Outside the cement factory, a group of men wearing elite armor and wielding guns gathered. Many vans rushed over as silently as possible, having switched off their sirens and adopted slow but sturdy tactics for driving.
Even the streetlights within the last few blocks had been switched off. It was as if darkness had descended on this industrial area, giving one the eerie feeling of being spied on.
Among the dangerously equipped men, one of them stood out with a slightly taller frame and a special outfit since his helmet was not the traditional tactical helmet, but rather a high-tech one that completely covered his face and only displayed some pixelized images on the front.
This man's armor was also superior to that of the others, seeming almost experimental in nature. The other men who stood behind him respectfully but at a ready pose to engage any threat couldn't help but sneak glances over with envy.
The leader pressed a hand to his ear and spoke freely, knowing that his voice would not escape the confines of his helmet without him willing it.
"Alright, everyone is here. As your squad leaders might have already told you, we've received numerous reports and tips from citizens that the underground trafficking ring belonging to the Halikore Syndicate might be located beneath the cement factory."
His voice was electronically enhanced, making it sound deep and menacing, not at all what a human could possess. However, given his equipment, his stature - and especially - his identity, none of the men found it strange and rather felt more impressed by it.
"Squad 1 to Squad 5, you will surround the facility at all angles, making sure that not a soul can leave this area without our permission. Squad 6, you are on standby within the vehicle to perform a chase should there be one. Squad 7, you are the rescue team, focus on gathering the victims and bringing them to safety when the firefight begins."
He began to bark orders rapidly and everyone moved into position according to his wishes without a single complaint despite it being slightly outside of protocol.
The man then turned around and pointed to the last three squads. "Squads 8, 9, and 10, you are with me. I'd like to say that I can handle this base on my own, but lives are at stake here, and mistakes cannot be afforded."
"However, men, I want you to remember this. I will take the brunt of the fire and be able to survive, but you won't. Treasure your lives; each of you is a precious soul that can make a difference in this evil world, so do not try anything heroic."
"Stick to your duty and your orders, fulfill them as best as you can and keep yourself alive. You have parents, children, and siblings to return to, and the last thing they want to hear is their beloved family member dying, no matter the reason."
There was a thick spell of silence as the throats of each man became heavy. They couldn't help but think of the people they had waiting at home and realized just how important their leader's words were.
Yet despite this, it also activated an instinct within them, a burning fire to succeed and still retain all their living functions afterward. After all, the place they were attacking now was not just any den of evil, but a place where one of the most horrible crimes of the modern day was committed frequently.
"Alright, move out!" The leader shouted, causing the men to respond with 'oorah' under their breaths.
He dashed into the factory with light steps, easily jumping over the wall like an athlete with a pole despite having none while the squads filed in behind him, using anti-defense ladders. These new ladders allowed one to climb over barbed wires or electric fences used commercially and domestically with ease.
Once within, the leader waited for half of the men to climb over as well before sneaking into the factory slowly. He pressed a button on his helmet that extended his senses outward and enhanced his hearing capabilities.
He then shared his hearing with the team channel so that everyone could be aware of the various dangers within and react accordingly. As such, halfway through their crawl through the factory, they began to hear a weird sound that one could not fully make out.
This immediately caused the team to become even more cautious as the leaders squatted down and assessed what that sound could be by uploading the sound to the database of the force behind his equipment.
When the assessment came back, the highest likelihood was stated to be the sound of flesh striking hard cement. Seeing this, the faces of everyone hardened with anger and shock.
It was a fact that those freshly kidnapped were unruly and very hard to control, so human traffickers often had special people who would torture them and tame them into obedient slaves broken of their free will.
One would expect whips, canes, or even knives at worst, but using goddamn cement to hit a person? Just how malicious were these Halikore Syndicate members?
Even the leader was deeply appalled by this and realized that this group might be far more dangerous than he thought. He curbed his idea to rely heavily on his equipment to dominate and planned to be more cautious about the whole affair.
After listening and making sure there were no other sounds, the group began to move once again, this time far slower and more carefully. In as much as they would love to charge over and save the person being beaten, they could only hope the person could endure for a bit more as it would be foolish to do so.
Eventually, they got closer, and the leader motioned for them to stop once more as he activated his motion-detecting equipment as well as the infrared. He wanted to know how many men were guarding the entrance of the underground area as well as how many were torturing the victim.
This part of his feed could not be shared with the others since they would need to have equipment of the same level, but there was no need for that anyway. The members of the three squads who were spread about the area stealthily were alert, looking for any interferences when they heard their leader mutter with disbelief through the team comms.
"It…can't be…"
Even with the augmentation of his voice using filters and distortions, anyone could sense the sheer emotion in his voice. Whatever their leader had just seen was enough to leave him well and truly baffled enough to force him out of character.
"Is there a change in the plan, sir?" The Squad Captain of Squad 8 asked tentatively through the communication channel, asking the question that burned in the minds of the 3 squads in a tactful manner.
"I don't know… there's just one man there on the other side." The leader responded slowly.
The armed men were surprised by this response and even felt a hint of confusion as to why such a thing would be a big deal.
"Should we take him down?" another squad captain asked with noticeable relief in his voice.
However, the leader responded with even more seriousness, as if having confirmed something. "No. None of you here can handle someone who can do that. Wait for me to lure him away and then do your duty."