The gunman trapped beneath Adrian Knight struggled desperately, his breathing reduced to harsh gasps as Adrian’s bound hands remained locked around his neck.
He repeatedly drove his fists into Adrian’s ribs and waist, each impact sending fresh pain through Adrian’s already battered body.
Adrian refused to loosen his grip, even as the tape around his wrists dug deeper into his skin and left angry red marks.
Chicago had already taught Adrian one brutal lesson on his first day with Intelligence: hesitation could get him killed.
There was no room to negotiate with someone who had just tried to shoot him at point-blank range.
Gritting his teeth, Adrian used what little strength he had left and tightened his hold.
The man’s resistance gradually weakened.
His punches became slower and softer until his arms finally dropped beside him, his eyes rolling back as his body went limp.
Adrian still didn’t immediately release him, keeping his grip in place for several more moments until he was certain the threat was gone.
Only then did Adrian finally collapse sideways onto the floor, breathing heavily.
“Huff…
huff…” His entire body trembled from exhaustion, blood loss, electrical shocks, and the beating he had endured since being captured.
For several seconds, he could do little more than lie there and breathe.
After recovering slightly, Adrian searched the dead man’s clothing and found a curved bear-claw-style knife at his waist.
He awkwardly gripped it between his bound hands and carefully worked through the thick tape around his wrists before cutting through the restraints on his legs.
Once free, he pushed the body away and muttered bitterly, “You’re under arrest…
you bastard.” At that moment, the familiar system notification sounded inside his mind.
[Buzz.] [Kill punishment completed.] [Each criminal eliminated may grant a random reward.] [Rewards obtained:] [1.
$700,000 in cash.] [2.
SIG Sauer P229 semiautomatic pistol ×1, magazines ×2.] [Leveling System unlocked.] [Current Level: LV1.] [Rank: Private First Class.] [Level-up attribute reward: Vitality +50%.] [Current Vitality Bonus: +50%.] [Skill acquired: Lethal Gunfire.] [Lethal Gunfire: Within 15 meters, pistol hit rate increased by 50%.] A warm current immediately spread through Adrian’s battered body.
Unlike the violent surge he had experienced when the Punisher System first activated, this sensation felt gentle and restorative, flowing through his bruised muscles and exhausted limbs like sunlight after a freezing night.
Wherever the warmth passed, some of the stiffness and pain gradually eased.
A 50% Vitality increase was enormous.
Adrian slowly steadied his breathing as strength began returning to his limbs.
Then his attention shifted toward the newly acquired skill.
Lethal Gunfire.
Within fifteen meters, his pistol hit rate would increase by fifty percent.
Adrian hadn’t yet had a chance to understand exactly how much that would affect him in combat when another system reward became available inside his storage space.
A SIG Sauer P229 appeared in his hand.
The compact 9mm semiautomatic pistol immediately gave Adrian a much-needed sense of security.
He had exhausted the ammunition for his Glock 18 during the escape, and there was no telling whether more of Derek’s men were still somewhere inside the house.
Supporting himself against the furniture, Adrian forced himself upright and staggered toward the office door.
Elsewhere, five Chicago police vehicles raced through the streets toward Hyde Park.
Inside the lead vehicle, Adam Ruzek held a tablet displaying the target location while watching their position close in.
“Two more blocks,” he said quickly.
Antonio Dawson tightened his hands around the steering wheel and pressed harder on the accelerator.
“Come on…
come on.” Sirens screamed through the night as the convoy tore down the street toward the address Mouse had uncovered.
Minutes later, the police vehicles stopped hard outside the expensive house.
Intelligence officers in ballistic vests poured out while supporting patrol units arrived behind them and began securing the perimeter.
There was no attempt at subtlety now; one of their own had been kidnapped and might still be inside.
Kevin Atwater moved toward the entrance carrying a breaching ram.
Antonio followed with an MP5, Jesse carried an M4-style carbine, and Alvin Olinsky brought his Remington shotgun while the remaining officers drew their sidearms.
Everyone took position around the front entrance.
Kevin slammed the ram into the door.
The entrance burst open.
Kevin immediately moved aside while Antonio and Jesse entered first with their weapons raised.
“Chicago Police!” Antonio shouted as the rest of the team followed them into the house.
