Chapter 10 – Shadows of Vengeance

The abandoned mansion stood like a crumbling monument to forgotten wealth, its ivy-covered walls and broken windows casting jagged shadows under the pale moonlight. Eric Thorn crouched in the dense underbrush of the surrounding forest, silently observing the dimly lit grounds through his mask's augmented reality visor.

This place reeked of secrets, and it was clear that tonight's meeting was no ordinary gathering. Victor Cain, the enigmatic name Eric had uncovered, was likely someone deeply entwined in the Crimson Circle's operations. Whoever Cain was, Eric intended to uncover his role and exploit his influence.

The mansion's defences, though worn, were formidable. Security teams patrolled the perimeter in tight rotations, their faces obscured by black tactical gear. Eric's visor highlighted the faint laser tripwires surrounding the entrances and windows, and heat signatures revealed hidden sentries stationed on the roof and within the upper floors.

Eric smiled beneath his mask. The tighter their grip, the easier it was to slip through the cracks.

--Into the Shadows--

Eric moved like a wraith, his black tactical suit blending seamlessly with the dark surroundings. His drone hovered silently above him, scouting for vulnerabilities. He slipped past the patrolling guards, timing his movements with precision as he approached a side window covered by iron bars.

Using a small, silent plasma cutter, Eric removed the bars and eased the window open, avoiding the laser tripwire just inside. He entered the mansion undetected, his footsteps silent on the creaky wooden floors.

The interior was as decayed as the exterior—faded wallpaper peeled from the walls, and the air carried the musty scent of neglect. Yet, the meeting room ahead was alive with activity. Voices echoed faintly down the halls, and Eric's mask picked up snippets of conversation.

--The Hidden Meeting--

Peering through a crack in the door, Eric spotted a group of high-ranking Crimson Circle members seated around a long, dust-covered table. At the head of the table sat Victor Cain, an imposing man with slicked-back gray hair and an icy gaze. His presence commanded fear, and Eric noted how even the most hardened criminals in the room seemed to shrink in his presence.

"The Pier 17 incident has already drawn too much attention," Cain said, his voice calm but lethal. "We cannot afford any more mistakes."

One of the men nervously replied, "The enforcer… he's been hitting our operations hard. We've lost warehouses, shipments, and men. Whoever he is, he knows too much."

Cain leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "And yet, you still don't know who he is? A ghost tearing apart our empire piece by piece, and you have no answers?"

Eric smirked. It was working. His campaign of silence and shadows had sown confusion and paranoia. They didn't know who he was, and that gave him the upper hand.

--The Confrontation Begins--

Eric positioned his drone in the room's rafters, its camera recording every detail. Then, he triggered the next phase of his plan. Using a remote device, he disabled the mansion's power. The dim light from the chandelier flickered and died, plunging the room into darkness.

"What the—?!" a man shouted, his voice shaking.

Eric moved swiftly, planting small, timed smoke grenades at key points in the mansion. The first hissed to life, filling the room with thick, acrid smoke. The Crimson Circle members coughed and stumbled, drawing their weapons in blind panic.

Cain's voice cut through the chaos. "Stay together! Whoever's doing this wants us scattered."

But Eric was already picking them off, one by one. He struck silently and methodically, disarming and incapacitating guards with swift, calculated moves. Each takedown left his enemies gasping in confusion, their fear mounting as they failed to identify their attacker.

"Who are you?!" one guard screamed as Eric subdued him, but his only reply was silence.

--Fear in the Dark--

Eric made sure to leave clues—just enough to deepen their paranoia. A Crimson Circle emblem sliced cleanly in half. A recorded voice from his drone playing cryptic phrases:

"You thought you could escape your sins."

"You cannot run from the shadows."

Cain's calm demeanour began to crack. "This isn't some random attack. Someone has a vendetta against us," he growled.

Eric struck again, this time disabling the leader seated closest to Cain. The man collapsed to the ground, clutching his leg in pain.

"Who sent you?!" Cain roared into the smoke-filled void, but Eric's silence was his answer.

--A Calculated Exit--

As the chaos reached its peak, Eric made his escape. He detonated the remaining smoke grenades, covering his retreat through the mansion's service tunnels. Outside, he disappeared into the forest, his drone following close behind.

By the time the smoke cleared, and the lights were restored, Eric was long gone. The Crimson Circle members were left shaken and bewildered, their once unshakable confidence reduced to fear and uncertainty.

Reviewing the Aftermath

Back at his hideout, Eric reviewed the footage from the drone. Victor Cain was rattled, but more importantly, his conversations revealed a new lead—an upcoming shipment of illegal weapons at Dock 39. It was a key operation for the Crimson Circle, and Eric now had the means to dismantle it.

He leaned back, satisfied. The Crimson Circle was on edge, their fear of the unknown working in his favour. They didn't know who he was or why he was targeting them, and that uncertainty was his greatest weapon.

Preparing for the Dock 39 Operation

Eric began preparing for the next mission. Dock 39 would be heavily guarded, but he had the element of surprise and the advantage of anonymity. The Crimson Circle would be expecting an attack, but they wouldn't see him coming.

The war was far from over but tonight had been a victory. Eric Thorn was more than a man—he was a shadow, a spectre haunting the criminal underworld. And as long as they didn't know his identity, he would remain unstoppable