Ch. 61: Casino Raid
"Last minute change of plans? What the hell are you talking about Zhao?" Kae angrily yelled out as she and the rest of the Zero Division continued to find themselves cornered by Zhao and his two armed guards.
"It means just that miss." Zhao sarcastically responded as he continued to aim his pistol at her. "Instead of treating you like guests and negotiating a deal with you, we are instead treating you like our hostages so we can use you as a bargaining chip"
"Bargaining chip? For what?" Park frustratingly asked.
"For concessions from your backers." Zhao answered. "Surely the Green Gang or the Municipal Guard will stop bothering us if they find out we have a few of their agents as hostages.
The members of the Zero Division, baffled by what Zhao's statement, gave a confused look.
"As I said before, Mr. Qian has repeatedly unsuccessfully sell and distribute opium in your territory for god knows how long. So the fact that a gang that he has never heard of until recently suddenly controls his sought after territory and comes to him to make a deal sounded too good to him."
"Look Mr. Zhao, I assure you we legitimately want to work with the Syndicate in a manner that benefits both of our..." Park started to explain.
Park was then interrupted mid sentence by a deafening "BANG!" caused by Zhao firing his pistol in the air. All the Zero Division members immediately flinched and raised their hands to their ears upon hearing the gunshot.
"ENOUGH WITH THE GAMES! TELL ME WHO YOU ARE WORKING FOR RIGHT NOW!"
The members of the Zero Division, remaining vigilant despite Zhao's threats, remained silent. Suddenly Park then stood forward and confronted Zhao.
"Once again, we are members of the Samjok-o, a legitimate gang who simply wants to make a deal..." Park vigilantly said.
Zhao once again interrupted Park's sentence, this time by punching him directly in the chest. Park immediately felt all the air being pushed out of his body as he dropped the briefcase he was carrying and quickly fell to the floor. Jeong kneeled down and tried to help Park back on his feet while Seo picked up the briefcase.
Meanwhile Roh, steaming with anger, clenched his fist.
"YOU'RE SO DEAD NOW!" Roh roared as he prepared to lunge his fist at Zhao. It was then he felt his arm being restrained by Kae.
"LET ME GO NOW!"
"Roh it's pointless!" Kae responded as she tried to continue restraining Roh. "Besides, your fists and strength alone isn't going to overpower their submachine guns."
Realizing Kae was correct and that Zhao and his two guards were armed and prepared to strike, Roh reluctantly lowered his arm and stepped back.
"It's apparent to me that all of you are still maintaining your innocence and continuing to resist my questions." Zhao said. "Therefore prodding what I want to know by conventional means is going to be counterproductive."
Zhao then put his pistol back into his pocket and walked towards the exit of the room. Before exiting the room, he turned around and addressed the two guards.
"Continue to keep surveillance on these sneaky, lying infiltrators while I head back to my office. Remember, keep the beatings and the violence at a minimum. We won'd be able to find out what they know if they are severely injured, let alone dead."
The two guards saluted Zhao as he exited the room and closed the door behind him. With the door closed, the guards refocused their attention on the cornered Zero Division and started to contemplate on how they would make their lives even more miserable. As they approached them, one of the guards noticed the two briefcases Seo was holding.
"Hey you! What you got there?" the first guard aggressively asked.
"Uhhh...what are you talking about?" Seo asked as he pretended to not know what they were talking about.
"YOU DAMN KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!" yelled the guard as he aimed the submachine gun at Seo's head. "WHAT IS IN THE BRIEFCASES"
"Just some money we brought with us to help negotiate a deal!" Seo confessed loudly as he stared down the barrel of the submachine gun.
"Money? You don't say." the second guard replied. "Perhaps we could take it off your hands, seeing how you won't be needing it anymore."
Seo quickly turned his head leftward. He saw Kae helping Park regain his balance. It was then he noticed her winking at him, signaling him to implement the emergency plan they had come up with.
"Fine. Let me just unlock it for you." he said as he handed put the two briefcases down on the ground.
Once they were flat on the ground, Seo unlocked the latches on both of the briefcases. The two guards, on the other hand, continue aiming their submachine guns as Seo and the rest of the Zero Division. Unbeknownst to the the two guards, Seo pressed a small, barely visible button on the side of one of the briefcases.
With both briefcases unlocked, Seo gave both of them to the two guards.
The two guards opened the now unlocked briefcases and suddenly found themselves staring at countless bundles of yuan notes.
"We hit the jackpot!" the first guard yelled as he inspected the numerous bundles.
"Finally some decent pay around here." the second guard responded.
While the guards were continuing to count how many bundles of yuan notes were in each briefcase, Kae silently nodded to the rest of the Zero Division. All of them placed their hands on their ears.
As the first guard started to stuff some of the bundles into his pocket, a ticking sound similar to that of dripping water could suddenly be heard.
"Do you hear that?" the first guard asked.
"Hear what?" the second guard responded.
"That sound. Sounds like a small clock ticking."
Wanting to discover the source of the annoying sound so he could stop it, the first guard focused and determined the sound was coming from beneath the remaining bundles of money in the briefcase. He rapidly emptied the briefcase of all its money, creating a pile of yuan notes all over the floor. It was then that a small clockwork timer connected to two smoke grenades attached to the bottom became visible.
"What in god's name..." the guard said to himself as the hand of the clockwork timer passed the "6", causing the main gears to activate. This in turn caused a small lever connected to the pins of the smoke grenades by string to turn in a blink of an eye. The force and speed of the lever turning pulled the pins out from the two smoke grenades.
