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He couldn’t believe he had messed this all up.
The crew was never going to trust him again.
Gordon tipped his head back against the wall with a groan. He adjusted the grip he had against his side, wincing as the touch sent a spark of pain through his abdomen.
He looked down at his blood soaked shirt, and peeled his hand back slightly to assess the damage. He was still bleeding sluggishly, and from what he could see of the wound, it was bad.
His hand was back to putting pressure against it as his head fell back again. He had messed this up so bad. He had no idea how he was going to get out of this.
Suddenly, there was a noise in the distance, and Gordon froze, waiting to hear if it was getting closer. A few moments passed, and there was nothing else, so he slumped back against the crate as he let out a shaky breath.
He then pulled out his pistol to check how much ammo he had. Only a few bullets. He swallowed thickly.
There were only two ways he could get out of this. Either he fought his way out with only needing a handful of ammo the whole way. Unlikely.
Or he waited for the crew to come and rescue him, and honestly, that seemed like the worst of the two.
There was no way the crew was going to come and get him now. Why would they? He had messed this all up. Everyone had been relying on him to do his job, and he had ended up with a bullet in his side and hiding in a corner like a coward.
Gordon groaned again as the pain grew. If he sat here debating what to do for much longer, he was just going to end up falling victim to the secret third option.
Bleeding out.
Gordon clenched his teeth as he adjusted his position. He pushed his back against the crate he was leant against to prop himself up further, and he peered over the top of it.
There was no sign of anyone in this part of the warehouse. He suspected it wouldn’t stay that way for long, as that crew would find him eventually. He had managed to take a few of them out as he ran, but there were still way more of them than him.
He flinched when he heard a few gunshots ring out, and he ducked behind his hiding spot once more. He couldn’t stay here. If he had any hope of getting out of there, he needed to do it on his own.
He took a moment to take a deep breath, and then he gripped onto the edge of the crate as he pulled himself up.
He let out a strained cry between his clenched teeth when his side felt like it was being ripped in two. He wanted to scream out, but he didn’t want that crew to find him.
He took a glance down at his gun to check that it was loaded and ready to fire if need be. Then, he took a look at his surroundings.
There were a lot of crates and storage containers around him, which blocked him from view. He looked over in the direction he’d come from, and grimaced at the bloody trail he’d left. It was only a matter of time before that crew would find him.
He turned his gaze towards the other paths that wound through the maze, and without another second spent deciding which way to go, he set off between the containers.
His pistol was clenched tightly in one hand, whilst his other was pressed painfully against his side. He limped and staggered, swallowing down the agony that sparked with every step. His breath was harsh, and even though he knew he had to stay quiet, he couldn’t stop the small whimpers that broke out of his throat every few seconds.
A loud noise cracked nearby, very close to his location, and he slammed back against the closest stack of crates. He bit down on his tongue when he snapped his mouth shut to keep the cry inside.
He lifted his gun up so he was ready for someone to come around the corner, and his breath was held as he waited in anticipation.
He could feel his heart throbbing in his ears, and every second that passed was agony. He didn’t want to be found, but also this waiting and wondering if someone was going to come around the corner almost hurt as much as his gunshot wound.
But no one appeared, and Gordon felt the tension leave his shoulders as he sucked in a shaky breath.
He chanced a glance around the corner, and couldn’t see anyone, so he pushed on further.
He wasn’t entirely sure on how to get out of the warehouse, but Gordon knew that if he just kept on going in one direction, he was sure to find an exit eventually. If not, he would find that crew instead, and only time would tell if he made it out of that.
Another gunshot sounded out again, this time only coming from a few metres away. They must have been just on the other side of the crate to him.
He pressed against the cover at his back as he turned in the direction the sound had come from. It was behind him, in the direction he was walking away from. They must have been following him. Not that it was hard with the trail of blood he’d left in his wake, despite him desperately trying to keep it inside his body.
