Dawn of a New Era

by Joshua Guillemette

  The Navy SEAL plane was flying as low as it could. As soon as they crossed the border, three containment rockets possessing a miniature camp launched to their designated positions. The team finished their breathing techniques as Commander Sullivan concluded his briefing. They were three minutes out from their destination.

  They had special GPS-guided parachutes, and once they arrived at their designated spot, the parachutes would automatically disconnect. They would fall into the canal in order to avoid detection, and the strike team, led by Lieutenant Phillip, would swim four kilometers north to the rendezvous point.

  Lieutenant Xavier Phillip had been a SEAL for almost eight years, and he was one of the youngest promoted to such a high office in the history of the unit. He was a bold and rash man who often acted first and thought later. His skills were unmatched, but his reputation had preceded him, resulting in him being overlooked for various promotions.

  Lieutenant Kane was the squad’s sniper and was often tasked with providing cover for the team. Today, he would take one of the two new recruits, Tanya Bennett, with him to help with reconnaissance.

  Commander Sullivan was going to take officer Yeldon and Stewart as heavy artillery and would come in the back way. Their objective was to capture a well-known drug lord, José Sanchez, who had recently acquired sensitive information that even Commander Sullivan was not cleared to know about.

  As Commander Sullivan concluded the mission overview, Xavier asked about government interference from Panama. He knew that Sanchez had connections and owned a good portion of the military, and the weapons they would encounter would be the same ones that they used.

  “Our contacts within Panama have given us a very small window, and the clock starts as soon as we jump out of this plane. We need to be in and out. Most of our time will be spent getting to the mansion undetected,” Commander Sullivan answered.

  They had two minutes until jump time. The other new recruit, Linus Carter, was sweating and jittery.

  “You good?” Xavier asked.

  “This is my first para mission, any advice?” Linus pleaded.

  “Don’t get shot. That electric current stings,” Xavier jested.

  Linus’ face grew red, and his tongue began to dry up.

  Yeldon chimed in. “It’s not all that bad. If you do get shot, your body will fall into the fetal position, your tongue will become numb and hang out of your mouth, and you’ll drool for about four hours. But then it’ll be over.”

  “Although you won’t be able to taste or feel anything for almost twelve hours. But it’s no big deal,” Stewart added.

  The three seasoned soldiers snickered to each other.

  “Enough,” Commander Sullivan commanded sternly. “Check your comms, we launch in thirty seconds.”

  They all checked in one at a time and assumed their positions as the countdown began. With a giant whoosh the bay door shot open and the team was launched out, perfectly synchronized as if linked together. They broke off in three different directions; the heavy artillery landed in the northern woods, reconnaissance landed on the west hill, and the strike team landed south in the water. With only twenty feet until impact, the strike team had to brace their bodies and land in the water perfectly or risk broken bones. As soon as they hit the water, the team swam hard and fast to the miniature camp.

  Xavier entered the code to unlock his team’s equipment. They were equipped with the newest electric pistols, semiautomatics, and spare charges. Their vests and helmets were made up of a unique ceramic Teflon material that cancelled out electric currents. Once they had all that they needed, all three of the teams called in sequentially to confirm their position and readiness to proceed.

  Commander Sullivan’s voice echoed in Xavier’s ear, ordering him and his team to move in.

  The front entrance that Xavier and his team were supposed to infiltrate had a pool in front of it with a dock that had various ramps descending into the water and the woods. The mansion itself was three stories tall, and the top floor had walls of glass with a single section of cement and concrete intricately designed which seemed to be the master bedroom. The third and second floors were surround-ed by a balcony and modern looking railings that lined the perimeter.

  There was a guard on the top floor, and he came onto the balcony and paused for a moment, looking into the direction of Xavier and his team. Before he was able to react, a small, button-shaped dart attached to his shoulder and spread out like a small net, sending thousands of volts surging through his body. The guard dropped and passed out in the fetal position.

  Xavier and his team were crouching and working their way up the ramp that descended into the woods. Two guards came around the corner, and Xavier quickly shot the guards in the legs, incapacitating them. They approached the side door as the remaining two guards ran to them from the pool deck. Linus shot one in the arm, and Private Kendra Talt, the third person on Xavier’s team, shot the other guard in the chest.

  Three guards posted on the north side heard the commotion and went around the east side of the mansion. As they cut the corner, Commander Sullivan sent two of them flying back with a shot from his electric combat shotgun. As the third guard whipped around, Yeldon sent him flying into the wall with a shot from his shotgun.

  Lieutenant Commander Kane announced into Xavier’s ear that the perimeter was clear. Commander Sullivan gave the order to move into the building. Xavier and his team broke in the east door.

