Through the walls came a voice, harsh and frantic.
“Damn it, who the hell set off those explosives? Didn’t I tell you idiots the pyramid can’t be blown up? Are you all clueless or what? It’s a pyramid-you think it’ll hold together if you start bombing it? Stupid bastards.”
Judging by the footsteps, a group of Street Family members was heading their way.
“It wasn’t us, Boss!” another voice shouted, equally frustrated. “It’s those morons from the Dark Family. They’ve been hitting us so hard with artillery we can’t push forward. And I think they’re trying to blow up the pharaoh’s tomb. Should we pull back for now?”
Echo clenched her fists, ignoring the burning pain in her stomach.
“Idiots,” she muttered.
Hawk and his people must’ve been the ones using explosives. Even if she hadn’t warned them not to, they should’ve had the basic sense to know that bombing a structure like this was suicide.
What kind of idiot blows up a building’s foundation and expects it to stay standing?
This time, she was sure-Hawk and his crew were even dumber than she thought.
“Pull back?” the Street Family leader barked angrily. “Do you know what kind of payback the Dark Family’s boss will dish out if we don’t make sure they’re dead here and now? If we let him slip away, we’re all as good as done. No-if we’re in this, we finish it. Alive or dead, I want bodies. Now, before the whole pyramid caves in! Goddammit, this place is a maze-it’s giving me a headache.”
The leader’s voice grew louder as he stormed toward the corner where Ryan and Echo were hiding, clearly lost and frustrated.
Ryan’s expression hardened, a flicker of ruthlessness flashing across his face. Before Echo could react, he spun on his heel and rushed out to meet them head-on.
The corridor erupted with gunfire.
Echo instinctively followed, gripping her own gun and stepping into the fight, ready to aim.
But the scene in front of her stopped her cold-and left her in awe.
Ryan carried Clement on his back, yet in each hand, he wielded a sleek, compact submachine gun. In the blink of an eye, both barrels spewed flames, the rapid bursts of gunfire mowing down the Street Family members before they had a chance to respond.
“Useless scum,” Ryan muttered, his voice low and cold.
As the last enemy stumbled but hadn’t fully fallen, Ryan kicked him with brutal force, sending him crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.
The corridor fell silent, leaving Ryan standing alone among the bodies.
Echo raised an eyebrow, impressed by the precision. Every bullet had hit a vital spot, and the bodies littering the ground bore no more than one or two shots each-every single one fatal.
“Nice work,” Echo said with a smirk, admiring the deadly accuracy.
Ryan responded with a cold snort, saying nothing. He stepped over the bodies and continued down the corridor, not sparing them another glance.
Echo quickly fell in step behind him, casting a glance at the lifeless figures as they passed. Ten, maybe fifteen men-each taken down with pinpoint accuracy. She couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of respect for Ryan. There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in him, no wasted movement. Every shot mattered.
Watching his back as they pressed forward, Echo knew one thing for sure: Ryan was in a league of his own.
She knew her way around guns and understood just how difficult it was to shoot with that kind of precision and speed. Ryan wasn’t just spraying bullets wildly-every shot was deliberate, every movement sharp and controlled. His performance wasn’t just skillful; it was the perfect blend of experience, muscle memory, and instinct, honed to perfection.
“Take the right, then go up one more level-we might find an exit,” Clement gasped, struggling against the dizziness threatening to pull him under, even though Ryan was still carrying him on his back.
Suddenly, another deafening explosion rocked the ground beneath them. The three of them instinctively frowned in unison.
The violent tremor triggered something deep within the corridor. Massive stones shifted, and the walls groaned as small holes opened along the stone surface. Thin streams of white sand began to trickle out, slow at first, but steadily increasing.
Echo’s face instantly went pale. She grabbed Ryan’s arm and hissed, “Go! Now!”
Ryan took a few quick steps forward but then stopped abruptly, his brow furrowing. He glanced back down the corridor. That explosion-it came from the queen’s tomb. Hawk and his people were still there. They hadn’t left.
The tremors grew stronger by the second. Ryan knew those fools had to feel the same tremors. They weren’t idiots; they had to know the pyramid was on the verge of collapsing. Yet the explosions kept coming, one after another, growing more desperate by the sound of it.
