Chapter 19

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The ten figures moved slowly through the forest like shadows, making no unnecessary noise. There was silence all around, the night shadow covering the ground. The operatives held new small arms and wore black outfits for better concealment. Faces could not be seen as they wore black balaclavas.

One of the shadows stopped and gestured for them to approach her.

- Commander. Is something wrong? - one of the fighters asked in a whisper.

- Listen.

All the fighters fell silent and perked up their ears.

- Voices.

- There are sentries in front. Let's approach them quietly.

Four sentries were walking through the forest, using a lamp as a light. It was a standard thing to check the surroundings for traces that could be left by monsters or humans. But these guys were out of luck.

A throwing knife flew into the head of the sentry who was holding the lantern, and no sooner had the others raised the alarm than the same thing happened to them.

- They're ready. - whispered the fighter.

- Since the sentries are here, we are travelling in the right direction.

- The fort is close. The first and second group should also be in place by now.

- Let's not waste any time, men. Every minute counts.

- Understood!

After hiding the corpses in the bushes, the squad continued towards the abandoned fort. Over the thousand years of the Empire's existence, dozens of such abandoned fortifications had been built - they were either not completed or abandoned for lack of use. Such abandoned structures were not uncommon, and they were often occupied by revolutionaries, bandits, mercenaries, and soldiers (when the fortifications were needed again).

Approaching the wall, Alpha Omega commander Alex listened. The bandits were laughing loudly, and even from here you could feel the festive atmosphere.

- What are they so happy about?

- Let's check it out. - Alex said, taking the hook in his hands.

Looking up and making sure that there were no sentries, the man threw the hook on the wall and, making sure that it was secured, climbed up the rope, followed by the others. As Alex climbed up, he met the eyes of the sentry, who stared at the operative in bewilderment.

- Who are you?

Without answering him, Alex plunged the knife into the sentry's throat, and he fell to the floor, clutching his neck and choking on blood.

- And he should have warned the others... at the top of his voice.

The rest of the fighters climbed the wall and began to take positions along it. Alex, taking his automatic rifle more comfortably, looked out from behind the cover and began to examine the courtyard.

- Fuck... - Alex whispered, looking at what was going on in the courtyard.

Imperpol learnt about this fortification from the local lord. He told them that bandits robbed the caravan, which was supposed to take the tribute to the capital, during his absence. Initially, the case was to be handed over to the simple guards, but the lord claimed in the message that these robbers supported the revolution by giving it the stolen money. Immediately afterwards, Alpha Omega operatives were sent to the souls of the bandits. When interviewing the victim of the crime revealed another curious fact - along with the money was taken prisoner and the daughter of the lord. The father, literally falling to his knees, asked for the return of "his gold," adding that he would reward them. The reward did not much concern the fighters, and, saying to the customer: "We'll do our best," they went hunting.

Split into three groups: "Forehead", "Rear", "Centre", the squads moved towards the fort. And already on the spot "Centre" observed the following picture - the daughter of the lord, aiming with a pistol, shooting at the bound convoys, who earlier peacefully transported the tribute. The girl was clearly not forced to do so, for she shot at the bound and already beaten people quite confidently. Having shot the captive in the stomach, because of which he groaned in pain, a handsome slender guy of about twenty-four years old (who was dressed better than all the others) came to the girl, took the daughter of the lord by the waist and began to kiss her greedily, and she was obviously only for it.

- And how do we explain this...? - asked one of the fighters.

- We'll tell it like it was, that's all.

- He won't believe it. I can see this person acting theatrically and telling her father how she was molested.

- Don't worry, I've got an idea. - Alex rummaged through his bag, pulled out a device and pointed it at the kissing couple.

- Commander, what's this?

- The colonel gave me this device, asking me to test it in action. And if it works as he explained, we'll have proof.

There was a click, and a picture came out of the device, which clearly showed the daughter of the lord and the bandit leader kissing in front of the bound convoys.

- Wow! - said the fighter, with whom the others were in solidarity.

- This is not enough. We have to take more... pictures... Yes, I think that's what they're called. - Having taken a couple more pictures of the moment when the girl continued shooting at the prisoners, and having decided that it was enough, Alex put the camera with the photos back.

The squad continued to wait for the signal from the "Front" and "Rear" groups, watching how the poor people continued to be tortured. It was impossible to attack immediately, even with the weapons that Alpha Omega had, for they might not be able to stand against the crowd, so they continued to watch the abuse.

The girl and the boy went inside the fort, while the rest of the bandits did not stop their fun.

Then the troop heard from the side of the gate the howling of a wolf, and from the opposite side the singing of a bird.

- At last. - Having heard the signal, the men drew their grenades and now waited only for the chord....

