Probe

by Douglas E Roff

  Rod, Cindy and designated members of each field team remained in constant contact with the personnel monitoring the satellite telemetry that Alana and Adam had secured. They would monitor the thermal imaging and compare with real time video and field team observation. Several other members were tasked with monitoring Gens patrol movements thermally in case the Gens began to redeploy in the direction of the observation points.

  It was a long hike into these locations, but they encountered no problems along the way. Access to the ridges from the northeast through the dense forest and underbrush was slow moving but all teams were in place by sunset that night. The forward observers from each team took turns photographing the camps and any patrol movements in and out of camp which seemed to go out and return with regularity. The teams using thermal imaging were most astounded at the tech these terrorists were supposed to possess. The night vision photography and daylight imaging suggested the patrols had only two to three individuals to the patrol. But thermal imaging showed the patrols were seldom comprised of less than ten individuals and most often had many more. The forward observers couldn’t figure out how over two-thirds of the patrols were concealing themselves.

  Truly this tech was amazing; but it was also odd that none of the concealed members appeared to be armed. None.

  ***

  Arnaud received updated intelligence from both concealed observers in the camps, and from aerial drones. They had followed the humans from their point of entry into the Wilderness Area, along the paths chosen and onto their positions on and along the ridges. Every human had been photographed and all movements documented. By nightfall they knew the exact numbers of humans, their relative positions, and the gear they were carrying. Some of the armaments were curious but did not seem particularly dangerous. The humans seemed interested only in observing and weren’t prepared for a confrontation.

  The ground officers assured Arnaud that taking the humans would be quick and uneventful. Was he sure that he wanted to be near the capture points? They could round up these few humans quickly and meet Arnaud at Base Camp 12 where he could interrogate them at his leisure.

  “I think you should watch them for the next day or so, and unless they make a move to leave the area, let them do their work. Let’s see what intel they’re gathering and pick them up in thirty-six hours or so. In the meantime, watch them carefully and report back to me on the hour. And anything suspicious as soon as you observe it. Are we clear?”

  “Yes sir.”

  ***

  The next morning Cindy received a call from Adam and Alana. “We don’t want to alarm you guys but we’re seeing some unusual movement and activity away from camp. Have you seen anything unusual on your end?”

  Cindy said, “Yes, each team has reported the same thing that they hadn’t notice until daylight.”

  “Which was?”

  “We think they have individuals in camp watching the ridge line with high power binocs and maybe snapping photos using telephoto lens. If so, they surely have spotted us by now, even in camo. What have you seen?”

  “We noticed that the patrols that were moving away are now moving back into camp, with no patrols going out. In a wider view of your area, it seems the Gens are moving personnel forward, closing in toward your direction. And they seem to be deploying patrols in a wide berth to your flanks and up toward your entry point and your trucks.”

  Rod said, “Tell the trucks to pull out and go back to the highway and head north. We’ll saddle up and make our way back to the rendezvous point, then east to the highway.”

  Alana said, “Move fast luv, these guys are moving fast. The invisible ones are really fast and on foot.”

  Adam said, “Get your weapons out. I think they’re coming for you right now. We’ll give you real time thermal readings of where they are and which of your weapons you need to deploy. I would not waste a lot of time on you rifles. I don’t think there’s going to be a firefight. I think they are trying to run you down and overwhelm you. We’ll give you a weapons usage and deployment grid based on their proximity to you.”

  “We’re in deep and a long way from home. Not sure we have enough ammunition to fight our way all the way back to the highway. Any aerial backup available?”

  “Yes, but not right away. But we might be able to extract you without having to go the full thirty miles back.”

  “How?”

  “There’s an old forest station road about ten miles west and slightly north of your current position which leads to a flat clearing where the old Ranger Station is located. I’ll have helicopters on their way to that position. The Gens aren’t swarming in that direction; they’re going to try cutting you off from going back the way you came. You need to go back about a mile toward your starting point, then cut northwest along an old forestry road. It leads directly to the Ranger Station. The Gens may not pick this up and may not be able to find you before you get to the Ranger Station. If you do get there ahead of the Gens, then you need to let us plan your grid for deployment of your Traps and WMDs. You have more than enough destructive power with you to keep these folks at bay while you’re waiting to be extracted. The key is getting there fast, take up defensive positions, conserve your ammo and stick to the plan. Got it?”

  “Yes. We’re all packed and ready to go.”

  “Leave everything behind except your helmets and weaponry. Travel fast and we’ll watch these little fucks and track their movements. You may have to stop and shoot off some of your Traps to impede their progress, but right now that seems like a fewer than a hundred have broken off in your direction.”

  “How did they find us so fast?”

  Adam said, “Noki and Edward think they’re using drones. They might’ve spotted you from the get go. I’m so sorry, sis. I just never thought of that.”

  “Either did I. Not worth discussing now, just give us the intel on their positions, and get that grid fired up for weapons deployment. We’re gone!”

