“Watch your Six Cypher, eight men coming up the rear!”

You’ve got to be shitting me.

I dropped Elhisia behind the plant pot and hoped the soil was thick enough. I peeked inside the house from behind a pillar, firing two bullets downstairs, but missing the pair.

The pistol clicked after I fired a third shot, forcing me back into cover to reload. I pulsed X-Ray Vision to gauge my surroundings and saw two men trying to flank Stelig.

“Stelig, to men coming up behind you!”

I watched as Stelig snapped back, tilted to the side and open fire once three men drop to the ground. “Bull’s eye!” Stelig shouted, “thanks Cypher!”

I looked right, checking to watch as the eight men tried to approach in their attempt to flank. Two men sped around the corner, and both of them dropped. Another followed and fell too.

I jumped to my right as my clip got empty and felt as bullets razed past me as the remaining five spilt out the patio. “A LITTLE HELP HERE!” “Just hold firm Cypher, they’re coming into my view…now!” Tryzer roared. “STELIG…HIT EM!” Bullets sprayed through the glass, shattering in thousands of pieces. The three men that charged towards drop to the ground like flies.

I reloaded my clip, ran out of cover and leapt in the air, aiming. Two men appeared in my sights and so did the middle of their heads. I squeezed the trigger ending both of them in quick succession and slammed into the wall sending a jolt of pain up my right arm.

“Press forward!” Naedon shouted over the comms.

“Upstairs is clear!” I shouted.

“Then get your ass down here!”

I rolled into cover behind a plant pot and bullets riddling past me flaking the door frame to which Elhisia was right next. “Cancel that! Upstairs is not clear!”

If I strafed to my left, just a smidgen and saw three more men.

“Talk to me Tryzer!”

“The men are retreating, seems they’re looking to flank u from the other side of the building.” He said.

“I GOT EYES ON EM!” Tryzer roared, firing an array of more bullets downing the three men like gutted pigs. Once the last body dropped, I scampered across the shattered glass hearing my feet ding across the floor like bells.

More bastards were hunkered down at the end of the pathway firing at me, but Stelig shot at the wall, killing two more and that was based on the bodies that dropped to the ground. “Thanks, Stelig” I growled, feeling my heart thump in my chest.

“Bring em out Cypher, I got a good spot for me!”

“Don’t waste your ammo. Tryz, does the security room have some type of switch to open these shutter doors?”

“Shutter doors?”

“The walls, the entire house has been shuttered in, making it easy for us to move through, but if their open up, we’ll have more room to manoeuvre.

“So wouldn’t th--”

“Don’t worry about that I have a plan!”

“MAN BEHIND YOU CYPHER.” Tryzer snapped.

I spun around, firing two shots, hitting a bodyguard in his chest and stomach. “Anymore?!” I asked.

“No, last one.”

Bullets razed across the upper level striking each man that tried to creep by, dropping to the ground with a large thud. “I owe you one Stel!” I shouted.

“More like five! But who’s counting?”

“You apparently,” Rynord scoffed.

“Focus…” Naedon snapped.

“Aye aye!” Stelig cheered.

“Tryzer, escort the Commissioner to the vehicle, clear a path, we’ll try to withdraw, these bastards aren’t letting us through.”

“Cypher, you’re gonna have to get to the bottom floor on your own. We can’t push through.”

“No! Let Tryzer open up the fucking house, once he does we’ll be able to manoeuvre, I have Elhisia…we can’t get paid if she’s dead!”

“I know how to shoot a gun!” Hexan said, cutting in. “No need to treat me like some damsel! I’ll follow Tryzer.”

“Sir?” Tryzer asked.

Despite the shouting match between the bodyguards, mixed in with the burst fire rounds of bullets, I could hear Naedon’s teeth grinding through the comms. “Do it!”

I ran down to the corner where I’d down the bodyguards, picking up their magazine clips, then slowly making my way back to the door.