Immediately two jets of thick, white smoke could be seen being ejected into the air. Because the room they were in was closed off and had no windows, a whitish haze started to reduce visibility. The first guard focused his attention on trying to close the briefcase in hope of reducing the smoke while the second guard walked over to assist.
Seeing the perfect opportunity to strike, Kae reached under her dress and pulled out the pistol she was hiding in the holster tied around her upper thigh. She quickly aimed the pistol at the second guard's head and pulled the trigger.
A deafening "BANG!" echoed throughout the room as the bullet wedged itself in the guard's head, causing his now lifeless body to slump over and drench the entire floor with blood.
"WHAT THE..." the first guard yelled out as he turned around and saw his partner lying in a giant crimson red pool of blood.
Upon hearing another deafening "BANG!" within the room, the first guard felt a sharp pain in his upper right arm, causing him to drop his Thompson submachine gun. Looking at his upper right arm, he could see a blood-drenched hole which he could tell was caused by a bullet. To stop the bleeding and alleviate some of the pain, the guard placed his left hand on the wound and applied pressure on it.
Seeing he was wounded, Kae decided to charge at him at full speed. Once within range, she lifted her leg high into the air and kicked him in side of the jaw with full force. The heel of her shoe dislocated his jaw and caused him to black out immediately.
With both guards out of commission, the Zero Division prepared to make their escape. As they all headed towards the door, Seo and Roh equipped themselves with the submachine guns they confiscated from the two guards. Due to the white smoke still lingering in the air, it took a moment for Kae to locate the door.
Once some of the smoke dissipated and the door became more visible, Kae ran towards it and turned the door handle. As she opened the door slightly she could hear some voices in the distance.
"DID YOU HEAR THAT SOUND BEFORE?!" someone yelled.
"SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT! I THINK IT CAME FROM THE BACK AREA!" another person yelled back.
Kae immediately closed the door and stepped backwards upon hearing the voices in the distance. She then approached the rest of the Zero Division.
"Seo and Roh, I want you two to aim at the door. At least two guards are heading here as we speak. When they appear, I want you to open fire. Once it is clear, we are all going to make a dash for the nearest exit. Pick up any weapons you happen to find since every guard we'll encounter is probably well equipped."
"Then what?" a concerned Jeong asked.
"Then we search the entire area for Zhao. Since he runs this entire joint, he has to have direct communications with Qian. Therefore if anyone knows where Qian is located, I bet you it's him." Kae answered.
"But where do we even start looking? I mean this is a pretty large building. He could be anywhere." Park asked.
"That I do not know. However, we cannot give up trying despite our current unfavorable situation. Remember, the future of Zero and the Black Army is potentially at stake."
Suddenly the sound of the door handle jingling echoed throughout the room. Seo and Roh aimed their submachine guns at the door and positioned their fingers on the trigger. The door then slammed opened and two armed guards, also equipped with submachine guns, entered the room.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING...!" one of the guards yelled out as he stepped forward.
Seo and Roh immediately pulled the triggers once the door opened. A quick "DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH!" was heard as a barrage of bullets were ejected from the submachine guns and implanted themselves into the flesh of the two guards. The guards fell dead where they stood.
"Go! Go! Go!" Kae repeatedly chanted as the Zero Division prepared to exit the room they were originally imprisoned in.
While Seo and Roh went ahead to see if the coast was clear, Kae, Park, and Jeong inspected the bodies of the two guards recently killed. Park and Jeong both picked up the submachine guns the two guards were carrying while Roh pulled out a handgun from the holster attached to the dead guard's belt.
Once everyone had exited and was accounted for, Kae led the Zero Division through the maze of large crates they had passed earlier. Because there were still some guards patrolling the area, the Zero Division stealthily traversed between the many crates, hiding in between them whenever a guard passed by.
If they happened to stumble upon some guards from behind, Kae sent out Seo and Roh to sneak up on them and use the butt end of their submachine guns to hit them in the head. The sudden impact within a millisecond made the guards loose all consciousness. The Zero Division then continued to proceed forward.
As they approached the packaging area once more, Kae silently signaled the rest of the Zero Division to stop so she could scout the area. Looking from around the corner of one of the large crates, she could see dozens of workers weighing and packaging bricks of opium resin. She could also see that numerous armed guards patrolling the entire area.
"So? Can we bypass them?" Roh asked quietly.
"It doesn't look like it." Kae whispered. "Except for all the desks the workers are at, the entire area is open and offers no cover. The guards will definitely spot us if try making a dash for the elevator."
"Like that would even matter if we could reach it undetected or by overpowering the guards." Park added. "Remember Zhao used a key to activate the elevator that brought us down here. The elevator is worthless without that key."
"Damn it. Totally forgot about that." Kae replied frustratingly as she continued to think of an effective escape plan.
"How about we hide amongst the boxes of opium on the delivery trucks and wait till they bring us to the main street above?" Jeong suggested.
"It doesn't look like that will work either Jeong. From the looks of it, those trucks are too far away for us to sneak onto them without the guards noticing." said Kae.
"This definitely sucks." Roh quietly groaned. "One stupid key is preventing us from using the most effective means of escape. Makes me want to go up to one of those guards and ask them for it."
It was then that an idea flashed in Kae's head.
"Perhaps we then should ask them for the key." she replied.
All the Zero Division members looked at her with confusion.
"Surely you are joking?" Seo asked.
"Just listen to what I have to say."
Kae then quickly explained her plan to Park, Seo, Jeong, and Roh.
