The night was heavy with tension, the barren wasteland surrounding their hideout blanketed in an oppressive silence. Jarad crouched behind a crumbling concrete wall, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon. The faint hum of approaching vehicles broke the stillness, sending a ripple of unease through the group.
"They're here," Leon's voice crackled through the comms. His tone was sharp, tinged with urgency. "Two teams, five operatives each. They're splitting up to flank us."
Jarad's grip tightened on his blade. His voice was calm but laced with authority. "Frieda, take their snipers. Leon, scramble their comms and drones. Toni, you're with me. We hold the main line."
"Understood," Frieda replied tersely. Already in position on a rocky outcrop, she adjusted the scope of her sniper rifle.
"Comms interference in progress," Leon muttered, his fingers flying over his portable console. "Give me thirty seconds."
Toni stood behind Jarad, her rifle resting against her shoulder. Her expression was grim but determined. "This is no hit squad, Jarad. These are assassins—precision killers."
Jarad glanced back at her, his gaze steely. "Then we match precision with ruthlessness. No one gets out alive."
Frieda exhaled slowly, her focus narrowing through her scope. The first team was moving with textbook precision, spreading out to establish a perimeter. Their helmets, equipped with glowing visors, betrayed their high-tech gear.
"Target acquired," she murmured, her finger tightening on the trigger.
The first shot rang out, sharp and final. An assassin collapsed, the bullet shattering his visor and punching clean through his skull.
"Confirmed kill," she whispered, already repositioning.
Her second shot came a heartbeat later, followed by a third. Each shot found its mark, dropping the assassins before they could react.
"They're adjusting," Frieda reported, her voice calm despite the rising tension. "They're pulling back into formation. Covering each other now."
"Keep them off balance," Jarad ordered.
---
Jarad and Toni advanced through the ruins, their movements silent and purposeful. The darkness cloaked their approach as the assassins fanned out. With Leon's interference scrambling their comms, confusion rippled through the ranks.
An assassin emerged from the shadows, his blade glinting in the pale moonlight. He lunged at Jarad, but Jarad's reflexes were honed through years of survival. He sidestepped the attack, his own blade flashing upward. The assassin gurgled as the steel pierced his throat, collapsing in a heap.
"Watch your six," Toni barked, pivoting to fire at another assassin. Her rifle spat fire, the rounds striking with deadly precision. The attacker fell, blood pooling beneath him.
"Efficient as always," Jarad remarked dryly.
"Flattery won't save your ass," Toni shot back, reloading.
Leon sat hunched over his console, the soft glow of the screen illuminating his determined expression. His fingers danced across the keys, bypassing encryption protocols and jamming the assassins' frequencies.
"Drones incoming," he warned. "Thermal imaging. They'll spot us if we cluster."
Jarad's voice crackled over the comms. "How long to jam them?"
Leon gritted his teeth. "These are military-grade systems. I need sixty seconds."
"You've got thirty," Jarad replied, the line cutting off before Leon could protest.
Muttering a curse, Leon redoubled his efforts, sweat beading on his forehead.
The assassins adapted quickly. Explosions rocked the ruins as they lobbed grenades, flushing Jarad and Toni from cover.
"Move to fallback position!" Jarad commanded.
Toni covered their retreat, her shots forcing the assassins to keep their distance. The two navigated the maze of rubble, reaching the second defensive line where explosives had been carefully planted.
Jarad waited until the assassins were within range, then activated the detonator. The explosion lit up the night, shattering the advancing formation and sending debris flying.
"That'll slow them," Toni said, though her tone lacked conviction.
"Not enough," Jarad replied grimly.
---
Through the dust and smoke, the assassins regrouped. Their leader stepped forward, a towering figure clad in sleek black armor that absorbed the moonlight. His presence exuded authority and menace.
"You've made this harder than it needed to be, Jarad," the leader called, his voice distorted through a modulator. "Surrender, and I'll make it painless."
Jarad stepped into the open, his blade gleaming with blood. His voice was cold, unyielding. "Painless isn't my style."
The leader chuckled, a deep, metallic sound. "Very well. Kill them all."
The assassins surged forward, their movements coordinated despite the chaos. Jarad met the leader head-on, their blades clashing in a violent dance. Sparks flew with each strike, the sound of steel on steel echoing through the night.
Toni provided cover fire, taking down assassins who attempted to overwhelm Jarad. Frieda, now repositioned, picked off stragglers with deadly precision, though she was forced to move constantly as bullets ricocheted around her position.
---
Despite their skill, the assassins faltered under the relentless assault. Frieda's sniper fire tore through their ranks, and Leon's interference kept them from regrouping effectively.
Jarad fought like a man possessed, his blade a blur of motion. With a final, devastating strike, he drove his weapon into the leader's chest, piercing the armor. The assassin staggered back, his visor flickering as he collapsed.
The remaining assassins hesitated, their morale shattered. One by one, they retreated into the darkness.
---
Jarad wiped his blade clean, his breathing steady despite the exertion. "Status report."
"Minor graze," Frieda replied, her tone nonchalant despite the blood staining her sleeve.
"Bruised but fine," Toni added, checking her gear.
Leon's voice came through the comms. "Perimeter's clear. But reinforcements aren't far behind."
Jarad nodded. "We move now. This fight's not over."
The crew gathered their gear and vanished into the night, shadows against the dying embers of the battlefield.
------
"So, we're out of dodge for now, yeah?" Leon asked, his boots crunching against the uneven dirt path as they moved. His tone was light, but his eyes constantly scanned the horizon for danger.
"Yeah, we are. But now it's time to focus on the main priority…" Jarad replied, his voice carrying a steely determination. He paused for a moment, his jaw tightening. "Finding my sister—Evie. I need to know she's safe."
Leon let out a short laugh, the sound almost jarring in the tense atmosphere. "Have you even called her? Or at least sent a message? You know, after the last one that nearly got us all killed?" His words were laced with sarcasm, his grin teasing but pointed.
"Shut it, Leo," Toni interjected sharply, swatting the back of his head with enough force to makes him flinch.
"Ow! Alright, alright, no need for violence!" Leon protested, rubbing the spot while giving Toni a mock glare.
"Leo's got a point, though," Frieda added, her tone softer but no less insistent. She adjusted the strap of her pack and looked at Jarad. "You should reach out to her. At least send a message, see how she's holding up. We've been through a lot. She's probably worried."
Jarad sighed, his shoulders stiffening. He hated admitting when someone else was right, but this time, Frieda was. "Alright. I will," he muttered, pulling out a small, battered comm device from his pocket.
He paused, staring at the screen as if willing it to connect him to her. Then, with steady fingers, he typed:
Hey Evie, how are you now? I got your message and wanted to check up on you. I'm okay, so you don't need to worry.
"Sent," Jarad said, his voice clipped, though a flicker of unease betrayed him.
"Nice," Leon said, his smirk returning. "Now we wait for her reply. Let's hope it doesn't come with another death trap this time."
Toni shot him a warning look, and Frieda placed a reassuring hand on Jarad's shoulder. "She'll be alright, Jarad. We'll make sure of it."
Jarad didn't respond immediately, his focus still on the comm. The tension in his chest refused to ease. She has to be okay.
The group pressed forward, the weight of unspoken fears trailing behind them like shadows.
---