Chapter 78

Kage arrived in Port Au Prince, Haiti, where

the sun beats down on the vibrant, chaotic streets of Port au Prince. Vendors shout, children laugh, and the air is thick with the aroma of street food and the pulse of life.

A weathered taxi weaves through the throng, finally pulling up in front of the Hotel DESSALINES.

KAGE hands the driver some money and said,"Thank you."

The cab driver, a local with a friendly grin, pockets the cash."You're welcome."

Kage steps out of the taxi, the bustling sidewalk momentarily parting around him. He heads toward the hotel, its colonial facade a blend of past grandeur and present decay.

The lobby is a mix of faded elegance and the hum of travelers. Kage strides across the cracked marble floor, bypassing the reception desk.

Kage ascends the stairs, each step echoing in the narrow, dimly lit stairwell. He reaches the third floor, the atmosphere thick with anticipation.

Kage walks down the hallway, eyes scanning the numbers on the doors until he reaches 325. He pauses, listening. Silence.

He knocks firmly. No response.

Without hesitation, he pulls a credit card from his pocket, sliding it into the door lock. The lock clicks open, the sound sharp in the stillness.

Kage pushes the door open slowly, the room beyond dim and shadowed. He steps inside, the door closing softly behind him as he surveys the space, every sense on high alert.

Kage's senses heightened as he scanned the room, the serene setting betraying no sign of imminent danger. His eyes flicked over the couch, the coffee table, and the vase of flowers, before settling on the bifold double French door partition. As he approached the end of the room, his gaze moved towards the beaded door curtain leading out to the balcony.

Suddenly, with a crash, the French doors exploded open. Edmund Slate burst into the room, eyes blazing with intent. In his hand, a glinting knife caught the light, the blade deadly and menacing. Without hesitation, he lunged at Kage, slashing at his chest.

Kage reacted instantly, twisting to the side to evade the blade. Slate's knife whizzed past, missing by mere inches. Kage capitalized on the momentum, delivering a quick, sharp elbow strike to Slate's ribs. Slate grunted, but spun around, slicing the air with the knife in a fierce backhand.

Kage flowed around Slate's strikes like water, his movements smooth and precise. Each slash and thrust of Slate's knife met only empty air as Kage dodged and sidestepped effortlessly. He unleashed a rapid series of punches, each one precisely aimed at Slate's torso. Slate barely had time to react as Kage's fists connected with his ribs and abdomen, forcing him to stagger back.

Slate recovered quickly, a sinister grin spreading across his face. He feinted with his left before sweeping low with the knife. Kage anticipated the move and easily dodged it.

Kage moved with a grace that left Slate constantly on the defensive. As Slate lunged again, Kage sidestepped smoothly, his hand lashing out to grab Slate's wrist. With a quick twist, he disarmed Slate, sending the knife clattering to the floor.

In a fluid motion, Kage spun and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to Slate's chest, launching him back against the wall. Slate hit the wall with a thud, the wind knocked out of him. He pushed himself up, desperation in his eyes.

Kage didn't give him a chance to recover. He closed the distance in an instant, delivering a precise, devastating punch to Slate's solar plexus. Slate crumpled to the floor, gasping for air. Kage stood over him, eyes locked on Slate's form as he struggled to breathe.

With a swift kick, Kage sent the knife skidding across the room, far out of reach. He looked down at Slate, his expression calm and controlled.

"You should have stayed hidden," Kage muttered, turning towards the beaded curtain. The sound of Slate's labored breathing was the only reply as Kage stepped gracefully out to the balcony.

As Kage exited to the balcony, he immediately noticed Slate lying on the ground, knocked out but breathing steadily. Kage quickly checked Slate's health, finding no immediate issues. Satisfied, Kage took Slate inside, binding his hands tightly and taping his mouth shut.

With a swift slap, Kage jolted Slate back to consciousness. Dazed and disoriented, Slate's eyes widened with fear as he realized his predicament. Kage loomed over him, a calm but deadly aura radiating from his stance.

