Chapter 215: Chapter 215
As soon as Blake Gordon activated the jammer, the sniper team Charles had sent to attack the resort hotel, where Brianna Peters and Lucien Michaelson’s wedding was supposed to be being held, got disconnected and unreachable for Charles and the few men with him that controlled their overall internet connections and communication.
“What the fuck is going on?!” Charles asked the man he knew was the most active in every inquiry Charles would make. “Get them back online!”
Charles Anderson was furious beyond words but he was not very much familiar with everyone around him at the moment, so he was aware he could not act like he would usually do when he was with Jack and the rest of the men under his command.
“Sir, something must be wrong from their end of the network,” the man seated in front of the computer hesitantly uttered.
“What is that supposed to mean?!” Charles snarled.
The poor IT guy cringe, but he had no choice other than clarify his words.
“I tried to reach out to them but the network is gone like it never even existed. However, when I checked the line connecting to Vice President Clayton, it remains stable and without a glitch or any kind of connection interruptions, even as we speak. The internet service provider is perfectly fine. The camera, microphone, and speakers are loud and clear, unlike the team on the field.”
Charles had never considered learning more or deeper details about information technology because he had always had Jack Foster by his side, well, until Brianna shot him, to provide him with everything he would ever need. But at the moment, Charles was inwardly cursing his foolish self for neglecting such substantial knowledge and ripened his age without any idea what in the world the man in front of him was blabbering about, to top it all, they were in the most important mission in Charles Anderson’s entire life. This battle was literally going to decide if Charles Anderson could still make it to stand against other odds life may toss him, if he won against Brianna and the Michaelsons. His pride and honor seemed to be at stake, more than his life.
When the IT man realized the unspeakable confusion on Charles’ face, he volunteered to elaborate on his words. He hurriedly explained using the simplest words he could think of at the moment. The IT guy was also scared of the superior in command that his luck would run out and a bullet would fly in his direction and lose his precious life.
“They might have reached a certain spot with an installed network detector and jammer as for the possible reason why we suddenly lost contact with them.”
“How do you know that?” Charles asked with his jaw clenched and face deeply frowning.
Another IT guy answered more boldly as if he was confident of his answer to be precise.
“Because if they were attacked and not just jammed, the network would still be connected until that blast and we would have had eyes and ears on what really happened. But since we were blinded all of a sudden, I am not a hundred percent sure, but I believe if they move to a different location, they will still get to be back online.”
Charles paused for a while. The first IT guy was a bit scared his explanation would stress the older man, even more, so he was silently praying for his life to be spared, he glanced at the second IT guy to stand down. It would be better if only one of them stands to receive the consequences if the superior would be dissatisfied than to bring along down with him. The second IT guy understood his team leader’s silent reprimands, so he did as told.
In his thoughts, Charles stared at the active monitors through the camera of the new batch of men he sent for backup, he saw something that made him forget the earlier conversation with the IT men and spoke to the microphone to call the attention of the men on the field.“Backup team, do you hear me, over?!” Charles hurriedly spoke over the microphone.
“Loud and clear, sir!”
The team Charles had sent to assist was given a clear order to do the task of the first team which was supposed to get close to the snipers’ targets and mark them with colors that would only be visible under the sniper gun’s binoculars’ lenses just in case the closer team fails to do the job, the team from the distance will make sure to finish the said task. Charles knew it would be challenging to get closer, so the order was to shoot with or without a good aim, just make sure the target is within a meter radius.
And having the snipers afar was another way to keep their operation clean as the sniper team’s first and original mission was to eradicate the team sent closer if the situation gets complicated and compromising for the big bosses.
“Look up a few meters from where you are right now!” Charles ordered firmly.
The men were cautiously moving on the ground without bothering to look up above their heads as they were only told to move forward.
“Shoot to kill all of them!” Charles presided over in a grave tone.
The men in the IT team were startled and the team leader could not help voicing out his thoughts.
“Sir, isn’t that the sniper team?”
“Shut up! Just do your Goddamned job!” Charles answered, clenched teeth in fury as he gave the IT guy a deadly glare.
But the man on the field who got Charles’ order heard the conversation between the IT guy and the person in command. He was momentarily lost in what to do, so he signaled his men to halt and hide, taking positions to defend themselves.
He was about to clarify the command to make sure he was doing whatever he and his team were supposed to do but before he could process the situation, they were attacked.
What Charles saw earlier was the sight of the sniper team being seized and bound. Those who tried to fight back were shot on the spot. And now, the backup team Charles sent was revealed to the enemy and is being seized and attacked just like the sniper team earlier.
“Down! Down! Get down!” the man appointed to lead the team shouted for his comrades not to get hit by flying soundless bullets which he could not clearly tell where they were coming but the directionality says someone was behind them.
They were just about to fire back when they realized the enemy was already too close, had them surrounded, and also outnumbered.
“I suggest you drop your weapons,” Ramil Finn warned. Then he moved closer to the man after making sure the weapons were thrown to the ground. Ramil searched for the camera installed in the guy’s gear, then he faced it fully before he spoke directly to whoever was watching behind the cameras. “You messed with the wrong people, old man! We are coming for you next!”
Then Ramil pulled the camera off and stepped on it after placing it on a boot root of a tree, crushing it to pieces. The rest of his comrades, including Andrew Hoggins, did the same with the rest of the cameras.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!!!” Charles Anderson pounded the desk in front of him as he vented his spleens. Then as he somehow mustered his anger, Charles pressed a button on his desk phone to make a direct call. “Secure the whole area, anyone or anything you see stepping into the property, even a mere shadow, you make sure to send them to hell! Do you understand?!”
“Sir, yes, s—!”
The man on the other line did not get to finish his words and a thud sound replaced his voice. The call wasn’t disconnected, but no matter how loud Charles Anderson asked for the other person to report what was going on on his side, Charles did not get any answer. Soon he heard gunshots.
Charles dialed the direct line connecting to the armed men assigned to guard the borderlines of the property where they were located. It was one of Terrence Clayton’s military barracks. The land was wide, having a few defensive walls from every gate facing all four directions; the East, West, North, and South. But as he had sent a large number of men already, the men on posts were reduced.
Charles Anderson did not understand at first why Terrence Clayton’s men had decreased its large number, but when he asked the appointed chief in command, Charles found out that when Terrence Clayton was captured, many of them made a move to break into the prison their boss was in and tried to take him out but aside from the number of jail guards they expected, a large group of soldiers in full-gear armor arrived to assist the guards and Terrence’s men failed. The very person they came all the way to rescue did not even get to step out of his cell before his men were subdued and arrested. This also made him deny he had anything to do with them as none of the captured men confessed their reasons.
Now, Charles panicked realizing the clear chance of him being cornered in his spot if he did not move out. He knew Ramil Finn’s words were not empty. Charles pressed on a button to make his voice heard in every corner of the barracks using the centralized speakers then he hit the alarm button to send everyone to their positions according to the drills they have discussed.
"Attention! Everyone! Gear up! Our men on the East borderline had been attacked! If you see anyone entering the property, shoot to kill! I repeat, shoot to kill! Especially a woman! But most of all, do not leave any of them alive!"