The singular yellow sun had set by the time Adam reached the compound, and a deep darkness descended on the landscape of thick woods and bristled bushes. But the compound itself stood out like a beacon, illuminated by numerous floodlights, and with at least a dozen heavily-armed guards patrolling both sides of the surrounding wall. The place was hard to miss.

His sources had informed him that Bundnet may have been forewarned of the impending hit. This didn’t concern Adam too much — it simply came down to whether or not this would be a surgical strike or an all-out scorched-earth campaign. To The Exterminator, either way would get him paid.

Crouching in a clump of bushes at the tree line, Adam watched as the first set of guards covered their route, flash rifles of their own held casually at their sides. Once they passed, he dashed off to a point at the wall he’d determined would be his best point of entry. Leaning against the warm stone surface, he estimated the height of the wall to be about five to six meters.

Here comes the fun part, Adam thought, smiling to himself.

Then he jumped straight up, enjoying the brief sensation of flying as he easily reached the top of the wall with his outstretched arms — a move that would have made any NBA center green with envy. Then in a quick, fluid motion, he swung himself over the top and descended — essentially in slow motion — to the ground below.

Almost immediately, alarms began to blare as motion sensors along the wall were tripped. Adam scrambled to a dark patch of trees and vegetation and lay on the cool, moist ground as more guards rushed toward the clearing between the wall and the house. Each held flash rifles, and their size and huge chests produced a menacing, ominous scene.