Without a word, Kage slowly took out the knife Slate had used in the fight. Slate's eyes followed the blade, panic rising in his chest. With precise, deliberate movements, Kage cut off Slate's pinky finger. Slate's eyes bulged in agony, but the tape over his mouth muffled his screams to mere whimpers.

Kage wrapped the wound with a cloth, his actions methodical and unhurried. He looked Slate in the eyes and spoke evenly, "Do you know why I chopped off your finger… without asking you anything?"

Slate trembled, pain and fear coursing through his veins. Kage continued, his voice cold and steady, "I am going to ask you a question now. If you don't answer it, you should know what could happen to you next."

Kage positioned the knife below Slate's ring finger, applying just enough pressure to draw a thin line of blood. "Just one second to give me an answer, or the other finger will go as well. That's all. So simple."

Slate shook his head frantically, eyes wide with terror. Kage held up a series of documents showing money transactions and demanded, "Who are you working for?"

With a swift motion, Kage ripped the tape from Slate's mouth. Gasping for breath, Slate stammered, "I was sent to kill Camille Montes at the behest of Dominic Greene."

Kage's eyes narrowed, the name resonating with significance. He withdrew the knife, his mind already calculating the implications of Slate's confession. He turned and was thinking of the name, he remembered it from somewhere.

"We've got a bigger target now," Kage said, his voice low and determined. "Dominic Greene is the one pulling the strings."

Kage knocked out Slate with sleeping drug, then pulled out device from his vest. It was round, resembling a compact circular gadget, with a sleek, black exterior that gave it a futuristic and sophisticated look.

He placed it one the table, the glossy surface reflecting the faint ambient light subtly.

The central feature of the device caught his attention—a prominent circular element that seemed to be a sensor or button. Slightly raised above the rest of the device, this central part was a darker black and did not emit any light, distinguishing it from the illuminated segments surrounding it.

As he picked up the device, he felt the smooth, glossy surface and noticed the subtle grooves and patterns etched into it, adding to its high-tech appearance. With a determined expression, Kage tapped the center of the device.

Instantly, blue light illuminated along the upper left and lower quadrants of the device. Several blue illuminated segments arranged in a semi-circular pattern began to glow. These segments varied in size, with the largest being closest to the center and gradually decreasing in size as they followed the curve of the circle. The blue lights were likely indicators or status lights, suggesting that the device was now active and operational.

Moments later, the device hummed softly and projected a 3D holographic image into the air. The projection revealed Breaker, who was holding a PDA and looking directly at Kage.

"Kage," Breaker's holographic form said, his voice carrying a sense of urgency. "Did you find Slate?"

Kage nodded and added,"Get me the details of both Camille Montes and Dominic Greene. The money in Slate's possession seems to have come from Greene."

Breaker understood and replied,"I will get details of both of them, right away."

Holographic Breaker tap his PDA and soon finds details about both," Dominic Greene, he runs an organisation called Greene Planet,It's a utility company. Which is supposedly devoted to buying up large sums of land for ecological preservation. Any further information seems to be highly classified."

Kage saw the picture of Camille Montes and Dominic Greene, he frowned and said,"Dig deeper on Greene planets connection, land dealings and last, but not least Greene contacts."

Breaker nodded and replied,"I will work on it."

Kage then questioned,"What about Camille Montes?"

Breaker taps and finds information on Camille pops up,"Camille Montes is the youngest daughter of Ernesto Montes, a Bolivian military officer employed by the Junta of Commanders of the Armed Forces, and Katya a Russian prima ballerina. When she was a young girl, the opposition in Bolivia sent General Medrano to the family house; he shot Ernesto, raped Camille's mother and eldest sister before strangling them to death, and then smiles at Camille before leaving and setting the house on fire. She survived and because of this incident, she has burning hatred and desire to kill Medrano. Also, she joined the Bolivian Secret Service and spent a long time waiting for a chance at revenge. She seems to have gotten close to this Dominic Greene to kill General Medrano."

Kage nodded and said,"Bring a cleaner here asap."

Breaker nodded and replied,"They will be here soon."

Kage then questioned,"Was the mission with White start?"

Breaker answered,"They are now flying to the base, from there they will escort him via armored transport."

Kage nodded.