Chapter 4: Respect
New York City
Midtown, Hell's Kitchen Safe House
Morning had risen and the smell of freshly made coffee rouse Sarah from her sleep, and there is indeed a cup of coffee with a side of bacon and eggs laid out on the table in front of her.
"Well look who's awake." Said Andrew who is also drinking coffee and eating a slice of toast, he then took his breakfast and sat down opposite her.
It was a silent breakfast; the only sound was the crackling of the fireplace. "You know I think that was the first good night's sleep I had in weeks." Sarah took another bite. "I gave your proposal some thinking and you are right."
Andrew who was drinking his coffee nearly choked on his drink. "S-S-So you'll do it!"
"I will. We haven't heard anything from Commander Newt for a while now, I can only assume that he is dead." Sarah paused for a moment. "So, from this point on I'm assuming command of the First Wave."
Andrew's face lit up with the biggest smile and quick turn sad. "Wait a second Sarah. You do realize that not all First Wave agents are still loyal, what are you going to do about those who went rogue?"
"Unless they are willing to return to the fold then the only course of action for the Rogues is to terminate them and retrieve the Shade tech." Said Sarah determinedly.
The next few hours, they were discussing plans, restocking their ammos and supplies and Sarah does some further calibration on the Warhound and the Mini Tank for better coordination with her Vulture.
Andrew took the opportunity to equip himself with a turret with an artillery mod and switching his launcher's mod to the new Oxidizer mod.
"Andrew do you have a phone?" Sarah asked which puzzled him since ISAC came equipped with a wireless com unit but otherwise gave her his phone.
Sarah talked on the phone for a couple of minutes which ended with her destroy Andrew's phone. "What the hell, did you have to destroy my phone! Who were you talking to anyway?"
"I called in some favors. Come on we need to Grand Central in ten minutes." Sarah geared up and left the safehouse before Andrew could say a word.
"Oh, I forgot to mention, I called for all First Wave agents to meet us at Grand Central on open channel." Andrew jaw nearly drop when he heard this, he somehow has a feeling something bad would happen.
15 minutes later
Grand Central Station
The station itself had been converted into a shelter during the early days of the chaos, now it has been abandoned with several cots of bed, tables and baggage littered around the area.
Andrew felt that the place was too open especially with the call that Sarah made but she remains admen to stay in the area. "I get that we made this place our rendezvous point but did you have to call our people over open channel! You do realize that LMBs or the Rogues could be on their way here."
"I'm counting on it." Said Sarah as she placed several Seeker Mines near the entrances while setting both the Mini-Tank and the Warhound on standby on the second floor.
"Look Andrew, we need to try and reduce the number of hostiles as many as we can if we are planning to come back from this and that means bringing them to this Kill Box then so be it." Sarah paused for a moment to activate the Seeker Mines. "Besides we have help coming."
"Help? Help! Sarah, we don't know how many of our people have turned and how sure are you be that your favor would be any help!"
"Well They are-" Before Sarah could finish, someone fired at her which barely hit her. "They got here faster than I thought, get to cover Andrew!"
Sarah and Andrew ran for cover behind some overturn tables and return fire at their attacker who were about eight rogue agents with three of them taking up positions on the second floor while the remaining five were moving in on them.
"You still think this is a good idea!" Said Andrew as he returned fire at the advancing Rogues.
"I do." Answered Sarah as she activated two of her Seeker Mines, sending a wave of cluster mines that launched a chaff of airburst rounds into the immediate area burning a few of the Rogues as they retreated behind cover.
Sarah then commanded her Mini-Tank that has conveniently been on standby behind the Rogues on the second floor. The Mini-Tank made short work on the Rogues when it fired its guns and grenade launcher at them.
"Alert! Hostile reinforcement inbound!" A platoon of LMB soldiers joined the fray and began to open fire on Sarah, Andrew and the Rogues.
Sarah and Andrew did their best and fought back but two different attack groups, they were on the verge of being overwhelm. "What should we do. The situation going FUBAR fast!"
