Mutant Ninja Turtles

by Opposite of selfish

The story of the turtles in modern time. The turtles are no longer teenagers, as they have grown with the rest of us. The turtles are now in their mid 40's battling evil in their own way. The turtles didn't quit growing either. As the mutation continue to enhance their bodies, they continued to grow. As a result the turtles are now massive ninja warriors. Enjoy.

Mutant Ninja Turtles

Preface

This story is written for those who grew up with the turtles as icons; the ones who were around for the original cartoon, and freaked when their first movie came out. It's for the people who grew up pretending to be the turtles, and made their weapons to play with. It's to those people I ask, "What would they be like now? Grown up." They were teenagers when I was in elementary school, so that would put them in their mid 40s now. I've spent way too much time imaging a world for them in which it wasn't always easy, and fame came way to quickly for them. How would the turtles have adapted, and what kind of lives would they lead are questions that guided my writing. I designed this story 3 years ago when friends of mine dressed as Bebop and Rocksteady for Halloween. Those friends created such amazing costumes that they inspired me to write this. I plan to write more, but I wanted to get this out there before the new movie came out. I hope you enjoy it.

Back Again

The landing had been just as he suspected it would be, hard and jolting. That was how the whole trip back to New York had gone so far, so why would he expect the landing to be any different. The rainy weather completed the dramatic effect of a miserable return to the city he had not been in for 7 years. At least he was on the ground and in one piece, and for that he thanked god. So it came as no surprise or discomfort that getting through customs took awhile. Customs officers always spotted out Casey Jones coming through their gates.

Standing 6"8 and build like a brick shithouse will always draw attention. Casey is an opposing force to look at, and an even deadly one to handle. He's never had any question about this size, and he uses it to his advantage constantly. Still, Casey answers that customs agent's questions politely and as honestly as he can, without bending the truth too much. It's hard to explain why a person has been in Mexico for 7 years without any proper business paperwork. The truth is; if this customs agent had learned that Casey Jones had been fighting drug cartels in Chihuahua, they would have taken him into the back room and questioned him immediately. Casey had places to get toand the first destination he had in mind for a long time. And just as he had so many times before this, Casey Jones slide through security and made his way through the rain into a taxi.

April

The defeat and demise of shedder and the foot clan made the turtles immediate celebrities. It was a story was told and retold around the entire world; a truly polarizing moment in history. The turtles turned into household names, with interviews on TV, specials on PBS, and the speculation of where they lived created media frenzy. At heart of it all was April O'Neal. She had all footage, and therefor she had all the deals. She became as famous as the turtles, and life shifted into high gear.

April got the turtles on everything under the sun. The appearances on SNL, and other shows created a turtle franchise. Their media presence grew to an unbelievable level. A poll conducted by Time magazine showed the turtles had more TV coverage than the president of the US and war in Iraq combined. April was in front of it all, and all the time handling how the information was released. The merchandise, the interviews and shows, everything was funneled through the April's capable hands.

April became the lead anchor for the BBC and began running news specials all around the world.. Taking on more and more adventurous stories from around the world became an addiction. The drug war in Mexico became the center piece of Aprils' news addiction.

Determined to uncover the roots of the drug war, April convinced herself that the only way to gain the advantage over other news agencies was to venture to undercover media coverage. "Bringing the enemies center stage exposes their weakness," was the common argument for justifying her secret trips to Mexico. April began taking trip after trip in disguise. Convinced she could make a difference, April persuaded Casey Jones to escort her down on several trips. Her stories made headlines, and the headlines brought more fame.

Unfortunately fame and fortune have a way of bringing many unexpected consequences, and April, Casey, and the turtles were no exception in this regard. The immediate fame was like living a dream that no one had expected could happen. Over time the fame had created a stigma that was difficult to handle. The vigilante justice the turtles and Casey had once provided as hidden heroes became a difficult to justify in the media. Constant media speculation and controversy made everyday life intolerable. For the turtles, living with fame was even harder than living in secret. As time went on it became very clear that some secrets that had to remain, and some secrets were impossible to contain.

The Den

Getting down into the sewer was no easy task these days; the man-hole covers seem to be getting heavier every year. The sewer is no picnic either. The sizes of the tubes are constantly changing and it's incredible difficult to see. The smell of course is the worst part of the whole experience.

