The Garden.
Thwip.
Hunter reloaded the crossbow, sliding another bolt into the groove.
He moved deeper into the estate, leaving the dead pit bull behind.
The grounds were vast—seven acres of manicured lawns and sparse trees. Cover was limited. Most of the vegetation was concentrated around the main villa, leaving large open kill zones in between.
Hunter moved slowly, scanning for threats.
Before he reached the second kennel, he stopped.
Under a large oak tree, another dog house sat in the shadows.
"Clever," Hunter muttered. "Overlapping fields of fire... or fields of bark."
He raised the crossbow.
Thwip.
A muffled yelp, a brief thrashing, and then silence. The second dog was down.
Just as Hunter was about to move, he froze.
Footsteps.
"Hm? Did you hear that?"
A voice drifted from the darkness.
Hunter dropped prone, pressing himself into the grass. He loaded another bolt, his muscles tense.
A security guard in a black suit walked into view, sweeping a flashlight beam across the lawn. He checked near the tree, but deliberately avoided the dog house, likely trying not to wake the animal.
He didn't see the dead dog inside.
The beam passed over Hunter's position. The grass was tall enough to hide him.
The guard moved on, his footsteps fading toward the other side of the estate.
Hunter exhaled slowly.
He stood up and sprinted toward the villa, bypassing the open lawn.
He stopped near a decorative fountain, pulling out his night-vision monocular.
Through the green-tinted lens, he studied the main house. It was a three-story European-style mansion, built of stone and brick. Solid. Fortified.
Five entrances on the ground floor, Hunter noted. Finding Kevin is going to take time.
He scanned the perimeter again.
Near the fountain, another dog house. This one was close—only thirty meters away.
The dog inside stirred. Its ears perked up.
Hunter cursed silently. He raised the crossbow.
Thwip.
But the distance was too short. The dog saw the movement.
"AWOOO!"
The bolt struck the dog in the flank, piercing deep. But it didn't kill instantly. The animal howled in pain, the sound echoing through the quiet night like a siren.
"What was that?"
"Dog barking! Sector 3!"
Voices shouted from the darkness. Running footsteps approached rapidly.
"Damn it," Hunter hissed.
He reloaded the crossbow and ducked behind a large oak tree.
A single guard came running around the corner, gun drawn.
Hunter stepped out, leveled the crossbow, and fired.
Thwip.
The bolt hit the guard square in the chest. He dropped without a sound.
Hunter rushed forward, dragging the body into a flowerbed. He snatched the guard's earpiece and put it on.
"Wes? Wes, report."
"Do you copy?"
"Damn it, no response."
"All units, converge on the villa. Sector 3. Wes might be down."
"Copy. En route."
Hunter smirked. He pulled a suppressed pistol from his Inventory.
He waited in the shadows.
Two guards came sprinting down the path, one behind the other.
Hunter switched back to the crossbow for the trailing guard.
Thwip.
The bolt took him in the back. He stumbled and fell with a grunt.
The lead guard spun around, hearing his partner fall.
"What the—?"
Hunter stepped out, the suppressed pistol raised.
Pfft. Pfft. Pfft.
Three shots. Two to the chest, one to the head.
The guard crumpled.
"Wes? Anyone? What is going on out there?"
The voice in the earpiece was frantic now.
Hunter adjusted the earpiece. He knew the element of surprise was gone.
"Stealth is over," Hunter whispered, swapping his pistol for an assault rifle from his Inventory.
"Time for the direct approach."
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