"Apóyenme en Patreon y accedan a capítulos adelantados de la historia, https://www.patreon.com/c/TemporalPhantom."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Everything was ready. Without hesitation, Ethan picked up the earpiece and placed it in his ear. They both opened the car doors and ran toward the private estate rising before them.
In less than a minute, they reached the tall wall.
When she looked up and saw the electrified fence crowning the top, Nola swallowed, a slight knot forming in her throat.
—Job, we're at the wall. Did you cut the power to the fence?
—I've cut the power supply —he replied calmly— You can go in now.
Job's voice came through the earpiece clearly.
—Confirmed.
Ethan gave Nola a brief signal.
Without a word, he slung his weapon across his back, bent his knees, and interlocked his hands in front of her.
—Now.
Nola placed her foot in his palms and, in one precise motion, he boosted her forcefully up to the top of the wall.
Ethan didn't hesitate. He jumped after her, caught the edge of the wall with his fingertips, and with a quick twist of his torso, pulled himself up to the top.
The two of them quickly unfastened their weapon straps and jumped down the other side. Forming a combat unit, they advanced swiftly following Job's directions, covering each other's backs.
Two guards were patrolling slowly in front of a vegetation-covered wall.
The shorter one swung a flashlight and scratched his beard.
—What's with tonight? —he muttered—. Not even the insects are making noise… It's making me sleepy.
The comment amused him, and he began rambling.
—Pfff!
A sound came from the walkie-talkie.
—B1, report your position.
—This is B1, sector four clear… —the shorter guard replied irritably.— Those useless guys in the monitoring center only know how to give orders, don't you think, Mike? —he said, turning toward his partner.
—Chss!
Instead of a response, the sound of liquid spraying filled the air.
A warm mist brushed the back of his neck.
The shorter guard raised a hand to his throat and turned—only to be hit in the face by a jet of something hot.
His partner's neck had already been opened by two deep cuts.
Behind him, a black-haired woman, masked, appeared like a specter, holding two claw blades stained with blood.
The shorter guard's heart pounded wildly. His hand flew to his waist.
In the next instant, enormous hands grabbed his head.
—Crack!
It was the last sound he heard. Ethan released the body, and the man collapsed to the ground, his eyes lifeless.
At the same time, the taller guard fell heavily.
Ethan narrowed his eyes as he looked at the house across the parking lot filled with luxury cars.
Barking shattered the silence, and flashlight beams began sweeping the area.
—Reinforcements are coming. Be careful!
Job's voice sounded through the earpiece, though the three of them had already sensed it. Two German Shepherds shot out from between the cars like arrows.
Fangs bared, saliva dripping, a metallic stench filling the air.
Ethan kicked one of them, sending it flying several meters back.
A cold flash cut through the air as Nola's blade sank into the neck of another.
A figure appeared ahead.
Ethan fired first.
—Bang! Bang!
Two shots dropped a man. The others scattered immediately.
Ethan kept pulling the trigger.
Muzzle flashes lit up the night. The security guards hadn't expected such brutal firepower.
Several clouds of blood burst among the retreating crowd.
Inside the casino, Slade heard the report through his earpiece, and his expression changed instantly. This place was unknown to everyone… how could anyone have found them?
The gamblers remained absorbed in front of the screens, completely unaware of what was happening outside.
With a dark expression, Slade headed to the back.
—Bang!
He pushed open a soundproof door, revealing the server room.
The two men Job had seen earlier were there, sweating, their fingers flying over the keyboards.
—Idiots! Move! —he roared.
Before he could continue, an angry voice interrupted him.
It was a beautiful woman with short blonde hair styled to the side, dressed in a white Chanel suit that should have highlighted her elegance.
But her fierce expression made her look like a street harpy.
—What the hell is going on?
Slade approached, frowning.
—What's happening?
—We have no idea! —The technician with black-framed glasses replied, wiping sweat with a handkerchief.— The monitoring room reported an anomaly.
He typed quickly and pulled up the exterior camera feeds.
The screen showed absolute calm.
Everything looked as quiet as ever.
Slade's face grew even darker as he stared at the monitor. The voice echoing in his earpiece confirmed what he already suspected: it was all an illusion.
