President Lanoha had to use his executive powers to fight the thousands of environmental suits. The Supreme Court in a rare move, agreed with the President based on the unique situation and urgent need to provide transportation across the country. The court said the environment had already been damaged beyond repair and the needs of the people overrode the need for an environmental review which would take years while people died due to a lack of transportation from the northern areas.
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Colonel Spivey was furious the base’s staff had been surprised and taken, then slaughtered, and grilled like a cow. He listened to the report from those who entered the cave complex. He asked, “Did you see any other similar complexes? We can’t leave these creatures in our rear or finding a way back in here while we empty this base. I don’t know how they surprised the entire staff. I want guards set up with thermal sensors, even if they have to use the handheld ones. I will not lose our people in the same manner as what happened here. I want to know how the savages took the people. We’re not talking about raw recruits. We’re talking about some of our best. How did they do it?”
Mays shook his head, “Sir, we don’t know. My best guess is they used some sort of gas…”
“Gas, where did they get their hands on gas? Did you see any gas masks? Did you see any labs in their hellish complex?”
“No sir, to all of your questions.”
“Then how did they do it? I want to know so similar groups don’t pull this stunt again. Get me some answers. We’re not leaving here until we learn what happened. I also don’t think you got everyone. I bet there are some scouts out there watching us. Send out the best we have to find them and bring them here for questioning.”
“Yes, sir.”
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Six sets of eyes watched the FOB from hollowed out snowbanks. They were armed with stolen army silenced M4s. They also had their home-made gas canisters. Their leader who called himself Michael the angel pointed to the small group of soldiers standing behind the motor pool. Michael drew an outline of the base in the clean snow in front of them, he pointed to each of the other five and pointed to the drawing of the base. He didn’t speak, none did. They didn’t want to uncover any part of their skin to the wind and cold. The others nodded. Michael then drew a clock and pointed to the number 3. All nodded understanding the attack would take place at 3 AM. The other five returned to their secondary base where they briefed their people. Each led ten other people. In total fifty-six people were going to strike the base early the next morning.
Michael didn’t know their body heat had been seen by a special forces team’s thermal sensor. Sergeant Greens whispered, I picked them up on my IR scope, I can take them down now.”
The team leader, First Lt Shields smiled, “No, these must be the leaders. Let’s see where they go. We have eight to their six. I’ll stay on their leader who stayed behind. You split up the team to follow the others. Let’s see where they lead us.”
The special forces team’s camo was almost invisible in the snow and, unlike Michael’s people, the team had snowshoes which enabled them to move more rapidly through the snow. The team easily followed Michael’s people without them knowing they were being followed back to their caves.
Lt Shields wondered where these people came from and how they’d overtaken the base. He was pissed. He knew some of the people who these creatures took and cut up to eat. He wanted revenge, total revenge. He knew the Colonel wanted a couple left alive to question. The Lt knew it was the right call, but he wanted to see them suffer and bleed. He daydreamed of staking them out naked in the cold and letting them freeze to death or tossing them into their own fires and burning them to death while they were alive. His daydreaming was interrupted by Private Enbright, “Sir, we’ve mapped their cave or mine entrances. We don’t know how many people are in each, but we’ve got them.”
Shields smiled. “Excellent. Stay here, I’m going to tell the Colonel and see what he wants to do.”
Colonel Spivey told Shields, “Great job, I want you to take enough people to take them by surprise, say 1 AM. I know how much you want to kill them all, but I want at least three alive enough to be questioned. The rest are up to you. I don’t want to know anything about what happened to them. I want every record, PC, notebook etc., shit, you know what to do.”
Shields smiled, “Yes, sir.”
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One hundred soldiers struck the five caves at 1 AM. They learned the caves were connected. The few sentries at each cave were quickly and silently dispatched by the soldiers slipping behind them and slitting their throats. The soldiers then threw ten flash bang grenades into the caves which shocked and blinded those who’d recently woke and were
