Chapter 259 The Hit II

The forest was drenched in silence, the shadows thick and endless under the moonless sky. Trees stood tall and unmoving, like sentinels watching what was about to unfold. But Liam wasn’t focused on what he could see—he had stopped relying on his eyes minutes ago.

His ears were doing all the work now.

Every snapped twig, every shift in the grass, every shallow breath carried clearly to him. He counted five.

Five hearts beating with adrenaline.

Five men—creeping in the dark—thinking they were hunters.

They weren’t.

Liam’s lips curled into a slow, feral grin.

They were prey.

A sharp wind blew through the trees, rustling the branches high above. And with that wind—he vanished.

The five mercenaries jolted at once. One blinked, another adjusted his goggles. Their target had been standing ten meters ahead just seconds ago.

Now he was gone.

"What the hell?" one whispered.

"Visual on green blur—track movement!" another hissed, their goggles flaring with thermal lines, showing the world in hues of red and green.

They had expected Liam’s vision to be useless in the dark.

They didn’t count on the fact that he didn’t need to see them to destroy them.

"Hold position—wait for my—"

Snap.

A scream ripped through the air.

One of them whipped around just in time to see Liam holding their teammate by the jaw, his other arm locked around the neck. A sharp twist—and the man’s neck snapped like a twig.

Liam let the limp body fall like garbage.

"FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!!" one of the remaining four shouted.

Muzzles flashed in rapid bursts, lighting up the trees in staccato pulses. Lead tore through the underbrush. The night exploded in gunfire.

But they were shooting at ghosts.

Nothing but a streak of green flashed through their night vision.

"Where the fuck is he?!" one cried out.

Liam moved through the trees like a phantom, a blur of motion that was far too fast to trace. He didn’t even need to dodge. He was already gone by the time their fingers hit the triggers.

Suddenly, he was before another.

He grabbed the man’s rifle, yanked it free, and before the soldier could scream, Liam coiled his arm like a spring and punched.

His fist collided with the helmet—CRACK.

The goggles exploded.

The helmet shattered.

So did the skull beneath it.

The man dropped like a puppet with cut strings.

The remaining three scrambled back and regrouped, forming a tight circle with their backs pressed together, weapons up, fingers shaking slightly on the triggers.

"No more surprises," one growled. "No more fucking surp—"

A branch shifted.

"Left!" one shouted, spinning around.

That was his mistake.

Because the moment he broke formation, Liam struck.

He burst from behind a thick tree like a bullet. The speed of his charge was unnatural—inhuman. His muscles coiled like springs, his power condensed into a single forward motion.

BOOM!!

He slammed into the three of them like a cannonball.

All three were launched into the air—like paper caught in a storm.

The forest echoed with their screams as they crashed into trees and the cold earth. Bones cracked. Gear snapped. One of them struck a thick trunk headfirst and didn’t move again. Another crumpled into a bush, spine twisted unnaturally.

Only one remained conscious.

Barely.

He groaned on the dirt, rolling weakly, trying to crawl away with a shattered leg. His goggles were cracked, half-blinded by blood. His weapon was nowhere near him.

Liam walked slowly, calmly, like a predator savoring the last bite.

He picked up one of the discarded rifles along the path. The metal felt light in his hands. Too light.

He approached the injured man, his boots crunching leaves underfoot.

The man looked up at him, gasping. "P-please... I didn’t... I was just following orders..."

Liam didn’t answer.

He stared down at him in silence, the rage in his eyes cold and lethal.

"You could’ve killed them," Liam said, voice low. "You would’ve killed them."

The man tried to speak again, but Liam raised the rifle.

A second of silence stretched like eternity.

Then—BAM!

The body jerked, then stilled. Forever.

Liam stood there for a moment longer, the barrel of the rifle still warm in his hand, the scent of blood and cordite thick in the air. His jaw tightened, but his expression remained unreadable.

He turned away and tossed the rifle to the ground.

The forest had gone quiet again.

No more screams.

No more shots.

Just the rustle of wind in the trees.

He tilted his head back and stared up at the moon—high above, pale and detached. A soft wind stirred the leaves, brushing past his hair and cheek. The blood was still fresh on his hands, and the scent of gunpowder still clung to the air.

But something shifted inside him.

If he stayed here too long... if he dragged this fight out...

