Hangman:, Nick Venom [nice books to read .TXT] 📗

Hankins said.

Brooks nodded. “It is a possibility, especially since Crude has been working on drones and improved technology. Who knows if he’s implanted tracking devices into you somehow. Maybe it’s a small tablet that he slipped into your drinks or something that he put into your clothes.”

Dennel and the others nodded, excluding Clyde; he remained seated, staring at a blank wall in front of him. 

“Then… that’s all, sir?” Harrison asked. “We give in and sleep for the night as if our lives aren’t in danger? We’ll be dead by dawn!”

“Harrison!” Dennel barked, staring at him. Harrison stared back, both of them engaging in an uncomfortable atmosphere of silence for a few seconds. “Watch your mouth.” She demanded. Harrison didn’t respond, balling up his fist. However, he didn’t strike anything. He turned around and walked around, going to calm his head. Wales watched Harrison walk away before approaching Brooks.

“Is there anything else we can do... sir? Some of us have families and loved ones waiting for us at home. We can’t let them down.” Wales said, his head clearer than ever. 

Brooks shook his head. “All we could do is wait for dawn.”

“What about posting a video online?” Wales suggested.

Brooks shook his head again. “Sounds like a good plan, but Crude must have people monitoring the internet for anything about me. They’ll block the video and track the IP address. We need a news station, hopefully, a major one, to report about us. It’ll be harder to stop the information outflow if it’s a news station. And I can’t afford to use my personal account or it won’t be any different from posting a video.”

Dennel bit her lip. “He’s right. Every option is risky, but… the news station option is our best bet. We have to go with that.” She said. The others, excluding Clyde and Harrison, nodded their heads in agreement. “Then let’s retire for the night. Harrison and I will take the first shift. Wales and Hankins will follow us up on the second shift.” She ordered everybody. They nodded, quickly dispersing. Wales and Hankins went to sleep in preparation for the second shift while Harrison quickly left the building and went to patrol the perimeter. Brooks and Clyde remained behind, sipping on drinks while chatting. Dennel, who wanted to follow after Harrison, decided to put work over relationships. She began the first shift immediately, guarding the president in his usual bodyguards’ stead. His bodyguards were killed by Hangman before Brooks was captured. They were all loyal men who served Brooks to their last moments.

Now, Dennel acted in their stead.

***

“We tracked them to an address of 7847 south Bright Street. You know what to do, right?” Crude asked a young man dressed in black tactical gear. The man had the helmet off, exposing his caramel face, black eyes, and charcoal hair. His hair extended to his shoulders, curving at the ends. The man was astoundingly handsome, gaining some envy from Crude who wasn’t as good-looking. 

The man nodded immediately. “I do, sir.”

“Good… are they ready? I want Operation 87 completed by dawn.” He ordered.

The man nodded. “It will be, sir.”

“Good, Mr. Hull. I hope you return with results… otherwise, I’ll find a new candidate for the leader position. Your second-in-command has been excellent regarding similar matters.” He threatened.

Hull nodded. “I won’t fail you, sir.”

“Good, I trust Task Force 147 with you at the helm.”

“The fakes will be dealt with, immediately. Your results will arrive hours before dawn hits. I can ensure you that.” He said, grinning devilishly.

Crude smiled wickedly. “I’ll be waiting for it.”

***

“It’s almost three in the morning, you aren’t tired?” Brooks asked Dennel. 

Dennel shook her head. “I’m not, sir. I’ve been awake for longer. This is nothing for me.”

Brooks nodded. He glanced behind him. Clyde was snoozing in a recliner, but not before he activated his electric fence---which Brooks and the others would’ve liked a warning about---and checking the perimeter once more. Now that his precautions were set, he slept like a baby. A big snoring baby. 

Brooks turned back to Dennel who was peering out of a window at Harrison’s silhouette. He was patrolling the perimeter for the last few hours. 

“Again, I want to apologize. I… I brought you all here.”

“Mister President, there is nothing for you to apologize about. We should’ve known something was up with Crude. His name was a big hint already.” She said, facing him.

Brooks smiled. “Yeah, it is.” He turned away from Dennel, approaching the hallway leading to the bedrooms. “Make sure to get some sleep, Mary.”

“Will do, sir.” She said. “Once I can.”

Brooks nodded, facing her. “Oh, and I’m sorry to build up any tension between you and Harrison. I never meant to cause anything.”

Dennel shook her head. “Don’t worry about it, sir. I’m sure he’s overly stressed about our situation. Everything will work out in the morning.”

Brooks nodded. “I hope so,” He said before retiring for the night. This left Dennel the last one in the house awake. Everybody else was fast asleep and Harrison was outside, still affected by Dennel’s words. 

Dennel watched him as he continued to patrol the perimeter, passing by the window she peered out of several times. The ninth time he made his rounds, Dennel noticed something weird. Harrison, who was walking normally, began limping. He then spun around as if he was being attacked.

What’s happening? She thought as she raised her gun. She watched as Harrison collapsed to the ground, several people approaching his body. Two of them grabbed him and began taking him away.

Dennel spun around, hoping that the people outside didn’t notice her. She turned towards Clyde, running towards him and shaking him violently. He awoke instantly, staring at her with an eyebrow raised. “What’s happening?” He asked.

“Intruders. They got in.” She told him. Clyde’s eyes widened in response, jumping off the recliner and looking under it. He had a shotgun prepared. 