"I guess that could work." Seo said reluctantly.
"It's still risky though." Jeong added. "This success of this plan solely relies on what the guards know. If they don't know a thing, then we're back at step 1."
"However we can't just stay here indefinitely. Sooner or later someone is going to notice we have escaped. We might as well give this plan a try, even if the success rate is dubious." Park explained.
Even though the rest of the Zero Division members still had lingering doubts on Kae's plan succeeding, they knew Park was right in that doing nothing was the worth option to choose from. As a result, they then nodded their heads in approval before taking their positions in accordance with Kae's plan.
Standing behind a large tower consisting of multiple wooden crates, both Roh and Seo jabbed their shoulders into it with all the force they could muster. This resulted in the crates to slightly wobble back and forth. Roh and Seo then continued jabbing their shoulders into the crates in order to increase the momentum.
Eventually the tower of wooden crates leaned forward enough that gravity started to take over. Roh and Seo immediately took cover in order to avoid being hit by any of the fallen crates. When the crates hit the floor, a loud crashing sound echoed through the air as splinters of wood and pieces of broken opium resins bricks spread all over the floor.
"Did you just hear a crashing sound?" asked a nearby guard.
"Yeah I did." another guard replied. "Wonder what it was."
"I hope it's not another one off our crates falling over." a third guard added. "If it is, the boss is going to be furious."
"Only one way to find out." said the first guard.
The three guards then excused themselves from overseeing the packaging area and headed to the source of the crashing sound.
"I keep telling the boss to hire better workers. The workers we are now employing can't properly stack a couple of crates." the first guard complained.
"You really think Mr. Qian will just hire newer better workers? Mr. Qian will probably just get the workers who caused the accident, along with some bystanders, and kill them off as he usually does whenever he "teaches" the other workers." the second guard added.
The three guards turned down one of the pathways formed by the many large crates and stumbled upon a pile of shattered debris scattered across the floor.
"What the hell happened down here?" asked one of the guards with disbelief.
"We'll gladly explain if you explain some stuff to us." a voice from behind them yelled.
The three guards turned around and saw Kae standing right before them.
"Hey! Who are you..." one of the guards began to ask before he saw Kae aim her pistol at him.
"If all three of you value your life, then it's probably in your best interest to keep your mouths shut and answer our questions." she replied as she continued aiming the pistol.
Suddenly Seo, Roh, Park, and Jeong, all armed with their submachine guns, appeared from their hiding spots and aimed at all three guards. Realizing that they were outnumbered, the guards complied with all of Kae's demands, which included dropping their weapons and not talking unless asked to. Grabbing some nearby rope usually used for hoisting crates, Roh and Seo, as instructed by Kae, tied and bound the three guards together before forcing them to kneel on the ground.
"Alright, I have a few questions I would like to ask you." Kae said sinisterly as she approached the bound guards and continuing to keep her pistol aimed. "The elevator that accesses the main casino above requires a key to activate. Would you happen to have a key? If not, where can I find such a key?"
The three guards, remaining vigilant and resistant, did not acknowledge Kae and stayed silent. Realizing they weren't going to be swayed so easily, Kae decided to get more aggressive. She walked over to the second guard and aimed the pistol at his head instead.
"Perhaps I shall ask your buddy over here." she replied. "If he fails to answer me within the next ten seconds, then he dies. Then I shall proceed to your second friend and repeat the process."
"You sick son of a bitch. I can guarantee you will not get an answer from me if..." the guard said before one of the submachine guns aimed at him appeared in front of his face.
"If I what?" Kae sarcastically asked. "If I kill these two men? If that's the case, the I am willing to test your fortitude."
She then approached the second guard and asked him where the key to activate the elevator was. Like the first guard, the second guard refused to answer. Kae then lodged the pistol against the temple of the guard's head.
"10...9...8...7...6...5...4..." Kae began to count down as she kept the pistol against his head.
"C'mon please tell her." the second guard told the first one. "It's all your fault if I die here."
The first guard, who was good friends with the second guard, started to feel conflicted for he wanted to save his friend while at the same time not giving up the location of the key.
"3...2...1..." Kae continued to count down as she was about to pull the trigger.
"Alright I'll tell you." the first guard answered. "There's a copy of the key in my left pocket."
Kae then pulled the pistol away from the second guard's head. She then put her hand inside the guard's left pocket and took out a key similar in appearance to the one Zhao used earlier.
"Just one more question before we part ways." Kae added. "Where can Zhao be located within this building?"
"Most likely his office, which is located on the upper-most floor." the first guard replied. "However, with the amount of security he has, I highly doubt you and your buddies will be able to make it up there."
"Well I guess that means we'll have to work extra hard then."
Kae, not having any use of the three guards anymore, used her pistol like a club to knock all them out. Once all three guards were fully unconscious, she instructed Roh and Seo to move them behind some nearby boxes.
Once the bound guards were hidden away, Kae and the rest of the Zero Division gathered together and discussed the second phase of the plan. Once the details of the plan were fully understood, Kae positioned herself so there was little to nothing blocking her path to the elevator on the other side of the room. The rest of the Zero Division carefully positioned themselves behind her, awaiting her signal.
"NOW!" she yelled at the top of her lungs as she sprinted forward and shot at some nearby guards.
Following Kae's lead, the rest of the Zero Division charged across the room.
"BANG! BANG! DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH!" echoed throughout the entire room as the Zero Division fired their pistols and submachine guns at the guards patrolling the area. One guard after another fell down lifeless as each one was peppered with bullets. Guards who managed to avoid being shot at took cover behind the nearest object they could find while all the workers started fleeing for their lives.
