Use your ace in the hole (Magic Card -1)

There was no way that Vaarvel or you could win this one fair and square. The bad cards you'd ended up with weren't just a matter of luck or strategy; it was pretty clear that the Adjutant had probably wanted to force you guys into the corner one more time before having their men take you out. The game was a farce... therefore, there was no reason to play by its rules. You prepared the "magic card" Goodbye had supplied you with and waited for the Adjutant's card to touch the table.

"Four. Any counter?" the Adjutant questioned, turning their head to look at you, then over to Vaarvel. Your partner was still wearing that same smirk, which held the Adjutant's attention.

You didn't wait to see what Vaarvel had in store. You moved the Magic Card from your hand towards the table with quick speed. Vaarvel was the only one who noticed the angle; in preparation, she rose from her chair to a leaping position, then took her opportunity. Only, when you finished bringing it down would the rest of the room catch on to what had happened; with one swift motion, you'd cleanly cut into the bone of two of the Adjutant's fingers using the sharpened edge of the blade. The blade didn't go far enough to cleanly sever them, but deep enough to make a gruesome wound for sure.

"Kill the bastards!" the screeching voice of Adder's leader cried, as they pushed away from the table and up to their feet, standing clear of the firing line.

Vaarvel caught Dr. Nora Goldstein on the way past, then sprinted towards the doorway. You and Au Revoir were the last out; the huge lady protected you both from the first salvo of gunfire with a heavy oak door she'd ripped from a nearby display cabinet, using it like a shield. "What a ballsy move, Ciao! I am seriously impressed!" she guffawed, flashing you a grin as she dropped the shield to motor towards the exit. "It pleased me to see that Adjutant bleeding their own blood for once! I only wish you'd aimed for the wrist; you could have taken their whole hand off!"

That would be something out of a spy movie, wouldn't it? Cutting off the villain's hand to give them a personal grudge against you; they'd come back later with a gun or a hook mounted there.

Vaarvel seemed pleased with the outcome too, but not so much so that she couldn't issue orders. "I'll take Nora further in. You and Au Revoir, take care of those hostiles! Having Nora in hand is good, but she's not our only objective here. We can't allow the Adjutant to escape."

That was a tall order, given what you'd barely managed to escape just now, but you complied. At the first opportunity, you took up a stance with your gun ready around one corner, waiting for the first sign of Adder agents.

"Good times! Bikinis, gambling, and gunfights. What more could you ask for?" Au Revoir chortled, breathing heavily with clear excitement as the Adder agents began to round the corner...