Two explosions sounded from the side of the main and reserve gates. The bandits, having abandoned their drinks and other business, jumped up like stunned men, immediately grabbing their weapons, and the rest of the barracks began to run out of the barracks. The operatives threw grenades into the crowd - they didn't even notice how some of them were blown to pieces by the explosion.

- Fire! - Alex commanded his men.

The soldiers opened fire with automatic rifles at the surviving, but concussed and not recovered after the explosion bandits.

From the side of the main gate, the Lob group shot at the enemies who ran at them with swords drawn. Using the MGM machine guns handed to them, the operatives were literally tearing the bandits in half. The enemies who had firearms and were shooting from the wall held out the longest, but a well-placed grenade dealt with them as well. It was the same on the side of the emergency gate, but the rear group had already entered the fort and began to mop up the courtyard with the support of the centre group. The smartest of the bandits, who immediately realised the hopelessness of the situation, rushed inside the fort. Not all of them managed to run, some were caught up by bullets, but those who managed to do so began to barricade the doors.

All the bandits outside were blown away, only a few lying on the ground and moaning in pain. The Imperials didn't torture or rescue them, so a bullet to the head and a quick, painless death.

- Medics! Help the wounded! - shouted Alex, pointing at the captured convoyers, who were badly hurt.

The medics, whose armour bore the sign of the red cross, began to untie the poor people from the tree and immediately render medical aid. They, in turn, quietly thanked for the rescue with all their remaining strength.

- Captain, they have barricaded the door! - reported the fighter who was trying to break down the door.

- Don't worry about that. If they think they can easily escape through the secret passage, they will be in for a nasty surprise....

***

Mick along with Rowry and the rest of the surviving gang members ran through the forest towards the mountains where they could take shelter. It was a complete failure for Mick: his entire hard-assembled gang had been wiped out in a matter of minutes by some... who the fuck knows! They were too well-armed for ordinary guards, and they were better trained than them.

- Mick... are you all right? - Rory asked.

- Yeah, everything's fine. We're gonna rebuild. We'll find a new base, we'll recruit new people. Only this time together. - the guy said in a charming voice.

The girl's heart began to beat faster. Smiling happily, she started running even faster to keep up with her lover.

"Bitch!!! It's because of you!!! It's because of you that those bastards came over our heads! I swear, when this is over, I will personally strangle you!!!"

- Don't fucking coo! We have to hurry, or they'll be on... - The bandit's head suddenly flew off into the nearest tree, almost knocking it down.

The bandits froze and stared as the body of their comrade fell to the ground, and a black figure stood over the corpse like death with a scythe, a one-eyed young man in an officer's uniform. Looking at the dumbfounded faces of the other bandits, he began to take out one of his katanas, which reeked of death.

- Wh-What the..." said one of the bandits, recovering from the shock.

- What the fuck are you standing around for?! There's only one," Mick shouted, pointing at the officer, "just kill him, that's all!!!

The bandits, grabbing their weapons, ran at the young man, intending to cut the bastard down. In a moment the officer was behind them, and the bandits, before they had time to realise it all, felt pain, and then they noticed how their bodies began to be enveloped by marks. Fear and despair were their last emotions before they fell soulless bodies to the ground.

Brushing the blood off Murasame, Leon shifted his gaze to the last survivors, the gang leader Mika and Lord Rowry's daughter. The girl stood behind the bandit's back, trembling like an aspen leaf. Mick was not much different from the girl: he was also trembling, his eyes were running around the area, looking for salvation, he wanted to live, he didn't want to die. He had only one chance for salvation.....

Mick snapped Rowrie's arm round and put a knife to her throat.

- Stay back! Or I'll slit her throat!

- Mick.

- Shut up! - The thug shouted, squeezing the girl's hand harder, causing her more pain. - It's your fault they're here! I'm not going to die here because your daddy loves you so much! - Mick shifted his gaze to Leon and put the knife to Rowry's throat so hard that blood ran down the blade. - Listen to me, officer! If you make one move, I'll that bitch....

Massacre swung, and something fell to the ground with a muffled sound. Mick looked down with trembling eyes and saw the hand that held the dagger. Afterwards, to his own hand...

- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!! - Letting out a painful scream, Mick threw Rowry aside and grabbed his wrist. - HAND!!! MY HAND!!!

Putting the katanas back into its sheath, Leon grabbed the guy's head and squeezed it with such force that a crunch could be heard. Lifting him up so that his feet didn't touch the ground, the young man drove the gang leader's head into the ground. Cracks stretched from the ground, Mick passed out at once. Looking at the unconscious carcass, Leon shifted his gaze to Rowry, who was already holding the knife she had been threatened with just a few seconds ago.

