FIFTY ONE

Massimo's men , realizing their boss was down, opened fire. Marco's men retaliated, bullets flying in every direction. The gunfight intensified , that air thick with tension and the smell of gunpowder.

Lucas looked at Olivia, pain etched on her face, “Can you move?”

Olivia nodded, grimacing. “I think so.”

Lucas helped her up, his eyes scanning the chaos around them, “we need to get out of here.” Lucas tightened his grip on Olivia.

Marco , eyes wild with anger and desperation , shouted over the gunfire. “This isn't over , Lucas. I will get what I want!”

Lucas fired back, his voice cold, “You won't win Marco, this ends now.”

Marco's men formed a defensive line trying to hold off Massimo's furious followers. The villa was a battle ground with Lucas and Olivia caught in the middle.

As they made their move, Marco spotted them, “Lucas! You can't run forever!”

Lucas glared back at Marco, his eyes blazing. “I’m not running,i'm ending this.”

Marco's laugh was harsh, filled with menace. “We’ll see about that.”

With Olivia leaning on him for support, Lucas led her towards the back of the villa , searching for a way out. The sounds of battle faded slightly , but the danger was far from over.

“Keep moving,” Lucas urged Olivia, his tone softening, “We’re almost there.”

Olivia stumbled her injured ankle making it difficult to keep up. Lucas's heart pounded with a mixture of fear and anger. He couldn't lose her, not now.

They reached a hidden door, Lucas pushing it open, “this way.”

As they stepped through, a sudden gunshot rang out , and Lucas instintucely pushed Olivia to the ground, covering her with his body. He looked up to see Marco , his gun still smoking, a truymphant look on his face.

“You can't hide, Lucas.” Marco taunted. “This isn't over until one of us is dead.”

Lucas's eyes narrowed, “You’re right. And it won't be me.”

With a swift motion, Lucas pulled his gun and fired, the bullet striking Marco in the shoulder. Marco cried out, stumbling back. His men seeing their leader wounded, hesitated.

“Go!” Lucas shouted to Olivia helping her up again. “We need to move now!”

As they fled, the chaos behind them intensified. Lucas knew this was just the beginning. But for now , all that mattered was keeping Olivia safe.

Lucas hurried Olivia to a hidden panic room within the villa,a place he has prepared for emergencies. He swiftly punched in the code, and the reinforced door slid open.

“Stay here,” Lucas instructed, his voice firm, “You’ll be safe.”

Olivia, still shaken, nodded, “Be careful, Lucas.”

He gave her a reassuring look , and leaned in to place a kiss on a forehead .

The door closed behind him , with a soft hiss, sealing Olivia to safety. Lucas adjusted his grip on his gun, his expression hardening as his made his way back to the chaos.

Outside, Lucas's snipers , strategically positioned around the villa, emerged from their hiding spots. Their high powered rifles picked off Marco's men with deadly precision, thinning their ranks.

At the same time , Massimo's remaining loyalist , fueled by anger and betrayal , continued to turned their guns on Marco's forces. The battle was now a three way battle field, bullets flying in every direction.

Lucas moved through the melee with purpose, his eyes scanning for Marco. He fired at any threat that came too close, his shots precise and lethal. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid smell of gunpowder.

Marco, clutching his wounded shoulder, barked orders at his men, but it was clear they were losing ground. His eyes darted around , desperate to find Lucas.

Finally Lucas spotted Marco across the courtyard, their eyes locking in a moment of pure hatred. Lucas strode forward , his gun trained on Marco , determination etched on his face.

“Marco,” Lucas shouted over the din, “This ends now!”

Marco sneered , his gun raised despite his injury, “You’re fool , Lucas. You’ll die here.”

The two men moved towards each other, the air crackling with tension. Marco fired first , but Lucas was quicker dodging the bullet and returning fire. His shot hit Marco on one leg , causing him to collapse on one knee, a scream of pain ripping from his throat. Lucas advanced , his gun trained on Marco’s head, his expression cold and unyielding.

Marco gritted his teeth, struggling to stand, “You’ll never beat me, Lucas.”

Lucas stopped a few feet away, his gaze locked on Marco. “It's over , Marco . You’ve lost.” he said as he shot him again on the same spot on his leg.

Marco’s sneer faltered as the pain became unbearable , him gun slipping from his grasp. “You think this changes anything? You have a lot of enemies Lucas.” Marco said weakly.

Massimo's men seeing that Marco was weak on the floor, carried their boss, Massimo's lifeless body and began to retreat.

Meanwhile in the safe room, Olivia's nerve were on edge, the silence grew unnreving. She bit her lip , hoping everything had settled and Lucas was safe. When Lucas didn't return , worry gnawed at her.

Gathering her courage , she carefully opened the door and began walking towards where the chaos has erupted earlier.

As she rounded a corner , she saw Lucas's back facing her , standing over Marco's weak , crumpled body on the floor. The tension in the air was palpable. Suddenly a glint of movement caught her eye - a gun aimed directly at her.

“Olivia!” Lucas's voice was a desperate cry as he spun around just as the gunshot rang out.

Time seemed slow, Lucas fired back, his shot finding it's mark and taking down the attacker instantly. But when he turned back, his heart plummeted. Olivia lay on the ground, blood pooling around her.

“No, no, no!” Lucas's eyes reddened with a mix of rage and fear. He rushed to the fallen gunman and loaded his fury , shooting multiple times into the already lifeless body.

The few remaining men of Marco, seeing their oportunity, hurriedly lifted Marco's weakened body and fled. Lucas fired at them, as they retreated , but they were already too far.

“Olivia ,stay with me,” Lucas whispered urgently, as he knelt beside her, his hands trembling as he checked for her pulse.