Black Tide

Chapter Eleven:: One by One

The night was heavy with the kind of silence that promised violence. Kaine stood on the rooftop of an abandoned warehouse in the heart of Los Angeles, his black armor blending into the shadows. Below him, one of the last lieutenants of the California Crimson Dawn cell, Luis “Blade” Moreno, held court with a dozen men in the parking lot of a run-down strip club called The Velvet Steel.

“Pred,” Kaine muttered, his voice calm but cold. “What’s the word on Moreno?”

Pred’s smooth, mocking tone crackled in his ear. “Moreno’s a real gem. Knife enthusiast, hence the nickname. Loves carving messages into his victims. Word is, he’s paranoid as hell since the others started dropping. He brought his crew here for ‘protection.’” Pred chuckled. “Cute.”

Kaine’s lips curled into a smile. “They’re not gonna protect shit.”

He adjusted his HUD, marking each thug below. The suit’s speakers clicked on, and a pulse of bass-heavy music erupted into the night. Kaine chose a track he liked—hard-hitting, fast, and relentless.

The moment the music hit, every head snapped upward. Moreno’s men scrambled, yelling over the blaring sound. Kaine stepped off the roof, landing with a thunderous crack that shattered the pavement. He stood tall, glowing red eyes cutting through the chaos.

“Who the f**k—” one of the grunts started, but Kaine’s pulse cannon cut him off mid-sentence. The blast threw the man backward into a car, shattering the windshield.

The others opened fire, bullets pinging off Kaine’s armor like pebbles. He moved through them with brutal precision, his retractable blades flashing in the dim light. One thug swung a crowbar, but Kaine ducked, slamming an armored fist into the man’s gut. The thug folded, and Kaine’s blade finished him with a swift, clean s***h.

Two more rushed him from opposite sides. Kaine fired his grappling hook, snagging one by the ankle and yanking him into the air. The second didn’t get a chance to swing—Kaine’s drone dropped from above, deploying a stun charge that left him twitching on the ground.

“Moreno hires amateurs,” Kaine muttered, stepping over the bodies.

Moreno had retreated into the club, slamming the door shut behind him. Kaine followed at a leisurely pace, letting the tension build. He blasted the door open with a pulse cannon, stepping into the garish neon-lit interior. The music from his suit echoed off the walls, drowning out the distant wail of sirens.

Moreno stood at the far end of the room, flanked by two bodyguards. His trademark twin blades glinted in his hands.

“Who the f**k are you?” Moreno demanded, his voice shaking despite the bravado in his stance.

Kaine tilted his head, taking his time. “I’m the tide,” he said simply. “And you’re in my way.”

The bodyguards moved first, one firing a shotgun while the other charged with a baton. Kaine dodged the blast, closing the distance with terrifying speed. His blade cut through the shotgun, then through the man’s chest in one fluid motion. The second bodyguard hesitated—too long. Kaine’s drone zipped in, firing a stun dart that dropped him where he stood.

That left Moreno.

“s**t,” Moreno hissed, backing up toward the bar. “You’re him. Black Tide.”

Kaine said nothing, advancing slowly. He could see the fear in Moreno’s eyes, the realization that there was no way out.

“You don’t have to do this!” Moreno tried. “I’ll give you anything—money, intel, whatever you want!”

Kaine stopped, his gaze cold. “You already gave me everything when you killed my family.”

Before Moreno could respond, Kaine’s blade shot out, slicing through one of his hands. The knife clattered to the floor, followed by Moreno’s scream.

Kaine grabbed him by the throat, slamming him onto the bar. “Where’s Vex?” he demanded, his voice low and deadly.

In all honesty, Kaine already knew where Vex was. He is just enjoying this s**t. Hm, if he ever decides to go the therapy he probably shouldn't mention this.

Moreno gasped, blood dripping from his mouth. “f**k you.”

Kaine sighed, pressing harder. “Wrong answer.”

As he worked, his HUD pinged with an incoming message.

Jalisa: “Hope you’re not working too hard. Still saving kittens?”

Kaine smirked, momentarily pausing his interrogation to reply.

Kaine: “More like cleaning up garbage. What about you?”

Jalisa: “Drinking coffee, shut the f**k up I do what I want, and watching Reality Rebels. I’m so basic.”

Kaine: “Not basic. You’re consistent. That’s a compliment. And I wasn't even going to say anything. Your Caffeine Addiction is totally not on my mind.”

Jalisa: “Coming from the guy who eats protein bars for dinner, I’ll take it. And f**k YOU!

Kaine chuckled, his mood lightening despite the blood on his hands.

Kaine: “I’ll call you after this. Promise.”

Jalisa: “Dont just be inviting yourself to my phone. But, you better.”

He turned his attention back to Moreno, who was barely conscious. “Let’s try this again,” Kaine said, his tone sharp. “Where’s Vex?”

Moreno coughed, his resistance finally breaking. “Warehouse… north side… Dock 47…”

Kaine dropped him, stepping back. “Good boy.”

He turned, walking away as Moreno writhed on the floor. A small device dropped from Kaine’s hand, landing next to the man. It blinked once, then detonated in a contained burst, reducing Moreno and the bar to ash.

Kaine walks out of the flames. Music was still blasting, and flames were rolling off his armor. And yeah, one of his drones got that s**t on video. f**k YEAH!

“Yeah,” sighs Pred. There is not a therapist on Earth who can save you.”