PREFACE
Book II of the Remnants of Another Life Series. When an easy mission turns out to be anything but, Kagome, team leader of R.O.O.T's infamous Alpha Team, finds herself, yet again, in the middle of a potential international crisis. When the world's psychics begin disappearing alongside the appearance of new "ultimate soldiers", will she and her team be able to work together to solve the mystery before there is a global war? Or will they be torn apart?
**You WILL need to read Book 1 prior to reading this story. Otherwise you will NOT be able to understand all of the background or the terminology!.**
Chapter 1
A heavy silence blanketed Hashima Island, only interrupted by the occasional heavy wave as it crashed against the beach. The typical symphony of life that was usually present in the background of any given place was harshly absent here. The lack of the moon in the sky added to the oppressive nature of the surroundings, covering the area in thick, black ink.
In an attempt to maintain his sanity, Koga, codename Fang, tried to focus solely on his sense of smell.
There were three wolves fanned out from his location on the shore, each taking nine o'clock, twelve o'clock and three o'clock positions.
He had sent the animals out almost an hour ago and was anxiously awaiting their return.
In an attempt to prevent his mind from wandering, he closed his eyes in order to maintain focus. Only a few more minutes passed before the scent of the wolves became stronger, signaling their return.
The animals surrounded him silently and upon his signal, came forth, lowly growling and reporting their findings.
The enemy location is twenty minutes North from my current location. The entrance is being guarded by one male human who is armed with, what looks to be, the same lightweight MK-48 machine gun that we use. There is a mix of two additional human scents in the air; one male and one female. These second set of scents are most likely inside of the hideout. There are no other findings East or West. He mentally translated, quickly.
This information brought the authoritative female voice of his leader forth into his mind.
Quake, Terrain and Trace, I'm sending you three out first. I want you to take out the guard at the entrance discreetly. Meet up with Fang at his location. Fang, once they get there, have the wolves escort them to the enemy hideout. The rest of us will catch up with you momentarily and we will go together to take out the enemy inside. Remember, that female is a hostage, we need her alive.
A shared "understood" came through the mental connection before it was once again replaced by silence.
Mere minutes went by before his first three teammates exited their hiding place within the ocean and silently fell in line behind him. In response, Koga growled lowly to the wolves that were watching him intently.
They understand that they are to take you and they're ready to go. Koga advised.
Quake, Terrain and Trace nodded in response, following the wolves into the dense vegetation.
Why do we keep getting all the shit missions lately? Frisk asked absentmindedly as he, Mystic and Kagome made their way out of the water and over to Koga's location on the beach. Any other team could be handling this right now. He stated, dejectedly.
Kagome rolled her eyes. This is not the time, Frisk. I need you to focus. She said in response.
R.O.O.T, had been going through a frantic restructuring process over the past six months. The organization was short on resources due to a recent internal conspiracy. As dirty agents had been flushed out, all internal departments had become short staffed as a result. The Human Resources department had been scrambling to recruit new members; however, it would take time to fill in all of the gaps. In the interim, the remaining staff had been forced to pick up the slack, resulting in the infamous Alpha Team, taking on fieldwork that would normally be assigned to lower ranking teams.
Alpha team leader, Kagome, codename Wraith, didn't mind the easier tasks as of late. Her team had just taken on Koga and six wolves as new members, and the easier missions served the valuable purpose of training that otherwise wouldn't have been possible.
Overall, the group had been working very well together, with exception to a few personality issues that had been ongoing between Frisk and Koga. Otherwise, Koga immediately fit in with the group and was very well liked and respected by his teammates. The wolf pack followed his instructions seamlessly, but the animals still had a long way to go in order to become fully desensitized to humans, machinery and weaponry.
Do all seven of us and three of the dogs really need to be here to take out two enemies? Frisk pushed.
They aren't dogs! Koga hissed, as usual, taking Frisk's bait.
You're right. Dogs would have been a much better choice, much easier to train and a lot more loyal. Why don't you try using them instead? Frisk sarcastically goaded.
The heat of Koga's anger washed over the group.
Fang, don't give in to senseless taunting. You really want to get to Frisk? Ignore him. I know it's a lot easier said than done. Kagome warned, as she approached Koga's location on the beach, chancing a glance at his face.
Koga's handsome features were twisted into a scowl.
It's impossible to ignore me. I'm way too annoying. Frisk continued, as their group set off with Koga leading the way by scent.
What's the lead dog's name again? Frisk asked the group.
The alpha wolf is named is Kiba. Mystic supplied.