The man with the glasses tossed the handkerchief aside, moistened his lips, and explained:
—It's replaying an earlier recording. That's why the monitoring room didn't detect it right away.
—And now what?
Slade grabbed him roughly by the hair.
—So what have you found?
—Nothing.
Another technician, wearing a plaid shirt, spoke with an evasive expression.
—We were hacked, and we don't even know how they did it.
—I thought you were the best… fix it or I'll kill you.
Slade slapped him so hard that his black-framed glasses flew off.
—Are you telling me I'm blind now? —he roared—
The technician covered his face, frowning.
—We're trying to regain control of the system… but it'll take a few more minutes.
—Hurry up!
Slade pointed at him furiously, then turned to the blonde woman.
—What are they saying outside?
The short-haired woman removed her earpiece.
—There aren't many of them, but they have considerable firepower.
—So do we —she added—. And we have more men. There's nothing to worry about.
—Resolve it quickly —Slade ordered coldly— We can't let this affect our clients, understand?
The mercenaries he hired were professionals.
He didn't believe a handful of intruders could truly threaten him.
But he hated accidents.
Even the smallest ones.
The woman nodded, pressed the intercom, and headed toward the exit.
---
All of this was being observed by Job.
He heard every word with perfect clarity.
He shook his head with a sneer.
—In a few minutes… or maybe a few hours —he muttered—, you two pieces of trash won't be able to recover anything.
When someone depends entirely on technology to control others, they're also exposed to those who know how to use it better.
---
Mansion parking area.
The battle was being fought there.
After taking down three men immediately, Ethan forced the rest to react.
They used vehicles as cover, but the reinforcements arriving from other points failed to coordinate.
—Pum, pum, pum!
A burst of bullets tore through a Land Rover, leaving jagged holes and shattering the windows.
Glass fragments flew in all directions.
Ethan moved quickly.
He twisted his wrist and grabbed a grenade.
He pulled the pin, counted one second… and hurled it toward the area with the highest concentration of dots on the radar.
Visibility was terrible. Both sides were firing nervously.
—Bang!
The explosion was brutal.
Five or six men were blown apart instantly.
Some screamed in agony. Others died without making a sound.
Car alarms began blaring, and headlights flicked on one after another. Ethan advanced in a crouch, stepping over shattered glass.
The sight struck him. In such a confined space, the blast had been devastating.
Smoking limbs and mangled bodies covered the ground.
Ahead, a man with a broken leg crawled desperately, leaving a trail of blood.
—God…
When he noticed Ethan, the wounded man tried even harder.
Ethan rested the rifle stock against his shoulder and pulled the trigger.
—Bang!
A clean shot to the head ended his suffering.
He quickly finished off the others who had fallen. Then he shifted to the side.
The guards were competent, but they had no chance against a monster and a tribal warrior.
A minute later, the gunfire ceased abruptly.
More than a dozen bodies lay scattered across the area.
The defensive force had been reduced by more than half.
Ethan ejected the empty magazine and let it fall.
—There are more over there.
Nola approached, spotting lights in the distance.
She raised the Uzi with both hands and fired.
—Da-da-da!
A dozen bullets unleashed chaos.
Ethan pulled out another grenade.
With a fluid motion, he threw it.
—Bang!
The blast knocked one of the men down; the others fled in panic.
In a gambling game, anyone can take part.
—Good job —Job said from the monitor— There are only a few left; some ran away, and the rest are hiding. Move carefully.
—Do you want me to tell you where they are?
—No.
Ethan looked at the villa, barely restraining his bloodlust.
—Business first.
—Oh…
Job let out a strange laugh.
—The ones inside finally reacted. They destroyed the internal cameras. I'll join you.
He left the computer, took the driver's seat, and connected the exposed wires.
The Ford F-150 roared to life, the engine vibrating with a contained fury built up over months.
He slammed the accelerator.
The distance to the mansion vanished in seconds, devoured by the engine's roar and the screech of tires on asphalt. There was no hesitation, no braking.
The massive iron gate rose before him.
—Bang!
He didn't slow down.
