Eland wiped the corner of his slightly injured lip, also noticing the scratch on his right arm. It wasn't much, but Eland detested anything that harmed his body. The sword remained steadfast in his hands, stained with blood. A thin grin appeared as his opponent approached once again.
"Well, it seems you can still stand," Eland laughed.
Ever since Sam was escorted by Herry and Jimmy Lee, who looked down on all of them, Eland and Hugo had not let their guard down. They knew that once Sam entered the police-escorted convoy, no one was allowed to leave the stronghold.
Herry and his desire to destroy Sam had been evident in his gaze for a long time.
Would they let it go?
Oh... certainly not!
Although their leader was forced to leave the stronghold, his loyal followers had prepared for the worst. They would not remain idle. Just like now. A gunshot aimed at Eland moments after the convoy with Sam inside indicated that the inevitable clash between the police and the Twin Dragons clan was approaching.
Eland was not an easy target in a gunfight. His hands were agile enough to change the trajectory of the bullets and hit the enemy only with his sword. "Let's have some fun, Hugo," he said as one of the enemies collapsed due to a stray bullet.
There was no doubt for Eland and Hugo to retaliate against every attack. Perhaps the enemy thought that Sam only had a handful of troops in this stronghold. Unfortunately, they forgot that loyalty among those who had been associated with Sam was not something to be taken lightly. Herry deployed his two elite squads, numbering nearly thirty people.
They held their weapons ready to resist Hugo and Eland, who stood in their way.
"Attack them!" shouted one whom Hugo believed was the commander of this ambush unit. Unfortunately... only a small fraction moved forward. Suddenly, everything felt strange. Among Herry's deployed forces, the majority turned and protected Sam's stronghold.
The weapons in their hands, which were initially aimed at Eland and Hugo, were now turned towards the one who gave the orders. Not just one or two, but the majority. That was nothing compared to the elite troops that Sam had, one by one emerging from their hiding places. They were all armed and ready to fight.
At a glance, it was clear that Herry's requested force to capture any of Sam's subordinates was outnumbered. The difference was vast.
"What is this?" yelled one of Herry's troops. He roughly removed his protective helmet visor. His anger surged upon seeing that the majority of the troops under his command had betrayed him. "You cowards!"
"Sorry, boss. We're not cowards." One of those who turned to support Eland stepped forward. He used his long-barreled rifle like a staff, with its end aimed directly at the commander's face. "We know where our loyalty lies."
"Damn it!" he cursed with vengeance.
A shot was fired towards the troops that he once knew as his colleagues. Unexpectedly, the victory that was within his reach turned against him.
"Finish it quickly," Hugo ordered just before he ruthlessly disabled one of Herry's troops. The shot Hugo just fired hit his opponent's chest precisely. Meanwhile, Eland skillfully wielded his sword once again.
Regardless of the fierce resistance from the enemy, Sam's loyal followers were not willing to concede. No one would be allowed to touch their stronghold at their whim. This included when another police team started to arrive. However, their movements were hindered by the sound of an explosion near the entrance of the stronghold. Several vehicles that attempted to break in became the primary targets of the recent explosion. Not to mention the barrage of gunfire from the second floor, specifically used by snipers to disable the incoming forces.
Apart from being outnumbered, Herry's troops were also inferior in strategy.
"Eland, Hugo wants you to catch up!" shouted one of Sam's subordinates, wielding a baton with some kind of bolt or spiked wheel at the end. Not far from where he stood, their opponent lay unconscious on the ground with a gaping wound on his shoulder.
"I'll take care of things here first," Eland chuckled. "Hugo can wait."
The subordinate laughed. "Got it!" Then he ran off to assist another comrade, although his help was not really needed.
"So... you injured my hand earlier?" Eland approached the figure still wearing the distinctive uniform of the police force. He extended his sword right in front of the opponent's face. Eland showed no fear, even with the barrel of a loaded rifle ready to unleash bullets at him.
Nevertheless, the held rifle began to tremble. Perhaps the opponent realized that Eland, known as one of Sam's bravest commanders, was revealing his dark side. A side where nothing could stop him, especially when he felt provoked.
