A gun shot resonated throughout the building, and stroke the ground centimetres away from Markus.

In shock, Markus jerked away, catching a quick glimpse of the direction that the bullet came from, fourth floor, all three of them ran for cover under the building.

"Is he Eric ? What the fu** is he doing with them ?" Surprised, Adam blurted out.

"Yeah that's him." Lewis interjected."
"I'll take him. Keep a watch on him." Markus uttered in haste.

"Right." Adam responded. Upon hearing their conversation, Lewis said, "Hey, listen, I know, what I knew was only part true. And I wanna make up for my ignorance, so, let me help you."

"For her. I will do it." Lewis added.

"I'll take care of this bas**rd. They would have come to know about our presence. Cover for Williams. I'll join you...you both in a few." Markus said. Adam nodded in understanding and handed a gun to Lewis and they sprinted by the edge of the wall. Two men came running in their direction, whom he killed with ease and moved ahead, slowly and cautiously.

Meanwhile, Eric came running down the stairs, outside the building, just as he exited the building, Markus caught him by surprise and put his shoulder into him, pushing him along the ground he slammed him against the iron gate with great force. Eric grunted in pain as the gun loosened from his hold.

"You're still here." Markus said through gritted teeth, holding him by the collar of his shirt. Within seconds Eric overcame his pain and kneed Markus in his stomach. Markus groaned.

"I couldn't back off an opportunity." He said, and charged at him. He threw up his forearms, aiming for Markus' face but Markus slipped to right, caught him by handful of air and banged his nose with his knee. Eric grimaced in pain and rolled off in the ground.

"I couldn't have put Seth's life on top of the others.

"Fu** yourself, you bas**rd."

"Tell me..tell me....if it were Williams, wouldn't you have gone in there to save him." Anger rose in Markus like a tide, recalling the events of Memphis Hiest, everything was going good under Markus' leadership. They held all the people inside the bank as hostages, no one dared to call the police upon watching those lethal metal weapons in their hands. Their job was quick; fill the bags and get out. However, everything went downhill when a woman, owner of a small cafe suspected something wrong with the untimely bank closure and called the police. Upon hearing police sirens, they all rushed from the back gate on their bikes, however, while chase Eric's older brother, Seth was shot and he fell down the vehicle. As much as, Markus and others wanted to save him, they just couldn't.

"I will and I never stopped you from going back." Markus replied. Eric spitted blood, breathing heavily, he said, "So why don't you just shoot me ? Go ahead."

"You can still return." Markus said and turned to leave, thinking that Eric might change his mind but he did not let his guard down and shot Eric right through his heart, when he tried to reach out for his gun. Giving him one last glance, he rushed by Adam.

By the time he reached, Adam and Miles had cleared the ground except for Clara and the three men behind her.

"Huh ! I knew, you were lying." Rhetorically, she said, looking at beaten up Sam.

"Let him go." Markus stated.

"I'll rather have you next to him."

"Then you'll die."

"Clara, end all this. You don't have to this."

"Right !! so now you're against me. Why ? Cause I locked you in a room." Lewis let out a shaky breath remembering on how he ended up in that room.

"I am not against you, Clara but you cannot kill him."

"Why ? For that girl. The girl, who ditched you." Lewis' eyes flickered around as he tried to ease the pain her words brought to his heart.

"Yes. I can't let her have the same fate as you. She has nothing to with all this. Just let him go and end all this." Lewis said, Grabbing the opportunity, Adam and Markus shot the men behind her. For a moment, Clara was caught by surprise but she quickly composed herself.

Adam aimed at her while Markus freed Sam. It took Sam a couple of minutes to recollect his focus, then, he wiped off the blood from the corner of his lips and slowly got up on his feet.

"You're...." Sam coughs. "You're-done."

"Maybe." She said, dropping down her gun. "You get me from all sides, even..." She turns to Lewis, "...my own brother left my side." Lewis averted his gaze.

"I have...heard...that you're a trained assassin. I can shoot you right now, but that won't be... fair ?." Sam said, Markus stared at him, as if he had lost his mind.

