A.R.G.U.S.'s Internal Crisis
The current White House administration was highly disorganized due to the President's inaction, resulting in numerous internal factions and constant disputes. A.R.G.U.S. was co-founded by Vice President Dick Cheney, along with high-ranking officials from the military, the FBI, and other authorized departments. Its official purpose was to protect the nation from aliens and metahumans, but upon closer inspection, it clearly also served as a tool for political power struggles.
A.R.G.U.S. was not only a protective agency; it was also a knife.
Using this knife, Dick Cheney had eliminated many opponents and secretly gathered evidence of the President colluding with a cult, hoping to stage a real-life version of "House of Cards."
One could only imagine the external pressure A.R.G.U.S. would face if the news that Hector Hammond was the dry corpse killer leaked out, and the predicament it would cause for founder Dick Cheney, Hector's father Senator Hammond, and other directors.
Rival factions would certainly seize the opportunity to launch a full-scale smear campaign. At that point, let alone recruiting a heavyweight like Luke Shaw, their own survival would be questionable.
"This matter must be thoroughly investigated. Whether it's him or not, this cannot fall into the hands of outsiders."
Amanda didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately called Senator Hammond.
Half an hour later, her car stopped outside a military base.
Amanda got out and quickly walked towards the warehouse, taking an elevator down to the underground base. A fully armed Elimination Squad composed of special soldiers was waiting in the lobby.
Amanda ignored them and walked into her office, closing the door firmly. She said gravely,
"What are the results?"
Her assistant, Cathy, quickly replied, "We sent people to check every possible location—the school, the rental house, the private residence, and the ex-girlfriend's place. There's no trace of Hector. He hasn't appeared since he left the base last time."
"What about his phone?"
"It was found in an abandoned sewer."
"Bastard!"
Amanda couldn't help but curse. If she was only suspicious before, she was now virtually certain: the dry corpse killer was Hector Hammond.
Damn it, what the hell happened? How did he turn into this?
"Could it be..."
An idea struck Amanda. She immediately ordered that the alien corpse be completely isolated, with no one allowed to touch it.
Cathy also realized something, her face turning pale. A few days ago, driven by curiosity, she had used her authority to go into the lab and had an unwelcome "intimate" encounter with the alien corpse lying in the glass case.
If Hector had changed because he came into contact with the alien, then she...
Amanda was sharp; she immediately noticed her assistant's strange behavior and demanded,
"Did you touch that corpse?"
"No, absolutely not."
Cathy frantically shook her head, but under Amanda's terrifying pressure, she stammered, "I... I just took a look."
"Are you sure it was only a look?"
"I..."
Amanda didn't want to waste time arguing with her. She called the soldiers at the door and had them drag Cathy into an isolation room.
In addition to Cathy, she ordered that anyone who had come into contact with the alien be isolated. If any sign of physical mutation appeared, they were to be shot immediately, with no exceptions.
Following this series of terrifyingly cruel actions, the tension in the base soared to its limit. Everyone held their breath, afraid to make a sound.
Amanda commanded from the central hub, issuing orders while simultaneously reporting the situation to the Vice President.
This kind of incident couldn't be concealed. Rather than delaying, it was better to report it clearly early on, so that if there were repercussions later, they couldn't be pinned on her.
Soon after receiving the notification, Senator Adam Hammond arrived at the underground base. Unlike his grotesquely shaped, dwarf-like son, Adam Hammond was tall, imposing, and clearly a man of authority.
Upon arrival, he skipped the pleasantries and asked directly,
"Tell me, is Hector really involved in the dry corpse case?"
Amanda replied, "Based on the clues we currently have, there is a 90% probability."
Adam Hammond walked to the wall, resting his hands on his hips. After a long pause, his voice came out hoarse,
"Proceed with the operation. He cannot be allowed to remain free. He must be eliminated as soon as possible."
Amanda was instantly relieved. Her only concern was Senator Hammond. After all, they were father and son; the blood tie was there, and it was easy for a person to make an irrational decision.
Fortunately, the Senator was rational enough to know what he had to do.
"I've sent people to search all possible hiding places for Hector, but we haven't found his trace..." She paused, hesitating. "Could you provide any clues?"
Adam Hammond remained silent for a while before saying with a look of exhaustion,
"Take your people and follow me."
To minimize unforeseen factors, Amanda did not act immediately. She first sent people to observe the location Adam had mentioned. After confirming that Hector was there, she waited a few more hours, finally leading the Elimination Squad out at ten o'clock that night.
The Ambush
Under the cover of night, the team arrived outside an abandoned manor in the East End of Coast City. This was Hector's maternal grandfather's house. The house had been vacant since his mother passed away, overgrown with weeds, and looked severely run-down.
Amanda gave a signal. Cody, the squad captain, nodded and split the eighteen fully armed elite soldiers into three teams, infiltrating the manor from the east, west, and north directions.
He personally led several super-soldiers through the main gate.
The entire manor was surrounded from all sides.
Amanda and Adam Hammond stood on a hillside a short distance away, tensely watching the scene. A.R.G.U.S.'s Elimination Squad was comprised of elite soldiers selected from special forces. Each man was worth a hundred, with extremely high combat power. With them taking action, there should be no problem.
Amanda tried to reassure herself. Suddenly, rapid gunfire erupted, followed by screams of panic.
"Vulture! Vulture!" (Note: Vulture is a codename.)
"Vulture is out of contact. The target is at the East Gate."
"Listen to my command, advance toward the East Gate! Shoot to kill anyone you encounter!"
Cody's cold voice came through the walkie-talkie. A few seconds later, more gunfire rang out.
"Fuck! Bullets are useless! The target has—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a huge explosion burst out, and the Channel Eight walkie-talkie went dead.
Gone?
In just a few seconds, two carefully selected special operations soldiers had vanished, like small stones dropped into the ocean, without making a ripple.
Amanda could no longer remain calm. She opened the trunk and took out an elegantly decorated silver box, saying to Senator Hammond,
"Sir, I urge you to leave. The target's abilities are terrifying, and your life may be in danger here."
Adam Hammond shook his head impassively.
"I won't leave. If you fail too, I will use every means possible to destroy him."
"He is not my son. He is a demon."
Amanda said no more. She opened the box and retrieved a silver-white firearm. The structure of the gun was completely different from Earth's weapons. It had a long barrel, a handle, no trigger, and a glass container full of red liquid beneath the chamber, giving it a highly futuristic look.
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