Black Tide

Chapter Fifteen:: The Hunt

The air outside San Jose was thick with the pungent smell of pine and dust, the woods acting as natural cover for Marcus Vega’s safe house. Tucked into a secluded corner of the countryside, the compact estate was an armed fortress surrounded by mercenaries and state-of-the-art defenses. It was the perfect hideout for a man who thrived on paranoia.

Inside the safe house, Marcus Vega paced, sweat soaking through his expensive shirt. His phone buzzed with frantic updates from his dwindling network of allies.

“We need more men,” Vega barked at his lieutenant, a hulking brute named Victor Raines. “Where the hell is my backup?”

Victor shrugged, loading a shotgun. “Everyone’s scared shitless, boss. The cops are on our ass. The gangs are on our ass. And now, people are just being iced by this Black Tide who ever he, her, they are, they dont leave survivors.”

Before Vega could respond, every screen, light, and piece of electronics in the house shut down with a deafening pop. Sparks flew from shattered lightbulbs, and the estate was plunged into darkness.

“What the f**k—” Vega started, but his words were drowned out by a low, mocking chuckle emanating from the speakers that had moments ago been silent.

“Good evening, Marcus,” Pred’s voice echoed, calm and dripping with menace. “Let’s play a game. I’ve just turned your state-of-the-art fortress into a very expensive tomb. Don’t worry—you won’t be lonely for long.”

As the virus spread through the estate, guards scrambled to reboot their systems. Their efforts were futile. Pred had ensured no device within a mile would work.

Outside, Kaine approached, his armor blending seamlessly into the shadows. He watched as the mercenaries stumbled about, their night-vision goggles useless and their comms dead.

“Time to make some noise,” Kaine muttered.

The first guard never saw him coming. Kaine’s armored fist collided with the man’s temple, sending him crashing into a stack of wooden crates. Two more rushed in, rifles raised, but Kaine was faster. He vaulted over the first, grabbing the man’s weapon mid-air and twisting it into a mangled hunk of metal before slamming it into the second guard’s chest. The impact sent him flying into a wall, his spine bending unnaturally.

Kaine landed in a crouch, his HUD highlighting the remaining guards. “Pred, how many left?”

“Fifteen,” Pred replied. “Though I doubt they’ll last long.”

He moved like a shadow, silent and deadly. A knife arced toward his throat, but Kaine caught the blade, snapping it like a twig before driving his knee into the attacker’s sternum. The mercenary gasped, blood spilling from his mouth as he crumpled to the ground.

“Stop playing with your food,” Pred chided.

Kaine smirked, vaulting onto a balcony where two more guards were stationed. They opened fire, bullets ricocheting harmlessly off his armor. He dispatched them with brutal efficiency—a punch that shattered one man’s jaw and a spinning kick that sent the other tumbling into the yard below.

“Clean-up’s almost done,” Kaine said, scanning for Marcus.

Inside the house, Marcus Vega bolted through a back door, his heart pounding. The woods loomed ahead, dark and foreboding.

“Victor!” he screamed, but his bodyguard was nowhere to be seen.

He ran, branches scratching at his face and tearing his clothes. He thought he could hear footsteps behind him, but when he turned, there was nothing.

“Don’t do this, man,” he panted. “I’ll pay you. I’ll—”

A guttural growl cut him off. Two glowing red eyes emerged from the shadows, followed by the sleek, predatory form of a cybernetic dog. The beast’s metallic fangs gleamed in the moonlight, its body a deadly blend of sleek chrome and reinforced plating.

Behind it, another dog appeared, just as menacing.

“Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no,” Vega whimpered, stumbling backward.

“Run,” Kaine’s voice whispered through the trees.

And run Vega did.

The cyber-dogs gave chase, their movements eerily fluid as they weaved through the underbrush. Vega tripped, scrambling to his feet as one of the dogs lunged, its jaws snapping inches from his leg. He screamed, sprinting harder, but the beasts were toying with him.

Kaine followed at a leisurely pace, his armor gleaming faintly.

“Pred,” he said, watching the chase unfold, “how long do you think he can keep this up?”

“Two minutes, tops. He’s already running on fumes.”

Vega reached a clearing, his chest heaving. He turned to see one of the cyber-dogs circling him, its claws digging into the dirt. The second one flanked him, growling low.

“Please!” Vega begged, dropping to his knees. “I’ll give you anything! Just let me go!”

The cyber-dogs pounced. Vega’s screams echoed through the forest, cut short by the wet crunch of metal meeting flesh.

Kaine stepped into the clearing, his expression cold as he watched the dogs finish their work. They turned to him, blood dripping from their jaws, and he dismissed them with a wave. The creations dissolved into thin air, leaving no trace behind. A new part of his power he discovered. He can unmake anything that he makes except for food. Once he has turned something organic it is tied to the normal laws of the world. Strangely enough, his powers work on plants. He can use them as mass and create them. He randomly tried them on a dead body since he has had plenty to choose from lately and he could use the clothing and cybernetics as mass to create but the body itself was untouched. It is all very strange but he is learning.

“Pathetic,” Kaine muttered, walking away. “One down, two to go.”