As Kae approached the elevator, an armed guard suddenly appeared in front of her and aimed his submachine gun at her.
"End of the line!" he yelled as he cocked his submachine gun.
Kae, noticing the barrel being aimed at her at the last second, shot at the guard's leg.
"ARRRGHH!" the guard screamed as the pain in his now blood-soaked leg forced him to kneel down and try to stop the bleeding.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kae kneed the guard in the head, causing him to fall flat on his back. With the guard now incapacitated, nothing else blocked her from approaching the elevator.
Meanwhile Seo, Jeong, Roh, and Park took cover behind several large crates, knocked over tables, and one of the parked delivery trucks as they continued to fire back at their pursuers in order to give Kae enough time to activate the elevator. With the guards firing back from their positions, the entire room became a battlefield with bullets, splinters of wood, and pieces of glass flying through the air.
Grabbing the key and inserting it into the keyhole next to the elevator entrance, Kae turned it, causing the elevator's motor to make a humming sound. Like earlier, a "DING!" sound rang as the elevator car descended down and came to a complete stop.
"OUR RIDE IS HERE GUYS! GET IN!" she yelled to her comrades as she entered the elevator.
All of the Zero Division members immediately left their hiding spots and retreated towards the elevator. In order to keep the guards at bay, the Zero Division continue unleashing a barrage of bullets at any guard that was visible. As a result the guards were unable to pursue them and forced to go on the defensive.
"CLOSE THE DAMN GATE SO WE CAN GET OUT OF HERE!" Kae yelled once all the Zero Division members were inside the elevator car.
Seo then immediately slammed the gate shut as numerous flashes of light from bullets ricocheting off the metal gate could be seen. Once it was fully closed, Kae inserted the elevator key into the keyhole inside the elevator. Like before, the sound of the elevator motor humming could be heard as the elevator car ascended back up to the VIP section.
Zhao's office on the uppermost floor of the building was filled with numerous luxuries and decorations such as porcelain vases, jade statues, ornate furniture, and a wall mural of classical Chinese artwork. Sitting at his ornate oriental desk in his office on the uppermost floor, Zhao was reviewing numerous financial reports regarding the casino, opium distribution, investments, and other gang-related activities. While dipping his pen into an inkwell, a phone on the nearby table started to ring fanatically.
He put the pen down, slowly got out of his seat, and answered the phone.
"This is Zhao's office." he replied.
"Mr. Zhao, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but we have a severe problem down here." said the caller.
"What is it? Is it about the hostages?" Zhao asked.
"It is sir. You're not going to like it, but it appears the hostages managed to access the main elevator down here and successfully."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY ESCAPED!" Zhao roared at the top of his lungs as he slammed his fist on the table. "WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE TWO GUARDS THAT WERE WATCHING THEM?!"
"Based on the fact that one of the guards was found beaten up and unconscious while the other was shot and bleeding all over the floor, I can assume that the hostages somehow managed to overpower them. Since both of them were missing their guns, we can assume that the hostages confiscated them. As for how they accessed the elevator, we are still trying to figure that out and..."
"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN HOW THEY ACCESSED IT! IF YOU GUYS VALUE YOUR JOBS, NO MAKE IT YOUR LIVES, YOU WILL SEND EVERY AVAILABLE GUARD OUT TO FIND AND CAPTURE THEM! IS THAT CLEAR!"
"SIR!" the caller replied before hanging up.
Zhao then hung up the phone and walked back to his desk. He then picked up a small jade statue of a dragon sitting on the desk surface. As he held the statue, he could feel his hands shaking due to the amount of anger and frustration he was feeling.
Feeling he was unable to contain it anymore, Zhao yelled and threw the small statue at a large porcelain vase in the corner of the room. The vase immediately shattered into hundreds of pieces upon being hit, showering the floor with pieces of porcelain of various sizes.
"DAMN GUARDS! SON OF BITCHES CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT!" he mumbled to himself. "THEY ARE NOT GOING TO RUIN ALL OF MY HARD WORK! I AM NOT GOING TO LET THEM BE THE REASON I FACE THE BOSS' WRATH!"
As the elevator car ascended upwards toward the VIP section, the Zero Division inside were discussing their next move.
"So what's the plan now Kae?" Seo asked.
"Go directly to Zhao's office." she replied. "He'll know where we can find Mr. Qian and the evidence we need to prove Zero's innocence."
"Let's just hope there aren't too many guards in our way." Jeong said.
"Seeing how we just caused a giant ruckus down below, all security personnel in the casino have probably been alerted and are actively looking for us now." Park added.
"I say bring it on! I'm ready to shoot down every Syndicate guard that comes my way!" Roh proudly replied as he lifted up his submachine gun and cocked it.
"Try not to be too reckless. Our main goal is to capture Zhao while making as little of a mess as possible. Also remember there are many innocent civilians throughout the entire building." replied Kae.
It was then the Zero Division felt their ascension suddenly slowed down, indicating they were arriving at the VIP section floor. As the elevator car continued to slow down, they prepared for battle by aiming their guns forward and adopting a fighting stance. Once the familiar "DING!" sound could be heard as the elevator car came to a complete stop, Kae slammed opened the metal gate. She, along with the other Zero Division members, immediately charged out of the elevator and into the VIP section.