His gun was at the ready. There were footsteps now as the gunfire died down, and they were definitely close and definitely heading towards him. He wouldn’t let them get the jump on him. He was prepared to fight.
Suddenly, there was someone in front of him.
“Woah! It’s just us! It’s Jeff!”
It was probably the blood loss that had slowed down his reflexes, or he would have shot the man instantly. Luckily, Jeff’s words and familiar voice hit his ear before his finger pressed down on the trigger.
“Jeff?” Gordon blinked in confusion as he lowered the gun. He wasn’t sure if this was real, or if he was hallucinating.
“Yeah, it’s me.” Jeff holstered his own gun that he’d been holding, and then turned away from Gordon. “I’ve found him! He’s over here!”
“Shh!” Gordon quickly tried to shut the other man up. His eyes darted around in case a member of that crew suddenly came out of nowhere. “You’ll alert them that we’re here!”
Unless, that was what Jeff wanted. Had he made a deal with that crew after Gordon had messed up the mission? Told them he’d lure Gordon out of his hiding spot, only to throw him at their feet. It was what he deserved after his mistake.
He was ready to flee, but before he could, more bodies appeared behind Jeff.
Gordon froze, but it was only the familiar faces of his own crew.
“Gordon!” Alan darted around Jeff, and his hands were immediately on Gordon in the next second. He held Gordon up, and it was only then that Gordon realised how hard it was to still be on his feet when some of his weight was taken off of them.
“You guys came for me?” He asked as he looked around at the whole crew. The same crew he thought wouldn’t bother coming to save him.
“Of course, silly,” Alan said with no hesitation as he encouraged Gordon to wrap his arm around his shoulders.
Virgil appeared at his other side. He had to pry Gordon’s hand away from the bullet wound, and Gordon winced when Virgil’s touch sent stabs of pain through his already throbbing side.
“Sorry,” he was quick to apologise. His hand quickly replaced where Gordon’s once was, and then he came to help keep him upright.
“Why?” Gordon asked next. Despite his uncertainty, he still willingly allowed them to take his weight. He was suddenly really tired. “I messed up, I thought you guys…” He trailed off, hoping that they would understand.
“What do you mean? You didn’t mess up!” Jeff was the one who spoke, but they were all looking at him in confusion. “If you’re talking about that deal going to hell, that was not your fault at all.”
“What?”
As they spoke, they started to walk, or in Gordon’s case limp with the help of Alan and Virgil.
“Oh yeah, that bastard crew betrayed us. It wasn’t meant to go badly,” Scott said, and Gordon could hear the anger in his voice.
“So, it wasn’t my fault?”
Gordon had thought it was something he’d said, or maybe he moved in the wrong way and they suddenly felt like he was a threat. It was only meant to be a weapons exchange between them and a local crew. Gordon had put himself up for it because he knew he was good at negotiations, but the catch was he had to go in alone.
He hadn’t stressed too much about it, but he had still lost out on some sleep the past few days thinking too much about it. He still thought he was fine to do it, especially because the rest of his crew would be waiting right outside, but he hadn’t expected them all to turn their guns on him.
“I thought you guys would be upset at me.” He would blame the blood loss for the way his voice wobbled. He would never be so vulnerable without a bullet lodged in his side. “I thought… nevermind.”
“Hey.” Alan stopped, and Gordon was forced to stop too as he turned to his brother. “You think I would let them leave you here? No chance.”
Gordon cracked a small smile as his brother did the same. He didn’t know why he doubted him.
“You’re one of us now. Don’t forget that,” Jeff said from behind him as he took up the rear of the group.
Gordon felt him squeeze his shoulder. It was amazing how that small gesture seemed to wipe his worries away.
“And tha’ crew?” He could feel himself growing weary now, but he still had questions that he wanted answers to.
“All taken care of,” they reassured. He wasn’t too sure who spoke, but it didn’t really matter. He had been found, they hadn’t left him.
He didn’t have to fear their trust anymore.