"Someone wants to see me? Did he say who he is?" Sean frowned and glanced at Bill.
"No," Bill replied, shaking his head. "Dart just called. He said someone asked him to send you a message. The only detail he mentioned was that the person is connected to the Salamanca family."
"How sneaky! I can't even see you!" Sean scoffed.
"Why's that?" Bill asked, confused.
"The guy who wants to see me could only be one of two things: either an enemy of Salamanca or one of their accomplices."
"If it's an accomplice, he might want to negotiate, but that's something I will never agree to. As a noble person, a pure individual, I refuse to show mercy to drug dealers. I am committed to delivering justice and eradicating evil!"
"Or," Sean continued, "this could be a trap to force me out into the open, setting the stage for an ambush."
While I do want to draw out Salamanca's people, I prefer to dictate the terms of engagement—choosing the battlefield and timing—rather than waiting for them to come at me.
"If he's an enemy of Salamanca, then he's irrelevant to me. I, Sean, am a legitimate businessman who has never engaged in illegal activities and have no interest in a deeper connection with them."
Bill, driving, shot Sean a bemused look. "Your speeches are starting to sound more and more like a politician's."
They continued on the road to the factory but faced delays due to roadblocks. At this critical moment, Sean needed to ensure his hideout remained undiscovered.
Upon arriving at the factory, he greeted the assembled team. "Jonas, how's your recovery?"
"Not bad," Jonas replied with a grin. "At least I don't need Bill to hold the gun for me when I pee anymore."
"F*** you!" Bill shot back, raising a middle finger, eliciting laughter from everyone.
"That's great news," Sean said, pulling out a chair. "Looks like you'll be able to handle the money collection."
"Of course!" Jonas boasted. "Those sons of bitches sold me out a few days ago. This time, I'm going to find out who dares to do it again—and I'll make sure someone pays for it!"
Sean took a deep breath. "Notify the gangs in Jersey City about our nighttime trades. Tell them to bring the one hundred thousand dollars they owe me from last time. I don't want to worry about the rest. If they trust in the Salamanca family's strength, they should be able to get it done."
On the night of October 11th, the moon was dim, and the wind was gentle. An inconspicuous van traveled north of Basek, with the transaction site moved from Jersey City to a more secluded area.
Everyone had their suspicions.
A few kilometers away, Sean and his crew drove without headlights. They knew the Salamanca family would be well-prepared this time, and their manpower was limited; they couldn't throw all their resources at once.
The van had four occupants, with Jonas lacking any combat capability. If they were surrounded, it would fall to the other three to hold their ground.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and the van lurched violently, lifting one side half a meter off the ground. Despite their frantic attempts to regain control, it was futile.
"F***! It's a landmine!" Jonas exclaimed, disoriented and struggling to hear through the ringing in his ears.
Thankfully, the van had been designed with safety in mind, intended for armored transport. Everyone had instinctively buckled their seatbelts, which helped mitigate the impact.
As the van teetered, gunfire erupted around them, bullets ricocheting off the bulletproof steel, creating a cacophony of sound.
The Salamanca family had really come prepared this time, anticipating Sean's traps. They had even resorted to landmines, effectively neutralizing Sean's side's mobility.
"Who the hell has landmines? This is so American!" Jonas shouted as they scrambled to unbuckle their seatbelts, cursing as they prepared to fight back.
The van lay on its side, the roof angled upward with the sunroof open. They quickly mounted their weapons, ready to return fire.
"This van is bulletproof!" one of the Salamanca men shouted, shocked as sparks flew from the bullets hitting the armored vehicle. Eduardo Salamanca, sporting a mustache, looked furious. "Why didn't you drive a tank instead?"
The two sides exchanged fire, but no casualties were reported. It was clear that the Salamanca family's attack plan had failed, while Sean's group had sustained no losses, merely losing a skirmish in the eyes of outsiders.
"What should we do, brother?" one of Eduardo's men asked.
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"Encircle them!" Eduardo ordered, determined. "I don't believe they can stay hidden forever. This is our best chance. If we can eliminate Sean and his group, we can reclaim our territory and I can ascend to the Salamanca family's leadership."
On the other side, the sudden explosion had stunned Sean. "What was that sound?"
"An explosion. I can't tell exactly what happened," Bill responded.
"Quick, let's go check it out," Sean commanded.
Their vehicle accelerated, still without headlights. A few minutes later, they could hear the sound of intense gunfire and see muzzle flashes in the distance.
"Stop here. Jonas and the others seem to be okay. Surround the area and try to eliminate them," Sean instructed, rolling out of the vehicle before it came to a complete stop.
Compared to combat training, gangsters were just that—gangsters. Even the Mexican Pan-Drug Group couldn't match the discipline and skill of trained American soldiers.
Sean and his six men, dressed in camouflage, spread out in a fan shape and moved toward the source of the gunfire.
The only thing that dissatisfied Sean was the lack of a proper command system. Otherwise, he was confident he could have inflicted significant damage on the Salamanca family in the first wave of attacks.
As they approached the target, Sean crawled forward to avoid detection. The battlefield was chaotic, with gunfire reverberating all around. Without waiting for the rest of his team, Sean set up his M16A2 assault rifle.
This was the rifle the U.S. military had started using in the 1980s, one Sean had grown accustomed to during the Grenada conflict. It felt like an extension of himself now.
Sean fired a few precise shots, picking off some of the Salamanca men who had exposed themselves. The element of surprise worked in his favor, causing confusion and panic among the enemy.
"Sean's here!" one of the Salamanca men shouted, trying to rally his comrades, but it was too late. The organized attack Sean's group launched was overwhelming.
Jonas, Bill, and the others had taken advantage of the distraction to reposition themselves effectively. They began returning fire with renewed vigor.
Sean signaled to his team to advance, their movements synchronized and methodical. The Salamanca men were now on the defensive, their earlier confidence shattered.
"Push forward!" Sean ordered, his voice steady and commanding.
The firefight intensified, but Sean and his team had the upper hand. Their military training and superior strategy allowed them to outmaneuver the Salamanca family's men.
Within minutes, the tide of the battle had turned. The Salamanca men, realizing they were outmatched, began to retreat.
"Hold your positions and don't let them escape!" Sean barked.
His team responded instantly, tightening the noose around the retreating Salamanca men. By the time the gunfire ceased, Sean's team had captured or neutralized most of the enemy combatants.
"Secure the area," Sean instructed, as he surveyed the aftermath. "Make sure we didn't miss anyone."
Bill and the others quickly moved to follow his orders, checking the surroundings and ensuring no threats remained.
Sean approached Jonas, who was leaning against the overturned van, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Looks like you're back in action."
"Yeah," Jonas replied, "But I wouldn't have minded a quieter first day back."
Sean chuckled. "Well, you handled it well. Let's regroup and plan our next move."
The team gathered around Sean, ready for their next orders. The night had been a win for them, but Sean knew the battle against the Salamanca family was far from over.
"Great job, everyone," Sean said, looking at each member of his team. "We've sent a strong message tonight. But we need to stay vigilant. This was just one skirmish in a long war."
The team nodded, understanding the weight of Sean's words. They had proven their strength tonight, but the fight against the Salamanca family would continue. And they would be ready for whatever came next.
This revised section aims to provide a more cohesive narrative, with clearer language and smoother transitions between scenes. The characters' actions and dialogue have been streamlined to maintain the story's flow and intensity.