Tina Still in Control of the Drone
Tina looked at the wrecked guard post. In front of it, many security guards had already surrendered; the team was busy handcuffing them at gunpoint.
As Tina had said — the team hadn't needed to fire a single bullet.
Someone waved to her. She waved back — it was Tono.
Tono walked over.
Tina: "Hi, Tono!
Tono: "Hi, Tina!"
Tina: "Where are Burhan and Rudin?"
Tono: "They're sweeping inside the building."
Tono glanced around.
Tono: "Aren't you being escorted, Tina?"
Tina shook her head, adjusting her glasses while watching her tablet.
Tina: "I'm with Nagini."
Tono was caught between surprise and delight.
Tono: "This will be a surprise for Burhan."
Tina smiled.
Tina: "They're close, but pretend they're not."
Tono chuckled.
Tina: "With Nagini here, this operation has more punch."
Tono: "You're right, Tina."
Tono looked around again, then excused himself.
Tono: "I've got to deal with the surrendering security. I'll leave you for now."
Tina nodded.
Her eyes stayed on the tablet feed from the drone — showing the rear post, where Giono, Ngatmo, Karsiyah, Rani, and Rina were locked in battle with Mariana.
***
Mardian is Captured
Burhan and Rudin continued sweeping the building.
In the living room, a young man sat fiddling with a drone controller and a laptop — Mardian, the drone operator.
Burhan: "Hands up!"
Still focused on hacking the drone's signal, Mardian hadn't noticed several police aiming guns at him.
Rudin: "Don't move!"
Startled, Mardian raised his hands.
An officer stepped forward and cuffed him.
In the CCTV control room, two other officers had already secured Paimin and Giman, marching them into the living room.
Two more officers came in from another section.
Officer 1: "All rooms are clear."
Officer 2: "Sweep complete, no threats."
Rudin: "Take all suspects to the front post."
They began escorting them out.
Paimin leaned toward Giman.
Paimin: "Man, after this we're going to trial."
Giman: "What do you think the sentence will be?"
Paimin: "Two years, minus time served."
They both smiled bitterly.
***
Even Under Relentless Attack, Mariana Doesn't Falter
Meanwhile, at the rear post, the fight raged on.
Mariana sidestepped, narrowly dodging Giono's punch aimed at her head.
Whoosh!
His fist struck empty air, just two centimeters from her cheek.
She then blocked Ngatmo's kick aimed at her waist.
Thud!
It too hit nothing.
To fend off Karsiyah's punch, Mariana raised her paper fan.
Thud!
The blow bounced off harmlessly.
Before she could breathe, eight knives from Rani and Rina spun toward her — four high, four low.
She dismissed them with a glare.
With a graceful flick of her fan—
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
A wave of hot air slammed into the knives.
Boom!
Kaboom!
The blades clattered to the ground.
Giono came again, his fist radiating cold.
Giono: "Wedus!"
Ngatmo joined with a chilling kick.
Ngatmo: "Watch the kick!"
Karsiyah charged in with her own cold-imbued punch.
Karsiyah: "Mbelgedes!"
On the side, Rani and Rina searched for an opening and hurled more knives.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Mariana stayed calm, even under the flurry of strikes. She doubled her inner strength, her movements faster and heavier.
Her fan blurred, heat radiating from every sweep as she deflected every attack from Giono, Ngatmo, and Karsiyah.
Deph! Deph!
Their blows landed as if striking an invisible wall of steel.
Giono: "Wedus!"
Karsiyah: "Gombale mukiyo!"
Ngatmo: "What martial art is this woman using?"
Giono: "You mean bulletproof skin technique?"
Neither Ngatmo nor Karsiyah answered. Their hands tingled painfully from every blocked strike.
Karsiyah: "Mbelgedes!"
At times, Mariana's fan knocked the twins' knives right out of the air—
Whoosh!
Boom
The blades dropped to the floor.
Rani: "My hands are tingling, Rina."
Rina: "Mine too."
Even with relentless attacks from Giono, Ngatmo, and Karsiyah, plus the twins' knife throws, they couldn't breach Mariana's paper-fan defense.
She moved as if wrapped in an invisible dome of steel.
Karsiyah: "Mbelgedes! This woman is incredible!"
Ngatmo: "Her speed—"
Giono: "Her strength—Wedus!"
The twins whispered to each other.
Rani: "Even with Uncle Giono, Dad, and Mom attacking—"
Rina: "—our knives can't touch her."
To be Continued