After reviewing all available intel, we narrowed Samuel Houston's location down to one likely hideout — a remote, isolated bungalow, surrounded by a wide perimeter of empty land. A perfect safehouse… or a well-laid trap.
Kathy and I shared a sleek black vehicle, with Harry comfortably nestled in the back seat, his optics scanning passively. Boston rode behind us on his heavily modified combat motorcycle — his massive, cybernetically enhanced frame simply wouldn't fit inside a standard car.
We parked a safe distance from the target location, cutting the engine and proceeding on foot. The air was quiet. Too quiet.
As the bungalow came into view, we crouched behind a low hedge. Every window was shuttered, curtains drawn tight. Even through enhanced optics, we saw nothing but stillness.
I activated our encrypted comm channel.
"Harry, move up. Launch the recon drone and scan the area."
A second later, his text message pinged my AR display:
"Roger."
Harry crept forward with smooth mechanical grace and deployed his drone from a side compartment. It zipped upward and circled the perimeter.
"Scanning outer perimeter."
The drone buzzed along the walls, searching for cracks, vents, anything it could use as entry.
Moments later, another message blinked in my vision:
"Recon drone cannot find any entry point. Structure is sealed airtight."
I frowned. "Plan B, then. Harry, shoot out one of the exterior lights. Let's flush him out."
"Affirmative."
With precision, Harry fired a single suppressed shot. The light shattered, the bulb exploding in a cascade of sparks and glass.
Then — movement.
A figure stepped out through the front door, backlit by the dim hallway light.
Our sensors pinged, confirming it: Samuel Houston.
"Go!" I commanded.
In perfect coordination, Boston, Kathy, and I rose from cover and opened fire. Our rifles unleashed a storm of bullets, ripping through the air toward our target.
But Samuel wasn't just a normal cyborg.
With inhuman speed, he twisted and flipped through the oncoming hail, bullets missing by centimeters or glancing off the armored plates beneath his suit. His Class-B cybernetics let him move with terrifying agility.
Suddenly, he charged — not toward me or Kathy — but straight at Boston.
Bullets ricocheted off his forearms and shoulders as he sprinted in a zigzag path. Boston braced and swung his cybernetic fist, but Samuel vaulted off the ground, flipped over Boston's head, and extended a sharp hand blade toward Boston's exposed organic chest.
Before the blade struck, I intercepted with a high-kick parry, redirecting the attack and locking Samuel into close-quarters combat.
Our bodies moved with fluid precision — enhanced martial arts, guided by cyberbrains. Every dodge, strike, and block executed with mechanical efficiency.
Kathy joined the fray from the side, striking with a powerful elbow jab and a follow-up spin kick. But Samuel kept pace, deflecting her blows while still trading attacks with me.
Boston recovered and charged again. This time, Samuel tried to stand his ground — a mistake.
Boston's full-force punch slammed into Samuel's forearms as he blocked. The impact launched him backward several meters, where he landed on his feet, sliding across gravel.
We circled, adjusting our stances. The air pulsed with tension.
Then, a blinking alert appeared in the corner of my AR view — a text message from Harry.
> "I'm detecting a third-party access point linked to Samuel's cyberbrain. Possible remote hacker."
I blinked in surprise. "He's being controlled?" I asked via intercom.
"Looks like it," Kathy replied. "That explains the erratic behavior."
"Then we avoid headshots," I said. "His core brain casing might still be intact. If he's being puppeted, he could be a victim too."
"Understood," Boston confirmed.
Harry sent another message:
> "Recommending installation of emergency anti-hacker firewall developed by Alex. Sending file now."
An encrypted file appeared. I authorized it instantly, and within seconds, a new firewall began spinning into place in my system. Kathy and Boston did the same.
We crept closer to Samuel, surrounding him. My hand gripped my katana's hilt.
Then, it happened.
Samuel arched his back violently. His mouth opened in a digital scream as electricity danced across his cybernetic frame. Sparks exploded from his limbs. His movements became erratic, flailing — his cyberbrain hijacked.
Then he collapsed, twitching, smoke rising from his body.
"What the hell was that?" Kathy asked.
"Is he dead?" Boston muttered, stepping closer.
"Warning: high-speed hacking attempt detected," Harry texted.
"Originating from multiple vectors. Brace for lockdown. Your systems will temporarily freeze while firewall repels the intrusion."
My vision suddenly went red. My body locked up.
"Damn it," I growled. "Frozen."
"I can't move either," Kathy said, her voice tight in my comms.
Seconds passed like hours. Then, one by one, our systems rebooted and restored mobility.
"Hacking attempt repelled. No data breach." Harry confirmed via text.
I exhaled. "Thanks to Alex's genius coding…"
I looked down at Samuel's scorched body, chest still faintly rising. "Whoever did this… they tried to kill him and us."
"I swear," I muttered aloud, "if some hacker thinks they can hijack my expensive body like a toy—think again."
"You both alright?" Boston asked, checking his gear.
"Good now," Kathy confirmed.
"I'm fine," I said, standing up and sheathing my katana.
I connected to the Bounty Hunter Guild system and selected 'Hunt Complete'.
Minutes later, three Guild drones arrived on site. They scanned Samuel's barely alive form, now stabilized, and confirmed his identity.
> "Target verified. Reward issued: 250,000 credits."
Each of us received a digital deposit of 83,333.33 credits into our accounts.
A recovery team would arrive shortly to extract Samuel's body for investigation and medical analysis.
As for us — we returned to Neoz City under the cover of night, adrenaline still simmering in our veins.
And somewhere out there… a hacker was watching.