Chapter 28. Load up

The next few weeks were just as eventful as the past four months, plus the older members of our team got to see exactly what our newbies were made of. I knew full well that my family could handle themselves due to how well they had done when our home was under siege by Zombies. Now that they were trained as Hunters, well God help anything with a PUFF bounty over its head that was in the crosshairs of one of their rifles. Not to mention the three of them like myself were also Hybrids. But Terry Creed, the Fulani brothers, and Kai Leng weren't slouches themselves. Our first mission after our rookies joined us was in Portland Maine. A call came in about a nest of Harpies. Something that I noticed made the Fulani brothers scowl.

They had been on vacation somewhere in South America when they were swarmed by Harpies. Interesting thing is, was they killed the swarm in the exact way Pat had killed the Gargoyle that attacked him before he joined MHI. Ardeth had driven a car that was was covered end to end in the monstrous flying bastards, and had driven the car straight into a gas station. While Ardeth was busy making fried chicken out of the Harpies, Farid had found the nest, they had made in the side of a cliff, and caused a cave-in by some unknown method, that crushed the nests and any offspring within the cave. So it was a fair point in saying Harpies were at the top of Ardeth and Farid's shit list, and would love the opportunity to put as many rounds in this flock terrorising Portland as they could. The MCB had gotten to Portland before we did, and had evacuated and blocked off the part of the city where the Harpies had made their nest. We were almost turned away by the MCB due to Agent Jefferson being in charge of the scene, and the dislike between him and Pat, however Ardeth and Farid somehow stole an MH6 Little Bird the MCB brought with them. It turns out that Ardeth is an excellent pilot, as he was able to out maneuver any Harpie that got too close, and Kai who had gone with the brother's shredded them with her M249 Para variant SAW LMG. And apparently one of the Fulani brothers had a sense of humor, the whole time their pilfered Little Bird was up in the air, there was music coming from the speaker system which I recognised as Stand Proud. The opening to the first half of Season 3 of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. But to say that little stunt had pissed Agent Jefferson off would be an understatement. He was furious, however one of the Feds had been in contact with Locke who was now acting Director of the MCB. Locke who actually liked to work with MHI, found the whole situation amusing, and had decided to allow our team to keep the Little Bird if we took away one of the times he owed us. Seemed like a fair deal to the rest of us, and it added to MHI's small 'air force' something Earl Harbinger had no problem whatsoever with.

Two days after the little stunt we had done with the Little Bird, we were in the forests of South Dakota tracking another den of Werewolves. Once again I refrained from using my XM8 MK II on this mission. But when we became surrounded by 8 feet tall bipedal killing machines, I suddenly wished I had it with me for the extra firepower. Everyone had their fingers on their triggers, when someone made all the wolves stand down. Turns out it was a Native American Shaman, who was the Alpha of this pack of wolves. She explained that her pack lived in recluse away from Humans, and only feeding on the forest's wildlife. We were out of that forest within an hour. Pat spoke to Locke when we got back to our hotel via cell phone, and Locke understood the packs situation and desire, and made an agreement that this particular pack of Werewolves be left alone. Pat passed the information down to Earl, who also seemed to sympathise.

A week later we were in Cairo Egypt. We were going after another Lindwyrm, something that seemed to have shaken Kai Leng up. It turns out when our team had gone after our first Lindwyrm almost a year ago, Leng had been there as well. I never went into detail about what happened, or how the thing was killed, but that particular pain in the ass met its end when explosive charges that were placed all around the large cavern it was dwelling in detonated. the resulting explosions shredded the Wyrm's head, and the resulting cave in crushed what was left. Turns out it was Kai Leng who detonated the explosives, as she was working as one of those tour guides for those kiddy cave exploration tours, and had stolen the detonation switch from Connor while he wasn't looking. Leng had been pretty torn up from the whole deal, and had spent a year in the hospital and physical therapy, but had taken up the opportunity to become a Hunter when Pat visited her in the hospital unbeknownst to the rest of the team. But since then, Kai Leng had a terrible fear of the wingless dragons and absolutely dreaded going up against another. Thom wanted to comfort her, but Dimitri had gotten to Leng first. He told her all about what had happened in Pripyat before he was recruited. He and Leng had the same fear of Lindwyrms, but he also said the fear is a state of mind. Conquer your mind, and you conquer your fear. That being said, when we finally got a good look at the Lindwyrm Kai went pale and it looked like she was about to pass out. Honestly I didn't blame her. The one we fought in that cave, seemed like a baby compared to this one. The large dragon-like Monster was as tall as two of the Pyramids stacked on top of each other. Fortunately we had thought ahead and brought our Little Bird with us. Don't ask me how, but Ardeth and Farid had outfitted it with 2 M134 Miniguns, 2 rocket pods that held fired 7 Hydra 70 rockets, and 2 AGM 114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles. Our new Little Bird was now a warhorse, and it earned its keep when the Hellfire missiles found their mark within the Lindwyrm's mouth. When I congratulated Ardeth on his aim, he surprised me by saying he wasn't the one flying the Little Bird. Hell he was standing right next to me, and it turns out that it was Leng who was behind the controls of the small attack helicopter. I think everyone wanted to buy her a drink that night, because that was the best way I've seen so far to conquer one's fear.

