by Kipjo Ewers
“As we speak our target is being tracked, O'Banion is sending his second in command George O'Leary and an eight-man crew to pick up this shipment.” Rogers pointed to the large monitor screen which came alive. “They are going by plane and leaving by boat. The second they land, we are up in the air. Erica will continue to monitor and provide us Intel. There is every possibility this could be a setup, one thing we do know after the Castillo hit, these are not people we play with, so I want more than everyone’s A-Game on this. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir!” The entire active team howled.
“Make your last minute checks, and get ready to be up in the air once we get confirmation. Dismissed.”
˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜
Six hours and fifteen minutes later the Regulators were up in the air headed towards Columbia. The ship’s refractive body and stealth mode kept it hidden and off all radars.
Rogers sat in his chair glancing at each member of his team in their own world giving their gear and weapons last minute checks. The only one who lifted their eyes to meet Rogers’s was Sister Sledge.
“Maxine, what the status on O'Leary?” Rogers called out.
“George O'Leary and his men are en route to an abandoned factory in Felidia.” Maxine indicated. “Our ETA is ten minutes.”
“Reduce our approach,” Rogers ordered. “As soon as you hear additional voices that are not a part of their party we’ll move in.”
“Affirmative.”
Rogers adjusted his beanie and gave his rifle one final check before getting up, which got everyone’s attention.
“Get ready for boots on the ground.”
“Yes, sir!” They all howled.
“Sergeant Rogers, O'Leary and his men have arrived and are entering the building,” Maxine announced. “Two black SUVs and a utility truck are already on the scene, scans are detecting a party of six waiting for them on the third floor of the building with what appears to ten crates.”
“Give me a play by play Maxine.”
“They have ascended to the second floor and are moving to the third. Targets have ascended to the third floor and are heading to the center of …”
Maxine’s pause gave Rogers and the team a sick feeling in their guts.
“Maxine, what’s the matter?” Rogers asked.
“I can no longer see or hear what is occurring inside of the building,” Maxine stated. “I am employing all forms of audio and optics, nothing is getting through. Deploying a drone.”
A small port in the underbelly of the Tornado opened up. A stealth black cybernetic looking hummingbird shot out like a bullet, it slowed its speed as it entered through a broken window on the third floor. Its transmission went dead the second it was inside the building.
“I have lost control of the drone; its transmission has been interrupted as well. I suspect either tech or some form of superhuman ability that is the interference.”
Rogers rubbed his chin as he felt the eyes of his unit awaiting their orders.
“They’ve either thought ahead to ensure their meeting and transaction remains a secret, or we’re walking into an ambush. Either way, we’re going in, raid style. We’ll sort em out when it’s all said and done. I got the front door with Nitro taking the third floor, while Nitro takes the second. Merge with Sister Sledge on the right with Merge taking the ground floor and Sledge the third, Heavy Element with Cyclone on the left with Heavy Element taking the ground floor and Cyclone the second, Blitz, you got the back door and the fourth floor. Let’s move out!”
The rear hatch of the Tornado opened up as the Regulators either leaped to the ground or flew out. Each one made a mad dash covering all four sides of the factory. Blitz being the fastest zipped to the rear entrance. He waited until everyone converged on the building.
Rogers and Sister Sledge super leaped to get to the third floor, while Heavy Element and a Mercurian transformed Merge went through the side doors to face any guards held up at the bottom. Nitro and Cyclone used their powers to enter through the second floor, while Blitz took the fourth floor, which was the final level of the building.
They all converged on the third floor where Rogers and Sister Sledge entered. A sick feeling swirled within each of their stomachs which weren’t on the floor yet when they didn’t hear a struggle, energy attack, or a gunshot fired.
As the rest of the team made their way to the third floor, they came upon the same baffling scene Rogers and Sister Sledge leaped into.
“What … the fuck …is going on?” Heavy Element asked.