"You even got an advantage." He adds, looking at his broken hand. Clara smirks.

"Challenge ha ? I take it. And...I don't need any advantage." She says, folding her right arm behind her back.

Markus stared at Sam as if he had grown two heads, then sighed and stepped back. Clara took a deep breath, and exhaled. Sam tilted his head slightly and beckoned her to attack. Her smirk widened. She charged. Instinctively, he raised his arm up in defence, Sam grimaced at the contact, his hands jerked away. She stepped back, Sam advanced, his hand curved into a fist, as he neared her she crouched, balancing her weight on her foot, she kicked him in his stomach, he stumbled as he was dragged back from his spot.

Sam wiped his bleeding nose and smirked, she charged again, aiming her fist for his face, only this time Sam caught her hand in the middle and tried to roll her to the ground. She did a webster flip and prevented herself from falling and smacked at his side. Sam groaned, while she sprinted towards him and kneed in his stomach and tried to punch him again but this time, Sam held her by waist and slammed her against the nearest pillar. She tried to head butt him but she was trapped.

"Your fu**ta** of husband killed my mother." Sam gritted his teeth, "How could I let him go when I got an opportunity ?" Clara smirked.

"And you killed my husband, how can I let you go when I got my opportunity." They stared each other for a short while,
"You have missed yours." Sam spoke and stepped away. Her smirk faded.

Sam loaded his gun, aiming at her dead, "You're right. So don't waste any more time. Shoot me."

Sam turned to Lewis.

"Clara,..."

"Don't brother." She said, and closed her eyes accepting her fate. Sam stared at her for a good few minutes, then dropped his gun.

"It's enough." He said and turned away to leave the place, Markus came beside him to help him. At the same time, Rick pulled off inside the campus.

"Clara, let's go." Lewis said. She didn't move from her spot. "It's all over now."

"It's not." She said, picking up the gun.

"Williams." Lewis yelled. They turned in surprise and a loud gunshot echoed throughout the compound but what they expected never came, instead, Clara's body went limp as she fell on the ground after shooting herself.

"Clara..." Lewis whispered, his eyes immediately turned glossy.

Sirens of approaching police vehicles roared in the area.

"You gotta move." Miles told Markus through intercom.

"We gotta leave." Markus said to Sam and Lewis. Giving Clara's fallen figure one last time, they got inside the car and left.

On the way, they picked up terrified Natalie and Steven from a safe hideout. They were hesitant to go with them nevertheless they went with Sam and the others, for Chloe.

Hours later, they reached back to New York.

Sun had begun to go down, it's slanting rays gave a warm orange tinge to the sky.

Upon hearing the sound of the approaching cars, Chloe, who was sitting on the stairs, lost in her own world, jerked up. Meanwhile, Damon stood proudly behind her with his arms crossed across his chest as one last time his best men proved him right.

Two cars pulled off in the campus.

"Princess..." She heard familiar voice of her dad, and saw her parents.

"Mom...Dad.." She voiced and ran to engulf them in her arms.

"Are you both okay ?" She asked, snuggling deeper in the comfort of the arms of her parents.

"We are baby, are you okay ?" Natalie said.

"Yes mom." She said and saw Markus and Lewis and Sam, who was covered with dry blood stains. Her lips curved up into a smile while tears rolled down her eyes.

She ambled towards them,

"You're okay ?" She asked Markus. He simply smiled, then she turned to Lewis, his eyes were red with all the pain.

"Lewis...." She whispered.

"She killed herself. I just watched." She simply pulled him in a hug. He hugged her back and they stayed like that for a moment, then, "I'll leave you two alone." Lewis said and strode towards Adam and his team along with Markus.

Finally, Chloe stared at Sam, who was approached by medics for treatment. Chloe lifted her hand and placed them gently on his cheek.

"Is it hurting a lot ?" Before giving any response to her, he gestured doctor to give them some space. As soon as doctor left, he wrapped his arm around her.

"Not anymore, I guess." Sam smiled. Her smile widened as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too."

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So BLEEDING comes to an end now. I hope you all had a good time reading it.

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