Munitions Empire Chapter 2025 - 1887: Two Prey

Black combat boots stomped ruthlessly, kicking Sofia’s blood-smeared pistol across the concrete surface. It slid along, dragging a vivid streak of blood, before slamming into the roadside stairs with a heavy metallic thud.

Sofia had no view of whether anyone snatched the gun, her sight fully blocked by a forest of legs.

Right then, a brutal hand grabbed her wounded wrist and wrenched it viciously, yanking the detonator from her desperate grip. Excruciating pain lanced through her shoulder, as though her bones were pulverized into dust.

Her shoulder took the bullet because she’d been brandishing the detonator just before the shot; thus, the sniper spared her arm and targeted the shoulder precisely.

She never dreamed so many rough hands would paw at her without mercy. Revulsion churned in her gut, igniting a shame unlike any before. Her grand scheme, her elaborately devised plot, collapsed in total humiliation. Failure’s frigid wave crashed over her, stealing her breath.

Agony pulsed from her shoulder in waves, her wrist throbbed like shattered bones, and her knees scorched with fire. Three shots had struck her vital spots dead-on, paralyzing her instantly. The expert snipers carried out their mission with perfect precision, no errors whatsoever.

Dropping her gaze to her ruined wrist, she saw jagged bone shards exposed, her palm dangling limp as if ready to sever. The bullets had masterfully neutralized her, crippling the right hand that once wielded her pistol.

At that instant, every trace of her poise and sophistication vanished, replaced by sheer ignominy. Her crimson gown hung dirty and disheveled, while her once-vibrant red tresses splayed on the ground like trampled weeds.

No thunderous blast echoed as hoped, no inferno blazed into view. She couldn’t grasp why the electromagnetic interference blanketed her location so thoroughly. From what she knew before, gear that potent demanded massive bulk, like the hold of an airplane.

She couldn’t comprehend how the enemy hauled in the jamming device so swiftly. Only by beholding their latest jammer—scarce bigger than a cellphone—would she grasp the dreadfully superior tech of the Great Tang Empire.

"Hold her down! Check thoroughly! See if she has any other weapons!" A gravelly voice barked right by her ear, its authoritative edge leaving no room for defiance.

One guard clamped her shoulder, pinning her immobile. The rest frisked her form with crude hands, amplifying her mortification. Now blood-drenched and degraded, she lacked all her prior seductive grace.

Imperial Security Bureau operatives displayed zero compassion, driven only to finish the search fast and miss no threats. Chaos filled the area with blood splatters everywhere, as someone already radioed for medics.

Absent the command from superiors to take Sofia alive, the snipers would’ve picked a simpler end. They preferred neat headshots to dispatch foes cleanly. Yet the brass craved secrets from her lips, forcing this softer tactic.

...

One kilometer off from the Observation Platform, a shadowy back alley under night’s veil glowed faintly from a yellow streetlight battling the gloom. A figure in a gray trench coat strode fast, his coat flapping sharply in the breeze. His steps raced, breaths came in gasps, like some savage hunted him. The passage stretched deep and tight, flanked by high brick walls that swallowed the moonlight, lending an ominous chill.

Upon entering the alley, he spotted a hulking shape rooted at its far end. The black-garbed man stood statue-like amid shadows, exuding crushing menace. His chest tightened in dread, he faltered for a second, then steadied his breath, masked his panic, and marched ahead.

He fought to steady his face, concealing the terror inside. Feigning idle looks around, he hunted for getaway paths. But the alley’s stark layout revealed everything end-to-end, offering zero cover.

Midway through, he sensed a second massive form materialize at the alley mouth behind him. This one bulked equally huge and bullish, sealing his way back. Caught between twin black-clad titans, he lay ensnared like bait in a trap.

"This is Chang’an! Friend! Robbery? Not a good idea." He compelled words out, stalling desperately for a chance. A faint quiver in his tone exposed the strain gnawing within.

He attempted to appear casual, thrusting his hands into his coat pockets, though sweat slicked his palms. A sniper rifle hid inside the coat, with a handgun tucked in his pocket; these final weapons sparked his deepest anxiety. Slaying the Emperor proved no simple task, and despite viewing his scheme as flawless and his moves as hidden, getting caught was beyond his worst fears.

Right then, he strained to seem nonthreatening, yearning for his foes to see him as nothing more than a typical sightseer, granting a slim hope of slipping away. Regrettably, the enemies refused to offer him any such opening.

"If I were you, I wouldn’t go for the handgun inside your coat!" The muscular man barring his way declared icily, laying bare his aims. He pressed ahead steadily, his robust frame hurling an enormous shadow that loomed like it would swallow him alive.

At the same instant, the other figure at the alley mouth started advancing too, his tone icy as he warned, "That sniper rifle will delay your response time, and it’s quite dangerous. I suggest you drop it."

The man realized his cover was blown—no pretense could save him anymore. Rage boiled up; he hurled the sniper rifle from beneath his coat and lunged for the handgun in his pocket, bracing for a final, frantic battle.

Yet the instant shots cracked the air, searing pain exploded in his shoulder. The rooftop sniper had aimed long ago, nailing him dead in the joint. He howled, the handgun tumbling from his fingers to the pavement.

Gripping his oozing shoulder, he crumpled to his knees in torment. He gazed upward at the two black-garbed men closing in, utter hopelessness swirling in his stare.

The nearest agent booted the dropped handgun aside, then delivered a sharp kick to his knee, snarling, "Resist?"

The trailing agent surged forward as well, planting a boot in his chest that floored him, mocking with a sneer, "Looking to die!"

The man let out a pained groan, his form twisting into a ball, stripped of any power to fight back.

"Target subdued!" The Imperial Security Bureau agent reported coldly into the earpiece communicator pressed near the huddled captive.

"Take him where he needs to go!" Came the order crackling from the communicator.

In the mission control room, Li’ao lowered the communicator and pivoted to his nearby assistant. "Looks like they’ve exhausted their ploys. Alert every ops team... close the net!"