Page 155 of Hate Me

“On your word, prepared to move in via front entrance on north side.”

I switched frequencies and connected with my weapons master, “Launch BA-72.”

“Target locked, King. Thirty seconds until impact.”

“Copy that.”

Everything was eerily still around me as we all waited with bated breath.

I could feel the tension from my people at my back as they looked on for it to happen.

We’d all been working toward this for years now. They wanted to taste the long coming victory almost as much as I did.

I’d already gotten word that the feds had raided the casinos, that two of the arms warehouses had been taken and all hostiles decimated. A combination of mine and Dante’s people were in the midst of moving in on Elijah’s other residence now.

Everything was in motion and going precisely to plan, more than I’d even hoped for.

Sure, we’d planned it incredibly well, but things could still prove challenging, situations cropping up that couldn’t be foreseen by any amount of strategizing. Such was life sometimes.

But in this case, everything had been working exactly according to our tactical plans.

My thoughts came to an abrupt halt as it happened.

The mammoth sleek metal projectile cut through the air, whipping past us several feet in the distance much like a missile, heading straight for the south side of the heavily fortified concrete compound to our left.

BA-72—or the Badger as we also called it—was a brainchild of mine specifically created for this war and developed into reality through the combined efforts of King-Tech and my arms division. It was colloquially known as the Badger for its supreme burrowing capabilities. The 72 referred to the maximum six-foot diameter of the holes it was able to create.

I watched as it hit the south wall, the titanium needles at the peak of the sleek homing head penetrating the concrete, latching just enough before the metal claws protracted in the next moment and begun spinning and burrowing, decimating the resistant material of the wall.

I’d seen it in action during testing, but in the midst of an actual live operation, it was all the more stunning and impressive to behold.

It did its job admirably, driving a hole right through the south wall, opening the way up for us.

And then it was time.

I tapped my earpiece. “Move in,” I communicated to Luke who was leading another dozen of our soldiers.

“Roger,” he responded.

I spun and gave word to my own team. “Decimate.”

Blocking the fist coming at my face, I snatched the offender’s wrist, twisted brutally until a satisfying crack sounded and he screamed, then I hooked the back of his knee, wrenching his leg out from under him. As he fell hard on the metal steps, I hauled him up by the scruff of his shirt and smashed his face into the railing.

With him knocked out cold, I continued my descent into the basement, while my team finished up clearing the first floor, with Luke’s taking the second.

Movement behind me had me reacting swiftly and spinning in time to see another hostile trying to lunge at me and stop my progress. I drew a knife from my tactical pants, flipped it in my hand, then tossed it, watching it cut through the air, before it imbedded in the guy’s throat. Blood spurted and he choked, flailing and clutching at the fatal wound, then collapsing in the basement doorway.

With his death imminent, I turned away and continued on until I’d cleared the stairs and reached the basement.

Bright red leather couches and armchairs filled my vision surrounding a U-shaped bar.

No hostiles.

I pulled my gun and cocked it, delving deeper into the space.

I took in the spanking benches down the corridor, empty chains hanging from the wall, blood stains and the marks of other fluids that didn’t require much imagination all over the place. Bras, panties, and boxers were strewn around too. The red hues of the lights from above definitely added to the sordid atmosphere. The cheap atmosphere. It was definitely no Obscura. It was trashy all the way. Well, Elijah had never had any real class. He could barely even manage to at least imitate it in his best moments.

There were three doors to my left.

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