4

James ran through the rooms, trying to catch up with his former companion. As he ran through the door, a powerful blow knocked him down.

"You know, James, I'm starting to get fed up with you. Can't you die properly?"

A few blows momentarily lost his balance, but he quickly recovered, striking back. Charles landed on the ground for a brief moment.

"You were always different from us, Charles. We could never truly count on you. What do you expect now, that I trust you completely. You were my brother, but now you must die?" With these words, he reached for the grenade on his belt.

Before he could, Jack ran into the room.

"Boss, I think it's time for us to leave. I just had a close encounter with the enforcers. There's an old man with them, and I think they want more than just him.

" "I have to end this

." "It's not worth it, let's save ourselves. Let's not do jobs for someone who wants to get rid of us

." "Right, let's get out of here."

They both ran out. Charles was about to run after them, but the certainty of running into his former employer stopped him from pursuing them. A moment later, the executioners ran into the room, falling to the ground one by one, struck by Charles's blows.

"But I was wrong about you guys, I needn't have feared you,"

he said, finishing off the last of them. At that moment, the organization's leader, panting, ran into the room.

"I'm here, guys, you have him..."

"No, I have them," Charles shouted, running up to him. "This is the end of you. No one else will suffer because of you. You won't kidnap anyone else.

" "Maybe not because of me, but because of you?"

"Unfortunately, it's none of your business anymore. The important thing is that I can end this here and now."

Charles grabbed the rifle from one of the executioners lying on the ground and shot his greatest enemy. A quick glance at the computer console nearby wiped away the smile on his face. Time was ticking until the facility's destruction, and there wasn't much left.

Tom and Tifa rode down to the very bottom of the complex. When the door opened, Jack and James stood before them.

"Tom?" "Hurry up

, guys, according to my watch, we don't have much time."

Through the closing doors, they saw Charles running towards them. The elevator was heading up, and everyone waited in silence for him to reach the first floor. When they finally reached their destination, they ran towards the exit.

"The explosion could reach us quickly, even outside the building," James shouted.

Before they reached the exit, the doors of another elevator opened, and Charles rushed toward the squad. Jack grabbed his rifle and fired a long burst into it. The man fell through the open doors of the elevator the squad had previously used to descend to the lower level. The colonel, standing at the entrance, saw people running towards him and raised his rifle.

"Colonel, take the men, everything's about to blow up."

The soldiers fled. A massive underground explosion shook the area.

As the chaos slowly began to subside, Tom grabbed Tifa's hand and dragged her behind the truck.

"Here are the keys to the Hammer, take it and drive away. We'll clean up here.

" "Will I see you again?"

"I don't know. Leave the car somewhere on the outskirts of town, drive away before anyone notices.

" Tom stopped by the command vehicle, and after a moment, James approached him.

"Tom? Where's the girl who was with you?

" "What girl?" he asked, looking at him

. "I understand. Listen, Jack's already driven away." The boss is dead, that's the end of the organization, the end of slavery. I advise you to follow our example.

"Us?

" "As soon as I calm down the military, I'm gone, I've had enough of all this. Go away, start living a normal life

." "I'm not sure I can live a normal life after all this."

Tom moved toward a jeep parked nearby.

"James," he said, turning around for a moment

. "Yeah?

" "Good luck

." "Thanks."

The rain had been falling for several hours, Tifa stepped out into the street and closed the door behind her. When she turned, she saw a tall man standing before her.

"Tom? I didn't think I'd see you so soon.

" "Me too, but everything has changed. I'm finally free.

" "And you dropped in because you were in the area?"

"Someone advised me to start a new life, but I don't think I want to do it alone..." Tom paused for a moment and looked at the girl. "...I thought maybe you could help me.