The most amazing part of being in the sewer is that at some point, way down there, you come to a big wooden door. The door which looks out of place at first glance, but upon closer inspection is evident the door is very secure and heavy. A dark greasy box beside disguises a digital key pad. The combination number has never been changed, one 7 people in the entire world know it. They were all trusted with that number with their lives. What lied behind the door meant everything.

The first thing seen as the door opens is a bright beam of natural light coming from the ground above. The light created an aura in the room similar to a catholic cathedral. In the middle of that light is something quite amazing indeed. The most beautiful shrine; a small pine tree bathed in white light grows on and around a golden statue. The whole room around it is black and hard to see anything but the shrine. The small gold statue is a rat standing in a Long Fist kung fu pose in the middle of a pool of water at the base of the shrine. A small fountain streams water behind the statue. This small shine is so immaculately created it defies reason why it would be hidden in a sewer. "Splinter will always be missed" is the inscription at the base of the pool in Japanese. Outside the shrine in the cement are 4 hands prints. All for hands only have three massive fingers.

The shrine has obviously been kept up extremely well. There was fresh sake and rice in the bowls surrounding the shrine. The entire shrine was spotless.

However the room around the shrine, and hallway leading to the next part of the complex is an entirely different story. There was crap everywhere. Pizza boxes and beer cans scattered around, and it is very clear that it has not been cleaned in months at best. The smell of incense barely masks of the pungent smell of something living inside.

Mike

As Casey took in the beauty of the shrine, it was difficult not to dwell on the problems that had happened in the past. The fall out of communication between he and the turtles was difficult to accept. Many different paths could have been taken, but fortune and creed made life difficult for him and his friends. Such is life that fame makes enemies of friends. Even when the true base feeling for each other is love, money and attention make strange bed fellows with friends.

Looking deeper into the den Casey tried to determine what had happened. Immediately questioning if this trip had been a waste of time, Casey ventured deeper into the den. The smell was the first thing to bring Casey's attention to the fact someone was there in the next room. Mike was asleep on the couch.

Mike is a much bigger turtle these days. Much bigger than any other mutant turtle hanging around the den anyway. Standing about 7.6 and weighting in at 380, it was safe to say this was no small teenager any longer. It was all the beer and pizza, and it was very clear to see that was primarily what made up Mikes' daily diet. In fact there was probably not another thing to eat or drink in place.

Interestingly enough was that Mike's cell phone went off just as Casey walked in the room. Mike didn't even open his eyes, simply grabbing the phone and answering who he knows it will be. "What did the doctor say?" are the first words out of his mouth. An easy sigh of relief comes shortly after. "Ok, I told you." Mike grumbles off some good bye and throws his phone down.

"Hey Punk!" Casey yells at an outrageous level. Mike jumps back, falls over the cheap coffee table and lands in a box of pizza and empty cans. "Shit!" Mike yells. What, how the hell, where have you….what?! Questions flow through Mike's head as he tries to comprehend who is standing in front of him. Calmly, Casey asked Mike how he's been and sits down across the table. He see's an unopened beer in the cooler. Casey has been up for 26 hours straight, he could use a drink. Mike grabs a beer and sits down beside him. Mike's been up for 1 minute and it was a… Well he didn't know what day it was, and he really didn't care much. "So who's on the phone?" Casey starts. He was never much for small talk. "My girl." Mike replies knowing Casey would start immediately with hard questions. Mike just looked at him and tiredly said "Have you heard my band?" Mike asked. Casey just nods no, making it clear he didn't care. "Have you heard about Don?"

Don

The one turtle to come away from immediate fame with style and grace was Donatello. Still and growing and by far the tallest of the four; at around 8 foot 6 inches in height Don towers everyone he meets. The massive turtle was able to turn fame into fortune in the matter of months. Don invested the money into the pharmaceutical companies doing research in mutant agents. He had already studied the subject more than anyone in the field, so he quickly became the CEO and Founder of Green Gen Genetics Company. Obsessed with genetic engineering, he was determined to find a way to mix mutant DNA with human's to create a new species. Don made quick and aggressive business decisions the same way he destroyed enemies with his bow. Many of his decisions have created some very rich enemies. Physical enemies are things Don can deal with. Biological injustice is a whole different matter. And with that mindset Donatello begins building an empire.

Once the investments began to pay out, Don quickly bought up a large piece of real estate on the upper east side of Manhattan. His building was state of the art, and the projects taking place inside went well beyond that. Green Gen occupied 27 floors of this massive 40 story building. Most of the floors were only accessible by few select people, and 4 of the floors were only accessible by Don himself. This living situation was by far the best of any of the turtles. It was stable base of operations that provided a clear line of defense. Originally he had built it with the hope the other four would join him living there. The others however, had a much different view. Raph took a much different path.

