Nicole POV
The scream echoed through the mall, followed by shouts, laughter, and the unmistakable sound of a loud bang. It didn't sound like goblins, more like people. I exchanged a quick look with Jasmine, and without hesitation, we both ran toward the noise.
"Let go of my sister!!" Josh yelled from ahead, his voice full of panic.
"Stop! Let me go!!" Liz screamed mournfully, her voice breaking through the chaos.
I slowed at the end of the aisle where Liz and Josh were. Peeking around the corner, I saw Josh on the ground, two men kicking him while another was groping Liz. My blood boiled. I reached for my gun, moving cautiously, ready to put an end to this. Just as I was about to make my move, I heard a voice behind me.
"Don't fucking move!" A gruff male voice barked, and my heart skipped.
Everyone turned toward the sound, and my worst fear materialized. One of the men had a gun to Jasmine's head. The air thickened with tension, but Jasmine's eyes were locked on the man, her body language unreadable.
"Put the gun down and—ahh!" Before the man could finish his sentence, Jasmine moved faster than I could follow. One moment, she was at gunpoint, and the next, her knife was in the man's hand. She disarmed him with practiced precision, the blade slicing through the air as she cut his arms.
The man staggered back, clutching his wrist in pain. His eyes were wide, confused. I wasted no time. "Let them go and step away!" I ordered, my voice firm as I pointed my gun at the remaining men.
They hesitated, their eyes flicking between the three of us. Slowly, they backed off, their hands raised in mock surrender.
"Easy now. This is just a misunderstanding," one of them tried to say, the tone in his voice betraying the lie.
"Misunderstanding? Why are you beating up my people? There are enough supplies for everyone around." I couldn't keep the edge of anger out of my voice. It wasn't just the robbery. It was what they were doing to Josh and Liz.
The man opened his mouth, about to respond, but before he could say another word, a loud gunshot rang out from deeper in the store, followed by a blood-curdling scream. My heart sank.
"I'd advise you to put that gun down, or I'm going to start shooting people," a voice called from the side.
I turned, and blood ran cold in my veins. There, standing like a dark omen, was another man. He wasn't alone—he had Sol with him, a gun pressed against the back of his head. How the hell did Sol end up with them? He was supposed to be with Viktor.
"Stop fucking moving," the man barked at Sol, slapping him across the face with the back of his gun. Sol flinched but didn't resist.
"Hey, leave the boy alone," Viktor called from behind me, his voice rough. I turned to find him, but blood was dripping down from his forehead, a trail of crimson staining his face.
"Boss, let me fuck this guy up. After what he did to Milo, I don't mind teaching him a lesson," one of the men, probably no older than 17, said, brandishing a bloodied bat.
The leader chuckled, a low, dangerous sound. "You'll get your chance. Now, girlie, drop the gun." He turned to me, his eyes glinting with malicious intent. My heart pounded in my chest, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. This wasn't just about us getting robbed—it was about survival. And I had no intention of going down easy.
"The others will be here soon," I muttered under my breath, thinking of the group. "We can wait them out." But the leader was too quick, his voice cutting through my thoughts.
"Now! Drop it!" he demanded.
I could see Jasmine's eyes hardening, her jaw clenched. She was biding her time, waiting for the perfect moment. But just then, I saw Mitch's group shuffle into view, dragging Liam, Jesse, and the rest of the team with them. Liam was glaring at the ground, his fists clenched in rage and shame.
"Is this everyone?" the leader asked.
"Yes," a familiar voice responded.
My heart skipped. "You Bitch!" Jesse screamed from where he was dragged in, his face full of shock and fury. My eyes locked onto Stacy, and everything clicked.
"Stacy..." I breathed, the realization hitting me like a freight train.
With a forced breath, I slowly raised my hands and dropped my gun, nudging it aside with my foot.
"Finally listen, huh? Thought you were deaf or something," the leader mocked, a grin spreading across his face. "Now, everyone on your knees. Tie them up."
The men immediately moved forward, pushing everyone into a tight group and using zip ties to restrain us. I could feel the ropes cutting into my wrists as they bound us. They searched us for weapons, taking anything useful, and I didn't miss the lecherous looks they threw at us.
"Boss, they are law enforcement," one of the men said, holding up my badge.
"And?" the leader scoffed. "This is the end of the world. No one cares about the law now. It's just survival of the fittest." He shoved Sol forward, roughly tying him up before pushing him to the ground. I could see the rage in Jasmine's eyes, but she remained still. Her anger was palpable, but she wasn't reacting yet.
One of the men, his eyes lecherous, gave a sadistic grin. "Yeah, fuck the cops! We can do whatever we want now. Actually, boss, some of these bitches are pretty hot. I think we need to relieve some stress."
My stomach turned. I couldn't let this happen. Not to Jasmine. Not to any of us.
"That's a great idea," the leader said, eyeing Jasmine with an unsettling hunger. "Let me pick my favorite first, then we can all share." His eyes roamed over Jasmine, and I could see her clenched jaw. I knew she wasn't going to take this lying down.
"Wait, I thought you were only going to rob them," Stacy suddenly interjected, her voice shrill. "You aren't supposed to do anything else but take their stuff and beat them up a little."
"Are you stupid?" the leader snapped, pushing her aside. "Do you know how much XP you can get from killing people? 50 apiece. All I see is XP in front of me. If you don't want to join them, then get out of the way."
"You don't have to rape them, though. We can just rob them and leave. The goblins are out there, and they're not hard to kill. We're all human," Stacy pleaded, stepping in front of him.
"Shut the fuck up, bitch!" a man growled, slapping Stacy hard across the face.
"Boss, why do we have to keep her? She's not useful anymore since she led us to her old group. Sure, she's kind of hot, but after we finish using her, she'll just be broken like that other woman." One of the men licked his lips, eyes dark.
"Do whatever you want. I only want the high-grade bitches like her." The leader gestured to Jasmine, his grin widening. "Come on, pretty. I'll make you scream for me."
My heart sank as I realized what was happening. Jasmine stood there, unfazed, and before I could move, I heard her voice, calm and dangerously confident.
"I don't think you can handle me, boy," Jasmine said, a smirk playing on her lips.
The leader's grin faltered. "Oh, I can definitely handle you," he said, stepping closer. "I see how you've been giving me 'fuck me eyes.' I'll satisfy all your needs. Right boys?" His crew laughed behind him, egging him on.
"Why don't you show me? I'm pretty sure there's an office around here we can go to," Jasmine purred, batting her eyelashes and gesturing toward a door nearby.
The leader looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded to his men. "Go ahead. Let's get this over with."
"Don't touch anyone yet, until after I'm finished. I bet the others want to hear this bitch scream in pleasure." The leader laughed, and the others cheered, following as Jasmine was pulled toward the back room.
My heart sank as the door slammed shut behind them, and the man's laughter echoed in my ears.
"Jasmine..." I whispered, feeling a wave of helplessness. But I knew one thing—this wasn't over. We weren't done fighting.