Chapter 137 - Time to Move

"I'm in."

At the base of an apartment complex in Kabuki, Karl retracted his monowire from an external network port.

"Man, I love places like this. Kabuki's full of leftover access points from old renovations—plug in, and boom, full control."

"This building used to be a front for Scavs. Those guys never did clean work."

Listening in on Karl and T-Bug's conversation, Jackie scanned the surroundings, finger resting on his Saratoga's trigger.

After confirming no one was watching, he spoke up:

"When do we start? We're already getting too many curious looks. Don't want some nosy street rat blowing our cover."

"Right now."

The back door to the complex swung open.

"I've taken over the local network. The entire building is packed with Tyger Claws. I'm sending you a detailed floor plan—check your HUDs. Watch out, they've rigged some spots with mines."

"Shit, girl. That was fast."

Jackie chuckled, impressed.

Then he glanced at Karl.

His look said it all.

Karl sighed.

"Give me some time, and I could've figured it out too, y'know."

"Time is money, hermano."

Oliver stepped up, gripping his Nova revolver—car parked and alarm system primed.

"Building's all Tyger Claws? That makes things simple. We just drop every motherfucker we see."

"The client didn't ask for stealth, so… your call."

Karl readied his pistols, sliding against the back entrance before smoothly slipping inside.

"I'll disarm the mine near the door first."

Seconds later—

"Clear."

With Karl's go-ahead, Oliver and Jackie followed inside, weapons drawn.

The moment they stepped in, the back door shut again.

Wouldn't want some random idiot wandering in and getting in the way.

"Alright, check the floor plan, keep count."

T-Bug's voice came through comms:

Six Tyger Claws are drinking and eating in Room 3, First Floor.Eight more are resting in Rooms 1 and 2, Second Floor.The target's being held in Room 3, Third Floor, surrounded by seven Tygers.

"Be careful. They've got her right in the middle—watch your shots."

"Seven guys around one girl? Sounds like some twisted fairy tale shit."

Oliver joked, but got no response.

"Alright, so… what's the plan? Slow and methodical, or fast and dirty?"

"Depends—you want speed, or you want clean?"

Karl asked through comms.

"Speed's easy—we sneak up to the third floor, drop the seven guys, grab the girl, and fight our way back down."

"And clean?"

"One floor per person."

Oliver grinned.

"That actually sounds faster and cleaner."

"Fine by me.""Let's do it."

Karl and Jackie had no complaints.

Karl called the big plays, but for tactical choices like this, they discussed it together.

Oliver wanted it this way?

Then this way it was.

"Which floor you taking?"

Oliver cracked his neck.

"First or second. Your pick."

"I'll take the first floor. Too lazy to walk upstairs."

Karl glanced at Jackie.

"You good with protecting the target?"

"Come on, mano. No question."

Just seven Tyger Claws? Jackie could handle that without breaking a sweat, even while making sure the target stayed safe.

"Alright, Karl, you take first floor, Jackie handles third, and I'll grab second—should be easy to clear out the sleeping ones."

With plans set, it was go time.

As Oliver and Jackie crept up the stairs, Karl approached Room 3 on the first floor, Twin Night in hand.

These Tyger Claw assholes were actually pretty cautious—they had rigged the hallway with a trip mine.

Not worried about drunk idiots stumbling out and blowing up the whole crew?

The order of attack was critical—if Jackie's side got spooked too soon, things would get messy.

Jackie had to strike first.

Karl would follow immediately after.

Oliver? As long as he snapped necks quietly, the second floor wouldn't be an issue.

"I'm in position, third floor."

Karl readied himself to breach Room 3, but then—

"Hold on. Incoming."

T-Bug's voice cut through comms.

"Incoming?"

"Checking… Karl, Jackie, hold off for a sec."

Fine.

Karl stepped back and slid behind a busted vending machine, vanishing into the shadows.

From inside Room 3, loud chatter and laughter continued.

Then—

The main entrance creaked open.

Footsteps.

"Confirmed—more Tyger Claws. They're from Clouds, here to finalize the deal."

"A handoff? Right now?"

Oliver cut in over comms.

"Cleared my floor. Eight guys. Didn't wake up a single one."

"Need me to back you up, Karl?"

"Nah. Just a couple extras."

Karl listened closely to the footsteps approaching the hallway.

"T-Bug, how many?"

"Three. Two men, one woman. No heavy weapons, but the woman might have Mantis Blades. The security cams here are garbage, so I can't confirm."

"Mantis Blades, huh?"

Karl filed that info away.

The three newcomers entered the hallway.

Karl's target—Room 3—suddenly swung open.

A drunk Tyger Claw with purple-dyed hair stumbled out, beer bottle in hand, looking irritated as hell.

"The hell are you doing here early? We agreed on tonight, man. We're still drinking."

"Just passing through."

The most well-dressed of the three newcomers—someone trying way too hard to look corpo—replied.

The purple-haired Tyger Claw scratched his head with the bottom of his beer bottle and sighed.

"Pain in the ass… whatever, I'll take you upstairs. Boss is waiting. Watch your step—we got trip mines set up. Lemme disarm—"

His gaze drifted downward, toward the mine near the door.

Then—

"…Huh?"

He froze.

The mine was already disarmed.

Confused, he glanced at the three Clouds Tygers.

"You guys disarmed it?"

"The hell? No, we just got here—"

The well-dressed man suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

His eyes locked onto something in the shadows behind Purple Hair.

Someone stepped forward from the darkness.

A black-haired young man, handgun raised.

Purple Hair noticed the shift in their expressions and turned around.

He froze, just like them.

Who the fuck—?

Karl grinned.

"Morning, fellas."

Then, over comms—

Jackie's shout rang through.

"NOW, KARL!"

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