Frisk seemed to turn this information over in his head silently while a wide smile slowly began making its way across his features.
A few minutes went by as the group made their way through the thick jungle like vegetation of the island before Frisk's voice came through their thoughts again.
Kiba means fang in Japanese, does it not? He wondered into their collective consciousness.
Shut up, Frisk. You're really pushing it now. Kagome ordered, sucking her teeth.
Frisk snickered to himself, but remained silent, apparently packing the joke away for another day.
Who is this hostage anyway? Koga asked, attempting to divert Frisk's attention.
She is the daughter of a British politician. She's been missing for months and had been presumed dead. The Intelligence department's facial recognition software spotted her in Nagasaki along with two hooded men. Apparently they procured a small boat and were headed in the direction of this uninhabited island. Kagome answered.
The team had only been traveling for about ten minutes before the thoughts of the first group came into their consciousness.
We're in position and have visual on the first target. This guy is freaking massive! Trace alerted, excitement making its way into his voice. Terrain is going to create a small distraction and then Quake is going to get behind him to try using a chokehold. Hopefully he goes unconscious without any trouble.
Sounds good. Everyone have your stun guns ready as a plan B. Try to avoid killing him unless you really have to, the Interrogation department is going to want to speak with him. Regardless, make sure that whatever you end up doing is completely silent. Kagome instructed.
Understood. Came the collective reply.
Terrain observed the small hut ahead of her current position in the trees. There was no lighting emanating from inside of the hut and her surroundings were completely black. There was also the shadow of a huge man with a machine gun guarding the entrance.
She began collecting small rocks and pebbles around her, filling her palm, before setting off through the trees to make her way to the left of the armed guard. Kiba, Fang's alpha wolf, followed her silently.
When she finally got to the other side of the hideout, she began by throwing one rock, pelting it into the side of the hut, making a small popping sound. Unfortunately, the guard did not respond. As a result, she tried again, this time throwing two rocks, making a slightly louder noise. This seemed to get the guards attention.
The guard took a few steps to the source of the noise to investigate, prompting Quake to leave his hidden position in the trees to follow, slowly making his way behind him.
Before the guard could turn back around to return to his original position, Quake wrapped his right arm around the guard's neck, compressing his jugular.
Normally, on a smaller opponent, this move would have gone down smoothly. However, the large guard immediately began to struggle, bending at the waist and using his full weight to haul Quake up and over his back.
Shit.
Terrain and Trace quickly left the trees, flanking the guard.
On the count of three, let go and we'll both stun him. Terrain ordered to Quake, readying her weapon, before she started counting down.
One. Two. Three!
Quake immediately let go, rolling backwards to get out of the way, while Trace and Terrain immediately prodded the guard's sides with their stun guns.
He wasn't going down.
We need more juice! Trace exclaimed, prompting Quake to draw his stun gun and jab the weapon into the man's back.
The guard's eye's rolled back into his head and the team exchanged glances, all nodding to signify the release of their weapons from the man's body.
Once all three removed their stun guns, Quake once again slithered his arm around the guard's neck, waiting for him to lose complete consciousness.
The guard's eyes slowly began to return to focus.
What the fuck is going on here? He won't go down!? Quake rumbled, beginning to panic.
We're here. Try to hold on, Quake! Kagome interrupted. Fang, Frisk and Mystic, we have a change of plans. I need you three to break into the hideout now and take down the guard on the inside. It's dark in there, so follow Fang, he'll identify the male scent for your group. Kagome ordered.
Got it. Koga grumbled, running at god's speed to the entrance of the hut, not hesitating to kick the door in, as Mystic and Frisk scrambled to try to keep up with him. The male scent will be to the left once we get in there. The female scent is in the middle of the room.
As Koga's group entered the hut, Kagome approached Quake, pulling her twelve inch Marine knife from its holster on her back. She cut the strap holding the guard's machine gun, gently placing the weapon on the floor before kicking it away from her. She then wedged the knife against a sliver of the guard's neck that was exposed underneath Quake's arm, using two hands to anchor it in place.
Let go! She commanded.
As Quake released his hold, she immediately twisted her body, pulling the knife around with her, resulting in a deep and forceful slash to the man's neck. She could hear a pop sound as the blade severed the cartilage of the man's throat. A giser of blood immediately began to spray upwards, washing over the team.
Unperturbed, the guard immediately took two steps forward and grabbed Kagome by the neck, lifting her off the ground.
What the fuck is wrong with this guy! Quake shouted, hands springing forth, attempting to break the man's hold on Kagome's neck.