- N-don't... don't go near it!

- Or else what? - Leon asked.

The girl's hands were shaking, she was panicking, she didn't know what to do.

Leon started walking towards her, ignoring her warnings. He had an aura of blood... a cold, pressurising aura. And as soon as he got close to the girl, Rowrie, unable to withstand the pressure, fainted.

***

Colonel Leon along with Captain Alex stood in Lord Rogun's office, who was looking at the pictures that showed his favourite daughter kissing some dirty thug. Anger was not the word to describe the man's state of mind. He was like a volcano about to erupt. The only question was on whom?

- How much?

- How much what? - Leon asked.

- How much for that bastard's head?

- We can't give him to you. He will be handed over to Imperpol headquarters, where he will be questioned about his connection to the revolutionaries.

- And what will he tell you? How he gave them money and in return he got weapons for his bastards?

- Even this information will be useful to us. We're not the kind of people who turn a blind eye, taking everything for granted.

- That's commendable. Maybe if my men worked the way you do, this could have been avoided. But you do understand me though... THIS BASTARD ROBBED MY Daughter!!!!

- To answer your previous question, no, we can't give him to you.

Rogun was red with anger, his eyes bloodshot and it wasn't long before steam started coming out of his ears. He shifted his gaze to the family picture of his smiling family before he calmed down a little and sat back in his chair. Tears began to flow from his eyes. Leon and Alex looked at the lord's inner suffering and shrugged their shoulders.

- I'm sorry, Maury. I didn't keep an eye on our daughter. I'm sorry I didn't find her a loving husband like you wanted..." Rogun's tears turned into a raging torrent.

Leon and Alex, who were watching the lord crying, even thought of quietly leaving the office out of discomfort. However, the man, having stopped crying and wiped his tears with a handkerchief, continued:

- I apologise for this performance. I guess there's nothing I can do. You can go now. And with my daughter I'll deal with it myself....

Leon and Alex finally left the office and headed towards the rest of the group, which was loading into wagons, going back to the Capital.

- It was a pity for him. He did everything for his daughter, and she did it for him..." Alex said.

- I can't help it. This is not the first and will not be the last case. Rogun is partly to blame for not looking after his daughter.

- I know. My wife and I have a child together. We just don't see each other very often.

- Is it because of work?

- That, too. But mostly they live in the most peaceful city in the Empire.

- That doesn't sound very believable.

- Ha ha ha ha... I see, but it is. They live there, they send me letters... my daughter sends me drawings all the time and says, "Dad, come back soon."

- She loves you very much.

- And I love her too. And you, commander?

- What about me?

- Do you have anyone?

- No. Apart from my mates.

- Really? - Alex asked, shifting his surprised look to Leon, having switched to "you" without noticing it. - You're only eighteen, and you already wear the epaulettes of a colonel. And you have a good face, in spite of the scar and the missing eye. And you say you've never had a girlfriend at all?

- What's wrong with that?

- I'm telling you as a married man. Love is a wonderful feeling. When you have someone who genuinely cares and worries about you and asks you to come back every time - you're happy to honour that promise. Because you have no right not to fulfil it.

- I'll remember that.

- You don't have to remember. A feeling like love is hard to explain. But it's easy to confuse. I just told you what love is to me.

- That's fine. By the way, you can keep calling me Leon. On a first-name basis.

- Likewise, Leon. - Alex smiled.

***

Mick woke up with a pain in his head. He was indoors, with only the lamp above him as a source of light. The bandit wanted to grab his head, but he couldn't. Looking at his hands, he remembered what had happened. His base, his mates... and that one-eyed man.

Footsteps came to Mick's ears, and he began to twitch in a cold sweat in an attempt to break free, but he was firmly tied to the chair.

- Are you awake already? - A voice came from behind him. - I'm sorry I left you alone, I had things to do. I also forgot my 'tools', but that's not the point. - The man dressed as a doctor stood in front of Mick and put the "instruments" on the table, the sight of which made the guy twitch again, trying to get away, but in vain. - Shh, shh, shh, you're panicking too soon. I just want to know the information you have. You've heard the stories about the revolution patronising gangsters? Rumours like that have been going around the streets of the Empire for a long time. But everyone says it's just propaganda. I don't think so, because revolution always requires money. And how do you get it, if not by robbery? - the doctor asked the "patient". - I haven't introduced myself yet, by the way. My name is Leonard, or simply Leo. You know, before I joined Imperpol, I worked as an interrogator... or rather, I'm still an interrogator, just more... I don't know... elite... yes, we'll call it that. But why do I keep talking about myself? - Leo grinned, picking up his scalpel. - Let's talk about you.

- Mmm!