Aftermath: The beginning

I sat in my car, waiting for the control center to contact me. I'm not a patient person, but it's been thirty minutes and I have yet to hear from the institute. I had already spent nearly a week waiting for the right moment to complete this task. I had to return home in a few days. My fiancée and I were planning a special day, and I wouldn't miss it for the world. I couldn't stop looking at my watch. It was 11:35 p.m. when I felt my phone vibrate inside my jacket. I didn't bother checking to see who was calling before answering the phone.

"You took your time," I said as soon as the line was connected.

"We're sorry for the inconvenience", a female lady replied.

"What do you have in store for me?" I expressed my displeasure. "You already know how the building is laid out. The building contains approximately twenty hostiles. "The target is inside his lounge, and we believe he will be taken to the secured vault beneath his building once the shooting begins," the female voice explained. I listened for a long time until I became bored with her explanation. The geeks, as we called them, had an uncanny ability to make something quite violent sound like a peaceful debate.

"Would you mind giving me anything useful, such as the types of weapons I'd be facing in there?" I interrupted her before she finished her next sentence. "We don't know for sure, but we're confident you can match their abilities."

She continued, “Use your gauntlet to follow the map. It takes you directly to the lounge. Good luck, Adam.”

She cut the call as soon as she wished me well. I was a pain in their asses, and I was well aware of how much trouble I was always causing them. I, on the other hand, was unconcerned. I was here to complete a task, just as the one I have completed before now. I let go of the phone and pulled out the M9 pistol from my glove compartment, along with the four-inch ceramic silencer. I exited my car and went straight to the trunk. I took out the few items I needed, such as the titanium bulletproof vest and a couple of pistol magazines. I wouldn't believe the control center when they said there were about twenty hostiles in the building. That wasn't the first time they underestimated the number of hostiles I'd face on the job. Before inserting my magazines into the rifle and pistol, I wore my titanium bulletproof vest over my black long-sleeved shirt. I took out the gauntlet, strapped it around my left arm, and activated the screen interface. This was created a few years ago to help hold a few pieces of information, such as a map needed for a mission. I let the drone loose as soon as I powered it up. A thermal heat sensor was attached to the drone, which the institute will use to collect data on body heat. They can be more precise this way. I inserted the small ear bud into my ear, expecting to hear the female voice again.

"Okay, Adam. We are now online. The mission is a go," she said after a few seconds. I'd navigate the gauntlet map into the building, and the control center would keep me updated if there was any new development they weren't aware of. I slung my rifle over my shoulder and closed my car's trunk. And the....it's showtime. The drone flew off to the top of the building ahead of me.

It was late at night, and no one was walking down this street because my target was relaxing in his mansion. There were other homes on the estate, but his was in the far corner, surrounded by bushes. I had enough cover from the dark skies to walk around the building. The street lights were not pointing in the same direction as the CCTV cameras. This street's surroundings were poorly designed by whoever created them. I walked cautiously, avoiding all the cameras, until I found myself in front of a massive building. The compound was about three plots wide, according to the control center's information, and each side of the fence was armed with electric currents running through tiny strings mounted on the fence. If the house is powered by public power, it would have been simple to turn off the power in the building, allowing me to get past the mounted strings.

Unfortunately, the building's power is provided by a standby generator. However, there was another way to remove the security measure. I raised my pistol up, aimed my target on two different little iron bars mounted on the fence holding the tiny strings from one end to the other. I pulled the trigger and shot the bars one after the other. The bars fell from the fence, but it still hung there because the strings were attached to the other bars on the fence. The fence was just about six feet tall and that was no big deal for me. Even with the electric current running through the string hanging on the fence, there was enough space on top of the fence for me to climb onto it.

"Is there anyone in front of my position?" I asked into my comms.

“Negative. Everyone is in the building," the female responded.

The gauntlet only displayed a map of the building, with no information about the people inside or where they were located. I charged at full speed towards the fence, stomped the wall with my right foot, and propelled myself high enough to swing my body over the fence and into the compound, briefly dodging the string hanging on the fence. In a splitting crouch, I landed on the floor. I was in my target's compound, which looked fantastic. The building was quite a view with the garage on the left side and the generator shed on the right. Each balcony had a glass railing, and the building was two stories tall. The compound was brightened by light poles mounted on every corner of the building, and several expensive cars were parked outside the building.

