**Chapter 13 – Infiltration**

  Rei’s steps were silent. Precise. Each movement was calculated, his body flowing through the blind spot between Guard #2 and Guard #3’s shifting vision.

  His black attire blended into the shadows, making him a ghost among the flickering lights. He crouched low, his breathing steady, his heartbeat a quiet drum in his chest.

  *0.5 seconds until the patrol routes reset.*

  The window of opportunity was razor-thin. Rei’s eyes darted to the guards’ positions. Guard #2 was pacing toward the east fence, his boots crunching faintly on gravel. Guard #3 was turning his head, scanning the west side, his point of view beam cutting through the darkness like a blade.

  Rei had memorized their patterns earlier, timing each step, each glance, each moment of distraction. He’d spent minutes watching this place, mapping it in his mind. Now, it was all muscle memory.

  He ducked under the window, his body brushing against the cold concrete wall. The main entrance was just ahead, a heavy metal door left slightly ajar—sloppy work from the guards. Rei slid past it, his shoulder grazing the frame as he pressed himself flat against the wall outside. The rough texture scraped against his glove, but he didn’t flinch. His focus was absolute.

  *1.5 seconds until full vision is restored.*

  Rei slipped through the open door, his movements as silent as a whisper. The dimly lit interior greeted him, a stark contrast to the harsh floodlights outside. The air inside was stale, carrying the faint stench of dust, sweat, and something metallic—maybe blood, maybe rust. He couldn’t tell yet.

  The silence was oppressive, broken only by the occasional creak of the old wooden floorboards under his careful steps. Rei immediately pressed his back against the nearest wall, his eyes scanning the room.

  The interior was a mess of neglect. The walls were cracked, peeling paint curling away like dead skin. A single flickering bulb hung from the ceiling, casting jagged shadows across the room.

  Old furniture was scattered around—a splintered table, a sagging couch with torn cushions, and a pile of empty crates shoved into a corner. It looked like a place forgotten by time, but Rei knew better. This was no abandoned hideout. This was a fortress, disguised as decay.

  No security inside. *Guard #5 isn’t here,* Rei thought. His intel had suggested Guard #5 might be deeper in the house, maybe protecting someone important—Aizawa, the man at the center of this operation. Or maybe there was no Guard #5 at all. The numbers didn’t add up perfectly, but Rei’s earlier assumption held: most of the guards were stationed outside.

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  That was good. Fewer obstacles once he was deeper in. But the sheer number of guards—five, maybe more—hinted at something bigger. *So many guards for one person? No… there’s more than one person inside this house.*

  Outside, the guards were still distracted by the speaker Rei had rigged earlier. It was a simple device, programmed to emit random noises—gun shots . Just enough to pull their attention .

  He could hear their voices now, faint but clear through the cracked window.

  “What the actual hell?” Guard #2’s voice was sharp, annoyed. “Is this a prank?”

  “No… this is something else,” Guard #3 replied, his tone uneasy. “I don’t like it. Sounds like it’s coming from the south fence.”

  “Probably just a busted radio,” Guard #2 said, but he didn’t sound convinced. “Still, we should check it out.”

  “Check it out? You go first,” Guard #3 snapped. “I’m not walking into some trap.”

  “Trap? You’re paranoid,” Guard #2 shot back. “This place is locked down tight. No one’s stupid enough to mess with us.”

  “Then why’s my gut telling me something’s off?” Guard #3 muttered. “I’m calling it in.”

  Rei’s lips twitched into a faint smirk. The speaker was doing its job—sowing doubt, buying him time. He didn’t need long. Just enough to get deeper into the house.

  But then he sensed it—a figure approaching the door. Footsteps, heavy and careless, echoed from the porch outside. Rei’s body tensed, his hand slipping to the shadows as he melted into a corner behind a stack of crates. His eyes narrowed, tracking the door as it creaked open.

  The guard stepped inside, his rifle slung lazily across his shoulder. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a scruffy beard and a scowl that said he’d rather be anywhere else. His hand reached for the radio clipped to his belt, his thumb hovering over the button.

  A mistake.

  Rei waited, his body coiled like a spring. One second. Two. Three. The guard moved past his hiding spot, oblivious, his boots scuffing the floor. Rei’s hand moved in a blur, a syringe gleaming faintly in the dim light as he hurled it with perfect precision. The needle struck the guard’s neck, embedding itself just below his jaw.

  The man froze, a sharp gasp escaping his lips. His hand flew to his neck, fingers brushing the syringe, but it was too late. Rei was already moving. In a single fluid motion, he stepped forward and struck the guard’s wrist with a quick, brutal chop.

  The rifle slipped from the man’s grasp, clattering softly onto the wooden floor. Before the guard could scream, Rei’s gloved hand clamped over his mouth, muffling the sound.

  The guard thrashed, his eyes wide with panic, but Rei’s grip was iron. He pressed his weight forward, pinning the man against the wall as the anesthetic worked its way through his system

  . The guard’s struggles grew weaker, his limbs heavy, his eyes fluttering shut. Within seconds, his body went limp, slumping against Rei like a rag doll.

  Rei didn’t let him fall. He eased the guard to the floor, careful to avoid any noise. The syringe’s contents—anesthesia, fast-acting and odorless—had done their job perfectly

  . Rei knelt beside the unconscious man, checking his pulse. Steady. He’d be out for hours, no permanent damage. Rei wasn’t here to kill unless he had to.

  *One down.*

  He dragged the guard’s body to an empty room nearby, a small storage space filled with dusty boxes and broken furniture. The door was half-off its hinges, but it would do.

  Rei propped the guard against the wall, tucking him behind a stack of crates where no one would notice him unless they were looking. He retrieved the syringe from the guard’s neck and pocketed it. No evidence left behind.

  Rei pulled out his phone, its dark screen flickering to life. The interface was sleek, custom-built, filled with programs no normal person should have access to. Lines of code scrolled across the screen as he tapped a command, initiating a scan for nearby devices. Within seconds, a list appeared.

  *20 active phones.*

  Rei’s eyes narrowed. *15 to 24 people, possibly more.* The numbers matched his earlier estimate. He didn’t need to dig deeper to know he was right.

  This place was a hive, buzzing with activity. A smirk tugged at his lips as he selected one phone and accessed its microphone. Immediately, muffled voices filled his ears—rough, careless, dripping with arrogance.

  ....end ....

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