Sarah never responded but continued fighting back, she commanded the Warhound to provide overwatch from the second floor while the Mini-Tank was firing upon the Rogues and LMB positions while using the last two Seeker Mines to thin the LMB forces.
Andrew had fought alongside Sarah for the past couple of days but never have he seen her more focus than now. She managed to take out two more Rogues but the LMB were continuously being reinforce and most of them are beginning to pay more attention to them.
"Alert! Friendly agent inbound!" Two striker drones flew in from behind the LMB forces and began to push them out of their cover and into the open.
"Hey, over here!" Sarah and Andrew look up to see two Division agents on the opposite end of the station. "We got this side covered! Just keep putting the hurt on these guys!"
Sarah and Andrew were glad for the additional support and began to close in on the Rogue's position while the drones kept the LMBs busy.
Eventually the Rogues were overwhelm and Sarah took the opportunity to use their gear by first setting up a turret which had a flamer mod and fire the chem launcher which had a Firestarter mod and set the LMBs on fire, with their LMB position compromised the remainder were easy pickings for the Division agents.
When the last of the LMBs were taken care of, the Division agents checked the surrounding area before regrouping.
"Hey, thanks for the assist. We would have likely be dead if you two haven't shown up." Said Andrew
"We would have gotten here sooner but we were a little skeptical about the call. I'm Bob Green, callsign Jackal and she's Samantha Xavier, her callsign is Kestrel."
"I'm Andrew Strong, callsign Castle and she's –"
"We know who she is. She's Commander Newt second in command, Sarah Anderson, callsign Huntress. The first agent to –"
"Don't you dare say what you are going to say." Said Sarah threateningly
"Why not! You're famous for that."
"I don't like being reminded of it constantly for it." Sarah left the group to check the bodies for supplies, leaving them wondering why she is angry.
"Don't hold it against her. She told me before that is one part of history that she prefers to not be reminded." Said Andrew but this only left more question.
"Bob! Sam! we have Rikers coming in from both sides, too many for you to take head on. Advise that you get the hell out there FAST."
"There are more of you!" Asked Sarah
"Just two guys. They covering our exit and the sound of it we better get moving."
They ran as quickly as they can to the exit but Rikers were already nearing. "Shit they got here quicker than expected. What's the plan Huntress?"
Before Sarah could respond she noticed that smoke was crawling into the station. "Heads up guys, somethings going on"
They made their way outside and saw that the entire area has been blanketed by smoke, it wasn't long after that they heard gunshots coming from the smoked area.
They could hear the Rikers screaming and shooting at something or someone then suddenly it went quiet. They slowly approach the smoke until a Riker was running towards them, they were about to fire until an axe came out of the smoke and killed the Riker.
"Correct me if I'm wrong but are you going rusty ma'am?" A man came out from the smoke wearing full combat gear and a mask and pry off the axe of the Riker's body.
The agents were about to open fire until Sarah stopped them. "Halt! They are with me."
"They?"
"Did you bring the others as well Neurotic?" Sarah asked
"Did you have to ask." The smoke began to fade and the agents saw several more men wearing similar outfits but each had a different mask on. "What is your orders ma'am."
Before Sarah could give her orders, the other agents were puzzled at this situation. "Sarah are these guys the 'favor' you called earlier."
"They are Andrew. Everyone I like you to meet my old unit from my army days, The Hunters." Sarah explain that the Hunters were a black ops taskforce made up of former marines, CIA agents or Contractors that she was in charge of until the government found no need for them after a certain incident but they kept in contact with each other on the promise to be active when called upon.
The agents were a bit reprehensive of the newcomers but since Sarah trusted them, it had to be good enough for now.
"OK men, I know some of you are rusty but I hope you haven't forgotten what I taught you all." They answer by cocking their weapons. "Good, your targets are Rogue Division agents. They can be identified from the red light on their SHD gear but don't underestimate them, each agent is will use every fiber of their training and tech against you."
Sarah paused for a moment and took out a tablet from her bag. "So, to level the playing field each of you will be given a program of my design. It will jam their tech for as long as they are within range."