"I'm in," I said over the intercom.

"Now, go to the generator shed and turn off the building's lights. It will allow you to move around unnoticed," the female explained.

"And where is the fun in that?" I snorted.

I wasn't going to play by her rules, and she knew it. As I previously stated, I was a pain in their asses. I, on the other hand, went straight to the generator shed as she instructed. I turned the light off and on quickly by pulling the lever that passed the current into the building. I finally turned off the lights in the building, certain that someone would come to check the generator if anyone was still awake. I moved to the dark corner of the shed waiting for someone to get caught in my little trick. A few minutes later, the door slammed shut and there was a commotion. There were definitely two men coming towards the shed. As soon as they entered the shed, I pulled the trigger on my pistol and aimed at them one by one. It was a perfect kill shot to the head that was also quiet due to the silencer on my pistol. The two men fell to the ground in a pool of blood in less than a second. When I got close to my prey, they were dead on the floor. They were dressed neatly and carried no weapons. I moved cautiously towards the door, my pistol holstered and ready to shoot if anyone comes from the building.

The building was still dark and without power, which was a disadvantage for both me and the hostiles inside. I didn't have a night vision goggle on, so it would be difficult to see, but the control center was in my ear, guiding me around.

"I'm approaching the building now," I said into the comms.

The door burst open as soon as I was in front of it, and I immediately pulled the trigger. The man was shot in the chest and fell to the ground, his face collapsing.

"Once inside the building, turn right." Take the stairs to the second storey. "The majority of the hostiles are up there," the female voice said.

I raised the gauntlet to my eye in search of the stairwell. The gauntlet had a reading of all cardinal points, so it told me whether I should go straight or in another direction. The stairwell, on the other hand, was on the left, so I went straight for it.

"On the left. Someone is coming straight at you....two of them. "Two hostiles are heading straight for you," the female said. I sighed as I heard her sound unsure about the information she was giving me. I couldn't say anything if someone was in front of me. Suddenly, one of them turned on his phone's led light, which pointed me in the right direction. I fired before they could even look up to see who I was. They fell down the stairs one after the other. Because the stumbling on the stairs could have drawn attention, I intervened to keep the bodies from collapsing on the floor.

"Do you need any more corrections?" I whispered angrily into my coms.

"There are no more hostiles approaching you. "The target had exited the lounge and appears to be on his way to his room," said the female voice in my ear.

I walked slowly up the stairs, trying not to squeak the wood. To avoid being seen, I turned off the light coming from my gauntlet.

"Be careful, there are a couple of them up there," said the female voice.

I raised my pistol and walked up to the second floor. The floor was buzzing with activity and laughter. I wasn't sure what was right in front of me, so I walked slowly, watching my every step. Unfortunately for me, the light went on and everything went to hell. I was directly in front of a dozen men, their weapons beside them. They were startled to see me and took at least a few seconds to pick up their arms. That was enough time for me to duck into a small corner and avoid being hit by bullets if they decided to shoot at me. The dance of flying bullets began as soon as I was out of the way. I was too angry to move, and I was also afraid of being hit if I raised my head a little.

"What's going on over there, Adam?" "Are those gunshots?" inquired the female voice on my coms.

"Of course," she says. What the fuck did it sound like?!"

"How in the world did the lights turn back on?" I yelled into my coms. I had to shout into my coms because the gunshots were so loud. Besides, I was irritated by their errors. They should have alerted me to the fact that someone was approaching the generator shed. “Someone must have used the back entrance to go outside the building. You need to move out of that place. Anyone coming on the stairs has a clear shot at you from there,” the lady replied in a more high pitched tone.

“Yeah, I see that! It’s not like this place is full of barricades. Were you not supposed to have eyes on the entire building? Goddamn it. You guys are really useless!” I shouted angrily lying down on the floor trying to avoid the bullets piercing the wood from getting to me.

“On your left! Someone is a few feet closer to you,” the female shouted.

I took out my pistol, crept around to the left side of where I was hiding, and pulled the trigger without looking around. I shot for a long time before someone died just ahead of me.

My eyes widened as I stared at the man who had collapsed face down on the floor.

