Chapter 442

Michael's eyes lit up the moment he heard Mike's voice.

"Babe, our backup's here!" Michael shouted, excitement all over his face.

Isabella's eyes widened in surprise as the sounds of heavy gunfire and grenade blasts echoed outside the old factory.

Reinforcements in bulletproof vests, armed to the teeth, charged at Paxton's men, tossing grenades, smoke bombs, and tear gas canisters.

The entire abandoned factory was thick with the acrid smell of smoke and gunpowder, making it so suffocating that it was hard to keep one's eyes open.

"Those damn bastards! If Mr. Williams gets hurt, I'll throw every last one of you into a meat grinder!" Mike bellowed, storming in with a submachine gun. Bullets flew, turning anyone in their path into Swiss cheese.

"Babe, now that our guys are here, let's get out of here," Isabella said, ready to bolt, but Michael stopped her.

Isabella looked at Michael, puzzled. He pointed at their clothes.

"Look at all that smoke out there and then look at our clothes. Our reinforcements might mistake us for the enemy. If we get caught in the crossfire, we're toast," Michael said with a wry smile, taking off his jacket.

Isabella slapped her forehead, realizing she had totally forgotten about that. Getting shot by their own team would be the worst luck ever.

Michael grabbed Isabella, and they dashed to where they had stashed their original clothes. They changed quickly.

After the initial assault, Paxton's men got the picture. With heavy losses, they took cover in various corners of the factory, gearing up for close combat.

"Listen up, we need to find those two. Their firepower is insane, and we're at a disadvantage. If we can grab them as hostages, we might have a shot at getting out of here alive," Lyle barked into the walkie-talkie. It was their only shot since they were outnumbered.

Mike's voice crackled through Lyle's walkie-talkie.

"I'll blow your brains out before you catch them!" Mike sneered, followed by static, signaling the device was toast.

Mike and his team had taken out a bunch of enemies and snagged their walkie-talkies.

Things were looking pretty grim for Paxton's men.

Both sides were hunting for Michael and Isabella. Whoever found them first would win this fight.

Michael and Isabella dodged the thugs, while the other side closed in on Mike's crew.

Seeing how bad things were, Lyle suddenly had an idea.

He told a few of his guys to steal and wear the clothes of Mike's men they had taken down.

He had picked up this trick from Michael and Isabella.

Lyle and three of his guys slipped into the stolen uniforms. He kept the plan to himself, worried the walkie-talkie might give them away to Mike's crew.

"Sorry, guys. May God be with you," Lyle muttered under his breath, leading his team in a desperate bid to break through.

Despite their training, Paxton's men didn't have the same hardcore discipline as the big four families. Expecting them to lay down their lives for each other was a pipe dream.

But sometimes, when you least expect it, the impossible just happens.

Lyle found himself in this exact pickle. Their original plan was to ditch the factory and forget the whole damn mission. But just as they were about to bail, they ran smack into two people.

It was Michael and Isabella.

When Michael and Isabella saw Lyle in the team uniform, a flicker of hope lit up their eyes, especially Isabella's.

"Are you here to rescue us? That's awesome, we can finally get out of here," Isabella said excitedly, reaching for Lyle's hand.

"Yes, Ms. Taylor, we're here to get you and this gentleman out. Let's move," Lyle said, extending his hand to Isabella.

Suddenly, Michael yanked Isabella back, pulled out his gun, and fired at Lyle. The bullet grazed Lyle's arm as he dodged.

"Run, they're not our guys," Michael shouted, continuing to fire. Lyle and another guy shot back.

Luckily, Michael and Isabella were near a corner and managed to duck behind the wall, avoiding the bullets.

"How did you know they were fakes?" Isabella asked, shocked and trembling.

"Their clothes had bullet holes, clearly stripped from dead bodies," Michael replied.

Isabella didn't doubt Michael for a second; she hadn't even noticed the bullet holes, amazed at Michael's sharp eye.

In truth, Michael had figured it out from the way Lyle addressed them. Mike's men would call him Mr. Williams, not 'this gentleman.' And they would call Isabella Ms. Taylor, not Mrs. Williams.

Only Paxton's men, clueless about their real identities, would use such odd terms.

Lyle and his last guy didn't chase after them, knowing the gunfire would draw Mike's team. They planned to use the chaos to make their escape.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Mike stormed in, followed by a dozen of his men.

They raised their guns and took out Lyle and his buddy.

Hearing Mike's voice, Michael finally felt a wave of relief, pulling Isabella out from behind the wall.

"Mr. Williams, Mrs. Williams!" Mike greeted them, grinning.

Just as Michael was about to say something to Mike, he noticed something off. Near a window, he saw a glint of light. He quickly shoved Isabella aside, but a bullet hit him in the chest.