All in all, with everything we had gone through over the past month, I'd say our team was more than ready for what was going to happen in New York City. Even though all 15 of us were nervous about it, we knew what had to be done and we were as ready as we could be for it. It was early morning on June 6th when Pat knocked on my door. "Hey you two, untangle yourselves from each other! It's going down!" Clare and I were out of bed and dressed faster than you could load a magazine into a gun.

15 Hunters moved with calm and determined precision as we donned our armor and assessed our loadouts. Pat still had his Halo sighted M4 rifle. He loaded it with a 100 round STANAG drum magazine and racked the charging handle back. 15 mags went onto pouches on his chest plate. His Sig Sauer went into his hip holster on his right side, loaded with a 30 round extended mag, with 5 more extended mags on the front of his belt, and a two dozen 15 round standard mags placed next to them in similar pouches along his belt. His Taurus Judge revolver was also holstered behind his back along his belt. He had speed-loaders in a pouch on his left thigh. His M7 bayonet was holstered where it always was. The inside of his left boot, and his large Bowie knife was sheathed upside down on his upper forearm just below his shoulder.

Isabell loaded her UMP several times, hit the mag release to make sure everything was running smooth, then loaded her weapon once again before she was satisfied. She had another two dozen mags on her chest plate. Her twin 1911's were where they always were when we went out on missions. Holstered on either side of her hips. She had a full two dozen mags for each sidearm along her waist like Pat did. That same odd cylindrical object was placed in underneath her 1911 on her right, before she took it out once again. She pressed some unseen button on the cylinder, and a 3 ½ blade and handguards extended from the base of what we all now knew was a sword made by Milo Anderson, before the blade and handguards retracted, and she placed the hilt of her blade under her 1911 once again. She had an American Flag bandanna tied behind her long dreadlocks.

Connor loaded his M60 LMG with its usual 200 round ammo box. He had 8 more in reserve this time, in the pouches around his belt, but left room for the two Remington sawed offs that were as always crossed behind his back along his belt. Shells for his two shotguns were placed in slots all around his left sleeve. Like Isabelle, his 1911 was holstered on his right hip, and his backup snub nosed .357 was holstered in his right boot. Connor also loaded his TDI Vector subgun, with a 30 round mag, and placed 10 more around his upper left thigh. He also had a large combat knife on his right shoulder. He chuckled as he picked up his signature Yankees baseball cap and placed it on his head backwards.

James loaded his Benelli tactical shotgun with his favorite Frag 12 rounds. Like Connor, his entire left sleeve was encased in spare shells as well as his chest plate was. If you could load it, James carried it. His AA12 automatic shotgun was loaded with quadrangle buckshot this time around, but he still had his incendiary rounds with him. He wasn't known as 'fireball' on our team for nothing. James' right sleeve was adorned with M203 shells for both his AA12 and his M32 semi automatic launcher. His AR 15 was loaded with a 100 round STANAG drum like Pat's M4, and he had 15 standard rounds as backup along his waist. His large Smith and Wesson 500 was now on his right hip. He also had a bandolier of frag grenades.

Dimitri slowly assembled his H&K 417 DMR, triple checked every magazine he had, before loading his rifle, and placing his 15 spare mags in pouches on his stomach. His reflex sighted AK 47 was also carefully inspected before loading it as well. 15 spare mags went into his chest plate. Finally his MP412 REX sidearm was also holstered next to his AK mags on his chest plate. His machete was sheathed behind his back, and he surprised all of us right then and there when he began to assemble a Russian Dragunov sniper rifle. I had a feeling that rifle was the same one he had used in Pripyat.

Terry Creed slammed a 30 round magazine into his full size SCAR-H, placed 10 more spare mags into pouches on his chest plate. He racked the charging handle back, and checked his Halo sight to make sure it was secure. His Glock that was issued to him when he was still with the FBI, was holstered on a Galco rig under his left armpit, and he had another Glock under his right that he had purchased from Intimidator. His spare mags were a full two dozen, and placed like everyone else's along his waist. He also had a Tanto knife sheathed on his right hip. He looked at a photo that was taken of him and his younger brother Corey, before he placed it under his armor's chest plate.

Ardeth carefully slid down the flip up iron sights on his FN F2000 tactical TR, then slid his Halo sight along the top of the triple railed assault rifle, then slid a tactical light along the under barrel before loading a standard 30 round magazine into the rear mag port, and systematically racked the charging handle back. He had a dozen spare mags along his chest plate which had a small 6 sided star on the center. He had two Sig Sauer's holstered on each hip, and his spare mags were slotted around his upper thighs.