"I suppose your uselessness could be redeemed," I thought to myself.

“You'll have to guide me blindly. And don't fucking mess it up. I'm not going to be shot in the back."

"All right, but you'll need more firepower," the lady said.

"What do you mean, more firepower?" I yelled back. "I thought you said there were about twenty of them. I've already dealt with four."

"Don't be a jerk, Adam. That man is insane. I'm sure he dispatched another troop as soon as he heard gunshots."

Unfortunately, she was correct. The man I was here to see was more paranoid than insane. I had to be quick and move quickly. A few seconds of shooting came to an abrupt halt.

"They're approaching you. There are two on the left and three on the right....four on the right," she clarified.

"What the fuck is going on? Can you get the numbers correct? "I'm driving blind here," I admitted into the coms. They might be able to hear me more clearly now that the gunshots have stopped.

"Sorry....the heat signature isn't the same as having a camera watching you over there." "You'll have to take initiative as well," she retorted.

"Oh, I'm using my initiative quite well. You just can't fucking do anything with more precision. It would have been better if I had done this alone," I said as I swung my pistol to the left and pulled the trigger, causing a stud to fall to the ground. The rampage resumed with the sound of a rifle falling to the ground. They were returning fire into my corner.

"Someone is approaching the stairwell," the female voice said. I was crouched in a corner, with only a large piece of wood between me and a gang of crazy men. There was a slim chance I could get away from these guys and find a better place to hide. A few seconds later, I noticed a head pooping out the top of the stairs, staring at me. I pulled the trigger and was relieved when it hit him. If it hadn't, he would have shot me and I would have died; better him than me. The rampage shooting abruptly ceased, and I knew they were out of bullets because I heard a click from their rifles. I leapt from my prone position, aiming at the men one by one and pulling the trigger.

They were about thirteen in number. There were four of them behind and three standing a few feet apart. They were standing to the right. I was able to take out a few of them before they could reload their weapons. I had enough time to flee before the rampage resumed. Before the others were ready to shoot again, I shot about six of them. I dashed towards the stairs and jumped down as soon as I saw they were almost finished reloading their weapons. My body dives backwards towards the ground, quickly approaching it. As I fell to the floor in a splitting crouch, I heard the rounds of gunfire. I was certain they would follow, so I hid near the stairs, where they couldn't see me. I didn't get a chance to look around the room earlier because it was dark. The room was now brighter, and it was a large hall. The walls were covered in old paintings, and the floor was carpeted in a deep blue color.

I was quietly waiting behind a large caricature when I noticed the shadows of a few men walking down the stairs.

"Adam, some of them have separated from the group you shot at. It appears they are making their way to the back door," said the female voice on my coms.

"So, how many people do I have to deal with here?" I asked quietly into the coms.

"From what I'm seeing here, it's probably around six. And they're right above you," she said emphatically, emphasizing the first seven words.

I sat quietly waiting, listening to their incomprehensible chatter. I grabbed the rifle and pulled the man's hand stumbling onto the ground as soon as one of them pulled his gun up as he stepped off the stairs. I punched him in the face in the blink of an eye before the other could. He turned around as I held him behind his back with my arm around his neck, shielding him from the others who would soon start shooting. I pointed my pistol at the people on the stairs and pulled the trigger, one by one, while holding their mate unwillingly in front of me as a shield from the rounds fired at me. He was bleeding as his men fired at him but missed. Before I let the man fall to the ground, I made sure I shot them all. When I heard the chatter outside the building, I went to the stairs to make sure they were dead.

"Adam, a few of them are now approaching the building from the outside. "I'm not sure how many of them are coming at you," she explained.

"I appreciate your candor, but it doesn't make it any better. Please keep an eye out for street. I want to know the moment another troop arrives," I said as I walked cautiously towards the entrance, my rifle now holstered high.

Something caught my attention. It was a small room to the right that appeared to be an ammunition room. The earlier shooter on the stairs must have opened the door without closing it. It wasn't particularly well-stocked, but I did find something useful.

“How did you not know there was an arsenal here?” I smiled as I spoke into my coms.

"I had a feeling there was something in there, but it was impossible to tell if it was an arsenal," she explained.

