8 A Raid I
Perched atop a tree branch, I raised the binoculars to my eyes and peered through them, adjusting the wheel focus until I had a crystal clear view of the small compound ahead.
The compound beyond the perimeter wall was well-lit by lampposts stationed at the corners and fluorescent bulbs shining from inside the two-story white house.
Two young men in pure white robes, holding standard AK-47 rifles with Zat'nik'tels strapped to their sides, stood sentry at the edges of the compound, spaced out just above the perimeter wall.
Two other young men in the same apparel, equipped with the same ordnance, stood on porches on the left and right sides of the building, on the last level near the brown roof.
I watched quietly as they eyed their surroundings diligently like hawks, their hands firmly gripping their rifles, and their feet unmoving. It was almost uncanny the way they stood, like armed statues.
Their posture reminded me of Jaffa, and they had that look, that crazed religious fervent look that every Jaffa in service of their false gods had. The look that showed they'd shoot themselves in the head with a wide grin if their beloved god told them to. It was a very dangerous look.
The hum of an engine made me shift my binoculars to the left as a black van stopped behind the wide metal gate that barred entry to the compound.
One of the guards quickly skipped to it and slid it back, opening it for the van to drive through. Another black van trailed behind it, and as the guard slid the gate back to a close, the cars came to a halt, parking a few meters away from the house.
I observed as two men in white tailored clothing dropped down from their respective cars, moved to the boot, and raised it up.
Because of the placement and position of the cars, I couldn't see what was being kept in the boot, but I didn't have to, as the two guards stepped to it and, together with the two drivers, started carrying boxes, metal trunks, and plastic bags into the house.
Patiently, I watched them move back and forth, taking more boxes and bags into the house slowly and carefully.
The back and forth lasted a while, but eventually, they came for the last batch of goods and closed the trunks with a muffled bang, disappearing into the house.
They didn't come out again. Just to be on the safe side, I waited for ten minutes, expecting at least the two guards to come back to their posts, but they didn't. And it brought a smile to my face.
"This is it," I muttered as I slipped the binoculars into my black tactical vest and swiftly jumped down from the branch I was perched atop.
Landing on the grass-covered ground with a faint thud, on one knee, I hissed in pain as the shock seeped into the bones of my legs, numbing them a little, and rose unsteadily to my feet.
"Shitty Ashrak muscle memory," I clicked my tongue, cursing in annoyance as I shook my legs to get rid of the ache and numbness in them. "How hard is it to remember that this body doesn't have a symbiote anymore?"
I sighed helplessly, my eyes scanning my surroundings briefly for any disturbance, as I crouched down at the base of the tree, shifting away the thick branches that hid the existence of my black duffel bag.
All around, surrounding me, was a mini-forest filled with thick trees crawling with green thorny vines, small pine plants, wild bushes, different kinds of short plants, and an uneven moss- and grass-covered ground.
The cold wind whipped me, making me shiver, rustling the leaves of plants around me as I unzipped the bag and took out some black metal parts.
Soft clicks sounded as I pieced and joined the parts together, forming a slim black tranquilizer gun. Nodding at the sight, I took out a small box filled with five black darts and loaded two darts into the gun, keeping the rest in one of my vest pockets.
Zipping the bag closed with one hand, I hid it under the branches again and held the tranquilizer gun firmly with both hands, the buttstock pinned to my shoulder.
I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with chilly air scented by the aroma of the plants around me, exhaled slowly, and with my eyes fixed on the lit perimeter wall ahead, I began creeping towards it slowly with barely audible steps, exploiting the foliage around me as cover.
I was inside Setesh's property, his backyard, so to speak. I'd been here for a little over three hours, busy scouting the perimeter to make sure there weren't any new variables that would compromise my plans.
This wasn't my first time here. I came here yesterday, after surviving nine and a half hours of bus travel from Montana to Seattle and then another half-hour of traveling from the main Seattle to this place, Shoreline, the small town north of Seattle where little ol' Setesh was camping.
Not wanting to draw any attention by going directly to his home address, I got off at a neighborhood close to it and walked the rest of the way to this place. Getting here was when the real work started.
I had to conduct a preliminary surveillance operation to collect intelligence on Setesh's base of operations. That involved first walking around his whole property to get a lay of the land.
Setesh's property was huge and very wide. He had the entire land ringed completely by strong, sturdy, and tall metal fencing that protected it from intruders in every direction.
The annoying thing about his land was that most, about eighty percent of it, was useless. It wasn't used by him, just a mini-forest or woodland garden filled with tall thick trees, vines, pines, bushes, moss, and a little grass.
The main house or compound was located deep in the property, way past the woods, behind a short perimeter wall that served as a barrier separating it from the mini-forest.
After I was done getting all I needed from the outside, it was time to get into the property to get the vital pieces of information I'd need for my raid, but the fencing was in the way.
Luckily, I never went anywhere without my harakesh. Activating the telekinetic module allowed me to blast a sizable opening through the fencing, allowing me to sneak in.
Immediately, I started scouting and surveying the property, taking note of the layout of the main compound, the number of guards or sentries, patrol schedules, etc.
After hours of dutiful recon, I got tired and sneaked out of the place through where I came from. Then I went to the town, found myself a cheap motel, got a room, and then got some sleep, the little that I could before nightmares set in.
I spent the whole of this morning training, getting myself in shape and familiarizing myself with my muscle memory, battle instincts, fighting technique, etc., to get more used to my body.
The afternoon, on the other hand, was used to get the equipment, gadgets, tools, and weapons I needed. Some of them, like the tranquilizer gun in my hand, weren't easy to find in a small town like this, but with determination and a little bit of persuasion, I got them.
After making sure I had everything I needed and going over my plans once more, I brought myself here the moment night fell, and I'd been here ever since.
Just watching the movements of the guards, waiting for the optimum moment to commence this mission, and finally, after long hours of waiting on a tree, it had appeared.
There were two guards instead of four securing the compound now. Guards I could take out easily without causing any commotion. It was time to put my plans into motion...
Cresting a small moss-covered hill shrouded by tall bushes, a couple of meters away from the wall on the right, I laid my body carefully flat on its bristly surface.
Making sure every inch of my body was well shielded by the greenery, I adjusted my gun and placed it in front of me so that its muzzle was pointed at the house.
Viewing through the scope with my right eye, I shifted the gun until the crosshairs were level on the neck of one of the guards standing proudly on the porch and then shifted it again for the crosshairs to fall on the neck of the other guard.
Mentally calculating the distance between them and the time it'd take for each shot, I inhaled deeply and held it, initiating a meditative combat technique ingrained into each and every Ashrak with a single thought.
Everything instantly went silent, my ears tuning out every sound except for my faint heartbeat. My eye became laser-focused on the first target, and my mind sharpened to the point that everything narrowed to clarity.
The next second, my finger pressed the trigger, and with a minute whistle , a dart shot out of the muzzle, cutting through the air towards the neck of my first victim.
