Ch.6: Infiltration

"Don't you walk away from me boy!" My father yelled from behind me. I had packed everything that I wanted out of the miserable excuse for a bedroom into a duffel bag and was walking out the front door. I ignored him and kept walking calmly towards the street. By this time, the neighbors were out on their porches and observing the spectacle. I ignored them as well. I hated them just as much as I hated my parents.

As I reached my parked Ranger, I opened the driver side door and tossed my bag into the passenger seat. Before I could get in and finally escape from that hellhole, two hands grabbed me from behind me and turned me around. My tormentor scowled at me but, this time, I stood my ground and pushed him backwards. I said to him, "Get over yourself you worthless old man. There is nothing you can do to stop me this time. I have already signed the papers. I joined the army. Good-bye Father. I hope you find peace someday."

My high school had a JROTC program and the Sergeant in charge had taken an interest in me. I knew that his reasons were not strictly honorable because I was a textbook example of an academic failure that would either make a living at a dead end job or enlist in the military. I did not care about his ulterior motives as long as I could exploit him in return. When I explained my situation at home, he offered to help me. He explained that he had an old friend who was a Recruitment Officer.

Yesterday, I had turned eighteen and signed the forms to enlist in the U.S. Army. Not looking back at the alcoholic, I got into my small white with black trim truck and closed the door. After locking the door immediately, I cranked my truck's little V6 engine and drove away from the house that I had grown up in but felt no sentimental attachment to. That was the last I ever saw or heard of my gene-related family.

"Delta Force?" I looked my commander in the eyes as I asked him in shock. He had summoned for my presence but I had assumed that it was about missing the Tuesday Physical Training session because I preferred to do my own workouts and exercises. I could push myself harder when I did not have lazy and unmotivated soldiers holding me back. My commander handed me the paper so that I could read it for myself.

As I was reading it, he remarked, "Apparently, someone took a special interest in you, son. Enough to personally vouch for you. So, getting the opportunity to become a Delta Force operative…are you interested?"

I did not believe I was worthy of such an honor and I replied, "Sir, Delta Force is reserved for elite professional soldiers. I am only a grunt."

With a straight face, the veteran remarked, "No son, those tin soldiers marching in formation outside are grunts. Men like you are professional soldiers. Don't let your talents go to waste Becket."

"Transferred?" I asked my commander. He nodded and handed me a large yellow folder with the word "classified" written on the front. As I looked through the personnel files, he continued, "Sergeant Becket, meet your new squad codename: Dark Signal." I was dumbfounded. I had expected to be reprimanded, if not given a court-martial, for being the only survivor when my squad was ambushed during a hostage rescue operation.

I asked him, "Permission to speak freely, sir."

He replied, "Granted."

I thought through my response carefully before I said, "I am confused sir. Why am I not being held responsible for being the only survivor? I should have died with my squad."

He seemed perplexed by my attitude. I had never seen the old veteran willingly display emotions before that moment. With an almost fatherly tone, he replied, "Sergeant, you did what you could for them and even managed to complete the mission single-handedly. We can't ask any more from you than that. Just between us, I doubt that I could have done what you did." I did not reply and he returned to his usual emotionless tone when he said, "The Supply Officer is already waiting for you to retrieve your new gear. Dismissed." I went to attention and saluted him.

I awoke inside the APC, but I still felt as tired as ever. If anything, my fatigue was getting worse. I had gotten used to uncomfortable sleeping arrangements over the course of previous operations, but, for some reason, I was finding it nearly impossible to get any form of productive rest. "Maybe you should let me sleep with you." Alma's voice echoed through my sleep-deprived mind.

I groaned and rolled over so that I was lying prostrate across the hard, unforgiving seats on the right side of the interior of the armored vehicle in an attempt to ward her off. She giggled at my childish behavior. As I tried to ignore her, I suddenly felt a small, soft body lay on top of me. I mumbled about wanting to be left alone, but she whispered inches from my left ear with a frigid breath that made me shiver slightly, "The reason you can't sleep is because you are going through withdrawal. Like an addict trying to quit. You can sense my presence and it has a unique feel to you right?" I only shrugged despite the fact that she was right.