The Zero Division darted out of the elevator and charged to the doors leading back to the main hallway of the casino on the other side of the room. Upon seeing them and the guns they were carrying, all the wealthy patrons playing poker and socializing with one another immediately jumped out of their seats and took cover behind whatever object they could find. The sound of martini glasses shattering all over the floor could be heard as some of the waiters dropped the serving trays they were carrying so they too could find cover.
It was then that the bouncer they had seen earlier entering the VIP section in order to find out the cause of all the commotion he could hear on the other side. Without any time to realize what was going on, the bouncer found himself being propelled off his feet due to Kae punching him directly in the abdomen. The bouncer'a now unconscious body flew into the hallway, where it landed and slid across the floor.
Kae then led the rest of the Zero Division into the hallway, where they looked for the nearest staircase. It was then that several armed guards patrolling the area saw them in the distance and aimed their guns at them.
"DUCK!" Kae yelled as she spotted the guards in the distance at the last minute.
The Zero Division quickly dropped to the floor as several gunshots echoed throughout the entire casino. The bullets passed over the Zero Division and ricocheted off the walls behind them. The sound of several decorative porcelain vases shattering could also be heard as some of the stray bullets hit them.
Quickly looking up from where he was lying down, Seo aimed his submachine gun slightly upwards and pulled the trigger. One of the guards fell down as several bullets pierced his leg while the others immediately started to scatter.
The ricocheting bullets and sporadic gunshots echoing through the air immediately caused all the guests in the casino to panic. People could be seen jumping up from their seats at the gaming tables and running towards the nearest exit or taking cover behind whatever object they could find. Because of the mass panic, several people were knocked to the ground, causing other frightened guests to trip over them.
"WHAT NOW!?" yelled Park as his voice was partially muffled by all the screams from the panicking mob of patrons.
"I SUGGEST WE SPLIT UP INTO GROUPS AND COMB THE ENTIRE ROOM! IT'LL MAKE FINDING THE STAIRS MUCH FASTER!" she answered.
Everyone nodded their heads in approval and teamed up with a partner. Quickly getting up off the ground, Kae and Park headed to the left side of the room while Seo, Roh, and Jeong headed the right side. As both teams proceeded with their search, more guards could be seen appearing out of the panicking crowds and aiming their guns.
"THERE THEY ARE!" yelled one of the guards as he pointed to both Kae and Park.
Using both their legs, Kae and Park knocked over one of the large wooden poker tables, causing tons of poker chips and cards to spill all over the floor, as the guards started shooting. Due to the thick wood of the table they were hiding behind, both Kae and Park were left unscathed.
With the guards firing relentlessly at them, there was no opportunity for them to aim and shoot back without being hit. It was then Kae spotted a deck of cards lying on the floor nearby and came up with an idea. She grabbed the deck and tossed it high into the air.
The guards firing at the them immediately glued their eyes on the playing cards that seemingly appeared from nowhere and were floating down slowly. Taking advantage of the moment, Kae, followed by Park aimed their guns and shot each of the guards. All of them found themselves peppered with bullets as they slowly bled to death.
Meanwhile on the other side of the room, Seo, Roh, and Jeong were charging forward, shooting any guard that appeared.
"Jeong, two on your left!" Seo yelled as he saw two guards enter the room.
Jeong quickly turned left and shot the two guards.
It was then that several guards could be seen on the floor above and aiming their guns downward.
"GET DOWN NOW!" Seo yelled.
"DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH!" could suddenly be heard as the three of them quickly dived underneath a giant roulette table.
"Is everyone ok?"
"I'm fine." Jeong replied.
"One of those bullets must've grazed my arm slightly. It really stings, but I should be fine for the time being." Roh replied as he showed the slightly bleeding wound on his arm.
It was then that a bullet ricocheted off the leg of the roulette table, narrowly missing Seo.
"What do we do now?" Jeong asked.
"We have to take out those guards on the second floor." Seo replied. "Here's what we'll do, we separate and dash randomly across the room while firing back at them. That way the guards won't be able to concentrate their fire on us and keep us pinned down."
"But that would mean making us completely vulnerable." said Roh.
"I agree with Roh Seo. I'm not very comfortable with the idea of my body being filled with bullets."
"You guys got a better idea? Because otherwise we can just sit here and wait till this table falls apart due to all the bullets or more guards come and make things much more difficult."
Upon hearing the alternative to Seo's plan, both Roh and Jeong nodded their heads in approval.
"Alright, then. On the count of three. One...two...THREE!" yelled Seo.
Seo, Roh, and Jeong jumped out from under the table and immediately sprinted. Upon seeing them separate and dash in three different directions, the guards overhead fired. Because of all the gunfire, the sound of their machine guns humming as streams of bullets traced the floor below was the only thing the guards could hear.
With a trail of bullets and destruction following him, Seo kept running and aimed his gun upward at the nearest guard he could see. One guard after another fell down as each one was hit. Seeing a pillar up ahead, he used all the energy in his legs to dive behind it. Using the pillar as cover, he continued to fire back at the guards.
Roh, like Seo, kept running in order to avoid the hail of bullets. However, unlike Seo, Roh pointed his gun up towards the second floor and held the trigger down. As a result, bullets were randomly being sprayed upwards, causing some of the guards to find themselves peppered with bullet holes. It also forced some of the other guards to go on the defensive.
Suddenly the stream of bullets coming out of Roh's submachine gun ceased while the humming noise it made started to die down.
"DAMN IT! OF ALL THE TIMES TO RUN OUT OF AMMO!" he grumbled to himself as he threw the now emptied submachine ground across the floor.
