Chapter 22
"As you all can see, this is our Hacker here, while you two will be the drivers. The individual in the yacht will act as our sniper. I will also be present to assist everyone with critical information as we proceed." Anbu introduced the team, clearly defining each person's role before moving on with the plan. "For this one-night job, there’s no need to share our personal names or identities. Our objective is to infiltrate a chemical facility to steal a highly toxic substance known as VX Nerve Agent. The payoff for this operation is substantial—you could walk away with a truck-full of cash to keep for yourselves."
Anbu paused, giving everyone a moment to process the gravity of their mission. He then added, “Now, if any of you are having second thoughts or wish to back out, this is the moment to speak up.”
A tense silence followed, and when no one raised any objections, Anbu took action. He tossed a microchip to the Hacker before securely closing the back doors of the money trucks and keeping the keys for himself. He instructed everyone to follow him as they climbed into their respective money trucks, driving towards a nearby town where an underground parking lot awaited them. Inside this lot were two empty trucks, strategically positioned, which had been arranged by Anbu's conscious puppet.
Once they parked the trucks, Anbu laid out the next steps. "You can keep the keys to the money trucks you drove. Just remember to take note of the license plate number. After we complete the job, I’ll provide you with the keys and the password to unlock the back doors." He paused, looking around at the group. “Does anyone have any queries at this point?”
The Driver raised his hand and enquired, “Yeah, what’s our escape route after the heist?”
Instead of answering directly, Anbu gestured towards the Hacker. “Why don’t you go ahead and open up the chip? Explain the plan to everyone else.”
The Hacker nodded in agreement. "Sure, I’d like to understand what my responsibilities will be," he said while retrieving his laptop from his backpack. "And please, don’t make me drive again."
Anbu reassured him, “Don’t worry, except for your money truck. Driving is off the table for you, I promise.”
As they delved into the details of their plan, making a few necessary adjustments to ensure everyone understood their tasks. As the clock inched closer to 11:45 PM, nerves ran high among the group, all of them acutely aware of the impending heist involving VX Nerve Agent. Some individuals rubbed their hands anxiously, while others attempted to remain calm and clear their minds.
Amidst this high-stress atmosphere, Dhruv contemplated the situation, thinking, ‘This robbery has been meticulously planned. I'm not even part of the action, yet my heart is racing like I’m in the thick of it. I can’t just let them pull this off without a hitch. What can I even do? I’m not able to control this P640’s body nor do I have allies to back me up—they won’t be here until tomorrow. Why couldn’t they just take a day to rest instead of pulling this heist tonight? Haa! Let them steal first, tomorrow I will blow up the place where they are keeping the VX chemical or whatever.’
As Dhruv wrestled with these thoughts, Shambu was busy pondering his own approach. ‘I need to mimic Henrik’s behaviour. How does he usually act?’ After a bit of contemplation, he suddenly snapped his fingers, ‘Of course! I need to play the fool; that’s Henrik’s style!’
Anbu noticed Shambu smirking to himself in the corner and wondered secretly, ‘Has he lost his mind?’
The Hacker broke the silence, announcing, "Everything seems to be in order, but I want to double-check something.” He gestured toward Shambu before asking, "Does he really possess supernatural powers to take control of others?"
Anbu chuckled slightly before responding. “Haven’t you kept up with the news from Patna today? If some individuals can possess powers, then why can’t we? It’s just that many with real abilities prefer to remain hidden. I was fortunate to come across this guy.”
“I find that absolutely mind-boggling,” the Hacker remarked, still processing the information.
The Driver chimed in, “I also caught the news about today’s incident. I can hardly believe I am going to witness something like this unfold in real life.”
Shambu, in a modest manner, responded, "I appreciate the compliments, but do keep in mind that I’m not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. I tend to mess up at times, so I hope you will forgive me in advance." He turned to Anbu, adding, "Thanks again for including me in this. You have no idea how much help that money will be for me."
