Rock was currently short on Experience Cards, and several of his Skills urgently needed large amounts of experience to level up.
So far, the only known way to obtain Experience Cards and Skills was through drops from defeated opponents.
Although not every kill yielded a Skill or Experience Card, the current drop rate was still satisfactory compared to walking away empty-handed.
Fatima worked at the edge of another favela, a little over ten minutes by motorcycle from Slope 21 Street.
The police had already cleared out this favela, so it was now open to tourists during the day.
However, the police only controlled it while the sun was up.
Once night fell, it became another world, one belonging to entirely different groups of people.
The convenience store stood at the intersection of two streets.
It had a prime location and did good business.
The owner employed several full-time and part-time workers.
Tonight, Fatima and another girl were working the evening shift, and both had been on edge all day.
Several men had repeatedly passed by the entrance.
The vicious, greedy looks in their eyes were enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.
Still, the two women had to remain until eight o’clock and wait for the night-shift employee to arrive before they could clock out.
“Fatima, my boyfriend will be here any minute.
Is yours coming to pick you up?” the girl beside her whispered while stealing another glance toward the entrance.
“Ah, yes, Graciana.
He said he would.” Fatima also looked toward the door expectantly.
After Camilla told her about Rock’s heroic exploits, Fatima felt as though life had given her a little more hope.
However, Camilla and Rock had also crossed Ricardo of the “Crazy Train” gang.
Fortunately, not many people knew about it, so Camilla and Rock were safe for the time being.
Fatima had secretly prayed that Ricardo would forget about both of them.
Only then could they continue living their lives in peace.
Time passed as Fatima and Graciana organized the merchandise.
It was already past eight, yet the man assigned to the night shift still had not arrived.
Tardiness was nothing unusual here, but tonight was different.
There were clearly men with bad intentions lurking outside the convenience store.
A motorcycle approached with a low rumble and pulled up beside the curb outside.
After the engine cut out, a thickset figure climbed off.
The man who appeared at the entrance was massively muscular and covered in tattoos.
One look at him was enough to tell anyone he was not someone to mess with.
“My dear Graciana, I’m here.”
“Oh my God, my boyfriend’s here!” Graciana jumped up excitedly.
Graciana hugged Fatima, kissed her on the cheek, slung her bag over her shoulder, and prepared to leave.
Fatima touched the Glock tucked against her lower back.
She glanced outside anxiously.
Just then, another motorcycle sped toward the store, swung sideways, and stopped sharply beside the entrance.
When Fatima saw the familiar, alluring figure riding it and the man seated behind her, she stood up happily.
“My ride’s here too.”
“Great.
Then let’s lock up and let that damn Pereira go to hell.” Graciana kicked the doorframe.
They were already dozens of minutes late getting off work.
And their damned boss would not pay them even one extra real in overtime.
Since Fatima had to return for a four-hour morning shift the next day, she was responsible for locking the store tonight and opening it again tomorrow.
Just as Fatima pulled down the convenience store’s rolling shutter and began locking it, Graciana followed her boyfriend outside, climbed onto his motorcycle, and prepared to leave.
Three motorcycles roared toward them from nearby and stopped alongside the group.
The passengers on two of the motorcycles pulled out handguns.
One aimed at Graciana’s boyfriend, while the other pointed his weapon at Graciana and began dragging her off the bike.
Graciana screamed in terror.
His muscular build meant nothing in the face of a gun.
A bullet erased every difference in size, and with a pistol trained on him, Graciana’s boyfriend did not dare move.
The third motorcycle sped straight toward the convenience store entrance and stopped beside it.
The passenger jumped off and charged at Fatima.
From the looks of it, they intended to abduct both Fatima and Graciana.
Graciana’s boyfriend still trusted in his size and strength and tried to resist despite the gun aimed at him.
His attacker gave him no chance.
He immediately fired a bullet into the man’s thigh.
The instant the shot rang out, the man rushing toward Fatima also drew his pistol.
At the same moment, Rock’s AKS-74U opened fire.
Rock put his Quick Draw and Street Battle Skills to full use.
A single three-round burst sent the man charging at Fatima crashing face-first onto the ground, where he lay motionless.
Rock immediately swung his muzzle toward the other men on the motorcycles.
“Rat-tat-tat…”
Three-round bursts rang out one after another, mixing with the continuous crack of handgun fire.
The entrance of the convenience store erupted in a deafening barrage of gunfire, like an endless string of firecrackers going off.
The instant Rock pulled the trigger of his AKS-74U, he yanked Camilla off the motorcycle and shoved her into the shelter of a corner.
He then crouched low and moved quickly toward the store entrance, grabbing Fatima and pulling her toward Camilla’s hiding place.
Rock used one of the motorcycles the attackers had just parked as cover, keeping his body low as he exchanged fire with them.
Amid the chaos, Graciana and her boyfriend curled up on the ground, trying to make themselves as small a target as possible.
They silently prayed to God, their hearts filled with despair.
During the exchange, Rock took down three attackers.
Meanwhile, their wild gunfire merely showered the motorcycle in front of him with sparks.
Realizing the situation had turned against them, two of the riders abandoned their companions and fled.
Under the overwhelming firepower of Rock’s AKS-74U, four gunmen were left sprawled on the ground.
“Locke, are you okay?”
Fatima, who had remained unharmed while hiding in the corner with Camilla, rushed over to Rock as soon as the gunfire stopped.
“I’m fine.
Uh, looks like a bullet grazed me.”
Only then did Rock notice the burning pain in his left arm.
He turned his head and saw a blackened, reddish graze along it.
A bullet had skimmed across his arm.
The scorching projectile had carved a shallow groove through his skin.
Blood was beginning to seep from the wound.
“Fatima, hurry and open the store.
I remember you keep rubbing alcohol and sterile bandages inside.” Camilla reached Rock at the same time and immediately told her sister to unlock the door.
“Oh my God!” Fatima cried.
She hurriedly reopened the convenience store.
In her panic, she turned back and called out, “Graciana, are you two all right?”
“Salvador’s been shot!
Oh my God, you have to hold on!”
Graciana threw herself over her burly boyfriend in panic.
“It hurts!” Salvador finally dared to shout.
During the chaotic hail of bullets, he had only been able to lie on the ground and clutch his wounded thigh, too frightened to make a sound.
Crying, Graciana called the police and an ambulance.
More than half an hour later, when the long-delayed police cars and ambulance finally arrived outside the convenience store, Rock and Camilla had already parked their motorcycle far away at another intersection.