Looking upward, he could see the remaining guards that were focusing on him before were going back on the offensive and getting ready to fire. Realizing he needed to find some adequate cover, Roh scanned the area for anything that could be useful. It was then he noticed a large metal serving tray and . He snatched it off from the ground and used it to cover himself as he ran to the other side.
"DINK! DANK! DONK! DINK!" echoed across the room as multiple bullets ricocheted off the metal serving tray. With the serving tray acting as a shield, Roh was able to pull out the handgun he had picked up earlier and aimed it at each guard.
"BANG! BANG! BANG!" could be heard as each of the guards he fired at fell down dead.
It was then the wound from the bullet that grazed him before started to sting once more, forcing him to drop the metal tray. He put his gun away so he could grip the lightly blood stained wound in order to make the pain slightly more tolerable. He then sat down on the floor and slid behind a knocked over poker table so he rest for a second.
"ERRGHH THAT REALLY STINGS! WHO WOULD FIGURE A BULLET GRAZING YOU WOULD PHYSICALLY HINDER YOU SO MUCH!" he muttered to himself as he clenched his teeth in order to swallow the pain.
Meanwhile Jeong was zigzagging in between tables in order to make it more difficult for the guards to get an accurate shot. Like targets at a shooting range, the guards fell down one by one as he continue to simultaneously run and shoot. Once he shot the last guard he saw, he noticed a flight of stairs nearby.
"HEY GUYS! I THINK I FOUND THEM!" he yelled out as he pointed to the stairs.
Kae left her hiding spots and quickly ran towards Jeong.
"So you found the stairs Jeong?" she asked.
"Yeah. Just happened to stumble upon them."
Kae then signaled the rest of the Zero Division to come gather where she and Jeong were. The other members left their hiding spots and quickly headed towards the two of them.
"Alright. How is everyone so far?"
"My arm is really starting to kill me due to a bullet that grazed me before. The pain makes it slightly harder for me to focus. However I'm not letting that deter me from fighting." Roh answered.
"I appreciate your determination. Just don't overexert yourself." she replied.
It was then the sound of more guards arriving could be heard nearby. Kae and the Zero Division ran up the stairs to the floor above and continued their search for Zhao.
Sitting at casually his desk, Zhao was counting bundles of cash and recording the amounts into a ledger. Because of the lit cigarette in his mouth and the other ones in the ash tray, smoke filled the room. A servant was also in the corner of the room sweeping up pieces of porcelain from the vase Zhao broke earlier.
"MR. ZHAO! MR. ZHAO!" yelled a guard as he suddenly bursted open the office doors and entered the room.
"THERE'S BETTER BE A DAMN GOOD REASON FOR YOU TO BARGE IN HERE WITHOUT KNOCKING!" Zhao yelled as he put down his pen.
"Sir, the guards we have deployed have still failed to apprehend the prisoners. I have already received word that they have somehow overpowered all forces and have already reached the second floor." the exhausted guard quickly explained.
"YOU HAVEN'T CAUGHT THEM YET!" Zhao bellowed at the top of his lungs. He then pulled out a custom designed jade handled pistol, walked up to the guard, and aimed it at his head. "I GIVE YOU GUYS ONE SIMPLE TASK, JUST ONE, AND YET YOU STILL FAIL!"
"Sir..sir...I can tell you that these prisoners are no ordinary people you meet on the street. They have definitely retrieved professional training." the guard stuttered as Zhao kept his pistol aimed at his head.
"THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE FOR WHY YOU CAN'T CATCH THEM! IT'S MOMENTS LIKE THESE I WONDER WHY I KEEP INCOMPETENT GUARDS ALIVE." Zhao replied as he started to pull the trigger.
"I beg of you just calm down sir. Shooting me will not alleviate the situation. The main reason I came up here was to tell you that since the prisoners are on the second floor, we can assume they intend to head to this floor to get you. Based on this presumption, I suggest you escape from the area as quickly as possible."
Calming down slightly, Zhao instead whacked the guard on the head with his pistol. The guard immediately grasped his head in pain.
"Consider that a warning for incompetent behavior." Zhao replied. "Have my escort prepare the car for me while I gather some things. In the meanwhile recall all second floor guards to this floor and have them prepare a defense perimeter. You also have permission to use the special weapon we recently imported."
The guard, still clutching his head due to the injury, slowly saluted him before leaving. Once the guard left, Zhao also told the servant to leave also. The servant got up, bowed, and left the office.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Stupid guards can't do anything right." he said to himself as he opened an empty briefcase and started to place important documents and bundles of cash in it.
The sound of gunfire and bullets ricocheting everywhere was the only thing one could hear as the Zero Division continued shooting the remaining guards on the second floor.
"Ok guys, I think it's clear!" Park yelled as he shot a guard in the distance.
"Then lets continue moving forward! I highly doubt these were the last remaining guards on this floor." Kae replied as she stepped the body of a dead guard.
The Zero Division then continued their search for the flight of stairs that led to Zhao's office. While no guards were present in the immediate vicinity, all of them did not drop their guard and kept a close eye out for any potential threats or surprises.
"This doesn't feel right." Kae replied.
"What do you mean by that?" Seo asked.
"The fact that we haven't seen a single guard for five minutes is making me uneasy. I mean where are they all?"
"Perhaps after seeing how much ass we kicked, they got the message and retreated." Roh suggested.
"I doubt that." Park replied. "It makes no sense for them to simply just stop fighting. I also feel the Syndicate isn't the type of organization that cares about the wellbeing of it's forces."