He’d kill more. Maybe everyone who came. His body was willing—craving—it. But something deep inside resisted.

His human self flickered awake.

He took a slow breath, and with a final glance at the broken bodies around him, he turned sharply and dashed back into the trees.

Every step was calculated, his pace a blur as he tore through the undergrowth, silent as the night. Trees flew past him. His boots barely kissed the ground. He wasn’t running anymore—he was gliding.

Within seconds, he arrived back at the car.

Relief hit him like a wave.

The wrecked vehicle was still where he left it, on its side, shielding Lana and Vanessa. The moonlight bounced off the twisted metal, casting jagged shadows around the area.

"Hey," Liam called softly, careful not to startle them. "It’s me."

There was a quiet rustle, then Lana’s head peeked over the edge of the flipped car.

Her eyes lit up with relief the moment she saw him.

"God, Liam... I was just about to go look for you," she whispered.

He quickly moved behind the car and joined her beneath the tree they had been resting under. His eyes scanned her quickly—no wounds, no bleeding. Good.

"What happened while I was gone?" he asked.

Lana shifted a little to the side, revealing Vanessa. She was unconscious again, her breathing shallow, skin pale and clammy. Liam knelt beside her instantly, checking her pulse.

"She needs help," Lana said, her voice low and urgent. "Badly."

Liam nodded, fingers on her wrist. She was warm... too warm. Still breathing, but weak. Her body had gone through a lot, and the accident clearly hadn’t helped.

"She passed out again," Lana added, watching him carefully.

Liam stayed focused on Vanessa for a few more seconds, then turned to Lana. "She’ll be okay. She’s just... overworked."

But Lana didn’t look convinced.

Her face was tight. Jaw clenched.

"What is it?" Liam asked, narrowing his eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Lana hesitated for a beat. Then, slowly, her lips pulled into a thin, grim expression.

"She woke up a few minutes ago," Lana said. "Just for a second."

Liam’s brows lifted. "What did she say?"

Lana swallowed, voice steady but grim. "She said she doesn’t have much time left. We need to get her home within thirty minutes or she’s dead."

Liam froze.

His hand had just been checking Vanessa’s pulse—but now it hovered, motionless, above her chest. "What...?"

"Thirty minutes," Lana repeated. "She was clear about it. No hospital. Just her home."

Panic flared in Liam’s chest for the first time that night.

"Why her home? What’s there?" he asked, eyes darting from Vanessa to Lana.

Lana looked him straight in the eye. "She didn’t say. But she meant it. We need to get her there."

"Fuck..." Liam whispered under his breath.

He looked around frantically.

Dark trees. Broken ground. Bloodied leaves.

They were still in the middle of nowhere.

His ears twitched.

Dogs. Barking in the distance.

Footsteps. Boots crunching through the forest. Not far now.

And more were coming.

A lot more.

They were closing in from all directions. If he carried Vanessa and had to protect Lana too, they’d never make it out alive.

Think, Liam.

Think.

Then—water.

His head turned slightly. Beneath the other sounds, he heard it. Faint, but consistent. Rushing water. No—not just a stream.

A waterfall.

And waterfalls meant rivers.

"Can you walk?" he asked Lana suddenly.

She blinked. "What?"

"Can. You. Walk?" he repeated, turning to her with urgency in his eyes.

She looked startled, but nodded. "Yes... I think so."

"Good."

He stood quickly and scooped Vanessa into his arms, cradling her like something fragile. She was light. Too light. And the heat rolling off her was unnatural. Whatever was happening to her—it wasn’t normal trauma.

Lana quickly followed, stepping beside him, stumbling only once before regaining her balance.

"We’re going to the river," Liam said. "There’s a waterfall nearby. We’ll follow the current downstream."

"Won’t they track us?" Lana asked.

"Maybe," Liam said. "But the water will buy us time. Dogs can’t trace scent through water. And if we’re lucky, we’ll find a break in the road or a passing vehicle."

"But what if we don’t?"

He looked at her, and his voice dropped lower.

"Then I’ll think of something else."

Lana fell silent, but the determination on her face said it all. She believed him.

She always did.

They started moving, Liam leading the way, Lana following close behind. The terrain sloped downward slightly as they got closer to the source of the sound. The barking and shouting behind them grew louder—but so did the rush of the water ahead.

Time was ticking.

And so was Vanessa’s life.