Raph

The tale of Raphael is most troubling of any the turtles. His life has always been of one struggling with problems of anger and aggression; of self righteousness and passion to destroy criminals. It is this passion that has led him to live the last 6 years behind bars in an attempt to root out the most dangerous criminals in the world.

How Raph ended up in prison wasn't a set up. He'd attacked a man he believed was aiding the Foot. The man was exactly a perfect specimen of a human, but he definitely didn't deserve the trashing a 7 foot ninja turtle could give. It was one of Raph favorite moves to take a leaping front flip off a build top and land on his target with devastating force. It killed most men. All the facts are not in about what went down that night. Raph was drunk and that's the bottom line. It was a poor decision to attack the man Raph did. In the end he got 10 years, of which he has already served four and a half. It took a year and a half just to get to court.

The fact that the trial was real, and Raph was sentenced for 10 years made the news the world over. It had brought the worst kind of attention on him, his family and friends. It created a disillusionment of what the turtles really were. It broke his spirit to try and stay in the media's good graces, and made Raph look upon his brothers with a sinister hate. He was after the one's he hated, and going to jail was going to only help his cause. If he was going to kill the root of the Clan he would need information. Information of any value comes from the mouths of desperate men. And desperate men were in prison.

Raph was doing just fine in prison. It didn't take one minute for Raph to get in a fight. In fact the second they took him off the bus into the charging room of the prison, the prison ward attacked him with knight stick and mace. What part of Ninja Turtle did this ass-clown not understand? It took about a week before inmates understood that Raph meant business. If he was going to be there, he was going to rule there.

The only reason Raph was going to let himself be imprisoned was to prove to world that one man, one will could bring down evil at it's source. To find the source, one had to dig as deep as could possibly be imagined. By being imprisoned and being subjected to torture.

The media attention of the prison sentence created a major rift to an already strained relationship with the rest of the turtles. The turtles confronted him about it….and one thing led another. It was the last time Raph or any of the turtles saw Leo.

Leo

Location: Unknown

Status: Unknown

Last Seen: Narita, Japan 11/11/2004

The flashing yellow sign warns drivers: Radiation Contamination. Do Not Stop, Do Not Enter.

As the driver passes, he stares at the emptiness that just a few months ago was a beautiful busy city. From this intersection the man can see the first bar he can remember drinking in. The man had lived close to the street that he is driving on. He can never go back to his beautiful little place. His house with all his possessions and memories was forbidden to enter. Constantly questions filled this poor honest mans mind. What the fuck happened here? How could one tsunami take away some much? Why, why why would this happen? What the fuck happened here? All of these questions are on repeat in his mind as he drives on this road everyday. What the fuck happened here?

This man's life had been flipped so much upside down, and rational thought was beginning to escape. Thoughts of ending his life to escape his memories were taking over his entire being.

He thinks about his former life. How easy his little life was and the job he was trying to get. The way he could manage a phone call with a customer, and save money for the company…

He thinks about his dog that has been missing since the meltdown.

How he got the dog to respond to snapping

His thoughts were going back and forth, back and forth; and always dwelling on this one though.

His dog.

His little dog.

His beautiful little dog that jump at him in the morning, and make him wake up for coffee.

That dog was the only reason he met people. It's true.

That time they walked up Mount Fuji together. God damn it…the pictures were gone.

His amazing little dog that loved everything he did. That dog was so easy to take care for. He would dance when the man came home. The way he ate a treat was a dance. All the times that they took walks in the park in the sun. The little kisses God why did you take my fucking dog? You fucking bastard…..I fucking loved that dog. …This whole thing…why

An unusual light flashes in front of the man's car.

A red flash and a green blur. And it's gone.

A quick snapping sound draws the driver's attention and he slows his car and rolls the window down.

"Listen!" a voice yells out.

The man stops the car and listens for a moment. A bush moves slightly in front of him.

His dog lies next to the bush licking a wound that has been wrapped.

His dog

Not another sound follows.

Life on the Rock

Mike didn't ever have many places to be on weekday. His band only played on Saturdays, and with the publicity that he brought in, it was a real pain in the ass to be seen topside during the day. Like any celebrity knows, it's best to plan the times and places to be seen on the street. Mike was also to be expected to act out as much as he did when he was a teenager, and that image dies hard. So when Casey insists that he come with him to Green Gen Tech he starts to wish he'd changed the door code to the Den.