She sighed and then continued, "The more you are exposed to my presence, the more it affects you when we are not in close proximity. Trust me…just let me be with you when you sleep. I do not sleep, but I promise not to do anything to you. I have a lot of experience being alone with my thoughts so I will not mind staying with you while you rest."

Trying to change the subject, I remarked, "You know, you have come a long way from barely being able to mumble an occasional understandable statement." I could feel her smile and before I could try to take a more active step to get her away from me, she started humming softly. Whatever she was doing proved to be beyond what my worn out mental defenses could resist and I passed out. I found myself in one of Alma's created worlds except this one was much more peaceful. The usually bleak and depressing meadow with the dead tree for a nucleus had been replaced by a healthy meadow with a sturdy, living tree overlooking the area like a silent guardian.

As I made my way to the top of the hill through the tall stalks of grass, I became aware of a young girl in a white dress sitting against the tree. From far away, she looked like Alma except something was off about her. After I closed the distance and stood before her, I noticed that some of her features were different. Her face, though similar to my stalker's, was more human-like. In addition, she had an air of childish naivety about her that seemed alien to her considering where we were. She seemed to finally notice my presence and looked up at me. I cringed as I saw their color. Her eyes were like mine. Well, how they used to be: grey.

She smiled and jumped to her feet. She ran up to me and hugged my right leg as she exclaimed excitedly, "Daddy!" Instinctively, my right hand went for my sidearm as I feared another trick from one of my coveter's mind games. The girl saw what I was doing and her eyes went wide with fear. Her eyes started shinning as if she was about to cry as I held my 9mm handgun and aimed it at, well, more like pressed it against, her head. My thoughts finally caught up with my reflexes and I realized what I was doing.

Was this girl the result of my forced interaction with my stalker? My breath caught in my throat as I realized the opportunity that was now, literally, inches away from me. I could do it. I could pull the trigger and save the world a great burden. Wait. Burden? What the Hell was wrong with me? This was just a child right? It was not her fault that her mother was a broken woman that was neither dead nor alive. I was a soldier, not a murderer. I swore an oath to protect people.

However, if I did kill her, would I not be protecting people? I looked into her frightened grey eyes. They were serene and full of wonder. If it were true that eyes were the window into one's soul, this girl was proof. I saw no animosity or cruelty in the beautiful grey orbs that gazed back at me. She was not a threat to anyone, let alone the entire world. I could not do this. She had just as much of a right to live as I did.

I had done terrible things to people as a Delta Force Operative. It had never been personal; it was just my job. The Geneva Convention was quietly ignored when "National Security" was at stake. However, even the most grey-haired veteran had his or her limits. As my mentor had once said, "The day that you can look a child in the eyes and pull the trigger is the day that you put the barrel to your own head and pull the trigger, kid. I don't care if that brat just shit all over your boots...you never...ever...harm a child. That's mud...that's pathetic."

Holstering my weapon, I said apologetically, "Sorry, old habit. You are who I think you are...aren't you? I can see your mother in you."

She looked at me for a moment before she asked, "Why aren't you happy to see me?"

I shook my head as I replied, "Because you shouldn't exist. I don't understand how it is even possible that you exist. Are you even alive?" She gently grasped my left gloved hand and guided it to her chest. I hid my shock as I felt her warmth and worst of all: a heartbeat.

She smiled at me as she cocked her head sideways. After a few seconds, she asked, "See? I am alive silly."

Uncomfortable, I retracted my hand. She continued to smile at me innocently and even said, "Mommy is right. You are funny Daddy." Her expression darkened as she said, "Mommy also said that there are monsters looking for us." The young girl buried her head into the side of my right leg as she again hugged me tightly.

Through the material, she asked on the verge of crying, "You will protect me from the monsters though. Right Daddy?"