Terrain who had been watching the melee immediately drew her Glock and positioned it against the side of the guard's head.
I'm going to shoot, do not get in the way! She shouted, before pulling the trigger.
The bullet to the skull forced the guard to finally release the hold he had on Kagome's neck, as he fell sideways onto the ground.
Wraith! Are you ok? Terrain shouted, as she stepped forward, attempting to catch her.
Yes, I'm fine. Kagome said, sputtering as she struggled to catch her breath.
A rustling sound from the ground brought their collective attention back to the guard. The team watched on in horror as he attempted to right himself.
Are you fucking kidding me? Trace shouted. This isn't possible! He continued, as he released his own firearm, approaching the guard, and in the same fashion as Terrain, shot him yet again, point blank, in the head.
The guard once again fell sideways, momentarily lying on the ground before shakily moving to right himself.
The moment the door gave way, Koga bolted to the left, jumping into the air and releasing a powerful kick into the enemy's torso.
The man stumbled backwards and Koga used the opportunity to extend his claws in an attempt to force his hand into the man's chest.
Wraith! Are you ok?
Out of all the collective thoughts that he had been listening to from the team outside, it was these four words in conjunction with the sound of an earlier shot being fired that shattered his concentration.
He paid for the momentary distraction when the enemy quickly righted himself and pushed his newfound forward momentum into Koga; landing a hard punch to his temple.
The edges of Koga's vision went fuzzy as he was pushed back into the wall of the hut.
Yes, I'm fine.
He absorbed Kagome's words as he shook his head a few times attempting to correct his sight. He saw that Frisk had come forward, taking his previous place in front of the enemy, his Glock now aimed at the man's head.
"One more step and I'll shoot." He drawled in warning.
But the enemy paid no mind, quickly tackling Frisk backwards, attempting to stab him with a military grade hunting knife that he had released from his belt.
Koga rushed forward, positioning himself behind the large man before snaking his claws around the man's throat and ripping it to shreds.
The man reacted by turning quickly, sweeping his knife along with the movement, attempting to slash Koga's chest; a movement that Koga was able to dodge.
Um. Should he be able to do that? Frisk asked, perplexed, as he aimed his Glock at the man's head and fired, knocking the enemy down to the ground.
A second passed before the enemy tried to right himself, struggling to stand up.
Mystic quickly made her way to the woman that was tied up in the center of the room attempting to ignore the male fighting that was going on in the corner. She removed her knife from her vest and worked quickly to cut through the rope that was tethering the woman's hands and feet.
"Don't worry, sweetie. We are going to get you out of here. We are taking you home." She whispered, willing her voice to be a soothing as possible, as she attempted to read the woman's features in the dark.
Once she finished cutting the rope, the woman did not move.
"It's time to go honey. You are free now. Please come with me. I'm here to help you." She said, waiting for some kind of response.
A response did not come.
"Are you okay?" Mystic asked, freeing her flashlight from her utility belt and shining the small light on the woman's face.
The woman was staring at the floor, unblinking; her eyes wide and horrified, her pupils dilated.
Something's wrong with this chick. Mystic warned. We might need to carry her.
Mystic's hand came forth as she attempted to grab the woman's hand in order to pull her up. The moment that she made contact, the woman's emotions came flooding into her mind.
It was the most horrific feeling of terror that Mystic had ever experienced. A piercing scream came forth, overtaking Mystic's hearing. Several seconds passed before she realized the scream was coming from her own throat. Panicked, she attempted to let go of the woman's hand, but her body would not respond to her command.
All the members of Alpha team grabbed their heads. The sound of Mystic's screaming and her current state of terror was flooding through their minds.
They could not mentally speak to each other over the noise.
Quake immediately took off, leaving the team and running inside of the hut, scrambling to get to her.
"Open fire on this asshole!" Kagome shouted, as she began to empty her clip into the guard's head while attempting to work through the noise that was threatening to split her mind in two.
In response, Terrain and Trace aimed their guns at the guard and began firing as well.
Upon hearing the shooting spree that was apparently now taking place outside, Frisk followed suit, immediately firing upon the enemy before him that continued attempting to stand.
"Kill his ass!" He shouted to Koga over the noisy chaos that was taking place in his mind.
Koga released his Urbana rifle from his shoulder, jumping away from the enemy to flank Frisk. He immediately began to fire upon the man's heart, as it seemed Frisk was already going to town on the man's head.
Several shots were fired by both men before the enemy stayed down, however, he continued to twitch.
"Is he a zombie?" Koga shouted to Frisk, as Quake burst into the room behind them.