Once topside, Casey and Mike stand out even for New York standards. They walk past a book store, and people start filing out of the store to take a picture. "We should have waited." Mike raises his massive arm for a taxi. It's a comfort for Casey to be around Mike. Having someone around that is easily as strong and massive around gives Casey peace of mind. He had fought many times with Mike at his back, it was a feeling Casey had forgotten about over the years. A cab stops, and the bewildered driver was speechless as the two giants climb in swiftly.

With as good as the security is at Green Gen, the guards are intimidated as the cab stops at the front security gate. Climbing out and taking in the scene of multiple guards posted at various vantage points. "Tight." Casey murmurs to Mike as they approach. "What's Don hiding?" Mike looks at him with tighter lip and smirks "a bunch of lies." "At least you're not bitter," jabs Casey as the two enter the building.

After a rather lengthy questioning by the front desk the two are both admitted. The guard refused to answer any questions, but only provided the access to the elevator after getting approval. The elevator and corridor leading up it where all mirrored glass, making it confusing which way to walk, and awkward seeing one's reflection from all angles. "Either this is a security measure, or Don's a freak." Mike jokes. Thirty-five floors later Casey and Mike enter the penthouse. "Wshiooooo" Casey whistles as he walks in to a extremely luxurious pad.

Original paintings of Dali and Jeffers line the pale green walls of the room. 'The floor plan made the room look very tranquil and open. Rich with artifacts and beautiful plants of various fauna gave the room a wonderful freshness to it. Calm music planning in the back ground from undetectable speakers quietly dies as the two walk in. "Welcome," a charming British female voice chimes from nowhere. "I am the house server and security; you can call me Zita. Please make your selves comfortable and Mr. D will be with you momentarily."

The place had a lowered second floor that served as an elaborate gym and dojo. Bow staffs of various lengths and compositions lined the walls, along with various other weapons of every nature. Casey over looked the dojo and considered hitting the weights for a minute. That was until Mike saw the open bar next to a hot tube. "She said make myself comfortable," and it wasn't two minutes before Mike was chilling in the tub with a beer.

Casey walks down to the dojo and looks at a photo of all the turtles standing around splinter. Casey had the same picture somewhere and he remembers the photo well, he took it. From out of the bathroom behind Casey walks Don very quietly. Casey turns to face something almost 2 taller than him. Don walks in and towers over a very tall Casey Jones. "It's great see you Casey," as Don embraces his old friend.

Don is wearing a full suit that is tailored to his massive 8 foot 6 structure. He's has the look of someone who was used to being in expensive suits. "I'm just on my way to a meeting in Canada. Can I convince you to come with me Casey? I'd love to catch up," rattles Don as he begins to gently force Casey to walk with him as they talk. "My chopper is just above us."

"Canada?!" Casey exclaims as he releases Don's grip. "Maybe, but I just got here and I need to talk to you." Don continues to march on and not phased by his question. "I'm in a hurry Casey." Don walks up to Mike and gestures a slight nod of attention. "Mike." Don states plainly. "Don." Mike says slightly sarcastically. Don continues to the elevator as Casey drifts behind him. They both step in the elevator as Mike looks up at them and raises his beer in cheers motion as the elevator door closes behind them. "Why Canada?" asks Casey as they exit the elevator on the roof and make their way up to the helicopter pad." Don is obviously in a hurry and tries to be as brief as possible. "Casey you need to decide if you're coming with me, because I have some real business going on right now and I can't stand here and explain it to you." "I'll stay." Casey says flatly. "See you when you get back." Don turns and walks to the helicopter without comment.

The helicopter lifts off and Casey watches Don watching Casey. As the two stare at each other, Don's attention quickly shifts to a flash. His attention change causes Casey to react by looking in the same direction. At that moment an RPG strikes the front end of the helicopter, killing the pilot in blast of fire. The helicopter drifts right and plummets to the ground. At 300 ft, Don bashes the door open and jumps out, launching himself towards the building. As he falls, he reaches behind his shell and grabs an extendable bow. The bow fires to extension and Don rams the end of it into the side of the building. Continuing to slide, Don then leaps off the wall. The bow twirling above his head like the blade of a propeller, Don lets himself fly down. His eyes look to the location where the rocket was fired. It must have come just outside the northern security gate.