I did not know what else to do. I knelt down and lightly hugged the frightened child as I reassured her, "It's okay. Don't worry about the monsters because I will get rid of them for you." She sniffled as she smiled up at me. I slowly retracted from her and stood.

She looked towards the sky as if she heard something before she looked back to me and said, "Mommy needs you. Good-bye for now Daddy. I love you."

The world dissolved away into nothing and glowing orange eyes guided me out of the darkness. As I found myself back in the APC, I noticed that I was lying on my back rather than how I fallen asleep. Alma smiled at me before she said, "Morales found one of them." I smirked as I stood and exited the armored vehicle.

As I exited the vehicle, I heard Alpha 1 say from behind me with noticeable enthusiasm in his distorted voice, "Good morning, sir."

I wheeled around to find that he had been guarding the entrance to the APC with his automatic shotgun at the ready even though I could not recall ordering him to do so. That was unusual. The other Replica that I had encountered only acted upon their orders. They were less robotic than I had anticipated and even had individual personalities. However, this Heavy Trooper was different. He seemed too human to be a Replica. If I did not know any better, I would have believed that he was a Special Ops Operative that Armacham had forced into the advanced armor of the Heavy Troopers. I smiled slightly at him before I said, "Good morning Alpha 1. Form up on me."

He remarked, "Yes sir." I turned back around and made my way over to where Morales sat at the workstation.

As I approached, I called out, "Manny, give me what you got."

He nodded before he said, "Becket, man I think that I found one of those people on the Board of Directors. He is still in the city." Shocked, I tried to peer over his right shoulder to look at the screen. He waved me off and then said smugly, "You forgot to say please."

I laughed sarcastically before I replied, "You dick, just tell me what you know."

He laughed in return before he said, "Alright, alright. ATC is running their operations from a docked frigate. Apparently, their Chief of Operations has taken up residence there. Problem is that they have turned the harbor into a fortress. They have got more men and firepower than even you could take on."

Undeterred and somewhat insulted, I remarked, "Nothing is impenetrable. Give me enough time and I could break into Fort Knox and then casually stroll out the front door twirling a cane and wearing a suit and top hat."

He shook his head and said, "I don't know man. Becket, I know that you are a badass, but I think this one is out of your league. You aren't sneaking into that place undetected."

I snorted loudly as I felt incredibly insulted. Boldly, I pronounced, "Watch me. Location?" He handed me the GPS coordinates with an uneasy expression. I took them and then uploaded them into the datalink in my HUD glasses. I smiled and then said reassuringly, "Manny, man it's me. I have pulled off miracles before."

I turned to the Replicas and said, "Alpha 1 and Ghost 4, grab your gear and form up on me. This is an infiltration operation so equip suppressors."

In unison, the soldiers replied, "Order confirmed. Forming up."

Two hours and several near exposures later, we were looking down at the now bustling harbor from the vantage point of the roof of an abandoned apartment building that stood on the opposite side of the street from the harbor entrance. Our "blind", constructed from rubble and netting, was nearly invisible to the guards below. The trick to a blind was to take advantage of the human brain's tendency to "matrix" patterns. Lying prostrate on the surface of the roof, I surveyed the area through a carefully constructed observation point with the scope of my rifle. The only way an observer would be able to see the telltale reflective flash of light against the outer lens of the piece of optical equipment was for them to be at an equal height level with me and knowing exactly where to look.

Beside me on his right side, Alpha 1 made note of troop positions as I saw them and timed their movement paths. I would have worried about his white ceramic mask giving away our position but whatever Hell he had been through prior to our meeting had taken the glossy finish off of it. Meanwhile, Ghost 4 monitored the harbor from his own observation point about a foot away.

The explosion had not reached this particular section of the harbor but I could see that further towards the industrial section of the city, the harbor was unusable as rubble blocked ship travel. The frigate must have docked as far into the channel as it could because any further and I would have had doubts that it had not been there prior to the explosion. Beside me, Alma asked quietly, "So, how do we get in?"

