The university students had been waiting patiently while being held captive on the wooden platform. Although their arms and feet were tightly bound, their mouths weren’t, so they were at least allowed to speak to each other.
But whenever they did talk, they did so in anxious whispers, not even daring to think about shouting at the people who had captured them. They had vividly seen what had happened to Aki and Rick when they tried to protect them back at the restaurant. That terrifying level of violence had been the work of just one individual—and now, there was a whole group of those monsters standing right in front of them.
A part of those who had been through a campus lockdown before, like Steve, had expected that maybe they would feel less on edge this time around, or at least a bit safer. But he didn’t feel safe at all, and the rest of them felt the exact same way. They could tell instinctively that the people holding them captive this time were far more professional. You could see it in the disciplined way they stood, the cold way they spoke, and even the expert precision with which the ropes and cuffs had been tied.
"We’re stuck in this nightmare again," Steve whispered, his eyes darting around. "And I have a bad feeling this is all just unfinished business left over from last time."
"But we aren’t even his actual friends," Yovan muttered back, his face pale. "He hasn’t even seen us since the day he left the university. So why the hell are they targeting us?"
"I guess the answer to that is pretty simple, right?" Jono said, leaning his head back against the pillar. "Max came to save us last time, so they figure if they take us again, he’ll turn up to save us a second time. The problem is, these guys look like real professionals."
The students were mainly looking at Agent Two, who was casually leaning against a support beam, playing with his daggers and flipping them through his fingers once in a while. Then there was Commander Blark, a literal wall of muscle dressed in army camo who was sharply barking orders at the others.
"Will Max really come to help us again?" Talia asked, her voice trembling.
"I think he will... but I’m honestly not sure if he should," Eric said quietly. He looked at the armed guards patrolling the run-down courtyard. "I’m not sure he would be a match for these people."
Right then, out in the distance, a figure appeared over the horizon. As he marched into view, he looked drastically different from the last time the students had seen him.
"Am I completely losing my mind, or is that the school janitor?" Steve stammered, rubbing his eyes.
"Remember, he wasn’t actually just a school janitor, he was helping Max," Talia reminded him, a sudden spark of hope cutting through her panic. "It looks like Max really did send help for us."
Although they remembered the janitor’s terrifying martial arts skills from the campus incident, they still weren’t sure if one man was going to be enough to take down an entire squad of assassins. Thankfully, he wasn’t alone.
Walking right by Aron’s side was Joe, wearing his signature silver inlay jacket. Next to him was Joe in his green jacket outfit, and then Stephen on the outer edge, sporting his red ranger colors. On the other side of Stephen, Wolf was walking proudly, his golden jacket lining shining brightly beneath the sun.
Skull, who was standing near the other Black Hand members, watched the group approach with a sharp smile.

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