  Inside of the mansion, the walls were made of a pure marble and the wooden floors were a dark walnut and smelled as if they had just been waxed. Xavier and his team systematically checked every room in the east wing. As they approached the main corridor, Xavier caught a quick glimpse of a partial reflection in the marble walls. He was in the back and Linus was about to walk into an ambush. Xavier ran and tackled Linus, shielding him from the attacks. As Xavier was sliding across the freshly waxed floor, he dispatched the two guards. As they were getting up, a third guard ran in from the entertainment room and Kendra shot him. They took a moment to reload.

  Clinging to the wall, Xavier silently directed his team into the entertainment room, and they crept in slowly. There were luxurious items that were in rare supply all over the room, and just beyond the TV there was a hallway that led into the main foyer. Xavier could see the staircase to the second floor. Xavier anticipated another ambush and instructed his team accordingly.

  A guard ran in and Linus stunned him. Xavier was able see a number of guards but was unable to get a clear shot. He instructed Linus to go the back way while he and Kendra proceeded towards the foyer. Xavier rolled out in to the main foyer, taking out two guards, and Kendra ran in behind him and took out another guard. On the opposing side there were three more guards. Linus came in behind them and disposed of two of them, but the third one shot down at Kendra and Xavier. Pushing off the wall, Xavier shielded Kendra but dropped his gun in the process. The two slid out of the way, but the bullet locked onto Xavier’s semiautomatic, short circuiting it. Linus laid out the third guard.

  Four more guards rushed to the main foyer where the battle was taking place. Linus found cover under the stairwell to reload. Xavier reported that his team was pinned down in the main foyer, and the heavy artillery team came blasting in from the north corridor, wiping out all four guards. Commander Sullivan looked over the railing to check on Xavier and his team and found several bodies all over the floor suffering the effects of the electric bullets. The two teams met at the end of the stairwell. There were opposing halls to the north and the south of the winding stairs.

  “We have a lot of activity in the west wing. It seems as though the package is hiding out in the basement. You go south, we’ll go north,” Commander Sullivan ordered, and Xavier acknowledged him as they split up.

  The halls were empty. The team curved to the west, and Commander Sullivan and Xavier made eye contact, signaling that the coast was clear. They could hear the rumbling of the remaining guards just inside the room to the wes
t. With a single nod, all six soldiers burst into the room. In seconds, all the guards were taken out with the exception of one that surrendered. He began yelling in Spanish, but Stewart knocked him out with the butt off his gun as Yeldon went to work on decoding the elevator.

  Xavier checked his watch. Commander Sullivan shook his head, knowing that time was running out. The elevator made a sound as it began to move upstairs. The elevator came to a halt as everyone prepared for an onslaught. When the elevator opened, it was empty. The team began to move into the elevator when Xavier stopped them.

  “Commander, if I may be so bold to object,” Xavier said.

  “Well it wouldn’t be much of a mission if you didn’t,” Commander Sullivan retorted.

  “This seems too easy.”

  Commander Sullivan looked at him. “It does have the makings of a trap. I’ll oblige you.”

  Commander Sullivan repositioned the squad. He placed two in the front corners of the elevator and four on top of the elevator. Once the elevator arrived, the basement doors slid open and four guards were waiting, but the elevator was empty. A couple of seconds passed as confusion set in, and the guards lowered their weapons. Xavier and Yeldon whipped around the corners and took out three of the four guards as the rest of the squad dropped down. Yeldon had to reload as the fourth guard readied his weapon, but Xavier charged at him and pulled him into a knee strike. As the guard was reeling, Xavier shot him and he collapsed. He was out of ammo.

  “I have eyes on the package!” Xavier called out.

  José Sanchez ran into his office and locked the door, and Lieutenant Phillip ran after him. Commander Sullivan yelled at him just as Xavier ran right into a punch. His attacker was a massive man, standing at six-foot-eight, and sent Xavier back two steps. Xavier got in his fighting stance. The massive man swung at him twice, but Xavier dodged both attacks. He struck a nerve in the guard’s leg and followed his attack with a shot to the guard’s throat. In one fluid motion, Xavier unleashed a roundhouse kick and the guard dropped to one knee, mouth bleeding. The guard stood up shakily. He had fight left. With a loud boom the guard was sent flying back. Xavier looked behind him and saw Commander Sullivan reloading.

  “I had it covered,” Xavier said arrogantly.

  “I know you did, but we’re out of time,” he snapped back.

  Before Commander Sullivan could finish his statement, Lieutenant Commander Kane warned the squad of the arrival of the Panamanian military.

  “You have less than two minutes before you are overrun. Get out of there.”

  “Copy that.”

  Commander Sullivan gave Yeldon a nod suggesting he move on with it. Yeldon broke the office door down and found José Sanchez was hiding under the desk. Commander Sullivan pulled him up and knocked him out.

  “Get him to the rendezvous point,” he said, handing José to Stewart and Kendra. “Lieutenant, get them out of here. Don’t look back and don’t wait for us. He’s the priority.”