"Whatever the reason is, just keep your guard up. We'll be ready for whatever they decide to throw at us." Kae replied.
It was then the Zero Division reached an extremely large flight of stairs. Kae then ordered the Zero Division to follow her lead. All of them started to quickly run up the stairs and down a long, large hallway decorated with numerous porcelain vases of various sizes.
"C'mon! Keep up the pace! We're almost near Zhao's office!" Kae yelled as she continued leading the charge.
She then turned a corner, only to face several guards positioned behind several boxes. Resting on one of the boxes was a M1917 Browning heavy machine gun mounted on a swivel. One guard could be seen aiming the gun while another guard monitored the ammunition belt being fed into it.
"FIRE!" yelled one of the guards at the top of his lungs while Kae immediately retreated.
"BUH-BUH-BUH-BUH-BUH-BUH!" repeatedly echoed through the air as the heavy machine gun shot a barrage of bullets. Because the heavy machine gun used higher caliber ammunition, the bullets that ricocheted off some of the hallway's stone masonry caused decent sized chunks of stone to fall off. When the gunner stopped shooting, the opposite end of the hallway looked completely destroyed.
Kae, who was breathing heavily, withdrew slightly and told the Zero Division to stop advancing.
"What the hell was that Kae?!" Jeong asked. "That didn't sound like any normal machine gun."
"That's because it wasn't. Based on my quick glimpse of it, along with the damage it managed to create in such a short period of time, I would have to guess it's a heavy machine gun."
"The Syndicate must've gotten it from overseas. While it doesn't surprise me they would have one, I would never think they would have one stored at a casino." Park replied. "Kae, do you have any ideas on how to get passed them?"
Kae, keeping her back to the wall, poked her eye out slightly in order see around the corner. Once again, she could see several guards assuming defensive positions behind several boxes alone with the large heavy machine gun. She then examined the area for any potential openings or hiding spots.
"From what I can tell, our options are practically non-existent. Based on the position of that heavy machine gun and the dimensions of the hallway, anything that appears will instantly be in its range of fire. Also without anything to use as cover, we'll be completely exposed."
The guard manning the heavy machine gun then caught a glimpse of Kae's eye protruding from behind the corner. He then instantly turned the heavy machine gun to its right and pulled the trigger.
Part of the hallway corner was obliterated as the bullets made impact while Kae once more retreated.
"The best course of action we could take is to find an alternate route to Zhao's office." she added.
"I JUST HEARD GUNFIRE COMING FROM UPSTAIRS! THAT'S MUST BE WHERE THEY ARE!" a distant voice yelled.
Suddenly the sound of multiple footsteps could be heard as it echoed across the long hallway.
"Kae, I don't think that will be possible." Seo replied. "Sounds like a lot of guards are coming up the stairs as we speak."
"Great now were trapped between a rock and a hard place." Roh complained.
Kae, realizing she and the rest of the Zero Division fell right into the Syndicate's trap, quickly came up with a temporary solution.
"Seo and Jeong! You guys keep the guards coming up the stairs at bay for the time being. Me, Park, and Roh will deal with the guards up ahead."
Acknowledging her order, both Seo and Jeong turned around and aimed their guns towards the staircase. When the heads of several guards could be seen popping up, the both of them let out a barrage of bullets, forcing the guards climbing up the stairs to retreat. They then would pop up once more and fire a few shots. Seo and Jeong, narrowly avoiding being hit, immediately returned fire.
"So how do you plan to deal with that heavy machine gun?" Park asked.
"Just give me a second to think." she frustratingly replied.
Kae, then quickly thought to herself and examined her surrounding for any ideas on how to deal with the guards ahead. While scanning the hallway, it was then she noticed a large door hanging on the wall labeled "FIRE HOSE".
"Guys! I just got an idea."
She then explained her plan to both Park and Roh. Though both believed the odds Kae's plan succeeding were extremely low, especially since it heavily relied on timing and some chance, the fact that there was no better alternative reduced their doubt.
Kae opened the door labeled "FIRE HOSE", revealing a large fire hose rolled on a reel that was connected to a large valve. Grabbing the nozzle, she pulled on the hose, causing it to unravel off the reel. Park approached Kae from behind and helped her lift the large hose while Roh positioned himself next to the wheel of the valve.
With everyone in position, Kae proceeded to up a shard of porcelain on the ground. She then threw the shard across the hallway. Seeing movement, the gunner instinctively reacted by turning the heavy machine gun from the right to the left as he let out another barrage of bullets.
Seeing that the gunner was aiming the heavy machine gun away from the corner that she was hiding behind, both Kae and Park went around the corner to face the guards. She then aimed the nozzle of the fire hose towards the gunner.
"NOW ROH!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
Roh, hearing her signal, quickly turned the large metal valve wheel. As the wheel turned, the rumbling sound of highly pressured water running through the length of the hose could be heard and felt. Eventually a powerful jet of water exploded out of the nozzle, forcing both Kae and Park to use all their strength to maintain control of the hose.
The highly pressured jet of water hit the gunner so hard that it knocked him down. Kae and Park then aimed the nozzle to the other guards. The other guards dropped their guns as they raised their hands in front of their faces in order to block the jet of water bombarding. This however was useless for the pressure of the water was to great for them to block, ultimately causing them to be knocked over too.
Kae and Park then dropped the fire hose, which was now wiggling around chaotically like a snake as it spewed water all over the hallway. The both of them then ran towards the now soaking guards, who were still somewhat disoriented and trying to get themselves back up. Not wanting to give them any opportunity for them to fire back, Kae and Park took out their guns and shot each guard without any hesitation.