Anbu reassured him with a steady voice, "Don’t stress about it—it’s beneficial for all of us involved here. Now, let’s get ready. We’ll move out as the clock strikes twelve."
…
At the checkpoint outside the sprawling Chemical factory, the night air was thick with anticipation. One of the guards, noticing the headlights of two trucks rapidly approaching, turned to his colleague and inquired, "Hey, do you remember any shipment coming tonight? I can see two trucks coming our way." His brow was furrowed, reflecting the uncertainty of the situation.
The second guard, diligently flipping through the pages of his entry book, paused for a moment to consider the question. "I don't think so. Let me recheck," he replied, his finger tracing the lines on the paper, searching for any mention of incoming vehicles.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
As the trucks barreled down the road, one truck led the way, driven by Shambu, with Hacker seated beside him in the passenger seat. The second truck followed closely, operated by the Driver, with Anbu as his navigator. When they reached the checkpoint, Hacker leaned out of the window and addressed the guards, “Hello officers, can you check and let us enter quickly? We got an emergency call from you guys, so we hurried as fast as we could.” There was urgency in his voice, but also a glimmer of confidence.
The guard, maintaining a professional demeanor, responded politely, “Yeah, just a moment please. He is confirming your visit.” He glanced over to the other guard who was making his way towards them from the opposite checkpoint. “What happened? Why did you leave your post?” he questioned, sensing something was off.
The second guard, a smile creeping onto his face as he relayed the information, replied, “They are registered. We just need to inspect the trucks.”
“Oh! That's why,” the first guard replied, satisfied. He turned back to Hacker and began, “Sir, we need to chec… Ahh!... What are yo…” but his words cut off abruptly as a steel rod, propelled by the other guard, pierced through his heart. The suddenness of the attack left no room for warning, and the guard collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
From the back of the truck, the Driver watched the shocking scene unfold, gasping as he said to himself, “This is crazy. Money can really buy anything.”
Hacker, maintaining an air of calm, remarked, “You are really good at using your supernatural power; at this rate, you guys won’t even need me.” His observation acknowledged Shambu’s capability but also hinted at the trust he placed in his team.
“It's not time to chit-chat; everyone has their own role. Stick to the plan, let’s move.” The stern voice of Anbu echoed through a transmitter.
Shambu changed his body, returned to his truck and started driving again. As he did, he couldn’t help but express his feelings about their situation. “Don’t you think he is very authoritative? We can have some fun while we work, right?” His voice was laced with mischief.
“No!” Hacker responded firmly, cutting off Shambu's light-hearted tone. “I like his way of doing things; he knows how to separate work and entertainment.”
“What, don’t tell me you became his fan just by meeting him once,” Shambu teased, a smirk playing on his lips as he tried to provoke a reaction from Hacker.
But Hacker shot back with a hint of annoyance, “Of course not; I like his personality, that’s all. You focus on driving. I’ll be clearing our way by disabling the cameras.” His focus returned to the task at hand, determination painted on his face.
“Ah! Yeah, but I still think he is very authoritive.” Shambu paused for a moment and expressed, "Being around Mr. A is like living in a library—everything’s silent, structured, and there’s no running allowed.” Shambu remarked, attempting to break the tension with a bit of humour, but he was met with an awkward silence in response.
Few minutes later, They arrived at the main gate of the facility.
A Security Guard Steps out, clipboard in hand, checking the logs. “You weren’t scheduled for tonight. What’s going on here?”
They all also stepped out of the trucks and went near the main gate. Anbu calmly replied, “We’re covering for a last-minute cancellation. Routine water maintenance. Got the paperwork right here.” He glanced at the Hacker, he gave a nod back. After confirming he spoke to the guard again. “You can check our details on your online database.”
Security Guard pauses, eyeing the trucks then checking the forged documents. “You’re here pretty late.”
Shambu replied nervously. “Yeah, uh, lots of leaks today. You know how it is, right?”
Anbu added, “We’ll be quick. Just doing our job.”