Sarah transferred the program to the Hunter's devices. "Once you have killed a Rogue be sure to either destroy the SHD tech or seize it for yourself. The program will help rewrite the tech signature to yours but it would be a one-time use only. That's all I have to tell all of you, now go and hunt!"
Once the Hunters got their orders, they threw down a couple of smoke bombs and were gone.
The agents were concern that Sarah has just given a potential enemy something that could bring the downfall of the Division. "Before you say anything, know that it was command that told me to create that program. They felt that a situation like this would unfold."
"If that's true then why didn't you give it to us, we could have –"
"Because the program targets SHD tech and we are using SHD tech, the only way to effectively use it to give to a party that I trust." Sarah interrupted.
"What's to stop the Hunters from killing loyal Division agents?" Asked Samantha.
"Because I trained them."
The agents than realized that the Hunters don't follow a flag or country to battle, they only follow one person and that person was standing right in front of them. A person they would follow out of respect.
Sarah lead the agents to find the nearest safe house but contemplated the situation. The call was a trap for Rogues as well but she didn't expect the number of Rogues to be as more than just two that can only mean that someone has started to organize them into the most dangerous force in the city.
This reminded her of the time when someone had organized two different gangsters to kill her and in process was near to killing her friends and family.
10 years ago
Great Lakes City, Michigan
Downtown, Forty-Six Hideout
Great Lakes City is one of the few cities in America where one could raise their family in relative peace and like most cities it has its vices. In downtown is where most of the bad things happen and it is also where one of the most powerful gangs reside, the Forty-Six.
The Forty-Six are known to be involve in all manner of crimes from murder to drugs trafficking to kidnapping to rape. Anyone who lives in Great Lakes downtown area knew them by heart and knew to avoid any of their territory especially to never mess with their leader, Malcom 'The Maul' Jackson. Unfortunately for them, a new gang had come on the scene.
The Forty-Six thought the new gang were a push over and did what they always did, show their strength but instead they were pushed back. The new gang didn't have enough bodies but unexpectedly they have enough firepower and a near militant tactic to fight back.
Every day was a struggle, they kept losing both men and territories to the new gang but they didn't stop to maintain operation within those territories, they just kept moving closer and closer towards their leadership almost as if their sole purpose is to put them down.
Tonight, the Forty-Six leader has gathered the last of their men and all of their remaining lieutenants to protect their hideout, there were more Forty Sixes then anyone in the neighborhood had ever seen but it was not enough to repel them.
Numerous Forty-Six bodies littered all across the hideout. The rival gang had cut a swath through the Forty-Six's defenses, through every floor, through every men and women of the Forty-Six, their bodies left scattered throughout the building though only a few Forty-Six were left alive for another purpose the rival has plan.
Inside the Malcom's room, he was being brutally beaten by the leader of the rival gang in front of a few remaining gang members and lieutenants, a man who is known to be cruel to even his own men is almost unrecognizable with his badly bruised face.
"Now Mr. Malcom are you ready to listen?" Malcom only respond was barely heard mutter and nodding his head. "Good we could have avoided this discomfort."
Malcom's torturer gestured his men to move him to a nearby chair while he poured a couple glass of water for him. "Drink Mr. Malcom, you must be dehydrated after such a stressful situation."
Malcom tried to take the glass in his hand but was too weak and nearly dropped it. He quickly rushed to pick up the glass with what little water was left inside and drank it as quickly as possible.
These didn't go unnoticed to everyone in the room, it made the rivals laugh while the survivors were ashamed to see their once powerful leader reduced to a shell of his former shelf.
"Calm yourself Mr. Malcom, you won't be dying today … at least if you do what we say." The torturer said menacingly.
Upon hearing this, perk up Malcom spirit slightly. "Really?! You mean it! What? What do I have to do?"
No one could see beneath the torturer's mask but he smiled knowing how easily manipulated the man was. "My leader has a simple request. You will take what's left of your people and set up shop in Royal Woods, do whatever you want there, it is none of our business but you will never come back to this city."
Malcom was confused, for the past weeks they were at war with each other but now he is practically offering an olive branch. "I-I don't understand. You pound us into near death and now you are letting us go! Why?"
