Chapter 17 - The Siege of the Vanguard
The raid on the Vanguard fortress was a masterclass in synchronized lethality.
At precisely 02:00 hours, the automated security systems inside the compound suddenly turned against their masters. Every steel blast door slammed shut simultaneously, sealing the exits and trapping the terrified cartel leadership inside the main banquet hall. The internal lights flickered and died, plunging the complex into pitch darkness before the emergency red backup strobes kicked in, casting an eerie, hellish glow over the panic.
Before the guards could even reach their armories, our black SUVs breached the outer concrete gates, crashing through the barriers with unstoppable force. Operatives poured from the vehicles like a tidal wave of shadow and steel, moving through the corridors with ruthless, surgical precision.
I walked through the shattered front entrance of the compound last. The air inside was thick with the smell of ozone, panic, and cheap cigar smoke. Armed cartel guards rushed around corners, only to be neutralized instantly by my enforcers without a single wasted bullet.
We reached the main double doors of the banquet hall. Kael raised a heavy breaching charge, planting it against the reinforced hinges with practiced ease.
"Clear!" Kael barked, stepping back.
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The charge detonated with a muffled, controlled thud, blowing the massive wooden doors inward in a shower of splintered timber and dust.
I stepped over the threshold, raising my sidearm slightly as the smoke cleared. Inside, twenty high-ranking cartel bosses sat frozen around a massive mahogany table, staring in absolute, paralyzed horror at the doorway.
