Chapter 31: The Fierce Employer

In a rush and with nowhere to vent his frustrations, Richard Castle hurriedly made his way to Heaven Street, just before a group from the mysterious Dandongniuo family could take Kem away.

At this critical moment, Castle could no longer afford to hide his true identity. He had to rely first on the bulletproof helmet he had just put on and the mask underneath to get by, and then erase his own tracks from the city surveillance after the action using his hacking skills.

Frustrated and enraged, Castle could only take out his anger on the traffickers, who were blind to the consequences.

"Black Fox, I've arrived at the scene. It's that Citroën. Are your men in position?"

As soon as he arrived at Heaven Street, without even catching his breath, Castle eagerly made contact with the mercenary squad through his walkie-talkie.

"Yes, sir, our team is fully in position. Just give the order, and we can end the battle quickly."

Black Fox finally got the chance to show off his professional skills in front of the boss and happily responded over the communicator.

"Alright, prepare to assault! But, leave a survivor from the Dandongniuo family; I have questions for him. As for the other scum, send them all to meet Satan!"

Not wanting any complications, Castle decided to make a quick decision to save Kem and Amanda first, and get them to the U.S. Embassy as soon as possible after rescuing them to deal with the mastermind behind the scenes.

The mercenaries, already in ambush around the area, finally saw their mysterious employer get out of the car!

But why was the employer also dressed in urban combat gear? Was he planning to join the operation personally, fully armed with an M4A1? Damn, looking at the suppressor on the muzzle and the myriad of tactical attachments on the gun body, was he serious? Even the delicate employer was ready to join the assault with them? Was this guy just here to show off?

"Prepare—action!"

Before they could continue to ponder, the command from Castle came through the communicator.

Upon hearing the order, the mercenaries didn't think further. Each targeted their assigned targets and pulled the triggers.

The traffickers, who could only bully helpless foreign women, didn't even have time to resist before they were taken down by the heavily armed mercenaries.

And the rest, along with the mercenaries who were about to breach, witnessed a spectacular and formidable performance by a mysterious killer.

The only sniper in the mercenary squad, who was outside planning tactical support, watched in amazement as their employer raised his gun and with two beautiful triple shots, quickly and accurately took down two members of the trafficking ring at the entrance, then charged through the red door with standard assault steps, shoulder dropped and head low.

"Boss, I think Mr. C's skills might not be worse than any of us!" The sniper excitedly shared his discovery with everyone on the communication channel.

"Ha, of course I'm not worse than you guys. Come on, let me show you something impressive!"

Driven by the adrenaline rush, Castle, handling his M4 as if it were an extension of his own body, deeply experienced the gun handling skills of John Wick, completely letting himself go and laughing loudly over the communication channel.

Then, led by Black Fox, the mercenary squad witnessed a masterclass of slaughter.

Castle, with unerring shots, took lives with each trigger pull—three bullets each time, two in the chest and one in the forehead for each victim, ruthlessly and precisely executed by their own employer.

"Damn, who the hell is he?" The carnage before him made even Black Fox, accustomed to bloodshed, gasp in shock.

Castle's merciless precision, with two shots to the chest and one to the head, reminded Black Fox of a notorious figure, but according to his understanding of 'Night Devil', it couldn't be him; such tracking and protection were not his style. The legendary 'Night Devil' was known for his brash actions—if you dare provoke me, I'll end you!

Confused, Black Fox shook his head, reminding himself not to get distracted during combat, and focused on the employer who was now changing magazines and preparing to continue his rampage on the second floor.

"Black Fox, while I'm drawing their attention, go find those two girls and protect them. Make sure they are absolutely safe, understand?"

While ascending the stairs, Castle ordered Black Fox to protect the two girls he was there to save, to reduce the time he was exposed to enemy eyes.

The surviving leaders of the Albanian trafficking ring and four members of the Dandongniuo family, terrified by the unexpected and indiscriminate attack, crowded in a meeting room on the second floor, each desperately seeking a hiding place and trying to understand where the relentless attack was coming from.

"Mark, what's happening? Is it one of your enemies?"

The leader of the Dandongniuo family, clutching a Glock 17, hid behind a sofa and yelled at the Albanian trafficker.

"I don't know, but even if it were my enemies, they wouldn't have such terrifying efficiency and skills. They're not ordinary people; they must be professional soldiers or mercenaries..."

Mark, bewildered by the fierce assault led by Castle and the mercenary squad, finally snapped back to reality. Yet, it was too late. He had kidnapped so many people; who knew which celestial being he had provoked? Now, all he could hope was that those outside were not specifically there for him.

The footsteps outside were methodical, approaching the meeting room where several people were hiding.

"Who are you? If I have offended you, I can apologize or compensate..."

At the brink of life and death, even Mark, who usually considered himself the third most important after heaven and earth, couldn't stand it anymore and started to beg, hoping to clarify the origins of the murderous presence at the door.

"You think a light apology will suffice after forcing me to come here personally and no longer being able to safely hide behind the scenes as a master?"

Go to hell. Discuss your matters with Satan himself; I'll send you on your way!!!"

Castle was full of rage, ready to unleash all his pent-up frustration on the unfortunate souls inside the room.

Perhaps it was because he had once seen Marcus blow Igor-Tanasov's head off with a single shot during a previous operation with John, or maybe because he had frequently visited crime scenes with Beckett lately, but Castle, firing a gun and blowing heads for the first time, felt no discomfort.

Or maybe the current environment wasn't right for sorrow. At any rate, Castle, like a cool, collected professional killer, was determined to give those inside a one-way ticket to hell.

"Sir, we're not with them. We're from the Italian Dandongniuo family. You must have heard of our family name. We don't want to be your enemies. Please, let us go, okay?"

The representatives of the Dandongniuo family, who deeply understood the saying "every man for himself" in the face of great danger, mustered their courage to shout from inside, hoping to save themselves by abandoning their long-time associates or underlings.

Castle, who was just wondering how to avoid shooting the Dandongniuo family representatives during the assault, found they had just offered themselves up.

"Okay, drop your weapons, hands on your head, and back out slowly. I'll spare your life!"

Castle was cautious, using the tactics he'd learned from Beckett and her team.

Seeing this, Mark realized that if he let those four go, he would be left completely vulnerable.

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