The moment that Quake noticed Mystic's form in the center of the room, he ran towards her, pulling her to him in a strong, protective embrace.
The woman was trembling as he placed his large hand on her cheek, whispering to her, attempting to soothe her.
"Cut the connection." He said gently into her ear. "I'm right here, baby. Feel me. Feel my emotions and take them. You're safe with me. Sense my feelings." He soothed, kissing her forehead. "You need to cut the connection now, Mystic."
Thankfully, he seemed to be able to get through to her as the entire team's shared psychic connection immediately cut off; an empty silence replacing the former hysterical screaming.
Quake chanced a quick glance over to the hostage before him. She looked terrified, unblinking as she continued to stare blankly at the floor.
Quake picked Mystic up, carrying her closely to his chest as she trembled against him. She had begun sobbing and she was clinging to him tightly.
He needed to get her out of here.
Quake turned away from the hostage and proceeded to exit the hut, taking Mystic with him.
"Hey! Where are you going?!" Frisk shouted over his shoulder as Koga continued to stare at the zombie that was twitching on the floor.
Koga sucked his teeth, understanding Quake's feelings completely. He was currently fighting his own instincts with everything he had at the moment to not bolt outside himself and check on Kagome.
"I'll go get the hostage." He growled, as he made his way towards the woman in the center of the room, giving her a quick once over.
She actually looks like a zombie. He thought to himself as he grabbed her, slinging her over his shoulder.
It was at that moment that Kagome burst into the hut, shining her flashlight around taking inventory of the current occupants. Her features were twisted in worry as she looked Koga over.
"I'm fine." He assured her in a low and soothing tone. "Are you okay?" He asked, attempting to examine her.
She nodded, meeting his eyes before walking over to inspect the enemy that was rocking at Frisk's feet.
"He just won't die." Frisk said, fascinated.
"We have a similar situation outside." Kagome bit out.
"Is Mystic alright?" He asked, worry taking over his tone.
"I wouldn't know. Quake ran off with her like a bat out of hell. He's most likely making his way back to the boats without us." She huffed as Koga came up behind her, squeezing her hand.
"That is why intergroup relationships are a bad idea." Frisk chided, frustration coming through his voice. "They get in the way of clear decision making."
"If it wasn't for Quake's relationship with Mystic, she'd probably still be screaming like a maniac right now and we'd all have that raw fear running through our minds. That would be a real threat to our collective clear decision making, wouldn't it?" Koga growled.
Frisk shot Koga a nasty look before making a point to stare at his, and Kagome's, entwined hands.
"Are you guys on a date right now or a mission?" He asked simply, before turning to join the balance of the team outside.
Kagome huffed. She could sense Koga tense at Frisk's statement. If things continued this way, she worried that Koga was going to lose his temper. Frisk was his superior in terms of ranking, and assaulting a superior would be a sure fire way to get suspended from the team.
"Just ignore him." She whispered, squeezing his hand before releasing it to join the group outside.
"At some point that may become impossible." He angrily growled as he followed her.
"Terrain, I want you to put a call in to the Medical Research department. Let them know we're bringing them two bodies and a hostage. Give them a quick synopsis of what is going on with these two enemies. I'm sure they're going to want to take a look at them."
"Will do." Terrain replied as she removed her phone from her pocket, walking off to the side to make the call.
"Frisk, why, don't you see if you are able to get any information out of him?" Kagome said, as she pointed to the man on the ground. "If you can't get anything off this guy, go and try the one inside." She commanded.
Frisk took off his gloves, his face twisting in disgust and he placed his hands on what was left of the guard's face.
"Nothing's coming through." He grumbled, before taking off to try again on the second man inside.
"Trace. I'm sorry, but when Terrain gets back, can you two drag this guy back to the boats?" Kagome asked. "Make sure you disarm him completely. Frisk and I will drag the second guy. We'll catch up to you. Proceed as if you are expecting an enemy attack." She stated, before turning her attention over to Koga.
"Fang, please send the wolves off to follow Quake. Though I doubt it, we all need to proceed as if enemy reinforcements may be coming. I don't want him out there by himself." She said, as she left to join Frisk inside the hut.
Koga sniffed the air and approached the trees to the right of the hut. He began growling lowly, giving his wolves their new instructions before returning to Trace and Terrain's position, watching as they hoisted the twitching guard onto their shoulders before setting off.
Kagome and Frisk weren't too far behind. In another moment they exited the hut hauling the body of the second enemy on their shoulders in similar fashion. As they approached him, Koga set off with them into the woods.