Littered on the floor were O'Leary and his men’s lifeless bodies along with six other men. The other men were dressed in black tactical fatigue sets and combat boots. Just as Maxine scanned, ten olive green military cargo crates were sitting in two stacks of five on top of each other.
Rogers and Sister Sledge walked around checking all of the bodies.
“All of them are dead,” Rogers confirmed.
“Same here,” Sister Sledge nodded.
“What killed them?” Merge asked looking around.
“No idea,” Rogers shook his head. “No sign of physical trauma, skin, and lips are not discolored, so they weren’t poisoned.”
“Five bucks says these crates are empty or rigged.” Heavy Element motioned.
Blitz hovered his hand over the cartons.
“Nine of the crates aren’t producing any source of electricity, the tenth one is but the power source is small, battery size.”
“I think it’s safe to open it,” Nitro said while standing on the other side.
“How do you know?” Cyclone asked.
“There’s a sign on this side that says open and play.”
Rogers moved to the side Nitro stood on seeing the sign for himself. He walked over to the crate opening the lid and pulled out what was inside.
“A DVD player,” Rogers said narrowing his eyes.
Everyone moved closer as he flipped it open revealing the screen inside. It came to life on its own playing the DVD disc inside of it.
The team watched with mixed reactions as it played without sound the brutal execution of Angel Castillo, along with the individuals in black responsible. As the video ended, the player sparked and smoked while the DVD inside melted to the point it became unplayable.
“Well now we know what happened to Castillo,” Sister Sledge said while folding her arms.
“So, whoever this guy and his goon squad in black are brought O'Leary and his guys all the way to Columbia to ax them?” Merge asked attempting to piece things together. “These other guys look like locals, which means they were used as additional bait. But why show us Castillo’s murder now after meticulously trying to hide it?”
Before they could answer the question, their ears were filled with a splitting whining sound of something massive falling out of the sky. It was followed by a ground-rattling fiery crash that sent smoke, dirt, and debris wafting into the broken windows of the building.
Rogers and the entire team raced to the windows to see the Tornado they flew in broken in two and demolished from the impact of the fall it took.
“Maxine! Maxine!” Rogers yelled, “Maxine come in!”
No response.
“Erica! Do you read me! Come in! Erica!”
Also, no response.
The team checked their own communicators to find either no signal or static radio interference.
“Definite set up,” Rogers nodded to the team.
“Uh, Sarge,” Cyclone swallowed while pointing.
About the distance of the other end of a football field was a thick row of black. Some of the blacks became a swarm taking to the air powered by whatever power source was coursing through their veins to grant them propulsion as they flew at high speeds toward them.
No one had to ask one another what was coming next.
“Incoming!” Heavy Element roared.
The team scattered duck
ing for cover as large holes were punched through the building by an array of powerful energy blasts. Both Heavy Element and Merge transformed into the elements of metal while running to avoid the attacks. Blitz threw up an electrical shield nullifying the barrages directed at him, while Cyclone was knocked off her feet by the impact of a photon beam at close range. As she hit the floor painfully, Nitro hoofed it over to her diving in her direction as another powerful energy attack nearly tagged him.
Nitro rolled to his feet grabbing her arm and dragging her into an abandoned office.
Sister Sledge plowed through a wall into another office to avoid being hit, while Rogers shoulder smashed into a nearby break room for cover.
After another half minute, the energy attacks came to a halt leaving thick onyx smoke and some small fires that ignited throughout the building.
“Headcount!” Rogers roared “Give me a headcount now!”
“Still alive Sarge!” Heavy Element coughed.
“Sir, me too!” Merge yelled.
“Sir, I’m alright!” Blitz confirmed.
“Sir, Nitro here! I’m fine! Cyclone is down but coherent!”
“Sister Sledge!”
She shook the floor with her strong running pattern as she entered the break room he smashed through to find cover.
“I’m good.”
Rogers nodded as he prepared to give his next command.
