Ali continued up to the twenty-third floor, stepping quietly as he observed his surroundings.
This entire level was unique, with the back wall completely removed to make room for two massive steel support beams anchoring the lower cables of the lift. These beams stretched from the floor, passing through to the ceiling above and vanishing into the upper floors. Surrounding them were various tools, welding equipment, and heavy-duty materials, clearly intended to maintain the cables and strengthen the beams to withstand both the weight of the platform and the strain of constant use.
Ali studied the setup carefully, his gaze tracing the beams from the floor to the ceiling.
'I could cut them now and trap the soldiers outside', he considered, watching as the platform began to inch closer to the skyscraper, the clicking of the mechanical gears growing louder above him.
'But then I'd have to kill everyone still breathing in this building, including the girls. The mission is a red line for me right now and I'm not leaving anyone alive or dead inside this building, once I'm done i wanna close it up and move on without having to look at the mission saying one of the towers isn't cleared', Ali contemplated as he walked back out the floor and towards the stairs.
'But cutting the cable doesn't insure the soldiers outside don't try other ways to go back to their home, with their stupidity i can't risk it', Ali thought.
He walked out he door of the floor and looked back one final time at the cable's support with the quinque in hand, 'It's decided, the lift stays until I'm finished', Ali decided.
His mind set, Ali ascended to the twenty-fourth floor, where the sound of activity grew louder, filling the floor with a sense of urgency.
Opening the door slightly, he peered inside and saw a massive wheel positioned in the centre of the room, its size dominating the space. Five soldiers were pushing the wheel in a synchronised rhythm, the grinding metal powering the lift's journey across the cable. Ali watched, observing how the floor's back wall had also been removed to allow the lift direct access inside once it arrived.
The soldiers remained oblivious to Ali's gaze from across the floor, completely absorbed in their task of pushing the enormous wheel.
'Let's wait until the entire team's back', Ali decided, retreating to the lower floor, where he positioned himself behind one of the steel beams, hidden from sight but with a clear view of the platform as it neared the building.
From his spot, Ali could hear the clamour of soldiers unloading gear and equipment as they arrived back at base.
"Come on, boys! The boss is still waiting out there. PUSH, YOU FUCKERS!" One soldier's shout echoed down the stairwell as they resumed pushing the wheel, sending the platform back out to retrieve the remaining soldiers.
Ali listened as the mechanical whirring faded, and he glanced up at the cables.
'They built this whole contraption out of scraps', he thought, observing the rough but functional engineering. 'Impressive work, considering the world they're living in.'
As the platform returned with the last group of soldiers, Ali smirked, dropping his bag of rations to the floor and mentally preparing for what lay ahead.
His eyes zeroed in on the tall, hulking figure standing at the platform's centre-the leader, unmistakable even among the armed men around him. The giant was clad head-to-toe in a patchwork of chainmail and steel, resembling a knight from an ancient era, save for the shotgun strapped to his hip.
'It's obvious, isn't it?' Ali thought, cracking his neck as he sized up the leader.
Flanking the giant were two men in high-quality armour-not quite on par with their boss but still superior to the rest of the soldiers. Each of them had AK-47s slung at their waists, marking them as the lieutenant-level guards for the leader.
Ali moved quietly to the doorway of the twenty-third floor, halting as he picked up the sound of footsteps echoing down the stairwell.
"Be careful! If we drop this, the boss is going to kill US!" one soldier shouted, his voice laced with a mixture of annoyance and fear.
Ali waited, pressing himself against the wall as he listened to the footsteps and murmurs of the soldiers passing the door. When they moved a few steps lower, he opened the door just as the four men came into view.
Each pair carried a heavy box between them, visibly struggling with the weight. Before they could react, Ali drew the knife he had taken from the worker earlier and, with a swift flick of his wrist, sent it flying.
SPLASH
The blade struck the first soldier squarely in the forehead, the knife embedding itself deeply between his eyes. He dropped instantly, and as his grip loosened, the weight of the box pulled his partner off balance, causing him to stumble forward and crash down the stairs.
The two remaining soldiers let go of their own box, fumbling to draw their weapons. But they were too slow. Ali closed the distance with lightning speed, and before the first soldier could raise his machete, Ali brought his longsword down in a brutal arc.
SPLASH
The blade cleaved straight through the soldier's head, splitting it down the middle in a grisly shower of blood and brain matter.
The last soldier lashed out with his machete, aiming for Ali's head. But Ali sidestepped the attack, his movements a blend of precision and speed honed from countless battles.
He grabbed the soldier's head with an iron grip and drove it into the wall with crushing force, the impact shattering the man's skull and reducing it to a pulpy mess.
Ali released his grip, allowing the soldier's lifeless body to collapse. He caught the machete as it fell, spinning it in his hand before hurling it at the final soldier who was struggling to get up from his fall further down the stairs.
CLANG
The blade sank deep into the soldier's skull, pinning him to the wall as his body twitched in a grotesque final spasm before going limp.
Four soldiers were dead in under ten seconds, and Ali hadn't even broken a sweat.
Calmly, he retrieved any useful weapons and equipment from their bodies, his movements efficient and unhurried. Satisfied with his loot, he ascended the stairs to the twenty-fourth floor.
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