A Long Way Home

Prologue

"What was that?"

The guard starts to panic a little bit, looking back and forth quickly at the sound of me dropping to the floor from the vent.

I shake my head and breathe out quietly, pulling out my silenced PX4 Storm 9mm pistol from my holster on my belt.

I was hoping that I could just breeze through this latest job. Hit the house, go in silently, bag and tag him (slang for capturing a target and leaving for an extraction team), and leave without a trace other than possibly a few bodies and knocked out HVT (High Value Target). Clearly, this time will not be one of those.

I pull down my military grade night vision goggles and examine the room. It's an ancient warehouse, filled with old pipelines leading up to the ceiling and around it. It was the dead of night with a little light coming from a few dimly light lamps hanging from the ceiling.

Perfect. This should still be somewhat of a breeze.

I took a broken piece of glass from the ground next to me and started climbing up a pipe heading to the ceiling, making sure to make as little noise as possible during my ascent.
As soon as I was parallel with the floor near the roof, I looked down to find him in the light, looking around with his AK47 aimed with a flashlight attached to the barrel.

Way too easy...

I threw the glass piece in my hand to the ground in the shadows near the edge of the room. The resounding shatter was somewhat satisfying.
He panicked and started walking slowly towards the location that the glass shattered, his gun shaking uncontrollably in his hands.

I dropped silently to the floor and started following him slowly. I ducked behind a stack of boxes and started analyzing the grunt who was chasing after the glass.

He didn't look tough at all. Very scrawny and lanky. Must be another hired hand...

"Hey, over here." I whispered to get his attention on me.

He turned so quick that he dropped his rifle and panicked, digging for his gun. I decided to wait and see how it played out.

I'm glad I waited. He grabbed his gun and started sweeping the room slowly while walking to my position.
The second that he reached the stack I was behind, I threw my fist up into his throat and stunned him. While he was gasping for air, I grabbed him by the back and flipped him over onto his back. When he landed, I clasped my hand over his mouth and started to block the air flow.

"Shush..." I whisper while keeping his mouth covered. He doesn't stop thrashing so I hit him in the forehead with my pistol grip and knock him out.

I start making my way to the room that supposedly has my target at the end of the warehouse. I approached the room and looked through the window. He was there alright. Watching television and talking to someone on the phone.

Easy target.

I crouch and start walking to the door of the room, then knock twice on it. I hear him get up from the chair and start walking to the door. I sidle off to the side of the door and wait for it to open.

It opens quick. It slams against the wall and he walks out somewhat, screaming something about not bothering him during a call.
What he really said, I'll never know or care. What matters then was that I take my prey and earn my prize.
I grabbed his neck and flung him over onto the ground. He landed hard. I must have knocked the wind out of him when he landed. Saves me the time of doing it myself.

I hit his neck with my pistol and knock him out. Satisfied with my hunt, I tied his hands together with a spare bandanna that I use to cover my face with.

"Sadiq, you are hearby under arrest under the name of Travis Johnson. Anything you say can and will be used in his judgement of the way he deals with you after tonight."

I walk out of the warehouse and call Johnson. "He's all yours. I expect my reward tonight."

"Of course Outlaw. I'll bring it with the vehicle."

He arrived three hours later with his car. When he climbed out of the car, I walked to him and held out my hand. "Cash?"

He nods and turns around to unlock the trunk. After it pops open, he stands aside and motions for me to check the trunk.

I walk to it and smile under my mask. A briefcase rests in the trunk. I pick it up and pop it open. Inside rests my reward; one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I close my case and shake Johnson's hand.

After he leaves with his prize, I start to make my way home with mine, running through neighborhoods and avoiding the highways. At 3:30 a.m., I reach my home and slowly climb back into my room. I set my case under my bed and climb into bed for a well deserved rest from going on a bounty hunt.

This was all before the government wanted me to save the fate of the modern world. I am Austynn Louvier. I am the most dangerous mercenary in the world. This is the story of how I stopped World War III and the collapse of our beautiful nation at the hands of terrorism.