The impact was brutal. Metal bent like paper, hinges flew off, and the entire structure gave way under the F-150's charge as it burst into the parking lot amid dust and fragments of iron.
He braked hard, skidding to a stop in the middle of the courtyard. The driver's door opened before the engine finished growling. Job stepped out with a crooked smile, weapon in hand, rolling his shoulders like someone returning home after a long absence.
A shadow appeared in a second-floor window.
—Da-da-da!
Job fired without hesitation.
The figure burst into a cloud of blood and disappeared.
—Nice shot.
Ethan bumped fists with him.
Job scratched his shaved head.
The three of them advanced in formation.
They fired occasionally at the windows, creating psychological pressure and confusing those inside.
As they approached the villa, they slowed down.
Three points of light waited in ambush by the main door.
Ethan signaled to Nola. She pulled out a grenade, removed the pin, and threw it through the window. The impact against the glass made a strange sound.
Gunfire erupted.
The points of light scattered instantly.
—Bang!
With the explosion, Job stepped on Ethan's support and vaulted through the opposite window.
—Bang, bang, bang!
—Da-da-da!
The gunfire inside the house was intense… and brief.
The door that had just been locked from the inside slowly opened.
Job's shaved head appeared first, and he signaled to them. After a fierce confrontation, they had finally managed to enter the house.
The magnificent hall was now a wreck, ruined by a grenade.
—Where are we going?
Although Ethan could see dense clusters of lights on the radar, he still looked at Job.
—Inside, he's in the annex.
The staff attending the casino had been moving back and forth, and Job had already memorized some key details.
—Shouldn't we clear the house first? —Nola asked.
—I don't want to get shot by some random person who pops out of nowhere.
For security reasons, this large villa only had windows at the front of the first floor.
While it was easy to defend and hard to attack, those inside were also trapped like turtles in a jar.
They left Nola guarding the main door while Ethan and Job began clearing the interior.
The event organizers had never expected anyone to come looking for trouble, much less for the external defenses to be destroyed so quickly.
Moreover, everyone inside was a distinguished guest. There were barely any armed guards indoors, and with each gunshot, the lights went out one by one.
—Bang!
Ethan kicked open a door and almost pulled the trigger.
Three scantily dressed girls were hiding inside, trembling.
The dresses they wore were practically nonexistent, making it impossible for them to carry weapons.
Seeing them crouched down, clutching their heads tightly, Ethan lowered his weapon.
—Stay like that and don't come out.
The three girls nodded vigorously, and Ethan closed the door again. Back on the first floor, Job came down from another direction.
—Find anyone else?
—No, just a chef and a couple of waiters hiding.
Once their rear was secure, they headed toward the annex.
When they arrived, the expected gunfire didn't come.
Instead, a short-haired blonde woman in a white skirt stood at the door, smiling, her arms spread to show she posed no threat.
—Gentlemen.
Then she looked at Nola, who stood to one side.
—Ma'am.
—You've already demonstrated your skills, and we have no intention of resisting.
—Why don't we talk?
Well… that was new.
It was the first time Ethan had seen something like this: a situation that could be negotiated. He glanced at the radar and confirmed that, indeed, no one was ambushed behind the door.
Seeing that no one responded, the blonde woman continued calmly:
—We've prepared a small gift for the inconvenience caused. My employer has decided to increase the prize money, as an apology, in exchange for your withdrawal. You'll take the prize, and we'll never see each other again.
She clapped softly and gestured inside.
Soon, two points of light began moving slowly.
Two girls in short, deep-red dresses stepped out trembling. They placed four duffel bags on the floor and then carefully retreated back toward the casino.
—There are five million dollars in cash here.
The blonde woman pointed to the floor.
—More than fair payment for you to walk out of here alive. Don't you think?
As she spoke, she looked at Ethan—the most imposing of them—and gave him a charming smile.
—I'm sorry.
Ethan raised the Glock and spoke calmly.
—I'm not interested in your deal. I didn't come here just for the money. I told you when you forced me to participate—I'm going to kill each and every one of you bastards.
The blonde woman's smile froze.
—Bang!
A small hole suddenly appeared in her beautiful face.
—Ah!