Chapter 7 - The Silent HuntIn the pitch-black void, the gunfire stopped.
Only the ragged breathing of terrified men could be heard over the hum of dying electronics. In the dark, the black-ops operators lost their tactical advantage; their thermal scopes were blinded by the sudden electrical surge, and their radios dissolved into useless static.
But the syndicate men? They knew every inch of this room. They had built it.
—Don't move. Don't breathe, a voice whispered from the darkness near the eastern wall.
A flashlight beam cut through the smoke — not from the federal operators, but from Tommy’s side. It illuminated Vance standing alone near the shattered bar, frantically trying to reset his helmet’s thermal optics.
Before Vance could raise his weapon, a heavy boot slammed into his wrist, sending his carbine clattering across the floorboards.
Vance spun around, throwing a wild, desperate punch into the dark. It connected with nothing but air.
—Looking for someone, Commander?—
The boss’s voice came from directly behind him.
Before Vance could turn, a massive hand gripped the back of his tactical vest, lifting him off his feet with effortless strength, and drove him face-first into the splintered oak bar. Vance groaned, his nose breaking against the wood, as the boss spun him around and slammed him down into a chair.
The emergency backup generators finally sputtered to life, casting a sickly, flickering yellow glow over the room.
The battle was over. Half of the federal operators were unconscious on the floor, restrained by their own tactical zip-ties applied by the syndicate guards. The rest had thrown down their weapons, realizing they had been completely abandoned by the chain of command.
Vance spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor, glaring up at the boss through swollen eyes. —You think... you think killing me stops it? The federal government... the entire Department of Justice knows about the vault. They’ll send an army next time.—
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The boss stood over him, calm, breathing evenly, his hand resting gently on the wool blanket where the baby was still fast asleep, completely undisturbed by the war that had raged around it.
—Let them come, the boss said coldly. —An empire isn't protected by guns, Vance. It’s protected by secrets. And the secret you're looking for... was never in the vault.—
