Chapter 1 - Part 5

Arthur POV

Okay, everyone, let's go ahead and start heading out. It's about an hour's walk through the forest. We'll know we're there once we see the lights at the corner's edge. Desmond responds with, thanks for taking charge for a change; I need a break once in a while, he laughs.

As the team steadily walks through Glenwood Forest, they notice how beautiful the sky is, far away from city lights. Everyone stays sharp and focuses on their surroundings. This should be a simple grab and secure the intel mission, but be ready for anything, as they might have guards with them. Sean responds, of course, we will handle any mission without fail.

Good, the same goes for everyone else. Keep your head on. We're closing in on the safe house. Wow, this is a nicely kept building, not too big but blends in perfectly, Arthur thinks to himself. As they all draw closer, they see the helicopter on the roof already.

"Everyone, line up at the door," I order, "and we'll go over the entry plan. Desmond, Emma, and Elizabeth will protect the front entrance while myself and Sean push forward to secure the intel and apprehend Mr. Eric."

"Sean, follow me. You'll use your strength to subdue him quickly, and if he tries anything funny, we'll both take him down," I explain.

"Sure, whatever you say. I'll try not to hurt him too much, even if he is scum," Sean replies.

"Good. Let's go ahead and move through the north entrance. It seems this place has east, west, and north ways to move forward, and taking the straight path will be quicker. Just stay on your guard. He should be just relaxing, enjoying his wealth, and we can catch him off guard."

3rd person

As Arthur and Sean near the main room, they both give each other a nod before kicking in the door and shouting, "Put your hands in the air!"

Arthur POV

"Arthur! He's not here. Let's check his laptop for the data!" Sean suggests.

"Sure, good idea," I reply, running over to the computer. Unfortunately, it's locked and requires a retinal scan. "No luck, Sean. We need Eric to unlock the computer. Radio Desmond to see if he's seen him. At the very least, he shouldn't have had enough time to escape, and the helicopter is still on the roof and hasn't shown any signs of being turned on."

"Hey, Desmond, can you hear me? Radio back in! We need a status report!" I call out, but there's no response.

"Arthur, no response from Des. Maybe his radio died. We should swing back and check their status. Maybe they've already apprehended him?" Sean suggests.

"Good idea, Sean. Let's get back and ensure they are all okay. Desmond isn't one to be unprepared, though."

Sean POV

Whatever the reason, let's head back. I wonder what might be happening with them, I think to myself as we run up to the entrance. To our shock, the entire front door is broken in!

"Arthur, the entire front door is broken in!" I exclaim.

As we walk in to investigate, it looks like there was an explosion. Elizabeth's body is slumped over with a snapped neck and a grenade in her hand. Desmond's body is split in half. And then, I see it.

In front of us is a horrific scene of blood and body parts. I scream in anguish as I run over to Emma's slumped body, covered in blood and coughing up blood. Tears stream down my face as I try to comprehend what has happened. Emma tries to speak, but she can't. Slowly, she raises her hand and gives me the purple vial from earlier, tears rolling down her eyes. Then her eyes fade, and she's gone.

I'm shaking with tears, unable to process the horror in front of me. I call out to Arthur to check on the others. That's when I see Elizabeth with a snapped neck and a grenade in her hand, and Desmond's body torn in half.

I realize I missed it in my frantic rush to Emma's side. Arthur joins me, inspecting Desmond's body, when a strong gust of wind blows around him, and a bright flash of light emits from his eye. He screams out in pain as images flash before his eyes, and then he comes back to the moment everyone died.

Desmond POV

Emma, Liz... stay ready. We should be hearing back from those two as soon as they have grabbed Mr. Eric. They both give me a thumbs up. Suddenly, the entrance door kicks in, and a man in a white suit walks in, holding a strange object in his hand.

As he chuckles, a chill runs down my spine. Something about his demeanor feels off, and my instincts scream danger.

"The hell is that?" I mutter, my eyes narrowing as I try to identify the object. To my horror, I realize it's the severed head of Mr. Eric. The sight sends a wave of revulsion through me, but I quickly compose myself and raise my gun, aiming it at the intruder.

"Hey, you! Freeze!" I yell, my voice laced with authority. "You are entering a governmental operation. Place your hands in the air!"

The man's chuckle grows louder; his eyes fixated on me. He slowly lowers the object, placing it on the ground. It's a macabre display, and a sickening feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. I repeat my command, my voice firm and commanding.

"Put your hands in the air and drop the sword!"

In an instant, the man's face contorts into a wicked grin, and without hesitation, he launches himself towards me.

I react instinctively, pulling the trigger and firing three rounds in quick succession. The gunshots echo through the room, but the man moves with an uncanny speed, blurring before my eyes.

When the haze of smoke clears, I look down, and my heart sinks. He has evaded my bullets, and his sword is at the edge of my stomach, poised to strike.

Time seems to slow as I meet his gaze. His eyes, once dark, shift to a malevolent red, sending a shiver down my spine. It's as if I'm staring into the abyss of pure evil.

Before I can react, Emma rushes up behind him, her blade aimed at his side. With a swift strike, she tries to pierce his skin, but to her shock, the blade barely scratches him.

It's as if his flesh is impenetrable. In a retaliatory move, he swiftly turns, his sword slicing through the air with lethal precision.

Pain sears through my body as I feel myself being torn in half, my vision blurring with agony. Everything fades to black, but in my last moments of consciousness, I witness the horrifying scene unfolding before me.

The man impales Emma, her body skewered by his blade, while Elizabeth unleashes a barrage of bullets, each one finding its target on his white suit. But to our astonishment, the bullets don't seem to penetrate, bouncing harmlessly off his invulnerable form.

As darkness claims me, I can only hope that my sacrifice will not be in vain and that my comrades will find a way to stop this seemingly unstoppable monster.