Cal's vision narrowed, anger surging through his veins like wildfire. He didn't hesitate, his fists smashing into the window frame with a powerful one-two punch. The concrete around the frame crumbled, and the entire window unit crashed out of the wall, plummeting to the parking lot below. Without a second thought, he jumped after it, dropping straight down.
He landed hard, the impact sending a shockwave of pain through his legs as his tendons snapped and then healed almost instantly. Gritting his teeth, he pushed the pain aside and started walking toward Brutus. He was surrounded by a circle of armed men, their weapons trained on Cal.
Above, in the windows of the hotel, Cal noticed more men taking aim, guns glinting ominously in the dim light. He was surrounded, but it didn't matter. His focus was on the hulking figure in the center of it all, still holding Ryan off the ground like a trophy.
Brutus's grin widened as he saw Cal approach, his eyes glinting with excitement. "Whoa there, hero," he called out, his voice surprisingly light and playful. "You take another step, and I'll pop your friend's head like a grape."
Cal froze, his fists clenched at his sides. His entire body trembled with rage, his eyes locked onto Brutus's grip around Ryan's neck. Ryan's face was pale, his breathing shallow and labored as he struggled to remain conscious.
"I'm sorry," Ryan choked out, his voice barely audible. The sound of his friend's defeat was like a knife twisting in Cal's gut.
"Let him go," Cal growled, his voice tight with barely controlled fury. "He's got nothing to do with this, I don't know him."
Brutus raised an eyebrow, a curious smile playing at his lips. "Funny how pissed off you are over a random nobody, don't you think?" He shook his head, chuckling softly. "Nah, you're gonna have to come with me. And I couldn't care less about this brat."
Cal's eyes narrowed. "You're not taking me anywhere."
Brutus shrugged, his grip tightening slightly on Ryan's neck, making him wheeze. "You finally found the head of the operations, congrats, kid. I'm gonna take you to him myself."
Cal's muscles coiled like a spring, his body vibrating with tension. "Drop him," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Or I swear, I'll break you in half."
Brutus laughed, a deep, genuine sound that seemed almost out of place given the situation. He turned to his men, a playful smirk on his lips. "Stay out of this, boys. I want this one all to myself."
He reached over and grabbed a shotgun from the nearest man, cocking it with a casual flick of his wrist. The weapon's barrel was aimed squarely at Ryan's back, the sound of the pump action echoing ominously in the parking lot.
"Don't!" Cal shouted, taking a step forward.
Brutus's grin widened. "Too slow, hero."
The shotgun blast echoed like a thunderclap. Ryan's body jerked as the blast tore through his side and back, blood spraying across the pavement. Brutus tossed him aside like a ragdoll, and Cal's vision went red.
A guttural roar tore from his throat as he charged forward, every muscle in his body straining as he lunged at Brutus. The big man's eyes lit up with excitement, his own body coiling in preparation for the impact.
They collided with bone-jarring force, the sound of their clash echoing like gunfire. The first blow shatters Cal's wrist and forearm. Each blow they exchanged was like a pistol going off, the noise reverberating through the parking lot as they fought with raw, brutal power.