“Everyone stay put! Nitro, we’re going to make our way over to you and Cyclone!”
“Roger that!”
The Sarge followed Sister Sledge wading through the blinding black smoke back to the team. Rogers and Sister Sledge ducked into the office Nitro dragged Cyclone into to check on her. The right side of her face was slightly burnt and cut up from debris as she clutched her right ribcage where the upper part of her suit took most of the impact.
“Cyclone, what’s your status?”
“Sir, I think I cracked a couple of ribs,” she groaned, “And my left shoulder feels like it’s dislocated.”
Sister Sledge wasted no time moving to her left side grabbing her arm, and examining it.
“It’s dislocated alright, I’m going to have to pop it back in.”
“This going to hurt right?” Cyclone asked gasping.
“Yep, it’s going to hurt. We’ll do it on three.”
“Okay.” Cyclone nodded.
“One.”
Sledge counted as she pulled Cyclone’s arm at the same time. The young woman let out a blood-curdling scream as her elder snapped her arm back into her socket.
“Fuck!” she squealed. “You said on three! On three!”
“Maxine, come in! Maxine, respond!” Rogers tried his headset again.
The team anxiously awaited as Rogers listened for a response only to get dead air.
“Still nothing,” Rogers frustratingly shook his head.
“Whoever or whatever shut down the Tornado must have taken her out too,” Merge said, “Or she would have been here by now.”
“You’re right about that,” Rogers agreed.
“What the hell did they use, some type of EMP blast?” Nitro nervously asked.
“Aren’t Maxine and the Tornado …designed to withstand those?” Cyclone chimed in with a groan. “And how’d they hit them …when they were cloaked?”
“This ain’t the time to debate how they took out our air support,” Rogers sternly said. “It’s down, and we’re pinned down with no communication with the Ranch. Our new mission is the get the hell out of this mess.”
“Why do you think they stopped shooting?” Sister Sledge asked.
“Probably can’t see us from all the smoke in here,” The Sarge deduced. “Good chance they want to make sure we’re still in the building and didn’t sneak out. Heavy Element, what do you see?”
Heavy Element crawled over to a window and pulled down the tactical glasses he had on his head which lit up giving him an enhanced view of the outside. Outside on the ground and in the sky, was a sizable army of boosted troops all wearing tactical black gear and masks. Those of the Titan and Mercurian class carried heavy caliber armor-piercing weapons, while the Apollo Class utilized their abilities to attack.
“Uh, about eighty or more strong,” He swallowed. “All boosted. Judging from some of the tattoos, skin tones, and other features that I can see, we got Italian, Russian, and Irish Mafia, Triad, Jamaican, Yakuza, either Brazilian or Mexican Cartel, or both, and some other groups I can’t make out. It’s a who’s who of organized assholes out there.”
“This was definitely a setup,” Rogers snorted.
“Don’t they know who we are?” Merge asked turning to him.
“That’s exactly why they’re here,” Rogers answered while checking his rifle. “They don’t want us to take down their supplier, so they’re going to make damn sure we don’t walk out here alive. What’s the status of communication with the Ranch?”
“Sir, I’ve tried every frequency, nothing is getting through,” Blitz announced. “They either have some kind of tech or someone out there powerful enough to jam communications.”
“Our short-range channel still works,” Nitro announced.
Everyone nodded acknowledging as they heard the clicks he was sending into their ears with his wrist communicator.
“Erica has to know by now there’s a problem,” Sister Sledge said turning to Rogers.
“We can’t wait for whatever plan she comes up with,” Rogers said. “The minute this smoke clears up, they’re going to start blasting again, and this time they’re going to bring this down with us inside of it. Everyone listen up!”
Each Regulator turned to lock onto Rogers’s stern steely eyes.
“We’re not sitting here like a bunch of ducks in a friggin barrel. Out there is the scum of the Earth!” He pointed. “Nothing more than a bunch of street punks sent here to attempt to make sure we don’t cut off their supply chain. They are not soldiers, so do not treat them as such; is that understood?”
