Before the echoing crack of the first gunshot could fade, a Black Squad mercenary collapsed onto the gravel, clutching his chest. The .50 caliber round from Abir's Desert Eagle had punched straight through his tactical body armor like wet paper.
"Take cover! Take cover!" the squad leader barked frantically. But they were already a step behind.
From the rooftops of the estate, the suppressed, rhythmic *thud-thud* of sniper fire rained down. Rider's team had locked onto their targets. Within seconds, two more mercenaries hit the floor. The Black Squad instantly realized this wasn't a standard hit—they had walked directly into a meat grinder.
Abir stepped out from behind the concrete pillar. Holding a Desert Eagle in each hand, he walked forward into the open. His pace was calm, deliberate, and entirely devoid of fear. With every step, his weapons roared, spitting fire into the heavy downpour.
"Flank him! He's out in the open!" the squad leader screamed, blind-firing his sub-machine gun from behind an SUV.
Suddenly, two heavily armored SUVs tore through the main gates, drifting hard onto the gravel. Rider's secondary assault force deployed in a tight tactical formation. The courtyard erupted into absolute, localized warfare.
Down in the secure server room, Arisa watched the thermal feeds, mapping the mercenaries' positions. Her voice came through Abir's tactical earpiece, cool and precise.
"Abir, two targets hiding behind the wreckage of the silver SUV on your left. Countering in three... two... one... Now."
The moment she hit zero, Abir vaulted over the hood of the nearest vehicle. While airborne, he squeezed both triggers. Two clean headshots. The mercenaries dropped instantly behind the vehicle.
Out of the twelve elite killers sent into the courtyard, only the squad leader remained. His weapon was empty, clicking uselessly. Trembling violently, he reached toward his waist for a secondary sidearm.
Abir walked up, stopping inches away. Wisps of gray smoke still drifted from the barrels of his chrome pistols. With a swift, heavy kick, Abir sent the leader's weapon flying across the yard, then grabbed him by the tactical collar, lifting him off his feet.
"Who's going to deliver my message back to Draco, brother? You? Or these corpses?" Abir whispered.
"Abir Khan..." the leader coughed, blood spitting from his lips. "We aren't the only ones... there are more squads embedded in the city..."
Abir let out a low, dark chuckle. With a swift movement, he brought the heavy butt of his Desert Eagle down onto the leader's temple, knocking him out cold.
He turned toward Rider, who was securing the perimeter. "Take him to the basement. I want him awake and tied up. He's going to tell us exactly where Draco's other cells are hiding. Tonight, we purge this city."
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