13 Chapter 13: Zen’s First Mission

Three of them, Zen, Seiji, and Sabela, sat on the floor together.

Seiji asked both "so now, who want to tell the story first?".

Zen started to talk "I guess I will start first as you are here at the first place because you want to know my story"

Seiji replied "alright, go on".

Zen flashed back to what happened three years ago.

That time, Zen just done with placement test and as his skills and brain was on top notch, he has been promoted to rank A.

Not so long after that, he started his shift as a policeman. He entered his office and met his first senior, and his first friend in the police department, Bon.

Bon greeted Zen "oh you are the recruit? Woah amazing! You've been promoted to rank A already!

So different with me, I started with rank D, and climbed up to rank A after a few years".

Zen stood up, bowed to Bon, and said "senior! Please guide me!".

Bon laughed and replied "it is ok, don't worry about the formality with me. Also, we are in the same rank, it doesn't really matter.

Anyway, I think I want to work out a little bit in the gym, want to follow me? Maybe we can have a light sparring, looking how good is your skill".

Zen replied in worries "but… I just arrived here… and need to…"

Bon interrupt "do a report? You don't even go patrolling, what report you need to write? Don't worry, just follow me. If anything happens, I will back you up".

Zen smiled and nodding his head as agreed sign.

Since that day, their relationship increasing. They do almost everything together. They went for having meals together, practice together, sometimes even went for patrolling together.

One day, Chief called all the rank A into the meeting room.

Chief started to brief about an assignment for them, was also Zen's first mission "alright, listen here! Last month, we already sent about 10 rank B to arrest a gang of mafia at their nest but failed. We lost all 10 of them.

That is why, I increased the threat level to rank A. I once thought that rank S should handle this operation, but Lieutenant Sabela declined it and said that it is an excessive action, and majority of rank S support her opinion.

Yesterday, I got an information from the intel group that they already found their new nest.

So now, the only option is by choosing 10 persons from rank A. So, who volunteer for this operation?".

All their faces in the room changed pale after listened about the briefing.

Out of nowhere, Bon stood up and said "I volunteer for this operation!".

Chief replied "ok then, anybody else?".

Bon whispered to Zen, who sitting beside him "Zen, come join me, it might be a great experience! Your combat skills also above average, there is no way you can't stand against the enemies".

After listened to Bon's persuasion, Zen stood up and said "I'm also in!".

After that, another five persons also stood up, and the remaining will be chosen randomly.

On the day the operation happened, a few hours before the operation started, all the team members including Bon and Zen, gathered in the meeting to know the plan of attacking.

Zen had a bad feeling about this operation, but he didn't know why. After the planning briefing ended, he on his way to the weapons room. On his way, he kept walking looking on the floor, worried with his first mission.

Bon suddenly ran toward Zen and hit Zen's back with his palm. Bon tried to cheer Zen up "why looking so down? Worried about your first mission? Don't worry, you can do this. You are in the A rank for reasons, not just randomly entered the rank, right? So, I believe, you can handle this easily. Maybe you're nervous because it is your first time. Don't worry, I'm here with you".

After listened to Bon, Zen felt a little bit better and started to have smile on his face. Zen replied to Bon "ok then, thank you for cheer me up". They keep talking to each other after that, heading to weapons room.

The time has come. They have been ready in front of a club, which the intel told them that is the enemies' new hideout. They just waited in the police van until they get the signal to ambush. In the meantime, everyone looks very serious, like looking death ready in front of them.

Zen said to himself "everything is going to be fine. We have trained for this. Also, I have teammates full of experiences here. I don't have to worry so much".

One of his teammates suddenly knocking the van's door and said "Alright, let's go!".

As planned, five of them, including Zen, ambushed through the front door, meanwhile two of them entered through second floor's left window, and the remaining entered from the right window.

They sticked a sticky bomb to the front door and explode it. As soon the door was blown, they threw a flashbang and ambushed in.

When they entered the building, they saw there was nobody, but they still not letting their guard down.

One of them tried to contact the others on the second floor "how was it? Do you saw anybody?".

The party on the second floor replied "no, there is nobody here".

Suddenly several smoke bombs were thrown into the building from outside through all windows, on every floor.

They were shocked and one of them tried to contact with those who guarding their perimeters "outside division, what is this? Don't you guard our perimeters?" but there is no reply but just a buzz sound.

One by one suddenly fell unconsciously. Zen realized something "these are not just normal smoke bombs, these are…" but it was too late, Zen also fell asleep as the smokes were sleepy smokes.

After a few moments, Zen woke up from the sleep and saw his teammates', including his hands were tied and saw there were mafia members, the enemies they should take down, standing in front of them while every single one of them holding a rifle.

Zen started to realize he was the only one that gained consciousness. The other still sleeping. To stay safe, he just pretended he still not wake up. But he can't pretend so long, as he saw the enemies started to shoot his teammates one by one, started with the one on the left and he might be the last as he was on the right.

Zen saw one by one their teammates killed by the enemies. The saddest part when he saw Bon also getting killed without any hesitation.

Zen said to himself "I… can't do anything. I guess this is my final moment".

Suddenly Zen remembered his master, the one from the Yilmaz tribe, once said "we humans have brain, that's make us different from animals. We humans solve problems with our brain, but not animals, they just have instinct to keep them alive. But if we humans don't use our brain, we are worse than animals.

Do you know why we drill our movement in martial arts? Because we want to activate our instinct when we can't solve the problem using our brain anymore. Remember, only when we can't use our brain anymore! Easy said, emergency! Don't use it casually just to get what we want in easy way".

Zen started to realize that the enemy already in front of him, pointing his rifle to Zen's head.

The enemy said in a very annoying voice "oh you wake up all this time? What a painful thing to see before dying. Let me end your pain here".

Zen said in a low voice "I don't think so".

The enemy asked "what? I can't hear you"

Zen raised his head with a deadly eye, like a wolf looking at his prey, and shouted "I said, I DON'T THINK SO!!!".

To be continued...