Chapter 3: Joint Operations
October 18th, 2024, 7:00 PM
Selene's POV
The Amelia Scorpio fortress: Named after one of the three slain Elders, this fortress was originally owned by the vampires during World War II and the Cold War. But after the purge, the Lycans took it over, imprisoning surrendered vampires for interrogation and execution. Looking from the woods, we observed the fortress' surroundings. An electric fence surrounded the premise, preventing trespassers from entering. And even if they could leap through the fence, the abundance of Lycan guards stationed there would overwhelm them. The front entrance was heavily guarded by Lycan troopers on the ground and a few snipers on the second, third, fourth, and fifth balconies. The back entrance was also heavily guarded, but to a lesser extent. The side entrances on the West and East sides, however, were less guarded than the rest. But I'm mostly worried about the opposition inside the fortress. Because the 3D scans that the satellites gave us were only able to analyze the exterior of buildings, it won't be easy to find Ben.
I installed a suppressor on both of my Beretta 92FS pistols while David installed his own on his M4A1 carbine. We each carried silver nitrate bullets, two silver grenades, and a few breaching charges. "David and I will enter the fortress and get Ben out of there. Michael, Eve, you two should stay put for now. It's too risky to stealthily infiltrate this place as a group," I suggested.
"But if things go hairy, we'll notify you," David said to them.
"Looks like we're going to have some more father-daughter time, Eve," Michael told his daughter.
David then began testing the headsets strapped to our ears. "Can you two hear us?"
"Crystal clear," Michael confirmed.
"Same with mine," Eve added.
"Selene, are you sure that our stealthy approach is a good idea?" David questioned me, observing the fortress' surroundings. "It seems too heavily guarded."
"Going out with guns blazing isn't really a good idea either," I argued. "Either way, Ben is vital for our mission; as he has possible vital information on the Lycans."
I looked at Michael and Eve one more time. It seemed too risky to bring them here, since the Lycans have them as their top priority. I feared that they may get themselves captured, but I trust them enough for them to handle themselves.
David and I hopped over the fence of the East entrance. Before the Lycan guards could react, we swiftly and quietly executed them, and then David shot the security camera near the door. The suppressors on our guns reduced the noise significantly, sounding as quiet as a whistle. "It won't be long before they discover the bodies," I informed David. "We need to press on."
Joseph's POV
"Eddie, be careful!" I shouted quietly as my squadmate got near the fence. "That fence is electric. You DON'T want to touch that."
"In this case," Garza started before releasing an EMP grenade near the circuit breaker. The grenade burst open, releasing energy that shut down the electricity on the fence. He touched the fence and began climbing it. "It's safe to climb it now."
All of us were issued XM8 assault rifles with red-dot scopes and suppressors on them as well as two flashbang grenades and two EMP grenades. After confirming that the fortress was secured by the Lycans, we carried silver nitrate rounds.
We pressed on to the west entrance, taking out the guards silently. Eddie took out the security camera near the door.
"Since we do not know the interior of the building, we may be facing a great deal of forces on our way to our informant," Garza noted to Eddie and I before we entered inside.
Michael's POV
"Father, how did you and Mother meet?" Eve asked me, wanting to know more about Selene and I.
I began to think about how it all came to this moment, back when my former wife, Samantha Corvin, died in that fatal accident long ago. I could remember it all picture perfect, as if I was watching a home movie. I saw myself in the driver's seat of my Toyota Supra with Samantha riding shotgun on the way back home; a driver that was escaping police clipping my car at blistering speeds, causing it to flip over a hill; the car catching fire with Samantha trapped inside; my inability to save her without getting myself burned. I just didn't want to talk about Samantha to Eve, but I was comfortable enough to tell about my story of meeting my lover and becoming this beast.
"About twelve and a half years ago, I moved from America to Hungary and got a job as a medical intern," I began to explain. "On my way to work, I was caught in a shootout and it turned out that Lycans were following me, as I carried a bloodline that merged both immortal species' blood together. That caught Selene's attention and she later confronted me before I got turned into a Lycan by a man named Lucian. Selene escaped with me, later turning me into a Hybrid. I was never expecting to get caught in the middle of a war that I didn't know about."