"Were you able to get anything?" Koga asked Frisk curiously.
"Not a thing. They're both completely blank. It's as if they're dead. They don't have a pulse nor do they have much of a brain left in their heads, but their bodies keep moving. It's really weird." He answered thoughtfully. "That obviously shouldn't be possible."
"Should you maybe try probing the hostage?" He asked.
"Negative." Kagome responded, answering in Frisk's stead. "Something about that woman set Mystic off. I don't want the same thing happening to Frisk."
"But, they have different sensory abilities. Mystic is a psychic and a clairvoyant, she operates by feel. From what I gather, Frisk just mentally rapes people, stealing their experiences and making them his own." He responded, sarcastically.
"Yup, that pretty much sums up my abilities, thank you so much for clearing that up. It makes me very happy to know that you take so much interest in me, Fang." Frisk happily responded, much to Koga's annoyance.
"I need you both to be quiet." Kagome bit out, becoming frustrated. "Let's not speak out loud about our team's abilities. We don't know who may be listening."
This "simple" rescue mission had quickly turned into a fiasco, with two members of the group taking off against orders. The last thing she wanted was another problem rearing its ugly head because the group had decided to get too comfortable in their surroundings.
"Stop letting your guard down." She instructed the men.
Lately, this group has collectively become a bit too cocky for my liking. She thought to herself.
The remainder of the walk to the shore was made in absolute silence. Twenty minutes passed before the remainder of the group came into Kagome's vision, lined up on the shore. Apparently Quake had made himself useful in his absence, as the two boats that they had hidden alongside the rocky shore were now docked in front of them.
Kagome made her way over to Quake, noticing that Mystic was still in his arms; her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck.
"When we get back, we need to talk." She whispered to him as he lowered his head upon her approach.
"Understood." He answered, his eyes never leaving Mystic's face.
"Quake, Mystic, Frisk and Terrain, take one of the enemies and two wolves with you. Fang, Trace and I will take everyone else." She ordered, as the team split up. "If anything happens, use your radios to communicate."
"Yes, boss!" Frisk answered cheerfully. "Is Fang Jr. going in your boat or in mine?"
Kagome studied him quizzically before he pointed to the gray wolf that had come forth onto the beach.
"For God's sake, Frisk. Would you please shut up!?" Terrain shouted. "What's gotten into you today? You're worse than usual. Geez."
Kiba happily followed Koga and the female hostage that he was carrying into the boat, making his own decision in the matter.
"Looks like it's settled then." Trace muttered as he dragged the still twitching guard into the boat, following closely behind Kiba.
Koga growled and the two brown wolves that had come forward onto the beach immediately entered Frisk's boat.
Kagome was the last to get into her boat before they took off towards the mainland where her team would be catching a plane back to their base back in South Korea.
She looked over her group, noticing that Koga was rubbing his temples. Kiba was at his side, studying his master.
She shuffled over to him before speaking.
"How's your head?" She asked, tenderly.
Koga had been doing very well communicating via the shared psychic link, however he was still new to it and it usually left him with splitting headaches. She had noted that he had been able to go longer and longer stretches lately. It took about a year for her to have mastered it without the lingering physical effects. Koga had been working with the group for the past five months. He still had a ways to go before he would be left unaffected.
"It's killing me." He grumbled. "I can't wait to take a few aspirins and have a nap on the plane." He answered, his hand snaking out and wrapping around her back, pulling her to him and taking in her scent. "It's more so due to dealing with Frisk's bullshit than the mental connection this time around. That guy really is an asshole." He spat, choosing to forgo mention of the punch he had recently taken to the head due to his own distraction.
"He's always, admittedly, been a huge pain in the ass. But something's going on with him lately. He's usually never this bad. I plan on having a talk with him when we get back." She whispered, leaning over to place a kiss against his throbbing temple. "I'll take care of it."
"Is Quake in trouble?" Koga asked, changing the subject.
"Yes, he is. I can understand his feelings, but he completely took off on us, putting himself and Mystic in danger. That is unacceptable."
"I wonder what Mystic saw in that girl's head." Trace said absentmindedly as he studied the female that was now sitting in the middle of the boat, staring at the floor. "That reaction was so unlike her."
"I know." Kagome agreed, sympathizing. "We all shared in her shock. That was terrible. It had to be so much worse for Mystic. She had to have seen something pretty bad."
"Can you speak?" Trace said, attempting to engage the female hostage.
The woman made no visible response to the question.
She gives me the creeps. Kagome thought to herself.