"Roh! Seo! Jeong! It's all clear!" Kae yelled once she and Park eliminated every guard in the area.
Roh left his position to catch up with her while Seo and Jeong moved backwards as they continued to keep any pursuing guards at bay. Once they were all together, Kae instructed both Seo, Jeong, and Park to knock over the heavy machine gun so it couldn't be used. The three men then lifted the weapon with all their strength before allowing it to tip over. A loud "KABONK!" could be heard as the heavy machine gun crashed into the floor, causing part of the water-cooled barrel to dent and crack.
Once the heavy machine gun was rendered unusable, Kae and the rest of the Zero Division continued moving forward.
Frantically searching the safe hidden behind one of the wall panels, Zhao continued to gather anything of value such as money, jewelry, ledgers, and contracts. He then went over to his briefcase, which was already overflowing with valuables, and tried to stuff it in.
"Alright I think that's everything." he said to himself as he tried to close the briefcase. "Now all I have to do is get down to the car and..."
It was then the sound of the double doors leading to his office slamming open interrupted him. He immediately turned around and saw Kae along with the rest of the Zero Division standing in the doorway.
"WHAT! HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?! HOW DID YOU GET PASS ALL MY GUARDS?!" he yelled in disbelief as he pulled out his jade handled pistol.
A loud "BANG!" followed by the sound of Zhao screaming in pain could be heard as he let go of his pistol. As he gripped his now bleeding arm, he could see Kae aiming her smoking pistol at him.
"Consider that a warning shot." she replied as Zhao continued to moan in agony on the floor. "Now you are going to tell us where we can find Qian."
"I'll...I'll...never...tell you guys a single thing. When Mr. Qian hears about you did tonight...he will release his full wrath on whoever you guys work for." Zhao replied.
"I would like to see him try. But in the meantime you can tell me where we can find Qian." Kae said.
"Once again you won't get an answer..."
It was then Kae ordered Park, Jeong, and Seo to turn Zhao over on his back and keep in his arms and legs spread out on the floor. She then slightly dug the barrel of her pistol into Zhao's bullet wound, causing him to scream in agony.
"Now are you going to tell us or do we have to continue to play this game." Kae replied as she continued to dig the pistol into his wound.
"ALL RIGHT I'LL TELL YOU! PLEASE JUST STOP!" Zhao screamed as tears of pain fell from his eyes.
Zhao, now exhausted from all the painful suffering, told Kae the address where Qian could be found. Kae then had Jeong tear off a piece of his jacket so they could use it as a makeshift bandage for Zhao's wound. Once he was bandaged, they left the semi-conscious Zhao in the corner of the room.
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE! DON'T TELL ME THEY GOT TO MR. ZHAO!" a voice in the distance could be heard.
"Damn it! Forgot about those guys!" Kae said to herself. "We have to get out of here now!"
"But how?" Seo asked. "We already had a difficult time dealing with just a fraction of these guys."
"Also our guns are starting to run low on ammo." Jeong added.
Kae, realizing the predicament she was in, once again quickly brainstormed for an effective escape plan.
"Hey Kae, why not we just escape out the window." Park suggested as he looked out the window behind Zhao's desk. "It looks like there's a fire escape platform that winds around the corner of the building. I bet it leads to the street below."
Kae then walked over to the window so she could see the platform for herself. Upon looking out the window, she could see the platform Park was talking about below her.
She then turned the handle connected to the window frame in order to open it. However she discovered the handle wouldn't budge due to it being locked.
"EVERYONE STAND BACK!" she yelled as she pulled out her pistol and aimed it at the handle.
A deafening "BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!" echoed throughout the office as Kae fired several rounds into the window frame handle. She then approached the window once more and saw the bullets had practically destroyed the lock mechanism adjacent to the handle. Upon turning the handle, the window swung open, allowing a current of cold air to rush in.
"FOLLOW ME GUYS!"
Kae, followed by the rest of the Zero Division, slowly stepped outside onto the metal platform of the fire escape. Freezing air could be felt pestering their skin as they looked at the many lights from nearby buildings illuminating the city. One by one they carefully walked around the corner of the building and climbed down the multiple metal ladders that led to the next platform below.
Upon reaching the bottom, the Zero Division found themselves in the middle of an empty alleyway. Once they were all caught up with one another, Kae led them out of the alleyway.
As they reached the main street, they could immediately see numerous crowds of panicked guests still frantically exiting the casino. Wanting to hide amongst the panicking crowd in order to avoid detection by any potential guards they might still encounter, the Zero Division dropped the guns they were carrying in the alleyway before intermingling themselves with the frantic crowd.
Hiding amongst the frightened and panicking guests, the Zero Division managed to navigate themselves back to the parking lot where they had parked the limousine they arrived in earlier. Once everyone was in the limousine and accounted for, Park, who was sitting in the driver's seat, started up the engine and quickly drove back to the Black Army HQ so they could plan what to do next.
Author's Note: I would like to note that while I mentioned in the previous chapter that I would finish the "Embezzlement Arc" this chapter, I'm afraid it will going to have to wait next chapter. This chapter was the absolute longest and most exhausting I have ever written, something I totally did not expect. I'm also trying to move on with the story without it making it appear rushed. As to why the time between chapter releases has increased, it's because I am on a weekly basis switching back and forth between working on this and my novel.
Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter and as always would love to hear your thoughts and opinions.