"There are fourteen bounty hunters in total," Amir said, observing the reactions of everyone in the bar. "Five of them are acting unusually. They must be in the know."
"You're getting more skilled," Veronica whispered in response.
"I was at the top of my class in reconnaissance," Amir said, his attention fixed on the entire room.
"Come on, dropout. The box looks heavy," Veronica said, her right hand unconsciously touching her mechanical left arm.
"We'll find out what's inside soon enough," Amir smiled. "After this job, I'm taking a vacation. You guys should stop messing around, too."
Amir finished his drink.
"It's none of your business."
He gently touched the communicator on his left wrist. Suddenly, a square communicator came to life and slowly stood up from his wrist. Eight slender legs supported the square control device as it moved its limbs like a spider. It was actually a robot.
The man in the trench coat entered the bar and walked straight to the bar counter. Whether out of confidence or foolishness, the bar counter was the center of the bar; sitting there meant being surrounded by everyone.
He placed the box he was holding at his feet and ordered a drink.
The moment the box hit the ground, Amir noticed that everyone he had been closely observing paused their movements, their eyes following the box. Some had already gripped their weapons.
The sounds in the bar dwindled, leaving only two singers struggling to perform.
A tense atmosphere spread throughout the bar; it would only take a spark to ignite the situation.
Some unsuspecting patrons sensed the unusual atmosphere and began to leave nervously.
"Who is this thing being traded to?" Amir leaned on the table, thinking with interest. Meanwhile, the spider-like robot had already disappeared.
Veronica stared at the display on Amir's arm, the spider robot's controller showing its feedback.
"The energy is high—no, extremely high. Could it be nuclear core material? That would explain why so many people are paying attention to it. But without stable pressure, it should have exploded long ago." Veronica frowned as she looked at the feedback data.
Meanwhile, the spider robot had reached the bar counter. Its slender mechanical legs reached toward the box, intending to make contact. Suddenly, a pair of large hands pressed down on the box and lifted it up, leaving the spider robot grasping at thin air.
At that moment, five people stood up and walked to the bar, surrounding the man in the trench coat. Four of them held old-fashioned blaster guns and kept an eye on their surroundings. The leader walked up to the man in the trench coat, took an envelope from his pocket, and threw it on the table.
For him, it was a simple task: bring the envelope, take the box, and return for the reward. Everything else was none of his concern.
But when he reached out to grab the box in front of him, the man suddenly pressed his hand down on the target's arm.
Instinctively, he reached for his blaster to threaten this insolent creature, thinking it would make this boring task more exciting. But he saw that the man in front of him was smiling at him.
He couldn't describe the smile—it was more like contempt or determination.
"Bad! Run out, Veronica!" Amir had an extremely dangerous premonition. He quickly pressed a button on the spider robot controller, signaling Lango and Jax to retreat simultaneously. Then he grabbed Veronica.
The man in the trench coat raised his hand on the bar counter and pressed the switch on the briefcase. The people around him didn't expect him to do that.
Suddenly, a crackling sound filled the air. The spider robot wrapped its legs around the man and released a powerful electric current.
The current paralyzed the man's nerves, stopping his hand just one centimeter from the switch before jerking it back under the shock.
The group's leader, unaware of what was happening, kicked the man to the ground and reached for the briefcase. At that moment, the dozen or so bounty hunters who had been lying in wait sprang to their feet simultaneously, aiming their blaster guns at the bar. In an instant, a barrage of bullets erupted, piercing the five people standing at the bar with countless red beams.
The other customers screamed and rushed toward the door. The singer dropped his instruments and fled, covering his head. The bar descended into chaos.
After killing the five people at the counter, the bounty hunters, who were not part of the same group, immediately faced off against each other and moved toward the box on the counter.
"Why are they running?" Veronica glanced at the ventilation shaft above the bar. By then, two of the bounty hunters had already reached the area around the door.
"Based on the energy intensity detected by the spider robots, I suspect there might be explosives in the boxes. That person wants to blow everyone up." Amir took BD off his shoulder and threw it to Veronica. "The other two should have received the retreat signal by now."
At that moment, a round object fell from the ceiling. It landed near the bar and suddenly erupted into a massive cloud of smoke.
"Too late," Amir said, frowning and sighing. He crept back along the wall, retrieving the spider robot as he went and muttering to himself, "Acting on your own again."
Seeing the smoke, everyone became alert. Led by a bounty hunter, they began firing into the smoke. Red beams pierced the smoke as if being swallowed by a white beast, but there was no response.
A faint shadow flashed by but seemed to disappear, causing everyone to rush toward the center.
"BD, why are you back?" Amir noticed that BD had returned to his side.
"Zip—beep!"
"Are you sure about that guy in the trench coat?" Amir asked in surprise.
"Beep..." BD shook his head vigorously.
"All right, I'll give it a try." Amir looked at the man in the trench coat who was struggling to get up at the edge of the thick fog.
The fog slowly dissipated, revealing a clearer scene before the group of hunters.
"The box is gone!" Someone shouted. Everyone's gaze focused on the bar counter where the old suitcase had disappeared without a trace.
Seeing that Lango and Jax were not near the bar, Amir breathed a sigh of relief. He exchanged glances with Veronica, who was still at the door, and continued moving toward the center.
The man in the trench coat regained his footing in the electrical current. He leaned against the bar and retrieved his blaster pistol while waiting for the bounty hunters to close in.
Amir glanced at BD, who was hesitating and struggling nearby, and sighed.
"I was planning to sneak through this mission, give them the stuff, and go back to rest. But now, I guess I'll have to lend a hand," he thought helplessly.
Pulling out his own blaster pistol, Amir peeked out from behind the pillar.
"Hello there!"
All the mercenaries turned around and stared at the blonde human who had suddenly appeared, each with a different expression.
The man in the trench coat seized the opportunity to climb onto the bar and leap upward, hanging from the edge of the ventilation duct. With a powerful push, he slipped into the duct.
Everyone turned their heads and saw the man disappear into the ceiling. Only then did they notice the hidden passageway. Several people fired at the ceiling in frustration.
Amir took the opportunity to retreat behind the pillar. He raised his arm and fired five shots, hitting the arms of the five men who were shooting at him.
In an instant, they targeted Amir and began firing at the pillar where he was hiding. Several others quickly assessed the ventilation duct's structure and ran toward the possible exit, attempting to intercept and retrieve the box before the target escaped.
"Go!" Amir shouted to the members behind him, who were now energized. The mission was complete. The man in the windbreaker had escaped. Amir needed to head to the designated exit to help Jax and the others escape.