War Preparations and New Threats

The drive back to my underground hideout was quiet, aside from the throbbing ache in my knuckles and the stench of blood on my clothes.

I had wiped out twelve Black Fang members in one night, but I knew this wasn't the end.

They would regroup.

They would come for revenge.

But by the time they did, I would have turned my hideout into a fortress.

I parked the armored SUV near a maintenance entrance a few blocks from my hideout, taking the duffel bag full of cash, ammo, and body armor with me.

Inside, I locked the reinforced steel door behind me and tossed the bag onto my workbench.

The underground storage room was coming together.

✔ Weapons cache stocked.✔ Workbenches set up for crafting.✔ Blueprints mapped for base defenses.

I stripped off my bloodstained jacket, cracked my knuckles, and exhaled.

Time to get back to work.

I laid out my next set of engineering projects in my notebook.

✔ Reinforce my body armor.✔ Complete the automated turret system.✔ Upgrade my vehicle for combat.

I grabbed the military-grade armor plates I had looted from the Black Fang stash. They were Kevlar-lined ceramic plates, capable of stopping small arms fire and reducing blunt force trauma.

Using my welding torch and carbon fiber scraps, I modified the vest to include:

✔ Reinforced chest and back plating.✔ Shock-absorbing gel pads for impact resistance.✔ Integrated knife sheath and holster system.

Once finished, the armor was twice as protective but still light enough to move freely in.

Next up—the turret system.

I had already scavenged security cameras and motion sensors, so now it was about combining them with a remotely controlled firearm.

Using the frame of an old rifle stand, I built a pivoting turret system mounted on a tripod. I wired the motion sensor to a servo motor, allowing the turret to rotate and track movement.

For now, it could only be manually fired via remote control, but I would refine the targeting system later.

After testing the turret's motion tracking and recoil control, I smiled.

This thing was going to be a nightmare for anyone who tried to storm my base.

Just as I finished adjusting the turret system, my stolen Black Fang radio crackled to life.

"Heard anything from the gym crew?"

Silence.

Then another voice, tense and angry.

"They're all fucking dead."

I grinned. They finally figured it out.

"We need to hit back—find whoever did this."

"Yeah? You think it was just one guy?"

"Twelve of our men were butchered in one night, man. Whoever it was, they aren't normal."

Another voice cut in, sharper.

"Shut up and listen. Boss says we're sweeping the city tonight. Every rat hole, every abandoned building. We find them, we kill them."

I turned off the radio and exhaled.

They weren't wasting time.

I had one night before they started searching for me.

Time to finish fortifying my hideout.

I set up motion-activated alarms using old tripwires and scavenged sensors. If anyone entered the tunnels, I'd know immediately.

I also reinforced the entrance door, welding thick metal plates over the weaker sections. The only way in now was with a blowtorch or explosives.

Finally, I placed my turret system at a bottleneck choke point—if they came through the main tunnel, they'd be met with a rain of automatic fire.

With all the defenses set, I sat back and checked my weapons.

✔ Glock 19 – Fully loaded, three extra magazines.✔ Sawed-Off Shotgun – Six shells, double-aught buckshot.✔ Arc Stun Baton – Fully charged.✔ Shock Gauntlets – Operational, enhanced voltage.

Everything was ready.

Let them come.

The first warning signal came just after midnight.

One of my tripwire alarms triggered, sending a faint blinking light on my workbench.

I turned off the radio, grabbed my night vision goggles, and switched the power to low consumption mode.

Then, I waited.

Through the tunnel walls, I heard footsteps.

Slow, deliberate.

More than one person.

I activated the motion camera feed, watching as five Black Fang members crept through the tunnel entrance, weapons drawn.

One of them whispered, "I don't like this. Feels like a trap."

He was right.

I flipped the turret's safety off and pressed the trigger.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The turret opened fire, the suppressed shots cutting through the air.

The first two collapsed instantly, their bodies jerking as bullets tore into them.

The other three scrambled for cover, cursing.

I moved fast, using the distraction to get into position.

The moment one of them leaned out, I fired twice—one round in the chest, one in the head.

Blood splattered against the concrete wall.

The last two turned to run.

I didn't let them.

I rushed forward, dropping my gun and activating the shock gauntlets.

One of them turned just as I grabbed his throat, driving 50,000 volts straight into his body.

He convulsed violently, foaming at the mouth before I slammed his skull against the tunnel wall.

The last guy begged.

"Please—wait—"

I didn't.

I grabbed my arc baton and jammed it into his gut, watching as he twitched and spasmed.

Then, I snapped his neck.

Silence.

I looked down at the bodies. Five more dead.

The Black Fangs weren't going to stop.

I needed to end this war.

With their scouting squad dead, the Black Fangs would realize they were completely outmatched.

Their only option would be to send everything they had at me.

But I wasn't going to wait.

I was going to hit them first.

I checked my notebook, flipping to the page labeled ELIMINATION PROTOCOLS.

✔ Weapons – Fully stocked.✔ Defenses – Secured.✔ Enemy Base Location – Identified.

The Black Fangs' main base was an abandoned warehouse district.

I had enough explosives to level half a city block.

I was done playing defense.

Tomorrow, I would end them for good.