Farid assembled, disassembled, and re-assembled his H&K MP7 several times, before he like Ardeth slowly slid the attachable Halo sight along the top rail. Farid's MP7 subgun didn't fit the MHI round standards, but he was very attached to the weapon, so Dimitri had taught him how to hand load rounds. Since then when we weren't on missions, Farid had been in the armory making sure every round he made personally fit his standards. He now had thousands of rounds for his H&K subgun. He had a 1911 automatic made by Les Baer holstered on his left hip, and a Desert Eagle with combat grips who's rounds he had also hand loaded to fit the .50 regulations of the rounds sold by Hornady in a Galco rig of his own that was holstered under his right armpit. His D-gle belonged to his father, a former Mossad officer Ari Al-Fulani. Like his younger brother's armor, the center of his chest plate also had a small 6 sided star on the front.

Kai Leng loaded a 200 round ammo belt into her Paratrooper variant M249 SAW LMG. 8 more spare boxes were like Connor, placed in pouches around her waist. She had a stockless Spas 12, with an oval shaped muzzle for more damage. she placed her shotgun over her right shoulder, and secured her Katana along the left side of her waist. She also had a standard HK45 sidearm on a low riding holster along her right leg.

Thom had already loaded his custom Mk. 14 EBR with an extended 30 round mag, placed two dozen more spare 20 round mags on his chest plate. His full and baby Sig Sauer's were on a double Galco rig like Terry's, with their spare mags were slotted along his waist. His Striker was loaded with quadrangle buckshot, and the stock was folded up as he placed it across his back. His 1911 was holstered along his right side, and his small Walther P38 was in its holster on his right boot, and the Katana I had given him was sheathed along his back along the left side.

John had one earbud in his right ear, and I could hear Wiz Khalifa featuring 2 Chainz We Own It from Fast and Furious 6 coming out of the left earbud as he loaded his HK417 assault rifle. After racking his charging handle back, he placed 15 spare mags along his armor's chest plate. His two customised Punisher 1911's were holstered in another double Galco rig. His spare mags like everyone else's were slotted along his waist. His Mossberg shotgun was in a back scabbard across his back. His serrated Ka-Bar was sheathed at a diagonal angle on a low riding sheath along his chest plate. Finally his Albert Wesker model Beretta was holstered on his right hip.

Dad loaded his M16 rifle he had during the Black Hawk incident in Mogadishu with a 40 round extended mag. Loaded 10 more 30 round mags into slotted pouches on his chest plate, then loaded his Broadsword rifle with a regular 30 round mag, and placed another 10 into the other slots. His regular 1911, went in a hip holster on his left while his Les Baer Officer's model 1911 was holstered on his right.

Clare loaded her SCAR PDW with its standard 30 round magazine, before she loaded her ACR with its respective 30 round mag. She slung her larger rifle over her shoulders across her back, and loaded 20 spare mags into her chest plate. 10 for her ACR, and 10 more for her SCAR PDW. Her SW 1026 was holstered on her left hip, her HK45 was holstered along her ribcage on her right, and finally her H&K USP compact was holstered on her right hip. Her Ka-Bar was sheathed on the left side of her waist. She also loaded her spare MP5k, and her KSG autoloader with quadrangle buckshot.

As for me, I had three assault rifles. I placed 100 round magazines into my G36 and the MK II, then I loaded Gungnir with a 50 round drum magazine, and placed a 40mm shell into both my customised G3 and G36. I loaded 20 spare mags each for my G36 and Gungnir, and slotted them along my chest and stomach plate. I slowly loaded my twin Jericho's, the HK45 Clare had given me, and my prized Barry Burton Beretta with their respective mags. The Jericho's went in their holsters behind my back. My HK45 and my Beretta were holstered on my left and right side respectively. Magazines for each were slotted along my waist and around both legs. 8 rounds went smoothly into my Spas, and I cycled the action before I set it into my own back scabbard. My big Kukri knife was now sheathed upside down on the side of my right shoulder. I'd be going into the city with my G36 and Gungnir. Once the situation Death had given to me in my dreams had passed, I would swap the G36 for the MK II. We all had the same look, of determination on our faces as we loaded up.

We were ready.

"Alright, everyone gather round." John said, and I knew exactly where this was going. He had done this six months ago as well during the outbreak right here in Syracuse. We all gathered around in a circle, and bowed our heads, as John began speaking once more. "In the immortal words of Jay Z: Whatever deity may guide my life. Dear God don't let me die tonight. But if I shall before I wake … I accept my fate. HELL YEAH!?" There was a resounding chorus of 'HELL YEAH' before we made our way to the garage.