Chapter 199 Traps
Kevan’s POV
The compound loomed under the cold night sky, walls black and menacing, windows reflecting the dim glow of distant charges. Ghost snipers held the perimeter, rifles trained and waiting, while Benjamin’s demolition crew kept escape points under silent, lethal watch.
“Perimeter secure,” Darien’s voice buzzed softly in my earpiece. “Snipers locked, charges ready. No one’s leaving without an escort.” He said quickly.
“Good,” I replied, feeling the familiar adrenaline tighten in my chest. “Let’s move in. Slow, keep your eyes open. Watch every corner.”
The team stacked at the entrance. Darien to my left, Lucian on the right, Ten warriors behind us. I kicked the heavy door open and pushed inside. Chaos hit immediately.
Some of Clarence’s men were caught off guard. A few had been standing guard near the hall, and their startled shouts echoed as we entered. But they weren’t completely helpless. A warrior lunged from the shadows at Lucian, he rolled aside just in time as Darien’s rifle cracked, dropping the attacker cleanly.
“Nice reflexes,” I said over comm, though my voice was calm,while my eyes was scanning every inch of the room.
“Thanks,” Lucian muttered, already sweeping the next corner. “Let’s see if the rest are as polite.”
Two more men fired wildly from a side doorway. One went down to my rifle, the other spun to take cover behind a column. A quick small bomb tossed by one of our warriors sent the man reeling,and disoriented, giving me the opening to neutralize him.
“Clear this room,” I said, sweeping the hall with my eyes. “Check all of the corners. Watch the stairwell as well. Someone could be hiding above.”
The first rooms were tense, noisy, and chaotic, but nothing lethal in terms of traps yet. The danger came from warriors trying to hold the line, throwing themselves at us with desperate, reckless aggression.
Darien’s voice crackled in my earpiece. “Three down here, two flanking from the back. Watch the next hall.”
“Copy,” I replied, signaling a warrior to cover the right flank. I fired a controlled burst at a man stepping from the shadows, his weapon clanging to the floor.
A slight grin tugged at my lips. “This is more like it. They finally decided to fight.”
Lucian’s low chuckle came over comm. “Kevan, you mean they finally realized they’re going to die tonight?”
“Exactly,” I replied, moving forward. “Let’s make it convincing.”
Step by step, hallway by hallway, we advanced deeper into the building. The occasional shout, metallic clang, or thud of a body hitting the floor echoed through the compound. Every corner we turned revealed a mix of panicked warriors and a few who tried to mount an organized defense. None of them were prepared for our precision and coordination.
A warrior beside me whispered, “I didn’t expect them to put up this much resistance. Thought we’d stroll in and grab Clarence.” He shook his head in disbelief.
I shook my head, checking the stairwell ahead. “No. He thinks he's a king. So he always makes plans. His men fight or will die trying. But every step we take, we’re closing the noose.”
In one of the larger rooms, three warriors had barricaded themselves behind overturned furniture. A small homemade bomb, Benjamin's baby bombs he calls them, sent them tumbling, and I moved in with Lucian, clearing each corner systematically.
“Not bad for a warm-up,” Lucian muttered, sweeping the far corner.
“Warm-up?” I said, smirking slightly. “This is round one of many."
We moved as a unit, clearing the first floor room by room. Some men tried to retreat toward the inner corridors. Benjamin’s charges outside quickly reminded them that escape wasn’t an option. The combination of tactical precision inside and explosives outside had them trapped, panicked, and increasingly reckless. That didn't stop them from trying though. Every time one attempts to run out, we hear Benjamins laughter. He's clearly enjoying himself.
As we reached the back wing, the first subtle signs of Clarence’s preparation appeared, faintly disturbed dust along the floor, a scuffed table that had been moved, footprints that didn’t match the men we had already taken down. He had been here. He has been observingus. Planning while we're here. The tension in the air thickened. He could literally be anywhere. Fuck!
“Kevan,” Darien’s voice warned. “This is where it starts getting tricky. Watch the floors and doorways. He’s not just going to let us stroll in anymore.” He said, a little worried now.
I exhaled slowly, signaling the team to advance cautiously. “Copy that. Keep your eyes sharp. The real game begins now. He has a lot of shit in store for us tonight boys.” I sigh as we continue.
The first wave of rooms cleared, warriors neutralized or retreating deeper, and the subtle hints of Clarence’s presence told us that the real danger, the deadly traps, his inner defenses, and the Benjamin himself, should be just ahead.
And we were going to walk straight into him.