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CJ issues commands to the Guardian teams, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Alpha, Delta, assist Charlie with extracting the remaining hostages. Bravo, locate Artemus, and Alec?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Neutralize the bastard.” CJ’s words are music to my ears.
“Copy that.”
With CJ disengaging Bravo team, we become a force of our own. We move swiftly, navigating the labyrinthine corridors of the estate with a pack of Rufi running at our heels. Each step brings us closer to our objective, closer to Artemus.
Gunfire erupts around us, the echoes reverberating through the halls. We take cover behind crumbling walls and overturned furniture, returning fire with precise aim. We unleash a barrage of bullets and watch our enemies go down. Those who don’t scatter like terrified little mice.
This battle is about standing up against the darkness and emerging victorious. I understand better why our founder, Forest Summers, dedicates his life to saving others. No one should ever endure such brutality.
Together, Bravo team fights with a tenacity and unity that can’t be broken. The air crackles with tension, each room holding the potential for a confrontation that could change everything.
Artemus may have thought he was in control, but he never anticipated the force he would awaken within the Guardians—the unwavering determination to protect and serve, no matter the cost.
At the end of a crossing corridor, my gaze swings left and locks onto our quarry; mother and son. A flicker of fear flashes in Artemus’s mother’s eyes. Artemus’s stony exterior cracks, but even in the face of imminent defeat, he clings to his defiance, refusing to surrender without a fight.
Artemus runs with his mother in tow, but there’s no way I’m letting him escape—not this time. I charge down the hall with my Bravo brothers falling in behind me. My footsteps blend with the pounding of my heart, a synchronized rhythm propelling me forward.
When Artemus glances back, his face is etched with desperation. But there’s no sympathy in my heart. The atrocities he’s committed demand justice, and it’s my duty to deliver it.
Finally, we corner them in a dimly lit room, Artemus backs against the far wall. He mother cowers behind him. Images of the innocent lives he destroyed and the pain he’s inflicted flash through my mind. The torment he unleashed upon others fuels a fire within me, obliterating any hint of sympathy.
I step forward, my gaze locked on Artemus. With the tables turned, the weight of our confrontation hangs in the air. My voice cuts through the tension, firm and resolute. I level my weapon on this putrid waste of flesh, never wanting to pull the trigger more than I do now, but I’m a Guardian. I’m not judge, jury, and executioner.
Although, I wish I were.
“You really think you can imprison me?” Artemus spits at me with fury. “You and your pathetic Guardians are a waste of time and effort. No court in Nicaragua will dare try me, no jury will have the guts to pronounce me guilty. I’ll be out, just like last time. You can take me down, but I’ll be back.”
“Not today.” My finger moves to the trigger, eager to end things here. With the HUD, and everyone watching, vigilante justice is not mine to give.
“You think you hold the upper hand, but mark my words, this is not the end. The world is my playground, and you’re nothing more than a temporary setback.
And he’s right.
He will find a way to escape justice.
I’ve never wanted to put a bullet through someone’s head as much as I want to now.
“Bravo team.” Sam’s voice comes through our headsets. “We’re experiencing difficulty with the feed.”
There’s nothing wrong with the feed.
“Charlie team extracted all remaining rescues.” His voice crackles over what appears to be a poor connection, but I’ve never experienced any fault with our equipment before.
“Bravo team.” Mitzy’s high-pitched voice sounds garbled over the connection. “We’ve lost both audio and visual. If you can hear this, head to exfil. One less monster in the world. Good job.”
One less…
I lose complete connectivity of my headset.
Brady steps up behind me. Places a hand on my shoulder. He leans in close. “One less, Bravo-Six. Take the shot.”
Take the shot?
The cold metal of my weapon is a tangible symbol of the justice I’m about to deliver. My hand remains steady, my grip firm. I take a step closer, my voice resolute and filled with the weight of every life he has shattered.