"Well, it's an arsenal, and I have something that I desperately need." I entered the arsenal and pulled out two stun grenades and a tear gas canister. I crept to the back of the entrance door, waiting for my assailants. I heard whispering just outside the door a few seconds later. As soon as I got the pins, I threw out both stun grenades. I went outside with my pistol holstered high as soon as I heard the loud bang outside. The men outside were still stunned by the stun grenade, so I caught them off guard. They were about thirteen in number. I quickly reloaded my pistol and pulled the trigger, aiming at them one after the other. I shot them one by one, and a couple of them fell to the ground.

As I approached the back of the troop, one of them attempted to raise his rifle at me. I struck his rifle high and shot him with mine before he could react. Before another could react, I struck him with the butt of my pistol, breaking his focus, before shooting him in the head at close range. I was getting closer to most of them now, so I had to use combat to have some fun as well. Another person raised his gun, so I somersaulted over him and shot him in the back as I landed in a crouch. I dashed over and punched one guard in the face while simultaneously kicking the other in the back. The kick was powerful, and his body collided with the wall. Before he could get back to his feet, I shot him in the head. As I sprang up behind him, I flashed past another, dodged his punch, and shot him. There was only one left, and he was crawling away. I yanked him by the collar and threw him against the wall. He was breathing heavily, and fear was written all over his face.

"Where is your boss? I swear I won't kill you, so just tell me. I'll find him in any case," I said, a cynical smile on my face.

“I……I'm not sure. I'm new here.... "Matthew will know....he...he is always....with the boss," he said, trying to catch his breath as his eyelids slid open forcefully.

"What about the money?" "I heard your boss has a large stash of cash somewhere in this house," I inquired, my tone becoming more serious.

"What are you up to, Adam?" Just shoot him and move on to the next target. "You still have time before his troops arrive," the female voice on my coms said. I turned away from the scared man in front of me, “Hey loud mouth. Do you mind shutting your mouth? I am working, okay? Just shut the fuck up.” I turned back to the guy behind me smiling at him.

"Where has the money gone?"

"I don't know anything." "Matthew....Matthew is in charge of everything around here," he said softly.

"So, where can I find this......Matthew?"

"He is always with the youth leader." He is with him right now in his secret vault," he said, afraid to even stand. I raised my pistol to his head, ready to fire.

"You said....said you wouldn't kill me," he said, his face contorted in terror.

"I know....but you've seen my face, and I wouldn't want someone trying to guess what I looked like." Sorry, I'm really sorry, but you have to understand, okay?" I said this while attempting to appear sincere. I pressed the button and he fell to the ground dead.

"The vault is located in the basement." "Try to flush them out," said the female voice over the intercom.

I reactivated my gauntlet's screen. I followed the gauntlet's instructions to the basement. I walked in after opening the door. The tear gas canister was still in my back pocket. There would undoubtedly be an air duct or a ventilator in the vault. I tried to follow the blueprint of the building displayed on the gauntlet to trace it. I discovered an opening just two metres from the basement's entrance. I yanked the pin from the canister's head and tossed it into the air duct. I found a small steel seat around the corner and dragged it all the way to the front of the vault. Soon after, I noticed smoke coming from beneath the vault. A few minutes later, the metal door swung open, and two men coughed their way out. They were choking on the smoke that was now filling the basement. I sat with my legs crossed on the chair leg as the two men raised their heads to see who was in front of them.

"I'm glad you could make it to the party. So, where do we start?" I smiled at them as they exchanged glances.

My target was on the right, and he appeared more gruesome than the image I had of him. The other guy was undoubtedly Matthew, who the guy I interviewed earlier was obsessed with. Matthew charged at me, attempting to attack me, but he was too slow. Probably because the smoke had made him weak. I jumped up from my seat and struck him with the butt of my M4 rifle. He collapsed to the ground, his eyes closed. He was unconscious as I dragged him out of the basement by his collar.

"What do you want? Who are you? Did they send you? I knew they'd kill me....how much do they pay you? I can double it. I can even triple it. Just....just name your price," he blabbed until I dragged him back into the large hall.

"Dude, my services are not available for hire." "I'm sure you did something stupid, which is why I'm here to take care of you," I said as soon as I let go of his collar.