“Thanks, go wake the others. I’ll make sure they don’t get past the front door.”

Dennel nodded, turning away. She ran through the hallway leading to the bedrooms, arriving at Brooks’ room first. “Sir, get up. We have intruders!” She informed him. He nodded, not doubting her. “Follow me, sir.” She told him before turning away. She ran to the bedroom with Hankins and Wales, rushing to their sides. 

Before she could wake them up, several gunshots went off. They sounded like a shotgun and an assault rifle going off. Damn, the intruders made contact faster than expected! She thought as she violently shook her comrades. They awoke rather quickly, staring up at her in confusion. “We got intruders. Grab your weapon and head out. A confirmed five people, two of them grabbed Harrison.”

“They got him? What happened?” Wales asked.

“Don’t know. Let’s focus on the president’s safety.” She told them. Wales stared at her strangely before grabbing his weapon and equipping his bulletproof vest. Hankins followed Wales’ lead, both of them ready within half a minute.

Now with more manpower, they rushed to the living room and dispersed. Dennel positioned Hankins to assist Clyde while positioning Wales with Brooks. She took care of the back entrance, the only other way to get into the building. She looked down the iron sights, waiting for the first person to reveal themselves.

Meanwhile, Hankins fought off the intruders with Clyde. They shot down a few people that tried to barge in through the front door but missed many more behind them. More than a dozen people were assaulting the front. 

“Damn, we’re in trouble now,” Clyde remarked.

“These are Crude’s people?” Hankins asked.

“Must be, unless I owe debt collectors and they finally came to get me. I wouldn’t know the difference.” He remarked, holding the trigger whenever he thought he could hit someone. “Don’t focus on who these people are. Focus on-” He heard the click of a pistol chambering a bullet behind him. Clyde furrowed his brows as he turned around. Hull stood behind him, pistol aimed at Clyde’s face.

“Well, ain’t that something. How did you get in? The back door?” Clyde questioned. “Because everything’s boarded up.”

“Not the roof.” Hull coldly remarked.

Hankins, who by now recognized what was happening, tried to turn the rifle he held on Hull but he was quicker. He shot off a bullet that entered Hankins’ right shoulder and incapacitated him for a few minutes. 

“Front clear, do a clean sweep!” Hull ordered. His men, who were being held outside by Clyde and Hankins, rushed inside and grabbed both men. They dragged them away, bounding, gagging, and blindfolding them in the process. They were thrown into a government van alongside an unconscious Harrison.

“Half is in the van. The other half has been surrounded.” A woman dressed in the same black attire as Hull remarked. Her helmet was equipped, hiding her features.

“Good job, Valdez. Let’s finish the job. I have a promise on the line.”

“As always, sir.” She remarked before walking by him and joining the other men that descended from the roof. They had climbed the walls, out of sight of the windows, and broke a hole into the roof - they used the gunfire to cover the sounds. With the hole in the roof cut, they descended into the house and flanked their targets.

“Sir, we got them!” A man in the same attire as the olds shouted as Hull and Valdez emerged into the room. The man pointed at Dennel, Brooks, and Wales. They had been flanked since their attention was on the backdoor as it was the only other entrance in Dennel’s mind. 

They were easily disarmed, now kneeling on the ground with guns pointed at their heads. Hull approached them, grinning. “You were…?” He started as he stared at Dennel. “Oh, you were the fakes’ leader, Mary Jane Dennel. Spider-Man’s girlfriend.” He joked, grinning at himself in satisfaction. 

Dennel scowled at him. “You’re working under Crude, aren’t you?” She barked.

Hull didn’t respond, glaring at her. “With. Not under him.” He then turned away from her. “Let’s wrap up the job. Close the doors and turn the fence back on.” He ordered. “The fakes have been captured.” 

“By the true Task Force 147, right?” Valdez chimed in.

Hull nodded with a smirk before turning to face Dennel. “Yes… by the true task force. By the true leader, Levi Hull.” He turned away, approaching Valdez. “Let’s go. I have a promise to fulfill.”

***

Dennel and the others were loaded into the van alongside Harrison while Hull and several of the other living members dealt with the dead bodies, loading them into a separate van, before driving away from the house. 

Hull ordered both vans to reach a specific direction that he was instructed to go after capturing the targets. Both drivers listened to him without a shred of doubt, headed to the destination he pointed out.

Several hours of traveling on highways and small streets led them far into a desolate area. They drove for another hour before Hull ordered them to stop. They were at the destination, sitting next to a large hill. On the side of the large hill was the metal entrance to an underground bunker

“We’re here, park the van, and let’s go” Hull ordered. Valdez nodded, shifting the van from drive to park. The other van followed suit.

With both vans parked, Hull jumped out before being followed by the rest of his team. Hull stared at them as they disembarked, all staring at him for an order. He gave them what they needed.

“Team 2 will take the bodies and bury them. Then patrol and await further instructions. Team 1 on me.” He ordered. His team nodded, rushing to complete their tasks. Valdez, who was sitting on the hood, now approached him.

“Everything’s ready. Load the prisoners inside?” She asked.

“I can’t give that order. We’ll wait for-”

“Wait for me?” A man asked. Hull and Valdez turned around to see a lanky man standing behind them. “Load them in.”

“Yes, sir,” Hull said, saluting him.

“Please, call me Lorenzo. Now come on, let’s get inside.” He told them. Hull nodded, turning around and ordering his team around. They followed his order instantly, grabbing