"Father?" Eve's line brought me back into reality. "You seem to be sad. Something wrong?"
I didn't want to talk more about my own life, even to my own daughter because I would have the urge to break down if I did. "I just wish this war would end soon, but I don't know it it will. I'm hoping, though."
Selene's POV
After searching the fortress, while at the same time staying hidden from the Lycans, we finally came across the prison cells; a five story atrium that contained vampire prisoners captured for interrogation and execution. Because it was an atrium and the Lycans stationed there, it looked close to impossible trying to find Ben's cell without getting spotted. We would stick out like a black mark on a piece of paper. What's worse was that because this fortress was ancient, there are no elevators installed and only one staircase per floor. But then, I looked at the prisoners from all of the floors; all of them wanting out of this hellhole. "Come to think of it, David, stealth may not work this time," I said, referring to our little quarrel we had earlier.
"Then what is your plan?"
"Let's break our people out."
David looked at one of the maps to the fortress on the wall. "Looks like there's a security room. Hope this thing controls the cell doors."
David installed a breaching charge on the door to the security room. As it exploded, we busted through the blown remains of the door and took care of the personnel there. "David, check the computer for Ben's cell."
David pushed one of the bodies off the chair and operated one of the computers there. "Alright, he is in cell 5-19. That's the top floor."
"Now find a way to release the prisoners. It will buy us time to find Ben."
David began to check off every cell except 5-19, since even Ben may escape in the confusion, which would result in us losing him. With the press of a button, the cell doors were released. Immediately after, we could hear sounds of gunfire and rioting from here. Then, the alarms blared with the male PA saying, "All guards head for the cell atrium. The prisoners are escaping."
Joseph's POV
"All guards head for the cell atrium. The prisoners are escaping," the PA repeatedly announced. We saw Lycans rush towards the atrium and sounds of gunfire.
"So much for stealth," I said.
"Someone else must be trying to find Ben," Garza assumed. "We should hurry before they do. Joseph, do you still have Ben's location?"
I looked at my phone again to confirm it. "He's at the fifth floor, sir!" We were currently on the second.
We examined the atrium after arrival with a massive riot ensuing between the vampire prisoners and the Lycan guards with the prisoners having the upper hand. "Fuck! The staircases are crowded!" Garza shouted. "We're gonna have to make our own way up there!" All three of us switched to a hook-shot and shot a grappling hook onto the fifth floor balcony, then we propelled ourselves there.
I looked back at the ensuing riot. Although the vampire prisoners were too dangerous to be set free, I felt a bit of compassion toward them. Having lost a lot of their species to both humans and the growing Lycans, it seemed like the Lycans deserved the retribution they were receiving.
"Joseph, Garza, I saw two targets just break into cell 5-18!" Eddie observed, seeing a woman in black and a younger man in a leather jacket breaking the cell door open.
"That's where Ben is!" I shouted. "We need to get to him now!"
Selene's POV
Ben was dressed in an orange prison outfit that was standard for all of the prisoners here. His bald head was slightly bruised, apparently by the beating he recieved from the Lycans. He looked at us as we approached him and asked us, "Who the hell are you?" he questioned in his British accent.
"We're here to take you to Detective Sebastian," I explained to him. "We just need to know any information you know about the Lycans."
"I asked for Joseph and his soldiers to come rescue me! Not you!" Ben shouted.
"What?" Suddenly, three soldiers busted into the cell. Two of them pointed their assault rifles at my head while the third point his own at David's. They all had a patch on their armor that had a skull with fangs as an emblem with their unit; the Special Immortal Activities Forces. One of the two that held me at gunpoint was the oldest of the three, around well over thirty years of age with a similar muscular build to Michael's; the other had a more slim build with long, straight brown hair, and appeared to be the second in command of this unit; and finally, the one that was holding David was much younger than the rest of them, though just as calm and brooding as the rest.
"Hands off my brother, madam," the second-in-command threatened in a charmingly calm tone.
A/N: Allright, I'm gonna leave this chapter on a cliffhanger. I strongly encourage feedback, as I feel that I'm a bit sucky when describing action scenes.