  Xavier picked up two guns from the fallen guards. Commander Sullivan ordered Linus to pick up the files on the desk as evidence. Going back up the elevator, the squad made their way to the east entrance that Xavier and his team came through. Commander Sullivan knew there was an onslaught headed towards them, and he repeated that José and the files were the primary objective. He ordered Yeldon to stay with him as they covered the team’s escape.

  The four of them ran as hard as they could, leaving Commander Sullivan and Yeldon to defend against twenty police officers. Using Stewart’s grenade launcher, Yeldon fired a shot that stunned four officers. Together, Yeldon and Sullivan took out six more officers, but the numbers kept coming. Five hundred yards away from the rendezvous point, Xavier looked back and saw Yeldon get overwhelmed and stunned. Commander Sullivan began to stumble backwards as he tried his best to defend himself.

  Xavier turned around and began to run back to Commander Sullivan. He remembered his orders and paused for a moment. He passed off all of the evidence to Kendra.

  “Lead them to the rendezvous point. We will be right behind you,” he ordered.

  Commander Sullivan was dragging Yeldon up the hill when Xavier met him. Commander Sullivan snarled at him as he ran out of ammo. Xavier handed him one of the guard’s weapons, and together they took out six officers. Two shots from afar rang through the air and two more guards dropped. Lieutenant Commander Kane emerged out of the wooded hill. Another barrage from Xavier and Commander Sullivan took out the remaining officers. Xavier slung Yeldon over his shoulders as the three of them ran the rest of the way to the rendezvous point. Within seconds, the SEAL jet emerged. The squad loaded their prisoner and the evidence and made their way back to their base.

  Chapter 3

  July 23rd 2062 7:25 a.m. Somewhere over the Caribbean Sea

  The team had settled in, and the adrenaline had died down. Some of the team members were even nodding off. A medic was taking a look at Yeldon. Sanchez was chained up and still knocked out, and Lieutenant Commander Kane was rummaging through the files that had been procured from his office.

  “Lieutenant,” Commander Sullivan called out to Xavier.

  The two of them shimmied away from the rest of the team. “Yes, sir,” Xavier answered.

  “How are you, Lieutenant?”

  “As good as everyone else, sir.” Xavier knew Commander Sullivan was just making small talk so he could talk to him about something serious, but he went with it anyhow. “We had our dilemmas, but it seems to have been a successful mission, Commander.”

  “Indeed it was. You showed great initiative, courage, and leadership out there…”

  Xavier knew there was a but coming.

  “…but you disobeyed a direct order. Again.”

  “To save your life.”

  “And I am exceedingly grateful for that, as I’m sure my wife and daughters are. But you keep doing this. You would be a captain by now if you would just follow orders and stop following your instincts.”

  “Aren’t people more important? Isn’t doing the right thing worth more than the little details? If the goal is the mission, then why does it matter how it is completed? Do you know how many of our people would be rotting in prisons in all the wrong places if I had just abandoned them and followed every order I was given?”

  “I understand, Lieutenant, I really do, but we are in a system, and there’s a reason for this system. The world is far too fragile for a rogue soldier to do what he wants when he wants. Berlin doesn’t tolerate rebellious soldiers since the treaty was signed.”

  “So I’m constantly getting punished because at one time we had allies that betrayed us twenty years ago? Do the big wigs in Berlin even know what a real combat scenario is like?”

  “It is not my duty to know that. My role is to obey my orders and keep you guys in line. I’m just doing my job. I think very highly of you, but we have to hear from politicians every time an order is broken, and for the last four years, it seems to always be you. You saved half of us today, and I will make a case for you, but you disobeying my last order has already been documented in the system, and I can’t do anything about that. Your record is going to work against you, and I hope they only suspend you. I just regard you highly enough to give you a heads up.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Now get some rest. We’ll deal with all this bureaucratic junk in about three hours.”

  Xavier was dismissed. He was frustrated as he plopped in his chair. Every time he tried to do the right thing and save his brothers and sisters at arms, he would get crucified for it. He found himself questioning his purpose. Since his parents’ deaths, he wanted to join the military to save lives and defend those he loved. Am I really saving lives? he wondered to himself. The criminals he brought in with his team always seemed to make bail or get off easy. Was there really any justice in this world? The politicians were always so concerned with what people would think, and how the world would react to every little thing. But there was nothing he could do about i
t. He would take his discipline and continue saving lives. He dozed off as he played out the coming lectures.

  ***

  The plane’s descent woke everyone up. They would land in Kansas City in ten minutes, and the Rear Admiral would be waiting for the team with military police from the UN. The Rear Admiral had recently taken the position. He was in his mid-fifties, his hair was the color of salt and pepper, and he was slightly overweight. His brown eyes seemed to always be in a glare. His predecessor that had led during the war had retired, and that man had always shown much more patience for soldiers if the ideal outcome was achieved. This one, however, was trying to make a name for himself and excel in rank as much as possible. His tolerance for disobedience was very low, which made life quite hard on Xavier—easily one of the most skilled soldiers they had ever had who saved people quite regularly, but often at the expense of certain orders.