As the fight continued, Holdenâs rage surged, turning him savage.
His bloodshot eyes locked onto Zayden.
He quickly gained the upper hand and pinned Zayden down, raining down a barrage of punches.
Zayden proved resilient, enduring the blows while covertly searching for the gun on the ground.
He found the gun Holden had knocked aside.
But as he was about to pick it up, Holden acted swiftly, seizing the gun, c@@king it, and pressing it under Zaydenâs chin, gripping his hair tightly.
âWhere is Ariana? Spit it out!â Holden demanded, his finger tense on the trigger, eyes ablaze with fury.
âSpeak up now, or Iâll kill you!â
Both of them were covered in blood now.
Zayden met Holdenâs gaze and saw the madness in his eyes.
Zayden chuckled, refusing to yield now that he had Holden teetering on the edge.
âFine, finish me off! Then youâll never discover where sheâs hidden! Come on, pull the trigger!â Zayden exclaimed.
Zaydenâs taunts pricked Holdenâs nerves like needles.
Unable to contain his fury, Holden retorted, âYou think I wonât? I can find her without you! Youâre too arrogant.
Rot in hell!â
He pulled the trigger, but all that echoed was an empty click.
No bullets were discharged.
Zayden erupted in laughter, displaying the removed magazine and flinging the bullets in Holdenâs direction.
In a swift motion, he withdrew a dagger from his belt and thrust it into Holdenâs body.
Holdenâs cry of pain echoed as he released Zayden.
Seizing the opportunity, Zayden punched him and stumbled away.
Disregarding the pain from the stab, Holden pursued Zayden.
Despite their injuries, they both limped on.
Zayden reached an open area by the port, where a helicopter was waiting for him.
As they neared, someone aboard the helicopter fired at Holden, forcing him to seek cover.
Zayden approached the helicopter, turning back with a bloodied yet victorious grin, taunting Holden, âYouâre still no match for me, Holden.
â
He theatrically spread his arms in a mock bow, then ascended the helicopterâs steps.
Suddenly, gunshots rang out behind Holden-it was Adrian.
Adrianâs shots aimed at Zayden had missed.
Observing this, Holden dashed to Adrian, snatched the gun, and fired multiple shots at Zayden.
Bullets thundered, and Zayden crumpled on the helicopter steps, blood saturating his suit, appearing lifeless.
Adrian yelled to Holden, âKeep firing! Hit him again!â
However, the helicopter had flown out of range.
As Zaydenâs helicopter vanished into the sky, his team started to retreat, marking the end of the immediate threat.
The intense events had worn Holden down, who, now utterly drained, leaned against a shipping container and slid to the ground.
Adrian, after watching the helicopter disappear from his view, turned to see Holden collapsed on the ground.
In a state of alarm, he hurried over, shouting, âHolden!â