Despite the violent breach, the interior remained eerily silent.
Antonio and Jesse initially covered the staircase leading upstairs before shifting toward the first-floor living area.
Alvin positioned himself where he could watch the stairs while the others continued deeper into the house.
“Move.
Keep moving,” Antonio ordered quietly.
Room after room was checked.
“Clear!” Another room.
“Clear!” Nothing moved.
The team eventually reached the hallway leading toward the office.
Antonio hugged the wall and carefully looked past the corner, only to stop when he saw two motionless bodies lying ahead.
Blood covered sections of the wall, and beyond them the office looked even worse.
“Bodies!” Antonio shouted.
Every officer immediately tightened their grip on their weapons.
Then movement appeared inside the office.
Adrian staggered into view with blood covering his body and the SIG Sauer P229 clutched in one hand.
He leaned heavily against the wall for support before calling out, “I’m here!” The familiar voice stopped the team from reacting against him.
Antonio and the others cautiously advanced and entered the office, where the full scale of what had happened finally became visible.
Bodies lay throughout the devastated room while bullet holes and blood marked the furniture and walls.
Antonio stared around in disbelief before looking at Adrian.
“What the hell happened in here?” Hank Voight pushed through the others and went directly toward him.
He carefully took the pistol from Adrian’s hand before looking over the bruises, blood, and obvious injuries covering his newest officer.
“You okay?” Adrian wiped blood away from his face and gave him an exhausted look.
“I think I need an ambulance.” Adam immediately grabbed his radio.
“5021, officer down.
We need an ambulance at 2370 60th Street, Hyde Park.” He looked toward Adrian while continuing, “Repeat, officer down.
Get EMS here now.” After finishing the call, Adam slowly looked around at the bodies scattered across the office.
The destruction was difficult to reconcile with the exhausted rookie barely managing to remain on his feet.
“This is insane.” He turned toward Adrian.
“You did all this yourself?” Hank walked over to Derek Keyes’s body and looked down at the dead gang leader in silence.
Even he seemed momentarily stunned by the scene.
Adrian had been kidnapped, tortured, restrained, and surrounded by Derek’s men, yet somehow Derek was the one lying dead on the floor.
Supported by Adam, Adrian looked toward Hank.
“Boss, I fired my weapon.” The words immediately carried another meaning for everyone present.
Regardless of what had happened inside the house, multiple people were dead and Adrian was a Chicago police officer involved in the shooting.
That meant the incident would have to be documented and reviewed, including how Adrian obtained the weapon and what circumstances led to the gunfire.
Adrian knew questions were coming once he reached the hospital.
Internal Affairs and other investigators would eventually want a complete explanation of the shooting.
Considering the SIG Sauer in Hank’s hand had come directly from the Punisher System, that particular question could become complicated.
Hank seemed to understand Adrian’s concern.
He walked back over and gave him a reassuring look.
“It’s all right, Adrian.” “I’ll handle it,” Hank continued.
“You get treated first.
Don’t worry about anything else right now.” Hearing that, Adrian finally relaxed slightly.
Hank Voight had spent years navigating the difficult corners of Chicago police work, and if anyone could help him deal with the aftermath, it was the man standing in front of him.
For now, Adrian only needed to stay conscious long enough to reach the hospital.
The ambulance arrived shortly afterward.
Yellow police tape went up around the property while patrol officers secured the scene and investigators began taking control of the house.
Paramedics placed Adrian onto a stretcher and loaded him into the ambulance.
Hank and Alvin stood near the rear of the vehicle as the doors closed.
The ambulance pulled away moments later, its lights flashing across the dark Hyde Park street.
Alvin watched it disappear before slowly exhaling.
“Loses that much blood, gets tortured, and still manages to take down Derek and his crew,” Alvin said.
“Hard to believe.” He glanced toward Hank.
“Not much of a playboy after all, huh?” Hank continued watching the ambulance until it disappeared around the corner.
After everything Adrian had survived on his very first day, even Hank had to admit the kid had surprised him.
A faint look of approval crossed his otherwise hard expression.
“You’re right,” Hank said.
“Kid’s tougher than he looks.” He finally turned back toward the crime scene.
“I think I recruited one hell of a good partner.” [Chapter Rewards]