At 20ft in the air Don lets himself drop to the cement with a heavy crash, and then darts towards the gate where he suspects the assassin fired. Don knows his way around his own complex very well. Leaping over a 15ft fence with the grace of a gazelle and flying into the woods behind the complex. Two Ducati motorcycles race by as Don races to intercept them. "Zita. Do you have them?" Don says into his watch. "Yes sir. Two bikes racing in front of you. You will not catch them on foot" the computer responds. "Agreed. Slow them down." Don commands.

Out the roof the Green Gen complex rise two missile towers. The towers fire two missiles each. Within 12 seconds the missiles acquired and destroyed the bikes. Don approaches to see that the bikes are un-manned. "Damn."

All Locked Up

Living in a cell that size barely contained him and a bunk. A seven foot ceiling housed a seven foot turtle. Serving in solitary confinement 23 hours a day with no window, one vent, and two meals a day; it's a version of hell that only few ever talk about. And 6 years in Raph has become the underground boss of people he would normally kill. He called them pawns and regarded them as such. These criminals that let themselves be used by Raph, he considered expendable. Convincing one to kill the next, in an attempt to learn who was behind the spread of the Foot. By playing one against he next, he was able to learn who was truly at the root of the organization, and who was merely following orders. Destroying the followers of the Foot was simple, but getting to root leaders required digging.

It's not easy to stay occupied living in maxium security prison. Lifting weights and reading books only killed 5 to 8 hours a day, and then it was purely boredom. For Raph living in a cell that barely contains his 7 foot 9 body, staying sharp meant plotting how to keep the inmate population in line. Living in this prison was a punishment that Raph was willing to bear, but living with criminals made Raph crave justice.

"It's your time in the gym," said the guard looking eager to move away from the cell door. Book in hand, Raph stands, moves towards the bars and looks down the hall. Moving in slow stride Raph stares in every cell as he walks down the hall. Rounding the corner and entering the weight room, the guard backs away and the door closes. The gym his alone once again; the way it's been for the last 6 years.

The gym was the only way that Raph got any news at all. The information came in the form of paper massages left by inmates looking to stay in the good graces of Raph. The turtle represented a threat to the organized crime syndicate in prison, and that threat alone created opportunities for other prisoners. The message was in the usual spot, under the weight bench. It took no effort to lift the whole bench plus 200lbs of weight off the ground to and retrieve the note under the leg. No words, just a picture of diamond ring. The image is a message that meant the money had traded hands, and Raph knew exactly that.

Since the beginning of his sentence Raph had made efforts to learn exactly who was living in the prison with him. The knowledge had served him greatly several times over. After multiple attempts to corner Raph and murder him, many of the groups exposed themselves to what Raph was capable of. One attempt came with 12 inmates armed with knives cornering Raph in the library. Only 4 of the 12 came out alive after that attack. It was the last attempt to assult in a forward attack. Since then it has been attempts to poison him, or blow him up. So far, all attempts had failed. The message he receives in the gym have helped stay alive.

In Raph's opinion the best defense is a decisive and vicious offense. It was clear someone from the outside was paying to unit two different gangs to unit and murder him. What these groups didn't expect was for Raph to take the action. It wasn't his style to wait for an attack.

The prison galley is the most open room in the entire prison. Guards stand on the second level and pace around the room with machine guns and gas grenades. It's the scene of several murders through-out the year. The room is always divided by which group each inmate prospectively belongs to, and there is very few people in the prison not forced to be a member of a gang. It's here that Raph had planned several of his attacks in the past. Walking down the corridor leading to food galley was no different than his cell. A seven foot ceiling housed a seven foot turtle. Raphael moved slowly down the hall as he eyed every door passing by. Several attempts at his life had been made on his life in this hall, and knowing the smells of the each area kept his mind focused on what might await him. He had memorized the scent of every prisoner in his hall, and that skill had kept him alive. Today completely different and Raph could sense the change. There was an odor that seemed artificial. It was being pumped in, and it was evident that something was about to take place.