Echo caught the same realization as she followed Ryan’s gaze toward the tomb. Her stomach churned with frustration.
What could she even say? With loyal subordinates like Hawk and Cobra, throwing themselves into danger, she didn’t know whether to feel furious or just resigned.
Ryan made up his mind in an instant. “Get him up there and ready to leave. Watch yourself.”
Without waiting for a reply, Ryan shoved Clement off his back and into Echo’s arms. Then, without another word, he turned and sprinted back down the passage toward the tomb. He knew exactly which way to go.
Echo instinctively caught Clement, but the sudden weight threw her off balance, and she stumbled back a step.
Before she could say anything, Clement began to panic, his voice breaking. “No! You can’t go! It’s too dangerous! Ryan, don’t-please! It’s too dangerous!”
Echo glanced after Ryan, who was already vanishing down the corridor, and drew a deep breath.
“I’ll be waiting for you both outside,” she called out, her voice steady.
Turning quickly, she hefted Clement onto her back, struggling under his weight, and started toward the exit, one slow step at a time.
“You shouldn’t have let him go! Why didn’t you stop him?” Clement’s voice was tight with anger as he squirmed against her, trying to get free.
Echo barely had the strength to walk, let alone wrestle with him. Even though Clement was weak, he was still heavier than she could comfortably manage. His struggle threw her off balance, and she almost dropped him to the ground.
“Stop moving! You wanna die here? Fine, but I’m not going with you!” she snapped, gritting her teeth against the strain.
The sound of the sand pouring in was growing louder. Even though it hadn’t spread far yet, the oppressive weight of impending doom filled the air, making her heart race.
“You should’ve stopped him… You-”
“You’ve known Ryan for how long, and you still don’t know what kind of man he is?” Echo cut him off sharply, her frustration boiling over.
Clement froze, stunned by her outburst, and for a moment, he stopped struggling. He clung to her back in silence, processing her words.
“You’re his uncle, but I bet you don’t hold the same weight in Ryan’s heart as Hawk and the others, do you? Coming to Egypt, stepping into enemy territory-you really think Ryan didn’t know how dangerous this was? And yet he came. Now, with Hawk and his crew still inside, risking everything to save him, how could he just let them die in there? Would you really be okay with saving yourself while they die? Think carefully before you say anything else-I don’t have the strength to argue with you.”
Echo finished in one breath, gritting her teeth as she struggled forward with Clement on her back.
Clement felt like her words had hit him like a heavy blow. He understood everything she said, but Ryan was still his family. How could he bear to let him throw his life away?
It tore at him. Clenching his jaw tightly, he muttered, “I’m worried… Aren’t you?”
Without turning around, Echo replied, “Of course I am. But he’s the Boss. No matter how worried I am, I have to back his decision. And Ryan isn’t reckless-if he knew for sure he’d die, he wouldn’t have gone. If there’s even the slightest chance of survival, he’ll make it.”
Clement lowered his head, watching helplessly as Echo struggled under his weight, each step more difficult than the last. Maybe she was right. Ryan wasn’t just a man-he was a leader, the head of the Dark family. His role demanded decisiveness and strength, not selfishness.
Clement had forgotten that Ryan was the kind of person who wouldn’t run from danger or prioritize his own safety over others.
Using every bit of strength she had left, Echo managed to climb up to the next level. Her body was on the verge of giving out, but Clement knew there was nothing he could do to help. He couldn’t move a muscle, and staying conscious this long had already taken everything he had.
Suddenly, the sound of rapid gunfire echoed from outside, mixed with shouting voices.
Echo froze and frowned. She should’ve expected this. If the Street family had made it down here, things must have been a mess outside-probably even worse than what they were dealing with inside.
After a brief pause, Echo pressed on toward the cave’s entrance.
Ryan didn’t have much time, and they had to deal with the threat outside. The pyramid’s explosions and the encroaching sand could cause unimaginable destruction. Ryan couldn’t afford to come back out and handle this mess himself. Time and the situation wouldn’t allow it.
“Who’s there?” a voice suddenly called out from outside just as Echo neared the entrance.
A gun immediately pointed at her, but at the same moment, Echo raised her own weapon, aiming it straight at the person.
Neither of them fired-they weren’t sure whose side the other was on.