"Who is it?" the father called out as he walked to the door and opened it.
"Ahhh, sorry, mister," the man said, pointing a gun at his forehead. "But I'm afraid your daughter will have to miss your wife's birthday."
"Who the hell are you? Why are you asking for my daughter?" the father asked, stumbling backward.
"Don't ask questions, damn it. Just tell us where your daughter is!" the man snarled, shoving the cold barrel of the gun into the father's mouth.
The father's lips quivered around the metal. His voice came out broken, barely a whisper.
"She... she isn't here. She went out with her mom."
"Ohhh, thanks for the answer." The man slowly pulled the gun back and turned as if to leave.
The father collapsed to the floor, soaked in sweat. His chest rose and fell in frantic, shallow breaths. Relief, thin and fragile, flickered in his eyes.
"Just joking," the man said casually.
His boot struck like a hammer, slamming into the father's chest. A sharp crack echoed in the room as pain exploded through the man's ribs. He screamed, raw and guttural.
"What was that? Dad? Dad.... what happened? Are you..."
His daughter burst into the room, breathless, still half-dressed for her mother's birthday celebration. She stopped dead at the doorway.
Her father lay on the floor, curled in pain. Over him stood a man...unknown, terrifying...raining blows down without mercy.
Her body recoiled instinctively. Her legs gave way, stumbling backward. But her lips, without her knowing, began to move.
"Stop it..... please..... stop it....." she whispered.
Then louder, louder....until it broke from her throat in a scream.
"Stop it!"
"There you are, miss," the man said with a cold smile. "You're coming with me. Someone named Jose wants to see you."
"Run! Run!" her father shouted, lunging at the man to wrestle the gun away.
"Get off me, you bastard! Just give me my damn gun..." the attacker yelled, struggling.
Before he could finish, another man entered the house and shot the father in the head.
"Ahhhhh!" the girl screamed, collapsing beside her father's body, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Let's grab her and go," one of the Snake members said, moving toward her.
"Back off. She's mine," the Leaf member snapped, grabbing his shoulder.
"Don't test me. I don't have time for this," the Snake member growled, shoving the Leaf member into the wall.
"You son of a...." A gunshot cut through the air.
The shot was the trigger.
Outside, both groups had men nearby. The gunfire pulled them all into the house.
"What happened?!" several voices shouted as the room filled with members from both gangs.
Inside, they found the lifeless bodies of the girl's parents.....and one of the Snake members.
"You shot our guy!" one of the Snake members roared, stepping up to the Leaf shooter.
"Yeah? He was interfering with my job," the Leaf shooter growled.
"And who the hell said you could take the girl?" the Snake demanded.
"My boss," the Leaf replied flatly.
The girl was still sobbing over her parents, trembling.
Then, without warning, a Snake member drew his gun...and the house exploded into chaos as a hail of bullets tore through the room.
When the shooting stopped, most were dead. The girl lay lifeless among them.
Only four escaped. One Leaf member ran, being chased by three furious Snake members.
On the highway, the escaping car sped at top speed.
Across the road, a father gave his little daughter a ride on his back.
"Let's go, sweetie!" he said cheerfully.
"Yay!" the girl giggled, arms wrapped around his neck.
"Be careful!" the mother called from behind, watching them cross the red light.
A loud noise approached...fast.
The father turned. "What the...?"
The speeding car slammed into them. Father and daughter were launched into the air.
"AHHHHHH!" the mother screamed.
People rushed forward, panicking...but before they could help, another car barreled through and ran over the two bodies.
The mother collapsed on the road in horror as the crowd scattered in chaos.
"Drive faster! I'll kill every last one of those Leaf bastards!" a Snake member screamed, half hanging out the window, gripping a gun.
The lone Leaf member reached the party. He skidded to a stop, jumped out, and sprinted inside.
The second car followed...Snake members hot on his heels.
In their haste, both vehicles were left blocking the road. A passenger bus slammed into them, causing a devastating crash with heavy casualties.
"Where are you?! Come out, you fucking coward!" the Snake members roared as they burst into the party.
The celebration froze.
Covered in blood and fury, the gang members entered like wounded lions.
"Boss! They killed all our men!" the Leaf member yelled in front of Dalgedo.
Dalgedo sat calmly, sipping wine. Beside him was Janquin, also drinking, with a girl pouring wine for him.
Suddenly.....BANG.....a shot rang out. The last Leaf member's head snapped back, blood spraying. He dropped dead.
Dalgedo slowly placed his glass on the table. Then, like a spring, he launched himself at Janquin. His cold fist smashed into Janquin's cheek, sending him crashing to the ground. Blood pooled at Janquin's lips.
"Boss!" a Snake member shouted, drawing his gun and firing at Dalgedo.
Dalgedo grabbed the serving girl and pulled her in front of him as a shield. She screamed as bullets tore through her.
A Leaf member retaliated, gunning down the Snake member.
The party went eerily silent.
In the VIP section, Rock.....head of security.....stood at attention with his guards.
"What's happening out there?" Francisco stood up, alarmed.
"Kill them! Don't let a single one of those fuckers leave alive!" someone screamed as gunfire erupted again, wild and loud like insects swarming.
"AHHHHH!" guests panicked and scattered. The beautiful venue was wrecked—decorations shredded by bullets.
"Fucking bastards! How dare they ruin my party!" the Mayor yelled. He grabbed Mendez by the collar. "Do something, Mendez!"
Mendez watched silently, his face full of disappointment. Francisco lowered his head, ashamed.
"I'm sorry, sir. Just give me a moment.....I'll fix this," Francisco said, standing tall as Jose and Angelo joined him.
Before they could exit, Mendez seized Francisco by the collar. "Listen, you little shit. If this ever happens again.....if the Mayor ever looks at me like that again.....I'll make sure every person connected to you dies. Every last one."
"I'm sorry, boss. I swear.....I won't let you down again," Francisco said, avoiding his eyes.
A square section of the floor shifted with a soft mechanical hiss, lifting upward to reveal a hidden passage. From the dim underground chamber beneath, the Mayor, Francisco, and the rest of the group emerged one by one.
Once they were all out, they carefully lowered the plate back into place. With a quiet click, the floor sealed shut. The room above returned to its undisturbed state—silent, plain, and deceptively normal.
The Mayor took a seat on the couch, flanked by Mendez and his small group.
"Francisco, fix the mess," Mendez ordered without looking up. "Everyone else stays in this room."
Francisco gave a silent nod and stepped out.
As he exited the room, his eyes locked onto Rock's. Neither of them looked away.
"Let's go, Rock!" Francisco ordered.
Rock followed with his AK in hand. More guards joined them, their footsteps pounding behind.
Outside...it was hell. Bullets flying. Bodies everywhere. Blood in the water. The girls weren't swimming anymore.....they were floating.
The water was red.
Janquin and Dalgedo were still trading punches, locked in their own brutal battle. Meanwhile, their men slaughtered each other around them.
"Fuck. I need everyone's attention," Francisco muttered.
The guards raised their weapons.
"Ready, sir."