“Yes, sir!” They all howled back.
“Blitz, Merge, and Nitro, we’re going to need to you unleash hell and scatter them, sons of bitches, show them some real firepower.”
“Sir, I can fight!” Cyclone growled getting to one knee. “I can fight!”
“Nitro back her up and keep her alive,” Rogers nodded.
“Yes sir,” he acknowledged.
“Severe punishment for the person who dies today and worse for those that let them die.”
On hearing the Sarge’s final order, everyone turned to Heavy Element, who looked back at them all with a dirty look.
“You all can kiss my Italian ass,” he scowled.
Everyone became deathly quiet as the team’s ears picked up Earth and concrete being disturbed followed by the familiar whistling sound of bombs dropping.
“They’re not planning on shooting up the place again!” Heavy Element howled.
“It’s a full-on physical assault!” Rogers roared. “Get ready to engage!”
Superhuman bodies began smashing through the already fragile structure as Titan boosted criminals locked and loaded began to open fire on the Regulator team.
Two of them crashed through the window Heavy Element was looking out of in proximity to Rogers who cut them down with his rifle. His tactic was several rounds of body shots to temporarily immobilize them, and then several well-trained headshots turning their brain matter into Swiss cheese instantly killing them.
Blitz and a transformed Merge taking on his electrical powers dived out of opposite windows taking to the air to face the converging Apollos outside, while Nitro jumped out into the hallway and unleashed his energy turning it into an inferno scorching everyone in his path. The same attacking Titans now engulfed in flames dived out of the building crashing to the ground, where they proceed to roll to put the fire out while their regenerative healing kicked in.
Sister Sledge who chose not to use firearms for apparent reasons decided to use ambush tactics by crashing in and
out of walls to take out hostile combatants. The Red Rum boosters they were facing appeared to be in the final stages of becoming full blown EVOs, some of them were probably already EVOs.
However similar to the infected, they did not have a chance to harness their abilities like the Regulators. Sister Shareef’s strength and speed were still monstrous compared to the other Titans she fought which she also used to her advantage. During one of her ambushes, she used the sound of the guns they were shooting to track their positions as she barreled through a wall surprising three Red Rum Titans dropkicking one out of a nearby third-floor window.
Sister Sledge sprang back to her feet and jumped up into the air as the other two turned their guns on her and came down stomping the floor causing it to break and give way underneath them.
The other two Titans screamed as they fell head first while she controlled her descent. The both of them lost their guns on the way down as they painfully smacked into the floor, while she landed in a crouched position. Sister Sledge quickly stood up and punt kicked the nearest one through two walls. She then sprang on top of the third Titan still on his hands and knees wrapping her arms around his waist. In one motion, she picked him up into a gut wrench hold and roared as she hurled him with all of her strength right through the floor to the ground level.
As she dusted her hands off, her ears picked up whistling sounds coming in her direction. Her eyes widened as she realized it wasn’t more Red Rum boosters coming at her.
“Oh shit! RPGs!”
Five rocket-propelled grenades fired toward the factory broke up into smaller projectiles moving faster. They all struck the building blowing the face off of it. Sister Sledge was not fast enough to avoid the impact as the combined force of the explosions send her rocketing through several walls.
The blast also affected the rest of the team and everyone else still inside. Nitro cursed as he dived into an opposite room while Rogers jumped on top of injured Cyclone protecting her from the blast.
Heavy Element now in his dark metal metallic form held his breath bracing himself as he was hit by the first initial blast. He ran through the destruction diving out of the window to the ground floor.
After impacting the ground, he came back up with both his side arms shooting projectiles with the force of a miniature railgun either taking opponents off of their feet or swatting them out of the sky. As he reloaded, he came under fire from a Titan carrying a handheld minigun. Although his armored form and suit took the full brute of the rapid projectile rounds, his right-side arm was severely damaged from the barrages.
