Invasion of the United States

The night was deep and silent, with thick darkness enveloping the suburban forest. Only sporadic moonlight pierced through the clouds, casting mottled shadows on the ground.

Six "Cleaners" dressed in black combat suits silently appeared near Old Hammer's secluded villa, moving swiftly and quietly like a group of nocturnal hunters.

To distinguish friend from foe, the five had glowing barcodes stuck on their backs, clearly visible under the drone's infrared camera.

The drone operator stayed behind, directing their actions through real-time footage.

"The targets are Victor and Hammer—they both have some training," Lux whispered over the radio, "Priority is capture, but kill if necessary."

The five nodded in unison, approaching the villa along a tree-lined path. Every ten meters, they would stop, waiting for a team member to overtake them while receiving instructions from the drone operator.

The encrypted channel contained only brief commands, no unnecessary words.

The villa stood quietly in the night, a single, lone nightlight illuminating both the front and back yards, appearing exceptionally bright in the darkness.

A taxi was parked outside the yard, its engine still emitting intense heat, showing up on the drone's infrared footage like a blazing fire.

Lux swept his gaze over the taxi, frowning slightly—if the taxi was here, the driver should likely be here too.

But the villa was too quiet, not showing any signs of activity. Yet the operation had begun, and this question could only be answered by entering the villa.

Two minutes later, the five had almost surrounded the villa, ready to launch an assault at any moment.

"George, you and Tom enter through the front door." Lux ordered softly, "Roger, you come with me to raid the back door.

Olin, you stay outside, ready to support at any time. If the targets try to escape, you have the green light to kill them."

The radio responded with several steady acknowledgements, and the five quickly split into three teams and moved into action.

Lux circled to the backyard with Roger, gently pushing open the unlocked wooden gate, swiftly crossing the lawn, and squatting outside the kitchen window.

He glanced over the backyard; the lawn had a rocking chair and a barbecue grill, appearing particularly quiet.

Simultaneously, the team at the front door had arrived.

One 'Cleaner' whispered, "This is George, arrived at the front door, ready to open."

This was necessary communication to avoid misjudgment and friendly fire between the two teams.

However, the smoother the operation went, the stronger Lux's unease grew. He felt something was wrong as if a pair of eyes were coldly watching them from the darkness.

He reminded through the radio, "Check the doors and windows carefully, even though Hammer is old and senile, he was a CIA operative for decades. His hideout won't be without defenses."

The 'Cleaners' at both the front and back doors were obedient, scanning their surroundings vigilantly, trying to find some hidden alarms or surveillance equipment.

Yet, everything seemed perfectly normal.

At this moment, Zhou Qingfeng was crouching in the shadows of the shed outside the villa, holding a tablet.

The screen displayed real-time footage from several surveillance cameras inside and outside the villa, clearly capturing every movement of Lux and his team.

"Lux, I never thought it would be you. Earning thirty thousand dollars a year from me, yet still trying to take me down."

Zhou Qingfeng muttered to himself, casually attaching a silencer to his M4 carbine.

The two 'Cleaners' at the front door found no abnormalities after checking for a long time, and then gently pushed the villa's front door open...

The door slid open silently, not locked at all, as if inviting them into this unknown darkness.

Outside the door, the two intruders, like clumsy burglars, momentarily stunned, then silently slipped into the villa's living room.

Their actions were adept, with light footsteps, but in the still night, they appeared especially conspicuous. T&hi#s cop!y co!mes& fr#om co!nt*e$n^t on M@|V|&L%0!E%M$PY!R^.

The interior of the house was pitch-black, with only the nightlight's rays seeping through the windows, casting a dim outline.

The air was filled with a stale atmosphere, as if time had stopped here.

The leading 'Cleaner' quickly made a hand gesture, softly reporting on the radio, "I've entered the living room."

His voice was low and composed, simultaneously signaling his companion to follow closely behind.

The two moved one after the other, their gun muzzles warily pointing to every corner of the living room. Yet, the villa remained eerily quiet, as if unoccupied.

This silence was unsettling, as if something was secretly watching them.

However, when they tried to move from the living room to the dining room, a crisp "click" suddenly came from beneath their feet.

The sound was unmasked and piercing, tightening the hearts of the 'Cleaners'—the living room carpet suddenly bounced up, and a bear trap snapped shut with a loud click.

North America is vast and sparsely populated, with many wild animals. Hunting products are numerous, including traps for large beasts apart from firearms.

Old Hammer, now elderly, no longer trusted his shooting, relying on traps instead for protection.

He had dug a pit under the villa's living room floor, normally covered by floorboards and carpet, appearing normal.

When necessary, the floorboards would be removed, a bear trap fetched from the basement and placed in the pit, covered with the carpet, without any visible flaw.

A bear trap is akin to a giant mouse trap, but the power of its carbon steel spring is astonishing. Even a strong man like Zhou Qingfeng would find it hard to open by hand, needing a ratchet tool to pry it open.