The room was silent except for the faint ticking of the wall clock.
Aldric stood in front of the large steel locker hidden behind the false wall inside his room.
For a few seconds—
He simply stared at it.
Then slowly pulled the handle.
Click.
The heavy door opened.
Inside—
Rows of black tactical clothing.
Assassin suits.
Combat boots.
Daggers lined neatly against magnetic holders.
Shurikens stacked in compartments.
Suppressed pistols.
Rifles.
Extra ammunition.
Smoke grenades.
Compact medical kits.
A lifetime of preparation hidden behind ordinary walls.
Aldric looked at everything quietly.
Then exhaled once.
"I never thought the day would come when I'd actually have to use these…"
His voice carried no excitement.
Only realization.
He reached inside and pulled out a full-black tactical assassin suit.
Flexible.
Lightweight.
Built for movement.
Then the tactical vest.
Next came the holster.
Aldric opened another compartment and took out a polished Desert Eagle.
Heavy.
Brutal.
Reliable.
He inserted the magazine.
Click.
Then pulled back the running board slowly.
Clack.
A round entered the chamber.
He grabbed two additional magazines and stacked them against his waistline beneath the vest.
Knife at the lower back.
Another at the ankle.
One more inside the sleeve.
Prepared.
Not reckless.
Aldric turned off the room light.
Darkness swallowed the space.
He stepped toward the window carefully and pulled the curtain aside slightly.
Outside—
Virell looked normal.
Streetlights.
Quiet roads.
Distant traffic.
But Aldric knew better now.
Nothing was normal anymore.
He stared out into the night and said quietly—
"Let's do this."
Meanwhile—
A black shuttle bus sped across the highway toward District 6.
Inside the back compartment sat armed SLCO operatives.
Tactical gear.
Body armor.
Suppressed weapons.
Cold expressions.
This wasn't law enforcement anymore.
This was operational deployment.
At the center sat Ms. Vos—
President Sky herself.
Dressed entirely in black combat gear.
Her pistol rested against her thigh holster while a combat knife sat strapped beneath her vest.
Around her were twelve SLCO operatives.
Veterans.
Killers trained to hunt killers.
Near the front stood the vice leader—
Brian Richards.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Former special operations.
Brian looked around at the team.
"Alright listen up."
The bus quieted immediately.
"We're dealing with a military operative."
His tone sharpened.
"He's trained. Armed. Experienced."
Brian's eyes swept across the operatives one by one.
"There can be no room for fuck-ups. Understood?"
"Roger that, sir."
Simultaneous.
Disciplined.
One operative near the back leaned slightly forward.
Luke Graham.
Youngest among them.
Sharp eyes.
"Why would the military even take part in this?" Luke asked. "What are they getting from it?"
The atmosphere shifted slightly.
President Sky answered before Brian could.
"Everyone's benefiting more than you think."
Her voice remained calm.
"It goes deeper than corruption. Much deeper."
She looked out the dark bus window.
"Like a rabbit hole."
Luke stayed silent.
Then nodded.
"Yes, President."
President Sky suddenly stood and moved toward the driver's area.
"No word from Aldric yet?"
Varron sat monitoring the secured tablet.
"Negative."
Right then—
Her phone vibrated.
President Sky answered immediately.
"Aldric?"
His voice came through calmly.
"Take the left exit off the highway."
President Sky signaled the driver instantly.
"Then enter the city and head toward District 6."
She listened carefully.
"Park at the end where there's no lighting. Cameras won't catch you there."
The line disconnected.
President Sky looked ahead.
"Do it."
The bus changed direction immediately.
A few minutes later—
The shuttle entered District 6.
Old industrial streets.
Minimal movement.
Low visibility.
Perfect.
The bus parked near a dead section at the edge of the district where darkness swallowed almost everything.
No streetlights.
No nearby cameras.
The operatives exited immediately and surrounded the vehicle while scanning the environment.
Disciplined.
Fast.
Silent.
Then—
A figure stepped out from the darkness ahead.
Black tactical clothing.
Face partially covered.
Armed.
Aldric.
Aldric walked forward calmly.
President Sky crossed her arms slightly.
"You clean up surprisingly well for a lawyer."
Aldric smirked faintly.
"Don't get used to it."
They moved toward the back of the shuttle bus where a folded map was placed across the hood of a vehicle nearby.
District Seven's layout.
Roads.
Residential clusters.
Blind spots.
Entry points.
The operatives gathered around.
President Sky gestured toward Aldric.
"This is Aldric Benedict."
Luke immediately reacted.
"The lawyer that freed Marwen Xyre?"
Aldric nodded once.
"Yes."
Luke gave a low whistle.
"That's cool, man. You have my respect."
Aldric gave a small nod in return.
Brian suddenly chuckled.
"Hey, Aldric. I remember you."
Aldric glanced at him.
Brian folded his arms.
"I was there when we captured the guy from the surveillance building."
Aldric remembered immediately.
"You took down two armed men," Brian continued. "I was impressed."
Aldric looked down at the map quietly.
"I don't like fighting."
Then his eyes sharpened slightly.
"But for this type of corruption…"
A pause.
"I'll make an exception."
President Sky placed several printed images on the hood.
"I tracked some of Keno's movements through facial recognition."
Aldric examined them carefully.
Street angles, Store reflections and Transit captures.
It was Limited.
Very limited.
"So no exact location?" Aldric asked.
President Sky shook her head.
"No."
Aldric stayed silent for a few seconds.
Thinking.
Then—
"Okay."
Everyone focused on him.
"Listen carefully."
Aldric pointed toward District Seven's outer edge.
"We don't know which house he's in."
He looked at Brian.
"But military operatives have habits."
Brian nodded slightly.
"Lights off. Dark settings. Defensive positioning. Minimal visibility."
Aldric continued.
"He'll choose a place difficult to compromise."
His finger moved across the map slowly.
"Somewhere people overlook naturally."
Then suddenly—
Aldric stopped moving.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Wait."
President Sky looked at him.
"What?"
Aldric pointed toward the far edge of District Seven.
"That's it."
Everyone leaned closer.
"He's likely positioned at the very end of the district."
Luke frowned.
"Why there?"
"Because no one checks the edges," Aldric answered immediately.
"Fewer neighbors. Easier escape routes. Reduced traffic. Better surveillance range."
Brian's eyes sharpened.
"That actually makes sense."
Aldric looked around at everyone.
"This operation changes now."
The atmosphere tightened instantly.
"No comms."
Several operatives blinked.
"No air support."
President Sky studied him carefully.
"It's just us and him."
Aldric's voice remained calm.
"But this will be different."
He pointed around the district map.
"You'll surround the environment completely."
Then he tapped the center.
"Create a lock."
Brian immediately understood.
"And you?"
Aldric looked toward District Seven.
His eyes colder now.
"I'll go in."
Silence.
Then—
"Roger."
The team moved instantly.
Disciplined and Professional.
The SLCO operatives disappeared into the dark streets on foot one by one.
President Sky watched Aldric briefly before following.
And the night swallowed all of them whole.
District Seven — Outer Edge
Three houses.
Only three.
Separated by narrow empty lots.
No lights outside.
No movement.
No sound except the wind.
Inside one of the houses—
Keno Reeves sat upright slowly from his bed.
The room remained completely dark.
His 9mm pistol rested in his hand at his side.
Loaded and Ready.
His instincts had started screaming minutes ago.
Something felt wrong.
Too quiet.Too still.
Keno stood carefully.
Then checked the window blinds slightly.
His eyes scanned the darkness outside.
Nothing.
But somehow…That made it worse.