The guard shrugs and waves them through, allowing the trucks to enter the facility. As they roll past the gate, Shambu breathes a sigh of relief.
Shambu muttered to himself, in a low voice, “I thought we were done for.”
“Stick to the plan, Driver 2.” Hacker responded.
On a night where the moon shines brightly, no staff or workers were present in the facility. They arrive at the chemical storage area where the VX Nerve Agent is kept under heavy security. The Hacker works from the truck to unlock the vault remotely, tapping into the facility’s internal systems.
Hacker instructed over the comms. “Okay, I’m in. Vault is unlocked, but we’ve only got thirty minutes before the system starts flagging this as a breach.”
Anbu quickly added, “S, you’re up. Driver, stay ready.”
Shambu and the Driver move to the back of their trucks, preparing to load the canisters of VX. The Driver, impatient and careless, throws a few glances at the dangerous chemicals.
Driver smirked. “All this fuss for a few canisters? This stuff better be worth it.”
Shambu handled the canisters carefully, sweat dripping down his face. “It can kill thousands of people if we mess up. Maybe try being careful?”
Driver rolls his eyes. “Relax. We’re just moving sealed canisters.”
Anbu supervises, ensuring the canisters are loaded properly into both trucks. The clock is ticking, and the tension rises as they hurry to finish before the security systems reset and alerts outside.
As the last few canisters are being loaded, a loud beeping noise comes from the Hacker’s laptop. The system has flagged the breach, and security alarms begin to blare throughout the facility.
Hacker shouting over the comms. “We’ve got a problem! The system rebooted early. Security is coming your way!”
Anbu remained calm, but moved quickly. “Everyone, get in the trucks. We’re leaving. Now.”
As they drive away to the back of the facility, alarms start blaring loudly. It turns out the main gate guard rechecked with the checkpoint guard. After not getting any response from them he became suspicious, and now so many securities are chasing them.
Shambu panicked, driving erratically. “They’re onto us! They’re onto us! What do we do?”
Hacker remains calm under pressure, pulling out a tablet to activate the backup escape plan. “Stick to the route I gave you. I’m hacking into the facility system to divert the patrol cars.”
Shambu swerving to avoid incoming security cars. “You know, this plan seemed a lot simpler when you explained it!”
Hacker manages to shut a series of automatic doors, leading the security vehicles to be stuck between them. The trucks barely made it out of the facility grounds. As they were about to approach the main gate, they saw the Security guard pointing a rifle towards them.
Upon exiting, Anbu and the Driver were in front. Anbu assured, “Don't worry about him, just speed through the barrier.”
The Driver hesitates but remembers they also got a sniper positioned in a nearby hill. He rammed the barrier and the security guard fell on the ground as he was shooting his rifle.
Both trucks hit the highway and followed the pre-planned route to the underground parking where money trucks are being kept. Everything was going good when Shambu’s truck stopped working.
He transmitted loudly on the comms, “I think we got hit by the bullets of the security guard.” Stating that he turned the truck to the forest leaving the highway.
Anbu transmitted back, “We are very close to the chemical facility. Try to fix it, if you can't save yourselves. And meet at the underground parking with or without the truck.”
Hacker and Shambu stepped out of the truck to check the damage on the truck.
Dhruv watched all the unfolding events through the eyes of P640. ‘This is the perfect time to take out one of the Black Soul users. I don't think I can fully take over this P640’s body but one moment is enough to shoot a bullet.’
He used his skill ‘Soul Absorb' at 100% but only absorbed 50% of his puppet soul. Using this brief moment he took charge of the body and shot at Shambu. Pew! Pew! Two bullets hit rapidly, blasting Shambu's head off.
Hacker who was standing beside Shambu was dumbfounded by this change, “Wh-What is happening now?” He quickly hid using the truck as a shield. He used comms and explained the recent events to Anbu in a panicked tone. Anbu quickly got the gist of it and instructed his conscious puppet to self-destruct.
Boom!