"I'll ask again." Eland stood right in front of the opponent. He slowly pushed aside the barrel of the rifle with his sword. Although it was not very clear behind the mask, Eland knew that their gazes met. "Was it you who injured my hand?"
"You bastard!" the opponent cursed. He swiftly wielded the weapon he had just discarded, but unfortunately for him, Eland was skilled at avoiding bullets aimed at him.
Eland laughed in satisfaction but quickly silenced himself with a painful slash. How could it not be painful when the opponent's hand suddenly received such a wide, gaping wound?
"ARGH!!!" he screamed in pain.
Blood gushed out rapidly. The weapon he held dropped to the ground, and Eland promptly kicked it in the opposite direction. He extended his sword again, this time right at the opponent's chin. The opponent had no choice but to look up, grimacing in pain due to Eland's previous action. "Damn it!" He rose to his feet, disregarding the pain he felt.
He launched a kick that made Eland retreat a few steps. The man laughed satisfied. "Wow, you still haven't given up?" He returned the sword to its place. "Alright, let's fight without weapons, then." Without mercy, Eland continued to resist.
Whether it was punches, kicks, or punches that Eland delivered, they were enough to make his opponent crumble. He didn't give his opponent a moment's respite, and Eland's blows touched his face and body. All that remained was for the opponent to be rendered helpless as Eland fought ruthlessly.
Seeing his helpless opponent lying there, grimacing in pain, especially when Eland mercilessly stepped on the wound he had inflicted, a slight grin appeared on Eland's face, which had a rather Oriental appearance. He tidied his slightly disheveled hair. "Don't put up a fight if you don't want to die by my hands." Then Eland simply walked away after sufficiently stepping on the wound. The sound of agonized screams accompanied his departing steps.
"Is my motorcycle ready, Hugo?"
In the distance, the sounds of gunfire and explosions could still be heard.
"You're the one who's usually late, Eland. Hurry up!" Hugo replied.
Eland quickly hung up the call. "It's usually you who's late, damn Hugo!" he muttered with annoyance. Looking around, most of Herry's troops were lying defeated on the ground, with wounds here and there. Eland simply chuckled at the sight.
If there hadn't been orders to destroy this headquarters, Eland wouldn't have needed to stain his sword with blood. He hated it when disturbances entered the stronghold that had sheltered him all this time. No one could breach the stronghold, even if Sam was absent.
"Everyone else, gather them all in the underground warehouse. Take them hostage. The rest of us will follow Sam," Eland commanded.
"Roger, Boss!" In unison, some of Sam's subordinates immediately carried out what Eland instructed. They all knew that in the absence of Sam, only orders from Eland or Hugo would be given. There was no objection because these two, including Jack, were individuals whom Sam trusted deeply.
Eland swiftly made his way to the main gate where Hugo was already waiting. The raging fire around the forest provided an unusual illumination. Eland could also see smoke rising high in the sky, along with the sounds of gunfire that still echoed in the distance. Eland's white motorcycle, which he usually rode, was already there, ready for him.
Other members of Sam's group were also present. Some rode together, while others used vehicles. They were all armed and prepared to intercept the vehicle carrying Sam.
"Hey," Leo, one of Sam's sharpshooters, called out. "We've nearly neutralized all of them. Sam's vehicle is heading southwest towards De Faux."
Eland grinned. "Herry's vehicle?"
"We lost track of it."
"And Ferdi?"
"He was the one who provided the coordinates regarding Sam's vehicle... Ferdi, that is."
Ah, Eland shouldn't be too suspicious, right? But he never wanted to get too acquainted with Ferdi. Dealing with the police, in his opinion, was equivalent to betraying his oath. The police only wanted to win for themselves, complete with their detrimental objectives. It was highly disadvantageous.
"Everyone, be prepared then."
"Understood, Eland."
"Does Hugo know?"
"What should I know?" Hugo interjected quickly. He had a sleek full-face helmet securely in place. Though wearing a long coat, Eland knew it concealed numerous weapons to counter any enemy that stood in their way.
"The Boss is being taken to De Faux."
Hugo clenched his fists. "Alright... let's go after them."