by Tripp Ellis
The transmission ended.
Slade’s whole body tensed. Her face was red, and the veins in her neck were bulging. "I've had enough. The gloves are coming off." Her eyes darted to Emma. "Agent Castle, I'm giving you operational command of the UIA. Bring me this man, alive or dead."
"Yes, Madam President."
There wasn’t much left of the UIA at this point.
"I want to know how this attack was carried out. They clearly exploited a weakness in our defenses. This won't be the last time they try something like this, and next time the damage could be worse.”
"I take full responsibility, Madam President," Captain Bryant said.
"Taking responsibility isn't going to bring anyone's life back. Just make sure doesn't happen again."
"Yes, Madam President."
55
Emma
"I'm going with you," Emma said.
"That's really not necessary” Walker replied. "There's no need to put yourself in harms way. My men are fully capable of handling this."
"I did two tours in Razurvan. I can take care of myself, and I won't get in your way. One thing you need to know about me, Captain Walker, is that I'm not the kind of agent to sit back and watch things happen on a monitor. If I can put a bullet in that dirtbag’s skull myself, I will.”
Walker could see that she wasn't going to relent. "Okay. If you insist.”
The two sat in Walker's office, studying a map at Ragza’s compound on a display screen. Walker’s dog wasn't about to be left out of the planning. He sat on a chair, observing the display.
"What's his name?" Emma asked as she pet him.
"That's Gunnery Sergeant Bailey," Walker said.
Emma scratched his chin. “You like that, don't you, boy?"
Bailey barked in agreement.
"Careful. He out ranks you. You'll be doing that all day long."
Emma chuckled.
“I'm sorry about Agent Anderson,” Walker said.
Emma flashed a grim smile and tried not to let her emotions get the best of her. "I've always tried not to get too close to anyone. It seemed safer that way. I thought I'd have more time.”
"That's a mistake we all make. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed for anyone.” Walker studied her for a moment. "I don't want your emotions affecting your judgment on the ground."
"They won't."
"You grieve, you do what you need to do, and you get it out of your system. I know you want to go in there for some payback, and I can certainly relate. But I need you focused and detached. We need to go in and strike with surgical precision. I don't need any hotheads throwing caution to the wind, trying to settle a vendetta."
"You don't need to worry about me. I'll have my shit squared away. You can count on it."
Walker gave her a nod of approval and focused his attention back on the map. "I'd like to know more about the interior of this structure. Is there anyway we can get eyes in there before the raid?"
"The drones aren't responding to commands. We can try to re-establish control when we get closer, or deploy more if need be.“
“We're not going to get any cooperation from the Aldebaranian government. We are going to have to move in and out undetected.”
“A pair of SV-120s might do the trick,” Emma said. "We had them specifically designed for covert insertions. They are virtually invisible on sensors. They can carry a total of four troops, and they're heavily armed. We've got two prototypes at our disposal"
Walker raised his eyebrows. "You want to take that compound with 8 troops?”
“We don’t really have a choice.”
Ragza’s compound appeared on the display at the front of the Ready Room. Captain Walker stood at the podium. The room was full of Navy Reapers, including Ryan and Piper. Emma leaned against the wall at the front of the room.
"We’ll have roughly 15 minutes once we reach the compound." Walker said. "That’s if everything goes according to plan. Once our presence is detected, that's about all the time we’ll have until fighters from the nearest Aldebaranian air base arrive."
"It's easy. We just don't get detected," one of the Reapers said. His nickname was Iron Heart. He was a thick guy with a curly brown beard and hair. He wore black sunglasses. The entire squad had grown out their beards. They weren’t held to the same grooming standards as the rest of the military.
The squad chuckled.
"If we can get in and out undetected, I'm buying you all a case of beer," Walker said.
"I think that's worth a little bit more than a case of beer, sir," a Reaper named Butterscotch replied. He was 5’9”, 160 pounds, and tough as nails.
“Alright, what do you suggest?"
"Jack Corrigan whiskey," a voice said from the back of the room.
It was a rare aged whiskey from Earth. It was extremely hard to come by, and they weren't making any more of it. If you could find it, a bottle would set you back about 2500 credits.
"In and out in 15, undetected, and you'll have your bottle of Jack Corrigan,” Walker said.
"Hooyah!”
"We're operating on extremely limited intel. But my gut tells me that there is an underground complex here. The number of vehicles at the compound tells me we could be dealing with 30 to 40 occupants."
"Piece of cake," one of the Reapers said.
"We have two primary objectives." Walker put an image of Dr. Metzger on the display. He was a middle-aged man with balding gray hair, and a thick mustache. He wore wire rimmed glasses that were so thick they distorted the appearance of his eyeballs. “We believe they are holding Dr. Metzger captive and forcing him to develop new weapons technology. We also believe they may be holding his family hostage and using them as an incentive to comply, but there is no indication that they are at this location."
The faces of the Reapers tensed.
“If Dr. Metzger is present at this location, we will extract him. It is imperative we keep him alive at all costs." Walker put up another image of Ragza. "I'm sure all of you are aware of who this is. It is priority one that he be captured, or terminated. Positive identification must be ascertained. In the event of a kill, you will take pictures of the deceased target, collect DNA samples, and evacuate the remains."
"Is there bonus pay for the operator who tags this shit ball?” a Reaper nicknamed Flack asked with a grin. He was joking, but he’d take the pay if someone offered.
"If you people want to start a pool amongst yourselves, I have no objections,” Walker replied. “But I'm not springing for a bottle of Jack Corrigan and bonus pay.”
"I'm sure the UIA can put up a little prize money to the man, or woman, who gets Ragza intimately acquainted with a 5.56 mm round." Emma said. "How does 5000 credits sound?"
The Reapers hooted and hollered.
"We’ll operate in two, four person teams, designated Alpha and Bravo. As usual, if something goes wrong, no one is coming to save us. We are the cavalry. Alpha team will advance, while Bravo takes overwatch. Anyone have any questions?" Walker asked.
The room was silent.
"We move out at 0700 hrs. tomorrow."
The SV-120 Specters were sleek black ministers of death. Not only were their radar cross sections almost non existent, their quantum wakes were virtually undetectable. They could slip in and out of slide-space without so much as a ripple. It made them a lot easier on the stomach. Two of the black beauties sat on the flight deck of the Revenant, prepped and ready for takeoff. The day of reckoning had come.
Captain Walker led his platoon of Navy Reapers across the deck. They were outfitted in the War-Tek ™ R7 Advanced Ultra-Lite Battle Armor. It provided protection for the chest, shoulders, arms thighs, shins, and groin, and was paired with the Viper Command-Tech XR-9 helmet. The armor wasn’t as bulky as the War-Tek T-5000, or even the Reaper’s specially designed T-6000.
The Reapers needed to be fast and nimble on missions like this. Their emphasis was on speed and stealth. The armor weighed less than 5 pounds, and had active camouflage t
hat adapted to the terrain.
“Good morning, Agent Castle,” Walker said as he greeted her. She was waiting next to one of the Specters.
“Morning, Captain Walker.” She was decked out in the War-Tek battle armor as well. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in uniform. I kinda missed it.”
“This is Punisher platoon.” Walker pointed to the team as he introduced them. “You met them yesterday. That’s Butterscotch, Flack, Kraken, and Iron Heart. The two new members don’t have nicknames yet, but they’ll earn them soon, I’m sure. This is Spaceman Hunter and Ensign Parkes.”
Emma gave a nod.
“Let’s move out,” Walker commanded.
The teams split into two squads and filed into the Specters. Ryan and Piper flew with Walker and Emma. She had specifically requested that Chloe pilot one of the Specters.
"You’ll have to forgive me, I'm still getting familiar with the layout. I spent all day yesterday in the simulator." Chloe flipped switches and pressed buttons. The preflight checks all came back green.
Walker looked concerned. He knew she was a great young pilot—she had already proven herself on several occasions. Walker had become a father figure to her, and couldn’t help but feel responsible for her well-being. If something happened to her on one of these operations, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. “This is your first combat mission in one of these?"
"There isn’t a pilot in the fleet that's logged more than a few hours on these things," Emma said. "Besides, she knows the area."
"Don't worry, Captain Walker. You're in good hands." Chloe smiled.
“It’s not me I’m worried about.”
The Air Boss cleared them for take off, and Chloe engaged the thrusters. The Specters lifted off the flight deck, and glided into space. Chloe programmed in the jump coordinates and engaged the quantum drive. The stealthy Specters slipped into slide-space without so much as a ripple. It was like an Olympic diver slicing into the water from the 10 meter platform.
They emerged 9 hours later on the far side of Triton 3 (one of Aldebaran’s moons).
Walker was stiff from sitting in the cramped cargo area. It was barely bigger than an old Huey helicopter. He stretched his arms and arched his back. “See if you can establish communication with the drones.”
Emma searched for a connection on her PDU, but she couldn’t access the drones. She frowned and shook her head.
“Chloe, did we get in undetected?” Walker asked.
“So far I’m not picking up any unusual activity on LRADDS.”
“Take us down to the planet surface.”
“Aye, sir.” Chloe engaged the thrusters in the ultra stealth mode.
Walker activated his comm link. “Specter 2, this is Punisher, over?”
“Specter 2, go ahead Punisher.”
“We’re making our descent to the planet surface.”
“Copy that.”
The Specters emerged from behind the dark side of Triton 3 like sharks stalking their prey. The bright sun of Aldebaran was blinding. Chloe squinted and pulled down her visor. As she neared the planet, the sun became obscured behind the crest of the horizon. They were entering under cover of darkness.
No fighters greeted them as they descended into the upper atmosphere. So far they hadn’t been detected.
The Specter shook as they dropped through the turbulence. The ride smoothed out as they broke through the clouds and angled toward the surface. The Specter was virtually silent. Little more than a slight hiss. With active camouflage, they were almost invisible against the night sky.
“2 minutes out,” Chloe said.
Walker’s eyes found Piper and Ryan. “You nervous?”
“No, sir,” they responded in unison.
He knew damn good and well they had an abundance of adrenaline coursing through their veins.
“Don’t worry. Trust your training. You’ll be fine.”
“Hooyah!”
I’ve got a visual on the compound,” Chloe said.
“I want to size this place up before we go in,” Walker said.
Chloe pulled into position and hovered 1000 feet over the compound, using high-resolution cameras to gather intel. The images were fed into the PDUs of the entire team. The compound looked quiet. There was no detectable movement.
"Run a thermal scan," Walker said.
A moment later, Chloe responded. ”It looks like they have some type of shielding. I'm not getting much of a reading."
“We're not going to learn anything from up here,” Walker said. “Chloe, take us down. It's time to rock 'n' roll."
56
Emma
The compound was surrounded by a perimeter wall rimmed with concertina wire. The main structure was two stories with a large second floor terrace.
Walker pulled down his tactical goggles and switched to night vision. Unlike the green illumination of older NVGs, his field of vision was in full color. The goggles amplified the available light to such a degree it made the terrain look like an overcast day. He pressed a button on the bulkhead, and the side door to the Specter slid open. The warm Aldebaranian air flooded in. He launched a second set of mosquito drones. Then, he tossed out a rappelling rope. It unfurled to the terrace. "Go, go, go."
One by one, Alpha squad filed out of the Specter. Ryan grabbed the rope and rappelled down. His heart was pounding in his chest. In a way, it felt just like an evolution at BSCT—only this time, the stakes were life and death.
Within seconds, Alpha team was on the terrace, gathering around the door. Bravo team was in the courtyard, doing the same. Flack took an overwatch position with a sniper rifle atop the garage. The two Specters pulled away to a secure position high in the sky.
Both doors to the compound were made of armor plated composite materials—this wasn't your average home.
Walker placed a breaching charge around the locking mechanism. He whispered into his comm link, “Bravo 1, this is Alpha 1, copy?”
"Go ahead, Alpha 1.”
"Are you in position?"
"Affirmative."
"Prepare to breach and clear on my mark.”
"Roger that."
"In three, two, one, mark. "Walker detonated the charge—it erupted in a brilliant flash, blasting the door inward. Alpha team filed in with weapons in the firing position.
Muzzle flash lit up the dark room.
DAK! DAK! DAK!
It was the distinctive sound of an AM6. It was a sound Ryan was all too familiar with. He heard bullets snap past his ear. His heart was thumping. Adrenaline was racing through his veins. But he responded just as he’d been trained.
Alpha team answered with a flurry of whisper silent rounds. Brass shell casings pinged against the tile floor. The man who fired at them fell to the ground, blood oozing across the tile from the multiple holes in his torso.
Alpha team moved with precision. Ryan and Piper looked like seasoned professionals.
“Clear,” Ryan whispered into his comm link.
“Confirm his ID,” Walker said.
Ryan rolled the dead man’s body onto his back. The facial recognition system in his goggles quickly identified the man and cataloged his image. It wasn’t Ragza, but a known associate. They were definitely in the right place.
The team pushed into the hallway. A shadowy figure streaked across at the far end. Seconds later, more muzzle flash erupted. The team responded with swift and decisive action. Bullets streaked down the corridor, piercing the drywall of the corner the man was hiding behind. His body collapsed, and his weapon clattered to the ground.
The team advanced down the hallway, clearing each room as they went along.
Ryan saw a small camera in the corner, dangling from the ceiling. He blasted it to pieces with a single shot. ”Keep an eye out for surveillance cameras.”
Flack surveyed the grounds, looking for cameras. He found a few and shot them out as well. The report of his sniper rifle was little more than a click from the trigger. The loudest
sound was the shattering of the camera’s optics, and the debris falling to the ground.
Alpha team met up with Bravo on the first floor. They had left an equivalent pile of bodies in their wake. The two teams gathered at the top of a stairway that led down to a basement.
“Any target matches?” Walker asked.
“Negative. The house is clear. None of these guys are Ragza.”
Walker frowned. Either the mission was a bust, or their target was hiding in the basement.
At the bottom of the stairs was a reinforced blast door. It was designed to withstand nuclear explosions. Judging by the looks of it, it was probably several feet thick and weighed approximately two tons. It was made from a thermal protective composite, similar to the stuff re-entry tiles of spaceships were made out of. There was no cutting through this door.
Walker pulled out a thermal shape-charge from his rucksack. He fixed it to the door and set the timer.
"Do you think that's going to work?" Emma asked.
Walker shrugged.
The teams fell back and took cover outside the structure, behind two parked hover-cars.
The air was still and eerie. A moment later, the blast rumbled through the ground. The overpressure shattered the windows in the house. Shards of glass sprayed onto the ground. Dirt and debris flowed out of the open windows.
When the dust had settled, the two teams snaked their way back through the rubble and down the basement steps. There was little more than a dent in the blast door.
"You got a Plan B," Emma asked.
Flack’s voice crackled over the comm line. ”Hey guys, we have a little bit of a situation."
Walker grimaced. “What is it?"
57
Emma