"Why, why, why are you doing this?" I've got a family.... I don't want to die....please....please," he begged on his knees as I pointed the pistol at his head.

"Well, I heard you had a lot of money in this house and you killed a lot of people," I explained. His reaction was unexpected.

“What? People were killed? Who concocted that story for you? Who said I killed people? Who sent you? Yes, I have embezzled some funds, but killing.....I have never taken a life," he stated emphatically.

"It's not my job to question my superiors, but I've heard a lot of bad things about you in the last few weeks, and I've got to tell you, they're really bad," I said with a smile.

"Those are lies, I swear. I've never killed anyone. I wouldn't dare," he said, a genuine expression on his face.

"Are you certain you didn't kill anyone? No, not directly... But I'm sure you're aware that the funds you stole could have helped millions of people in need. Don’t those people have families as well?”

The man swallows hard, and I raise my gun at him.

“Please….I can turn over a new leaf. "I........," he begins to beg.

"Sorry, man....I've got orders," I said, pulling the trigger on the pistol aimed at his brow. As blood poured from his head, he collapsed to the ground. I was about to walk away when I heard a small stud. Matthew was attempting to walk down the hall. He was taken aback when he saw the dead man on the floor. He frowned at me, his chin up. I just stared at him, not feeling anything. He charged at me like a raging bull and slammed into me before I could react. He moved quickly, knocking me to the ground after I struck a small vase nearby.

Matthew jumped to his feet and attempted to slam his boot into my side. Just before the collision, I spun out of the way. I jumped to my feet just as he slammed me into the wall. I hit the wall hard before connecting my fist to the side of his face. I stomped him in the stomach with my boot before he could regain his balance. He collapsed to the ground, and I repeatedly kicked him in the gut.

"What the hell is going on, Adam?" asked the female voice on the coms.

“I…am...trying….not to ….get killed,” I said as I continued to kick Matthew in the gut. He grunted some more before finally kicking my foot. I landed on my knee, and he took his shot, uppercutting me in the chin and side-sweeping me off my feet. I fell to the ground, and he jumped on me, punching me in the head several times. I was able to deflect a few before my elbow could strike his face. I pushed him off me as soon as he stopped punching. He stumbled a few feet away from me on the ground. As soon as he got to his feet, he charged at me again.

We got into a brawl of punches and kicks. Every time he swung at me, I was able to block and dodge a few of his attacks. He was just as quick as I was until I got the upper hand and dropped kicked him across the room.

"You murdered him, you fucking bastard. I'll have your head," Matthew said, his teeth clenched as he slowly rose from his previous crunch position, wiping blood from his lips.

"You have to get out of there right now! Just shoot him in the head!" yelled a female voice over the coms.

"I'm working on it!" I replied, fist clenched. He charged at me again, so the fight wasn't over. He dashed across the room, slamming into the wall. His fist was slamming into my face. I ducked instinctively, allowing him to smack into the wall next to my head, denting it. He threw another punch, which I deflected with my forearm. He continued to throw punches at me while I only shielded my face, but he finally punched me in the stomach and I fell to my knee. He punched me in the face, grabbed me, and threw me across the room. He kicked me until I was backing another wall in the room.

I didn't let up on guarding my face, and he began to gasp. His rage was making him sloppy, and he was slowing down. I saw my pistol nearby and I realized I could end this quickly before it gets even more messy. I knock him with my elbow and he slung sideways. I crept up behind him and smacked his face against the same wall. As soon as I saw he lost focus, I picked up my pistol, pushed it against the back of his head and pulled the trigger before he could blink. His blood was splattered all over the magnificent painting in the vast room. As I withdrew my pistol, Matthew lay motionless on the ground.

"Nice sparring partner, but I have to get going," I said, looking at his cold body.

I walked out of the building and into the compound, surveying the damage I had caused. I walked to the gate, unlocked it, and exited to my car. I opened the trunk of my car and put the weapons and bulletproof vest back inside. I quickly walked back into the car, stroking the nape of my neck.

"Mission completed?" inquired the female voice on the coms.

“Affirmative. "See you at the institute tomorrow," I said as I removed the coms from my ear and flung the gauntlet off my left arm into the passenger seat.

I started my car's engine and proceeded to drive it back into the shadows behind me.