  ***

  Edward asked, “Where is that armed helo now?”

  “One is in Pullman getting ready to deploy.” Misti was all business. “I just sent them coordinates, but it’s gonna take some time. I’m hoping the Huey’s will have them out ASAP, but if this goes longer, we’re going to need the firepower.”

  “Where’s the other helicopter?”

  “It’s still at the training site in the Okanogan. I’ve already contacted them, and they’ve been deployed. Not at full armament, but 75% anyway. They’ll take a little longer, but they’ll get there.”

  “Start on the grid work for the for helos one and two once they get on scene. Overlapping charges and the high caliber projectiles. Are the Huey’s bringing resupply?”

  “For sure, but all the ranges are limited, even the WMD. They can mass and attack. If so, some are bound to get through.”

  “Start the grids and assessments of the Gens redeployment scenarios based on current position and rates of speed. Get Bitsie in this for her probability scenarios. This may be a very long day and a lot of Gens are going to die if they figure out where our field teams have gone.”

  “I’m going to do a quick and dirty on what the field teams have with them.”

  The results weren’t encouraging. Though the field teams had plenty of killing power, they didn’t have the right kind of armaments for what they were going to face. They had WMDs, the armament they really needed, but not enough to be sure. If the teams were attacked from 360 degrees, they could hold off the Gens, just not for very long.

  ***

  Edward made a call to South Dakota. “Where is the plane?”

  “Western Montana, sir. Armed ready to go.”

  “Armaments?”

  “Stacked and prepped.”

  Edward couldn’t have been luckier, nor the field teams. One of the planes used in the attack on the Preserve in Colorado was fully armed and training, simulating an attack in western Montana. It could be activated and sent to
Idaho.

  “You have the satellite thermal imaging?”

  “Yes sir. All on board and a tech standing by to monitor.”

  “As soon as the teams get to the clearing and the Ranger Station, we’ll confirm the GPS coordinates. You go there first and deploy working backwards from their forward edge.”

  “Yes sir. How far back?”

  “All the way. Deploy all armaments over all thermal images until there are no live bodies. Are we clear?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Good luck and God speed.”

  Chapter 58

  The field teams were gathered in one location, packs, and gear at their feet, waiting with Rod to hear the intel from Cindy that HQ would have for them.

  “We travel light, so dump everything that isn’t water, food, weapons or headsets. We leave right now and head back the way we came. The trucks have been pulled out from the rendezvous point and rerouted north.”

  One of the men asked, “How do we get out of here if transport is gone? You said they’re closing on us. And in numbers.”

  “We aren’t headed back to the rendezvous point and we aren’t getting out by vehicle.” Cindy pulled out here map. The troop leaders gathered around. “We head back on this trail a mile north quick as we can. Then we will hit an old Forest Ranger path that cuts northwest to an abandoned Forest Ranger Station and lookout. That’s ten miles, not the thirty we’d have to fight our way back to reach our vehicles. The main Admin and out buildings are in a small clearing and are still intact, though they won’t be able to hide all of us. HQ is sending helicopters to ferry us out to safety. Two trips, maybe three. They’re coming from eastern Washington, so we may have a wait.”

  “Where are the hostiles?”

  “All but a few are headed to the original rendezvous site to cut us off there. They are swarming from the south and east and moving north but not in the direction we’re going. We figure they are using drones and not satellite, so when we head northwest to the Ranger Station we’ll buy ourselves time before they know what’s up.”

  “We should have hours,” said one of the squad leaders. “When they get to where they think we are, they’ll be thirty miles away. What’s the ETA on the helos?”

  “Approximately two, and two and one-half hours, respectively. Maybe quicker, depending on the speed of the Hueys. HQ is sending aerial backup from South Dakota, currently in Montana. Just in case.”

  “Just in case what?”

  “In case the helos don’t get to the Ranger Station before the hostiles. Backup aerial has orders to kill everything on the ground that isn’t us. We’ve used this tactic once before. It was swift, accurate and lethal.”

  “Are there any hostiles in our way?”

  “Our thermal telemetry indicates there is a group of about one hundred heading toward the Ranger Station in packs of ten to fourteen, spread out over a wide front from north of the Ranger Station to south of the Ranger Station. They’re travelling very fast and are dispersed about a mile wide. I don’t think we can take them all out without them alerting their comrades to our presence, so we either hold back and wait for them to pass through heading east, or we pre-emptively take them all out. If we do the latter, we have to coordinate or one of the packs might communicate with their main forces.”

  Rod asked, “How many individual packs are there?”

  Cindy said, “HQ identified eight, spread out like I said. I think we should let them pass, unless they head right toward us wherever we are. Be sure to spray up with the scent suppressor.”

  Rod said, “Maybe we should trail them just in case. Lag back a mile or so, and if we get found out, we can take them out quick.”

  “I really don’t like the idea of being anywhere near them. One suspicious individual and they radio to the main body and we have a couple of thousand hostiles on our backs. We need to decide now and get a move on.”

