Human nature was strange.
When something seemed hopelessly out of reach, desire dulled with time. People learned to wait. Years became decades, not because they were patient, but because they had no other choice.
But the moment that impossible dream suddenly felt attainable...
Every second of waiting became unbearable.
That was exactly how Howard Wytest felt.
Ever since Evenson Richter had delivered the so-called Tyrant Serum, the Obelisk no longer seemed like an impossible prize. After spending sixty years searching for it, he found himself unable to wait another day.
The deal with Evenson had barely concluded before Howard selected nineteen of his most trusted subordinates for enhancement.
Loyalty came first.
Combat ability came second.
Every candidate was a hardened veteran with an exceptional physique and extensive battlefield experience.
Howard then mobilized the resources of his entire Hydra cell. Within two days, he had equipped all twenty Tyrants, including Rom, exactly as Evenson had recommended.
After a brief period of coordination training, the operation began.
The mission commander had also been chosen personally by Howard.
Ethan Müller.
One of Hydra’s finest special operations officers.
The man currently disguised as a U.S. Army major.
Although the Tyrants would serve as the assault force, they weren’t suited for infiltration. Their immense size and heavy equipment made stealth impossible.
That responsibility fell to ordinary operatives.
The strike team therefore included four unenhanced agents.
Ethan Müller commanded the operation.
A professional hacker handled electronic warfare, disrupting the military surveillance network while bypassing the security systems protecting the target warehouse.
The remaining two were elite combat operatives.
Their job was simple.
Silently eliminate sentries during infiltration.
Once the team reached the warehouse, they would protect Ethan and the hacker while they searched for the Obelisk.
The four operatives rode in the lead SUV.
Behind them came two military cargo trucks carrying the twenty Tyrants.
The enhanced soldiers had become so heavily armored that each resembled a walking armored vehicle more than a human being.
A third truck followed behind them.
Its cargo consisted entirely of ammunition.
The first checkpoint had fallen without raising an alarm.
The second.
The third.
The fourth.
The fifth.
Each was cleared using the same deception.
By the time they reached the main gate, the hacker had successfully infiltrated the base’s central network. Ethan Müller’s forged credentials had already been entered into the system.
The convoy rolled through the entrance without resistance.
Eventually they arrived at their true destination.
The Special Storage Facility.
The Obelisk was believed to be somewhere inside.
A sentry approached the SUV.
"Sir," he called politely, "I think you’ve come to the wrong building."
"The ammunition depot is on the north side of the base."
At the same time, searchlights from two nearby guard towers swept across the convoy.
Although the hacker had penetrated the base’s network and falsified the convoy’s records, he couldn’t override every security measure.
The Special Storage Facility required direct authorization from the base commander.
You could hack a computer.
You couldn’t hack a man’s judgment.
Ethan climbed out of the vehicle.
"This shipment contains special munitions."
"They’re to be stored here under higher command’s orders."
"I’m going to need to verify that."
The sentry turned toward the field telephone.
Ethan casually raised a document folder.
"I have signed authorization from Brigadier General Talbot."
The sentry didn’t even glance at it.
"I’m sorry, sir."
"Regulations require verbal confirmation from General Talbot himself."
No paperwork.
No exceptions.
Only the commander’s direct approval could unlock the warehouse.
"Oh."
Ethan smiled faintly.
"That’s unfortunate."
Behind his back...
He made a subtle hand signal.
"I’m sorry, sir?"
The sentry frowned.
He never finished the sentence.
Pfft.
Pfft.
Two suppressed shots echoed through the night.
Pain exploded across his chest.
He looked down in disbelief.
Blood poured through two holes directly over his heart.
His knees gave way.
He collapsed without another sound.
The two elite Hydra operatives stepped out of the SUV, G36 assault rifles already raised.
They had fired the fatal shots.
Above them, the guards in the watchtowers finally realized something was wrong.
Neither managed to shout.
Two more suppressed shots.
Two perfect headshots.
The towers fell silent.
Ethan looked toward the blazing searchlights.
"Take them out."
Moments later, both lights shattered into darkness.
"Five minutes," Ethan said calmly.
"That’s how long before someone notices the missing lights and comes to investigate."
"Move."
The calculation was simple.
Two searchlights protecting one of the most secure locations on the base didn’t fail simultaneously by coincidence.
Sooner or later, another patrol would call for a status report.
When nobody answered...
They would come looking.
Leaving the lights intact wasn’t an option either.
With the beams fixed on the warehouse entrance, the entire area was illuminated like a stadium.
There would be no covert operation under that kind of spotlight.
The hacker immediately knelt before the security terminal and connected his laptop.
His fingers flew across the keyboard.
Two minutes later...
The massive blast door unlocked.
Ethan issued orders without hesitation.
"Hacker, begin the search."
"Drive the SUV inside."
"Position the trucks in a defensive semicircle."
"Tyrant Squad, dismount."
"Move every crate of ammunition into the warehouse."
"Fast."
The two combat operatives escorted the hacker into the building to search for the Obelisk.
Outside, the three trucks parked nose-to-tail across the entrance, creating an improvised barricade.
The Tyrants climbed down from their transports.
Their task was unloading the ammunition.
An entire truckload.
High-explosive grenades.
RPG warheads.
Heavy mortar shells.
The truck itself was part of the defensive position.
Leaving it exposed during a firefight would have been suicide.
Each Tyrant effortlessly carried two heavy ammunition crates at once.
Even so...
There was simply too much cargo.
And their massive armored bodies weren’t built for speed.
Before they finished unloading...
The first American response force arrived.
Only a platoon.
After all, headquarters merely suspected something unusual.
No one expected an organized assault.
Ethan watched the soldiers approach.
"Tyrants One through Five."
"Engage."
"The rest continue unloading."
Five Tyrants immediately dropped their ammunition crates and strode beyond the barricade.
Each carried two M60 machine guns.
Ten weapons opened fire simultaneously.
A storm of tungsten-core armor-piercing rounds tore across the battlefield.
The American platoon never had a chance.
Most died before they even realized they were under attack.
The roar of ten M60s shattered the silence of the night.
Suppressors were impossible on weapons like these.
Within seconds...
The entire military base erupted with blaring alarms.
Ethan checked his watch.
"Ten minutes."
"That’s when the second wave arrives."
"Hold them."
He smiled.
"Hail Hydra."
Then he turned and disappeared into the warehouse.
...
Read up to 75 Chapters ahead and access exclusive novels by joining my Patreon!
/Sinmerry
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter