The small steel key lay silently on David Vexley's thigh. Its metallic gleam reflected the dim light from the hallway, contrasting sharply with his dirty and blood-soaked fabric trousers.David slowly looked up. His vision, still clouded by grey shadows, stared straight at the man in front of him. Half of the man's face was a pile of red flesh melted and fused with his cheekbone, scars of high-degree burns that made his appearance resemble a street demon.Behind that ruined face, David's remaining tactical brain tried to dig up a memory. A dirty shirt, a torn leather jacket with the remains of a rotting dog emblem on its shoulder."You," David's voice came out as a hoarse growl that was barely audible. "You are one of Silas's stray dogs."The man snorted cynically, revealing his partially charred teeth. "Call me Lieutenant. I am the man you roasted alive in the north warehouse that night, Miller. Or Vexley, whatever your real name is.""Why are you here, Lieutenant?" David asked witho

"Forgive me, Boss," Isabella whispered softly to the empty air, letting her body relax to welcome eternal darkness.The whistling sound of wind slicing the air was razor-sharp as the hundred-kilogram steel blade plummeted at deadly speed. Isabella and Mei Lin held their breath, waiting for the cold impact that would sever their heads from their necks.However, that death never arrived.HONK HONK! HONK HONK!The incredibly deafening and harsh roar of an air horn suddenly drowned out the cheers of the spectators and the grinding of the guillotine machine. From the direction of the blockaded main highway, a massive fuel tanker truck sped wildly out of control. The giant vehicle slammed into the concrete security barricades at full speed, crushing the row of international television cameras to pieces."Look out! Out-of-control truck!" shouted the security commander from below the stage.Chancellor Vane turned his head with wide eyes, his victorious smile vanishing instantly.The brutally

"Give him the AK-47 from that wooden crate." Boris's heavy voice echoed, breaking the tension that had just occurred. The large rebel leader rubbed his jaw, staring at David who was still standing, panting. "And give him live ammunition. No blanks. He will need them to pierce the heads of those corporate people," Boris continued, turning toward the armory table. The damp subway station instantly turned into a makeshift weapons factory. The stuffy air was now filled with the shrill sound of grinding machines cutting metal. Blue and orange welding sparks flashed in every dark corner, illuminating the hardened faces of the criminals who were now David Vexley's only allies. There was no more high technology. There were no cosmic energy shields. They relied solely on scrap metal. On a dirty concrete table, Mei Lin helped several men assemble pipe bombs. They poured agricultural fertil

The agonizing scream of a small child seemed to echo across space and time, piercing the boundaries of concrete and steel layers, striking the inner soul of a father walking in the darkness. David Vexley paused his steps for a moment in the middle of a dirty puddle. His heart throbbed with excruciating pain. He could not hear it physically, but the blood tie remaining in his mortal body screamed one absolute message. Arthur was being tortured."What is it, Dave? Why did you stop?" Franky asked from behind. The young man held a captured rifle with trembling hands."There is no more time," David answered, his voice sounding incredibly hoarse and filled with suppressed despair. "They have started touching my son."They moved again, navigating the long-abandoned New York subway tunnels. The brick walls around them were mossy and smelled of urine. David's completely paralyzed and numb left arm had been tied tightly to his torso using a thick cloth belt. He did that s

The idea of drowning the glass tower was not merely an empty threat. The rainstorm beat down cruelly once again outside, masking the movements of a group of humans who had lost everything. They left the old garage, navigated the flooded suburban streets, and entered the gaping dark mouth of the city's wastewater drainage sewer.The air inside the underground tunnel was incredibly cold and dense. The smell of ammonia, sulfur, and human feces immediately stung the nasal cavity, making eyes water. The remnants of David's troops limped through calf-deep sewage water. The sound of splashing dirty water echoed off the circular concrete walls. Giant sewer rats scattered, running to avoid their footsteps.Isabella dragged her right leg with great difficulty. The tractor suspension pipe drilled directly into her remaining thigh bone emitted a sickening metallic scraping sound every time it struck the bottom of the ditch. She bit her lip, enduring the pain from the amputation wo