  They discussed it for a minute, then decided they would coordinate with HQ using thermal telemetry to give the packs a wide berth. But if anything changed, they would seek out the hostiles and dispose of them.

  Rod added, “This assumes we don’t get picked up by drones, if that’s how HQ thinks we were spotted in the first place. If that happens we need too high tail it to the Ranger Station and take defensive positions until aerial support arrives.”

  The field teams shed all unnecessary gear and headed out in two sets of five teams, single file. When they reached the intersection with the path to the Ranger Station, they separated and hugged the tree line on each side of the wide path parallel to each other.

  They had only gotten a few miles up the path when three aerial drones converged on their position, several hundred feet overhead, then peeled off in three different directions several hundred yards distant from the path in a holding position, moving side to side only occasionally.

  Rod stated the obvious, “Shit! We need to get moving. I assume that we are now front-page news and we need to find that Ranger Station.”

  Cindy barked out, “William, Hopkins and Daniels. Shoot them down.”

  The three men broke out from the tree line under the canopy. Within seconds, the drones were in the sights of the three marksmen; the drones came down.

  Cindy said, “They’ll send more drones if they have any in the area. Let’s get to the Ranger Station and set up our defensive perimeter. No time to worry about the other packs now. Get your headsets on now, and everyone listen in on the chatter with HQ. We need to know where the hostiles are and what’s coming our way and from what direction. Jenkins!”

  “Yes ma’am?”

  “Contact HQ and get us on com.”

  The teams were now only about five miles out from the Ranger Station and would get there within the hour. Cindy was on com with Alana and Adam, with Team Hannah now also coordinating from the Manor monitoring events in real time using other satellites thermal imaging. Barrows Bay focused on the packs nearest the teams, while two sets of eyes were focused on the rest of the packs, which had abruptly stopped and changed direction, massing east and heading west.

  Right toward the Ranger Station.

  ***

  The Gens commanders were now all gathered at Base Camp 12 with Arnaud Lemieux watching the real-time video from the multiple drones they had in the field. When the humans departed from their camp heading northwest, the Gens were initially caught flat footed. Their drones in the area all had to return to a camp to be refueled. Once sight of the humans was lost, and the drones refueled, they sent the drones back to find the humans where they expected them to be: heading north to the original rendezvous point.

  Two things seemed wrong to Arnaud. One was that the human transports had abruptly left the rendezvous point heading straight for the highway then turning due north. The second was the drones had still not spotted the humans. Arnaud assumed the transports would return, and that the humans were simply under the canopy of the dense forest trying to avoid detection.

  He elected to keep more drones on their likely route to safety and waiting the humans out. A Gens commander in one of the camps under surveillance by the humans remembered a trail cutting northwest to the Ranger Station and clearing. He had two drones and commandeered one other from a nearby camp to probe his hunch.

  It paid off.

  Soon after the humans’ departure, the drones spotted the two sets of five teams marching in parallel along the tree line of the path to the Ranger Station. He immediately informed the packs nearest the humans and alerted them to approach the location with caution. He then called in the location of the missing prey to Arnaud Lemieux at HQ, Base Camp 12. Arnaud immediately communicated with the packs closing in on the rendezvous point, directing the commanders to immediately pivot west. This they did, as other packs within striking distance of the Ranger Station from the south were also directed north and west.

  Eight thousand Gens Black Shirt military would converge on the Ranger Station within three hours
; some two to three thousand would arrive within two hours or less.

  ***

  Team Hannah, now gathered in the tech center with two sets of thermal telemetry provided by Alana, were taking turns giving updates on position, speed, and numbers.

  Hannah said, “The packs are massed in numbers, I’d estimate five or six thousand, and they’re all headed west converging on the Ranger Station. They’re moving incredibly fast through the forest, and I’d put them no more than two to three hours out at their current rate of speed. But it’s quite a distance, we’ll have to see if they can maintain that pace.”

  “Where are they now?”

  “They’re just miles away from the rendezvous point, but also converging on the site from all directions south. That means some are closer to you and some a further away.”

  “Where are the packs closest to us?”

  “They seem to be headed to the Ranger Station too. But I won’t know for a few minutes whether they intend to engage you on the way, or perhaps ambush you when you get there. But they have definitely altered course toward the Ranger Station.”

  “How are the grids coming along?”

  “Good. Depending on how far away they are when you get to the Ranger Station, you may want to use the Traps right away, or may one or two WMDs. We’ll keep you updated on their movements. Try to go after them or draw them into the open and use your Traps. If the main forces get your way, you’ll need every WMD you have.”

  “Where are the helos? And the plane?”

  “The helos are on route and will arrive just around the time the main packs arrive from the east. You may be in a fire fight before they get there. The plane is on its way, but I don’t have an ETA. It’s a four prop and one on the engines is wonky. When it does, you’ll be golden.”