightly, causing them to lose balance and fall.
Fortunately, these security guards only noticed something unusual and, relying on their numbers, sought help. So, they didn't immediately draw their guns, which gave Jimmy the opportunity for close combat. After taking these two down, the situation changed.
The two were merely knocked down and weren't as unlucky as the two on the stairs who were knocked out by Jimmy. While falling, they shouted loudly. One of them even reached for the gun at his belt.
Jimmy, of course, noticed this. He rushed forward two steps, kicking the raised gun out of the person's hand, sending it flying to the ground. He then kicked him in the stomach with the other foot, bending him double in pain. The second person didn't draw his gun but was in the process of getting up, though not fully risen yet.
Jimmy raised his right hand, elbowing him in the back, and swept his leg under him, sending the unfortunate guard crashing to the ground again. He writhed in pain; an elbow to the back from Jimmy was truly painful. Though not curled like a shrimp, he twisted like a centipede.
The other guards weren't just standing around, and the shouting and moaning had already alarmed everyone.
The people in the rooms nearby had stopped their activities but hadn't come out. Three guards came running from the front corner. As Jimmy prepared to charge at them, he had only taken two steps before he bent over and pressed himself against the wall, dodging back and forth by pushing off the wall with his hand.
The three guards drew their guns as soon as they saw Jimmy. Based on the distance, he figured he had enough time to dash over, so he zigzagged left and right while charging forward, dodging the shots fired at him as Steven looked on in shock.
Disarming an armed opponent is a required skill for every agent at Quantico, and Jimmy was exceptionally skilled at it. Grabbing the gun from the front guard with his left hand, he struck the wrist of the opposite hand with his right. Before the other guard could react, the gun was already in Jimmy's hand.
"Bang! Bang!" Using the front guard as a shield, Jimmy shot at the arms and hands of the two remaining guards, depriving them of the chance to continue holding their guns. Their weapons clattered to the floor.
The guard that Jimmy was up against was relatively lucky. Although Jimmy disarmed him, he wasn't shot. He just got tripped by Jimmy holding his neck, fell to the ground, and then Jimmy pointed the gun at him and kicked him once more, sending him into the corner of the wall and making way for the two on the ground. Jimmy continued his assault on them.
The sound of gunfire differed greatly from the previous cries, prompting screams to erupt from all sides. Those in each room hurriedly moved aside, many hastily dressing. Since they were all in separate rooms, the scene wasn't overly chaotic.
The gunshots gave other guards and gang members a target, and Jimmy saw several people draw guns and start approaching. They were much more cautious, nullifying his earlier opportunity to take out three of them with a direct assault.
Jimmy quickly checked the magazine. There were three bullets left, plus one in the chamber, totaling four shots. The gun he had taken from the guard was a Colt 1911 with eight rounds in total (7+1). It would do for now; he wouldn't need to use his own gun until it ran out.
Jimmy said, "Steven, get ready. They're coming."
Steven held the gun with both hands, momentarily aiming at the ground. As backup, he didn't need to take aim at Jimmy's position for now. However, he was still nervous, as being DEA agents, it was rare to face such a situation with just two against a dozen.
Jimmy's previous takedown maneuvers slightly reassured Steven. With skills in both fighting and shooting this strong, and on their side, it was providing an immense sense of security.
Steven adjusted his position a bit, allowing the camera concealed as a button on his shirt to capture all of Jimmy's movements. It was a rare opportunity to observe him in action—during Jimmy's previous visit to Albuquerque, he had gifted Steven and Hank the fall of a drug gang, although they never knew exactly how he did it. Watching Jimmy now, it seemed he probably did something similar back then.
Jimmy wasn't concerned with Steven's movements, focusing his attention instead on the guards ahead, the rooms above, and those behind him. It was a bit hectic.
The staircases in the building had a peculiar setup; to accommodate a bar and casino on the first floor, the staircase leading from the first to the second floor was on the side, while those leading upwards from the second floor were still centrally located. This meant that after reaching the second floor from the third, Jimmy couldn't head directly downstairs; he needed to follow the hallway, round a corner, and then reach the staircase to the first floor.
Besides the remaining four on the second floor, others from the first floor headed upstairs. The bar and casino patrons were thrown into chaos after the gunfire started, with many fleeing through the entrance. The staff couldn't possibly stop so many people, so it was a mess downstairs.
In the rooms upstairs, several individuals seemed to grab guns and head for the central staircase, apparently intending to come down. If they sandwiched him from above and below, Jimmy would be in a tight spot.
Facing so many armed opponents, Jimmy couldn't hold back anymore. Seizing the moment when those near the first-floor staircase hadn't fully gathered, he sidestepped out from the corner, fired four shots, one for each of the four slowly advancing people, hitting them all in the body, not aiming for the head.
Having been shot, they couldn't approach again and retreated in pain, descending the stairs. Meanwhile, among the armed guards arriving from below, two promptly turned back to fetch two long guns from a nearby room.
Jimmy immediately turned and said, "Steven, take over watching the front staircase; someone might be coming down from upstairs."
Steven replied, "Copy that."
Jimmy and Steven switched positions. With Steven keeping an eye on the staircase to the first floor, Jimmy moved to the staircase between the second and third floors. Drawing his Glock, he fired upstairs where someone had reached the third floor and was now visible at the stairwell.
To avoid a pincer attack, Jimmy had to act ruthlessly. Though his opponent only revealed their upper body, he landed both shots to the chest. Fortunately, he didn't aim for the heart, so they might survive a little longer.