The bodyguards were now in retreat mode, whilst Naedon and the rest fired One-Shot rounds, to consume ammunition.

“FOUND IT!” Tryzer shouted through the comm, ill be there in two or less.

The walls of the Crystalline Manor, began to rescind, reclining into pillars, steel beams and the walls of the house.

A cranking sound similar to a motor spooled awake from the walls in an annoying way, as if the piston rings from the car were about to split in two. Some of the shutters at the side of the house didn’t rescind, thanks to the damage of the firefight.

A staircase opened up from the rooftop and slowly attached itself to the side of the house. The balcony I was standing on slowly started to recline inward, leaving no room for me to walk on. Rich people, I grumbled, shuffling my way to Elhisia.

I picked up Elhisia and carried her down the stairs. The light from inside poured through the glass, but the rattling sound of the glass shaking from the bullets ensured I’d be fine.

The claytone tiles were slippery from the water that ran off the stairs, making it hard for me to maneuverer with Elhisia on my shoulder.

I rounded a corner, hit a dry patch and leapt over the side, falling to the side of the building. The battle still raged within, and I felt as if I was a fish on a line, being led to bait, bait that possibly killed me.

Two men hid behind a corner, pistols next to head. I guess they were waiting for me but little did they know, I had X-Ray sight.

I picked up a plant pot, tossing it in the air in the direction. I didn’t wait till it land, but timed it, knowing it wouldn’t distract them long enough.

Two bullets went through the first one’s toe, whilst the remaining bullets went through the other’s ear. The shattering sound of plant pot echoed below me. The two men sagged against the walls agony painted across the face.

I snatched up their Submachine Guns and magazines and continued my trek. “THERE’S A DOOR ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE ESTATE CYPHER, TO GET TO IT, YOU HAVE TO GET TO THE SECOND FLOOR, THEN CLIMB A FEW STAIRS!” Tryzer roared.

“YOU HEARD TRYZER…LET’S HOLD THEM OFF FOR CYPHER TO GET IN!”

I darted and leapt onto another level, and slid across the tiles, still carrying Elhisia across my shoulders. The girl was still out cold, but I guess when you’ve been drugged up the past day it be this bad, luckily we got here in time to get her.

We passed a series of plant pots on my right, descending a staircase, passing a table and chair set on the northern side of the building.

Darlina claimed this place to be home, but it felt more like a showpiece, for the Weitsons to entertain their guests. The varying levels had multiple bars and various sitting areas, meant for relaxation. Funny how that turned out I mused.

“Hexan, where’s Darlina?” I called out. “Disappeared when the shooting started.”

“Damn it, another panic room?” I asked.

“Possibly…why ask Cypher?”

“We could’ve used her as a hostage.”

“Agreed…what about Valeon, has he called for reinforcements?”

“Not sure about reinforcements, Valeon’s dead.”

“Colonel Levisay would love that news.” Stelig joked.

The whistling sound of a bullet shot through the comm, making me wince. “What the fuck Cap?” Stelig growled. “You’re welcome,” Naedon said.

“Oh…thanks cap!”

I found the door on the western side, pushing through and felt the burning fatigue within my legs. I ignored it best as I could, charging through the house, pummeling through chairs and desks alike. “I’M IN!” I shouted.

Naedon and the rest appeared within a few minutes, trailing behind me. I didn’t know any better, I knew they created a bottleneck, which forced the bodyguards to find other ways to get to us.

We passed the first floor, heading back into where Naedon and the rest came through. In the panic room, we had a little trouble on the first floor, but nothing too serious.

Rynord had taken over carrying Elhisia whilst we made it through the panic room and into the forest. Hexan, of all people, was who I was surprised with, she didn’t complain, nor did she slow us down. She even suggested leaving the vehicle here and trekking through the forest instead.

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her, presently, but this proved one thing to me about her. She would do anything to get the job done. I can’t say I liked her…but I could respect, at least.