Chapter 15
The clock struck 9:00 PM. Ranzo, who had been engrossed in a gaming session with Marine, set the controller down. He offered her a casual, reassuring smile.
"Marine, I've got to head out. The guys are throwing a little party at 9:30, so I'll be back soon," Ranzo said, his tone perfectly balanced.
Marine looked up and nodded. "Go ahead. Mom and Dad are home anyway. I'll just hang out with them until you're back."
"Good. I should be back by 10:30," Ranzo promised before slipping out of the house. He didn't head for a party; he drove straight to the Mafia Hunter safehouse.
Inside, the air was electric with anticipation. Lady Cold stood centered, her eyes reflecting the cold steel of the mission. Ranzo looked at his team. "Everything set?"
"Ready and waiting, Master Ace," Sanko and Sukome replied in unison, their faces masks of professional focus.
Ranzo turned to Lady Cold. "Give me the schedule. When does the last shipment truck reach the chemical factory?"
Lady Cold handed him a sheet containing the timing for twenty trucks. Ranzo scanned it, a predatory smirk widening on his face. "The final truck arrives at 9:50 PM. It's 9:20 now. We have to move fast. We need to intercept that truck and swap it with our decoy."
"Go, my soldiers," Lady Cold said, her voice dropping an octave. "Cleanse this city of its poison. If you return alive, the VIP bar is on me tonight. Just... come back in one piece."
"Understood, Lady Cold," the trio replied before vanishing into the night.
They positioned their decoy truck on a desolate stretch of road. As they waited, Ranzo checked the rearview mirror. "So, Sanko, do you think I can block this path effectively?"
Before Sanko could answer, Sukome chimed in with a devoted smile. "Don't ask him, Master Ace. Ask me. You are a genius in everything you do; blocking a simple truck is child's play for you."
Sanko chuckled. "She's right, Ranzo. We know what you're capable of. Show us your magic."
Ranzo ignored the flattery, his eyes fixed on the horizon. "Brace yourselves. It's time."
He floored the accelerator, overtaking the approaching supply truck and swerving sharply to block its path. The driver slammed on his brakes, skidding to a halt. He jumped out, cursing. "What kind of idiot stops like that?"
Ranzo stepped out of the decoy, already wearing his signature Joker mask. The headlights of the truck cast a long, menacing shadow behind him. "An idiot's kick hurts the most, friend," Ranzo said, his voice distorted by the mask. "Turn back now if you value your life. Actually, forget it. If I let you go, you'll just run to the police. I'm afraid you have to die."
The driver, fueled by misplaced bravado, charged at Ranzo. "You've clearly had too much to drink, kid! Let me show you—"
Before the man could finish his sentence, Ranzo moved. He was a blur, a streak of lethal lightning. In a single, fluid motion, the Joker's Dead Card sliced through the air. By the time Ranzo stood on the other side of the man, the driver's throat was already open.
"Foolish," Ranzo muttered, not even looking back as the body collapsed.
Sukome and Sanko ran up to him. Sukome's eyes were sparkling with adoration. "Master Ace... that move was magnificent! I am truly your greatest fan."
Sanko shivered slightly. "Man, Ranzo... you're terrifying. Even I'm starting to get scared of you."
"Sanko, dispose of the body and hide the original truck," Ranzo commanded. "Sukome and I will take it from here."
Minutes later, the decoy truck pulled up to the factory gates. The facility was crawling with police. An officer approached the window, shining his flashlight inside. "Can I see your IDs?"
Ranzo calmly handed over a set of perfectly forged documents. The officer checked them and handed them back. "And the lady's ID?"
Sukome suddenly leaned into Ranzo, clinging to his arm with a look of faux distress. "Oh, sweetheart... is this strange man really asking for your wife's ID?"
Ranzo looked at the officer with a charming, apologetic shrug. "Is that really necessary, officer?"
"It's mandatory," the officer snapped. "And why did you bring your wife to a high-security site?"
"She was lonely at home," Ranzo lied, playing the part of a timid worker. "I'm sorry. I won't bring her again. Please, let us through. We just need to get these medicines into the basement storage safely."
The officer sighed. "Fine. But make it quick. This facility is shutting down at 10:30 PM for a month."
"Shutting down? Why?" Ranzo asked, feigning shock.
"The owner, Haru, was murdered. We're closing the site until the investigation is complete. Now, move!"
They unloaded two boxes. On the surface, they were filled with medicine, but beneath the false bottom lay the Joker's Deadly Bombs. Once inside the basement, Ranzo scanned the room. "No cameras. These idiots left their most vulnerable point completely unmonitored."
"You're right, sweetheart," Sukome whispered. "They really are fools."
Ranzo turned to her, eyebrow raised. "Sweetheart? Are you going to call me that everywhere now?"
Sukome immediately covered her mouth, her face turning bright red as she looked away. "Forgive me, Master Ace! It... it was a slip of the tongue!"
Ranzo didn't respond. He quickly set the bombs at the building's structural weak points. With the timers synchronized, they exited the facility and drove to a high ridge overlooking the factory. Sanko was already there, waiting with binoculars.
"Mission accomplished?" Sanko asked as they approached.
Ranzo stood at the edge of the ridge, the city lights reflecting in his Joker mask. He pulled out his Dead Card, pointing it toward the factory like a conductor's baton. "No more shipments will leave that place. Ever."
He checked his watch. "Put on your glasses. We have twenty seconds."
Sanko and Sukome donned their tactical glasses. Ranzo kept his mask on, his voice dropping to a cold, rhythmic count.
"4... 3... 2... 1... Boom."
An earth-shattering explosion ripped through the night. The ground groaned as the foundation of the factory disintegrated. Within seconds, the four-story structure folded in on itself, turning into a mountain of twisted metal and rubble.
"Bravo! Bravo!" Sanko and Sukome cheered, caught up in the sheer spectacle of the destruction.
Behind the mask, Ranzo's eyes were cold and focused. "That was just the warm-up. Aroon... it's your turn now. Get ready."