I explained, "It is not getting in that is the problem. The problem is getting to the Chief of Operations without alerting anyone to our presence. The second that the alarm is raised, our chances of getting to him will hit rock bottom. We need to do this in one go or we will never get the same opportunity again."

The ATC guards were not amateurs. In fact, judging by how disciplined they appeared, I would have wagered that some of them had a background in Special Forces. However, they were clearly expecting a large-scale assault because I could see gaps in their defenses. My timing would have to be perfect, but I was certain that I could sneak past the guards and infiltrate the frigate. I just had to be patient and wait for my moment to strike.

I waited until nightfall to make my move. I had been studying their movements and I discovered an overlooked path that would allow me to bypass the automated turrets and patrols. The only issue was that the path had a section that would leave me exposed if a wayward guard happened to be around.

For that, I had an unusual plan that involved the assistance of my vengeful friend. I turned to her and asked, "Alma, how are you with weather?" She raised her left eyebrow for a moment before she read my thoughts. She nodded before she dissolved into a cloud of ash. Without looking at them, I said to the Replicas, "We are moving out."

After we reached the alleyway next to the apartment, I pressed myself against the wall as I waited for the moment to strike. My target was the crumbling brick wall about thirty yards to the left of the main entrance. The squad stationed there would be distracted in exactly ten seconds when the next APC would leave the docks with a new group of replacements headed for the front-lines where the main Replica Force was still engaging the ATC cleanup crews.

The men at the entrance would have to open the gate to let the armored vehicle pass. The searchlights only illuminated the guard post, not the surrounding street. Furthermore, the automated turrets' sensors did not extend that far. Overhead, I could already hear the telltale sounds of the approaching storm. Strange clouds with a blood red glow were massing above the harbor as the rumbling of thunder and flashes of lightning filled the air. Though she was not physically with me, we were still conversing with each other through our bond. We would have to get our timing just right for my scheme to work.

Right on schedule, the APC rolled up behind the gate. As it did, I told her, "Now." What was essentially a thunderstorm straight out of Hell descended upon the unsuspecting mercenaries. Instead of rain, bits of molten rock and ash fell from the Hellish sky. As the men at the front gate looked up at the unusual sight, a flash of lightning lit up the area. As soon as darkness returned, I ran as quietly as I could towards the wall with the Replicas following close behind me.

With their eyes effectively robbed of any adaption to the low light by the flash of lightning, we were proverbially invisible to the guards. In the seconds that it took us to reach the wall, the accompanying roar of thunder cloaked our footsteps. I reached the wall first and turned around before I squatted down with my hands forming a cup.

Without missing a beat or slowing down, Alpha 1 placed his right boot in my hands and I boosted him up so he could reach the top of the wall. I turned around and jumped up. Alpha 1 caught my outstretched right hand and hauled me up. As Ghost 4 reached the wall, he raised both of his hands up. I grabbed his right hand and Alpha 1 grabbed his left hand. Together, we hoisted the sniper up. As expected, the other side of the wall was concealed in darkness and we dropped to the ground with our weapons at the ready.

The confusion brought on by the bizarre sight of fire raining down from the sky was having the effect I was planning. The guards tightened their spacing and the chances of being caught by a random guard taking a smoke or bathroom break was eliminated. My plan worked without a hitch as we sneaked past the security checkpoints and patrols.

Finally, we reached the gangplank that connected the ship to the dock. Two phase commanders were on either side of the dockside entrance to the walkway. I overheard their conversation. The one on the left asked, "Hey, did you hear about what happened to the guys that they sent after Aristide?"

The one on the right replied, "Yeah, I heard the bitch got them. Poor bastards never had a chance. I heard that the reinforcements couldn't even find the phase commander that was leading them. Also, apparently some maniac used the armored train to bulldoze through the security door."

The one on the left asked, "Did the reinforcements find anyone in the facility?"