"I don't like to repeat myself Malcom. Either take the offer or …" the torturer pulled out a gun and killed one of the survivors. "We will kill every single one of you."
Malcom had no choice but to accept the offer and in the dead of night the city was devoid of any Forty-Six presence save for graffiti markings but little did he know that he was being sent there to die.
Royal Woods, Michigan
Anderson residence
One week later
Today is a special day for the Anderson kids, today would mark one year to this day that they were adopted and to show how much they appreciate their mother's effort to heal them, the kids decided to throw a surprise party.
Members of Royal Woods heard of the kids plan, so to help they each decided to keep their mother as busy as possible at work while they decorated the house even the Mayor was in on it. All except the Mcbrides, Casagrandes and Aaron Keener who wanted to help the kids, seeing this only made them proud of how much of a respect their mother has from everyone.
The mansion and the very vast backyard were decorated with party decoration and a few trinkets that their mother would love, the only one that seem to not have her heart in it was Lucy. It wasn't a surprise, it was only a few days ago that their mother had brought them to their biological parent's grave to mourn their passing but also to remember all the good times they had.
Lucy on her part was doing her best to decorate the lobby with Lincoln and Leni which wasn't much work seeing as she mostly sneaks off to play with her crystal ball or to look at pictures of her parents. Everyone did their best to help Lucy keep her mind off their parent's passing, so far most of their effort seem to not work, at least that's what they think seeing as Lucy almost never show any emotion, little did they know it did work.
Lori checked her phone and realized that it was almost closing time which meant their mother would be home soon. "Guys we have two hours till mum gets home, let's put up the finishing touches." Everyone quickly finish what they were doing and then anxiously waited for their mother to come home.
Hours had passed since Lynn's Table has closed; the kids began to worry that something had happen. "Come on guys, mum probably held up at work. I'll give her a call."
Lori gave her mother a call but no one answered it, this only intensified the kid's anxiety even Lucy though as usual it's not visible on her face but before they could start panicking, Aaron manage to calm them down.
"Kids come on this is your mother we are talking about; I doubt anything bad would happen to her." Just as he said that, everyone heard the blaring of sirens from both a police car and an ambulance. Normally this wouldn't alert any alarm bells but not in Royal Woods where crime was almost non-existent.
Lori without a second thought took her keys and called her siblings to follow suit and not long after their friends.
It was a few minutes' drive to Lynn's Table but Lori was practically driving with no regards to safety, nearly hitting a few signs. Normally the rest of her siblings would reprimand her but they were all on equal mind at the moment.
Questions kept racing through their mind, is their mother ok? Is she injured? Or are those emergency vehicles heading towards Lynn's Table? All these questions only made the kids more and more nervous, anxious and nauseous; they were afraid that their mother may have met a similar fate as their parents before.
They made it to Lynn's Table and what they saw was their worse fears, the emergency vehicles had indeed made their way to the restaurant. The kids franticly pushed their way through the crowd and kept calling for their mother until they saw her with a few paramedics with her clothes covered in blood.
"Mum!" The kids exclaimed which startled Sarah.
Before Sarah could say a word, she got tackled by the kids and were bombarded by the questions even the paramedics or the police weren't spare from their merciless onslaught.
"Kids, please settle down first." The kids immediately calm down and waited.
"The blood belongs to Kotaro, h-he got shot by a gangster who was looking for free food. The paramedics are tending to him now." Sarah gestured towards Kotaro who laid unconscious inside the ambulance.
The kids had always seen this kind of thing happen in movies or TV shows but to actually see happen in real life and to one of their friends, from what they can see Kotaro was badly injured with bandages wrap around both his stomach and chest areas.
"Mum, what happen?" Leni asked
Sarah recounted what happen and it was shocking to hear. Royal Woods had minimal criminal activity and the worse crime ever reporting was shoplifting.
Sarah decided to follow the ambulance to the hospital to which everyone else wanted to follow even Mr. Grouse. While on the way to the hospital, the only thing that Sarah could think of, was whether this is the prelude to a crime wave.