Walking into the dining hall in his usual demeanor, Raph heads for his usual seat. Almost never eating in the prison dining has kept him alive more than once. Instead of sitting down as normal, Raph walks past his seat and stands directly behind a very dangerous and massive inmate named Hector. Hector, who is serving two life terms for multiple murders, doesn't turn his head or look up at all. "What the fuck turd?! Shouldn't you be swimming in piss or something?" Hecter murmurs over his food. "You should get paid more," Raph says in quiet icy tone. "Paid.." Hecter doesn't even get the word off before Raph is picking him up by his neck. For Hector, being a 250lbs gangster, getting picked up is a very unexpected experience. With movements of a master ninja, Raphael begins beating the living shit out the man. In a rage Raph throws Hecter straight up in the air, smacking his head on the ceiling and in a flash of speed round house kicks this giant shit bag across the room. "Who paid you?!" Raph yells. The entire room explodes in fights. The Sinaloa cartel members begin rushing towards Raph in rage of furry. Swinging his massive leg around, Raph makes contact with a gangsters head, and breaks theirs necks on impact. Another man jumps on the table and flies at the turtle, only to find his arm grabbed and broken in three places. A third attacker is able to grab Raph's shell. Something many attackers have tried before, and all of them have found the same result. With a powerful lunge, Raph smacks his shell up against the cement wall. The attacker is sandwiched, and killed in the strike.

"Gas!" someone yells out as the battle continues. With a loud explosion, the entire room becomes a chamber of green gas. In a single motion Raph jumps in the air, flips and breaks through the door leading into dining hall. Not trying to escape, but rather to position himself in the lane everyone will be forced to file through. As the inmates race out into the hall Raph grabs at anyone he believes was paid to kill him, and preceded to break them. "Who the hell paid you?" he asks without waiting for an answer. He wanted people to hear him. He wanted them to know there was no way he would be taken by surprise. Grabbing another inmate, Raph raises the man over his head and shouts "Who the hell paid you?!"

The galley the lights flip off. The sound of gas being released in the corner, Raph springs to action. Releasing his captive, he slides to corner to anticipate an attack. The gas sound continues as laughing comes over the intercom. "Can you breath you freak?!" Raph grabs the prison mess table bolted to ground. In what looks like a baby picking up a pacifier, Raph rips the table from the floor and destroys the speaker. The speaker across the room crackles the cold voice. "Can you die, you freak?"

Breaking down the table, Raph launches the pieces at the pipe emitting the gas in an attempt to stop it's flow. With no success the gas continues to flood the room. In what looks like a mechanized tank crashing into a building, Raph begins pounding the walls of room with his massive fist. The mess hall being the only room in the prison with barred windows. In matter of seconds the room will be filled completely with un-breathable gas. He begins striking at the wall near the window in an attempt to crack the cement. The gas continues to pore in. Continuing to strike with all his power he can feel himself loosing conciseness. In what is a final desperate attempt, he springs off a far wall and collides with the opposite wall shell first with the impact of a bomb. The wall crumbles in shards of rebar and cement.

At that moment an explosion in the back of the kitchen rocks the building. The room filling with smoke, a small device flies right at Raph's head and strikes the wall behind him. Raph had moved his head just in time to dodge the attack. The device beeps and explodes sending Raph flying against the adjacent wall. Its takes a lot to get Raph off his feet, and this was not an attack that anyone in the prison would have been capable of. The thought that the guards were trying to regain control of the area quickly passed when he realized the explosion emitted a powerful knock-out gas. "What the hell?"…was the last sentence Raph was able to form as soldiers in grey outfits began to surround him, and everything went black. "Damn."

The gas has taken affect and his senses about gone. Lying out in the courtyard a helicopter can be heard in the distance. Fading into his sub-conciseness, a dark voice can be heard. "We'll find out….you freak."

Evil Dug Deep

The scenery around Great Bear Lake is one of a magical beauty. This gigantic blue pearl of water is surrounded by winter tundra and foliage the makes the world look alien. On the clearest mornings it's possible to see for a hundred miles. No sound with the exception of the occasional bird call and a light breeze. No movement all.

In few quick moments the faint sound of whiling grows in the distance. 3 massive helicopters flying 300 feet above the ground slowly make their way over the lake. In this cold early morning the sound breaks the serene moment as the helicopters circle a cement cylinder that is located at the south end of the lake. As the helicopters approach a small siren begins to rise out of the ground signaling a place to land. Landing in military fashion the helicopters quickly unload the men they carry and their deadly cargo. In the matter of minutes the helicopters are shut down and cover with thermal camouflage.

The twelve foot wide cement cylinder is open from the top to reveal a the vent and door leading down a stair case. In single file the men climb down the cement corridor into a large room which faces a huge iron vault door.

To be continued…