Guardian Angels

Chapter 32

In the deepening shadows of Angel City's relentless streets, Alex Mason, now fully restored from his wounds and driven by a renewed determination, began to meticulously dismantle Eli Solomon's network. The vigilante, cloaked not just by the night but by the sheer unpredictability of his attacks, turned his focus to Solomon's key enforcers—men who wielded power through fear and violence.

Alex's strategy was simple yet brutal. He stalked the night, a spectral figure haunting the very henchmen who boasted of their untouchability. Each encounter was precise, calculated to inflict maximum disruption. Under the cover of darkness, he ambushed Solomon's men as they conducted their sinister business, catching them unprepared and vulnerable. He moved like a wraith, striking quickly and disappearing into the night before the echo of his actions faded, leaving a trail of incapacitated henchmen in his wake.

Through these relentless assaults, Alex not only sapped the morale of Solomon's crew but also gathered crucial intelligence. With each confrontation, he extracted snippets of information—guarded secrets spilled in moments of fear—a pattern of operations, locations of safe houses, and finally, the critical piece that led him straight to the core of Solomon's empire.

His target was Solomon's private lair, a fortress masquerading as a lavish mansion in one of the city's secluded districts. Surrounded by high walls and equipped with the latest security technology, it was here that Solomon orchestrated his bid for control over the underworld. The mansion was a hub of activity, with guards patrolling the grounds and surveillance cameras monitoring every angle.

Yet, no amount of security could deter Alex. He observed the compound from a distance, noting the shifts in guards and the blind spots of cameras. He planned his approach with meticulous care, choosing a moonless night to make his move. Dressed in his desert ranger armor and reinforced trench coat that melded with the shadows, Alex first disabled cameras from afar. Then he breached the perimeter, silently neutralizing guards with swift strikes.

He moved through the gardens, a ghost slipping through the underbrush, until he reached the mansion itself. Using a set of lock picks, he quietly opened a side entrance, easing into the lavish interior that smelled of expensive cigars and aged whiskey. The decor was opulent, a stark contrast to the stark violence that funded it.

Inside, Alex continued his methodical advance, using the mansion's intricate layout to his advantage. He avoided main hallways, opting instead for service routes less likely to be guarded. His steps were silent, his presence barely a whisper as he closed in on Solomon's personal office—the heart of the lair. Each step was measured, the sound of his boots echoing softly against the cold, hard floor.

Eli Solomon's private sanctuary, a room that had witnessed countless nefarious plans and the consolidation of a criminal empire built on fear and exploitation, was breached with a single, forceful kick. The door flew open, revealing the vigilante framed in the doorway, a silent harbinger of retribution.

Solomon's bodyguards, stationed throughout the room in a final line of defense, stood momentarily stunned by the unexpected breach. Their hesitation cost them dearly. With movements that merged precision with quickness, Alex engaged. The first guard barely had time to raise his weapon before Alex's revolver drove a stun round into the man's chest. The guard's body tensed as the electric charge coursed through him, then he fell forward, neutralized and twitching slightly on the rich carpet.

As a second bodyguard lunged forward, Alex sidestepped fluidly, and his arm shot out, seizing the man's wrist and twisting sharply. The sound of bone snapping was quickly followed by a thud as the guard crumpled to the floor, incapacitated.

Moving with a silence that belies the violence of his intentions, Alex systematically dismantled the defenses that stand between him and his target. One by one, Solomon's bodyguards fall, their efforts to protect their boss futile against the vigilante's relentless advance.