Chapter 293: Counterattack
First, weapons that cause area damage, such as grenades, were absolutely off the table.
The floor was covered with his own people, and he didn't know if they would dodge a grenade, but he knew he could definitely take out at least one of them.
Because of the flashbang, Ron had barely regained his mobility, but his vision was still blurry, and he couldn't even shoot straight, as evidenced by that wild shot earlier.
In all his years, Ron had rarely found himself in such a tight spot.
"Mystery man, do you really think you can take down so many of us single-handed? Why don't you surrender now? I'm sure you can see we have no intention of killing anyone. Look, your teammates are still alive and breathing. We simply want to take something that rightfully belongs to me: the God's Eye system that you stole. It was mine to begin with."
Cipher called out tentatively, while her operatives, working in pairs back-to-back, began sweeping the room.
Bullshit! Ron cursed internally. That was clearly something Mr. Nobody had commissioned Ramsey to build. What the hell does it have to do with you?
But at the same time, Ron was also in a bind. The room was cramped to begin with, leaving him with little space for tactical movement. It was only a matter of time before Ron was captured, unless he could quickly neutralize the woman leading the opposing team.
Ron took a careful peek and saw that, not counting Dom, there were six of Cipher's operatives hunting him. Even if Ron hadn't been affected by the flashbangs, there was no way he could take them all out simultaneously.
Just as Ron was running out of options, a sudden vibration buzzed at his waist:
"Born in the USA, I was born in the USA, I'm a long gone Daddy..."
The strains of Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" echoed through the tense conference room.
Damn it! His phone was ringing! Who's the genius calling at a time like this?! Ron quickly silenced it, but it was too late.
"Right there!" Cipher shouted excitedly, and immediately, a hail of bullets shattered the surface of the column where Ron was hiding.
"Incoming grenades!" Ron yelled, and two black objects were thrown out from behind the pillar.
Cipher was shocked. Is this guy insane? There are so many of his own people in here, and he's throwing grenades? But she didn't have time to process it. One of her men quickly tackled her to the ground.
But the expected explosion never came. When Cipher looked up in confusion, she discovered that what Ron had thrown from behind the pillar weren't grenades at all.
They were clearly two combat boots! She'd been played by Ron again.
Ron took advantage of the moment when the enemy hit the deck and rushed out from behind the column. He dove next to a stunned federal agent, quickly grabbed the smoke grenade from his tactical vest and hurled it out.
"Hiss~"
The smoke began to spread, and soon filled the entire conference room. Everywhere she looked was a wall of white. Cipher felt sudden panic grip her heart.
"Come out here! You believe this? If you don't surrender, I'll execute your teammates right here, one by one, right in front of you!"
"Really? Then why don't you give it a shot? Can you kill my people faster, or can I kill yours?" Unfortunately, Cipher's hysteria didn't make Ron surrender. Instead, his mocking voice echoed from all directions.
It was as if Ron had multiplied into countless copies, taunting her from every angle. Even Cipher, with her exceptional intellect, hesitated for a moment before figuring out Ron's trick.
"Bluetooth speakers or cell phones? What a cheap parlor trick! How long do you think you can keep this up?" Cipher said dismissively, her nerves on edge.
"Argh!"
A sudden scream from one of her operatives came from the eleven o'clock position. Cipher's pulse spiked, and she fired several rounds in that direction, emptying half a magazine.
But the moment the gunfire stopped, another scream rang out from one of her men, this time from the five o'clock position.
Cipher was shaken, and she began to feel genuinely afraid.
Was this guy human or some kind of phantom? How could he be over there just now, then so quickly and silently appear behind another target?
Ron chuckled to himself. In reality, he hadn't been anywhere near the first scream. He had simply grabbed a coffee mug and chucked it over there, nailing someone.
Unfortunately, before the man could even explain what happened, Cipher had wasted him. While their attention was focused on that location, Ron had crept over and put a blade through another operative's heart.
He had holstered his sidearm. In the pitch-black smoke, the gunshot would only give away his position. He had removed his boots and was moving in just his socks, making virtually no sound, while he could hear the heavy footsteps of the intruders' tactical boots.
As soon as the smoke deployed, Ron had grabbed the phones closest to Letty and the others and connected them to a conference call, placing one every few steps, creating the illusion of voices coming from everywhere.
In an instant, a situation that had seemed like certain defeat was transformed by this one maneuver.
Combat requires improvisation, and Ron's phone ringtone had been his stroke of inspiration.
He spoke into the phone with a dark chuckle, "Eight."
"What?"
"There are eight kill zones on the human body: throat, spine, heart, carotid artery, liver, lungs, subclavian artery, and kidneys. Where do you want me to stick you first?"
Cipher felt ice run through her veins. She had never felt so close to death, and even more terrifying was that she hadn't even glimpsed her opponent since the battle began.
"No..." "Argh!"
Cipher opened her mouth, barely getting out one word when another scream erupted nearby. She was so close she could feel warm liquid splashing onto her face.
Cipher reached out and touched her cheek, then tasted it.
It was blood!
"Everyone, listen up! We're pulling out now!" Cipher made a snap decision.
Continuing to engage Ron here was definitely a losing proposition. This was supposed to be a quick strike, and after receiving the alarm that they were under attack, backup from other sectors would surely be en route. The longer they stayed, the worse their situation would become.
She didn't even dare execute any of the downed personnel, fearing that Ron would lose it and open up on them.
Ron was alone, while they were a full squad. With zero visibility and only suppressing fire, they would take casualties no matter what.
It was precisely this mutual fear that had created the current deadly stalemate.
(End of this chapter)
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