The one on the right responded, "Besides the freaks in the cages? No. Not a fucking trace of anyone was in that facility. My buddy that was part of the recon team said that it looked like a Special Ops Team had breached the command room door and captured Aristide."

The one on the left thought for a moment before he asked, "Think she is alive?"

The one on the right shook his head before he said, "No. One of the amplifier chambers was sealed from the inside and when our men finally unlocked the door, they said that the entire inside of chamber was coated with blood and strapped in the chair was a bloody skeleton. When the coroner examined the remains, he concluded that they were definitely those of Aristide."

There was a pause before the one on the left remarked, "That's so fucked up. That sounds like what I have heard the psycho in the red dress does to people." He straightened slightly as if something important had just dawned on him. He turned to look at the other phase commander and inquired, "Wait, so a Special Forces Team breached the facility and Alma was helping them?"

The other commander replied, "Or the Special Forces Team was helping Alma."

The one on the left sounded worried when he said, "Who would help that freak? What could she possibly give them in return?"

The other one shrugged before he laughed and then remarked, "Maybe she fucks them like that government guard dog at Still Island. Man, that Sergeant Becket sounds like one sick puppy. I wouldn't touch that dead chick with a ten foot pole." Both men laughed at the comment and went back to guarding the walkway.

I tightened my grip on my assault rifle as I forced the urge to kill both of the tin soldiers with my bare hands back into my subconscious. I hoped that they enjoyed their amusement at my expense because I was about to ruin their day. I saw an approaching APC that was leaving the unloading area and headed for the main gate.

My body was enveloped with a red aura as I focused my anger on the vehicle's driver. As I did, I heard her voice in my head as she urged me to continue. "Do it Michael! Kill him!" I assaulted my victim with the raw energy of my anger.

The attack was too much for the man and as I had wanted, his right foot pressed down on the accelerator as the soldier's heart ceased its pumping. Under the influence of its deceased master's death grip, the vehicle roared passed us and continued on its path of destruction. It was not long before a loud crash could be heard over the rumbling of thunder. Shouts filled the air and the two phase commanders left their post to investigate the disturbance.

I shot them both my middle finger with my left hand as they passed. Once the way was clear, I made my way to the gangplank. ATC certainly had not expected an intruder to get this far without being detected because the frigate itself was devoid of any sentries or guards. Almost laughing, I made it aboard the vessel with literally no one left to get in my way.

I knew exactly where to find my target and led the way as we crept through the tight steel walled corridors. I avoided being detected by the occasional sailor and finally reached the hatch that led to the bridge. As I arrived, I saw Alma already there waiting for me. She smiled brightly at me when she saw me approach and I smiled back. Through the watertight door, I heard a middle-aged man with an air of smug self-importance in his voice as he asked, "Has there been any new developments concerning Alma Wade, Sergeant Becket, or the Origin Prototypes?"

I looked through the porthole and saw that there was a sophisticated control room that had holographic layouts of the city emitting from circular table looking devices at the center of the space. A large flat screen monitor was facing me and the image of the chairman Carson Salyers was on the screen.

A younger Caucasian man with brown hair and dressed in camouflaged fatigues had his back turned to me as he replied to the screen, "Not since the incident that occurred to the first team we sent to kill Aristide. There have been no sightings of Point Man since the explosion. Sergeant Becket is still missing and we have no idea where he is. Intelligence believes that he may have already left the city."

Carson replied angrily, "Damn it Roger! Find that little bastard. He is our only hope to find Alma and contain her. We are at risk of falling behind schedule. No more excuses."

With that, the screen turned into static. The man muttered bitterly before walking over to one of the holograms. He still had his back turned to me and I silently opened the hatch. I walked up behind him with my suppressed rifle aimed rock steady at the back of his head. He asked aloud, "Where are you Sergeant?"

I answered smugly, "Behind you." He cried out in fear as he wheeled around just in time to see the business end of my weapon before I discharged a round into his skull at pointblank range.

AN:

I know this is a weird place to stop, but it will make sense when I post the next chapter. Thanks to everyone taking the time to read my story.