A/N: Yo all my readers. I just wanted to say thanks to all who been reading. But I'm sad to say this isn't my best chapter. Oh God i just hope it's good enough. And…
There are many inspiring elements to this story: Dog Soldiers, Night of the living Dead, Wrong Turn, and the Hills have Eyes. Just wanted to put it out there…
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"What was that?" PFC Alyssa asked.
An echoing crackle hung in the air.
"A Longshot," Corpsman Turner answered. "But it's strange…"
"What?" she asked.
"This forest's extremely quiet," Turner continued. "I haven't heard a single sound of life in here. No birds chirping, no deer's calling nor even the howling of wolves. This forest is completely dead."
"That's no surprise," Sheppard cut in. "After the Locust had emerged, life everywhere began to die."
"But look at this place. It's untouched." Turner pointed out the obvious. "It's undisturbed…"
Major Dixon had sent both Corporals Colton and Harper to scout ahead. But it had been over twenty minutes since he had any radio contact…
"Major," Colton radioed in. "You'd better take a look at this."
"What is it, Corporal?" Dixon responded.
"I think you need to take a look for yourself, sir."
"What is your location, Corporal?"
"Twenty meters east, sir."
"Roger that. We're on our way. Over and out." He then turned to the squad, and said, "The scouts have found something. Let's get to their position."
As the Major lead the way, his team sprint close behind him.
The foliage began to thin. Then finally, they halted at the edge of a mass clearing.
Fifteen meters away stood a perfectly, intact, cabin. Ten meters to the cabin's left was a stall house and a corral. And another ten meters to the structures right was a barn.
"What is this place?" the Staff Sergeant asked.
"A place time forgot," the Gunnery answered.
The sight gave a bit of humanity back to the Gears. The large cabin hadn't been touched by the tyranny of the world; neither by the Pendulum wars or by E-day.
"I've always wanted to live in a place like this," Alyssa admitted suddenly.
The only person not stolen by the scenery was the Major. From the corner of his eye he saw two figures sprinting from the corral towards the squad's position.
Both Colton and Harper halted and saluted the Major. Then made their report.
"We've made a full sweep around the perimeter, sir," Colton said. "The stalls are empty and the corral looks like it has been used in months."
"What about the barn?" the Major asked.
"It's lock, sir," Colton reported. "I would have opened it, but I didn't want to alert any patrolling Locust." he patted his Lancer's chainsaw.
"And the cabin?"
Both Corporals looked back to the house. Their brows rose to see the cabin's door open.
"We haven't entered it, sir."
Dixon gave a snort, then spat out the thick piece of mucus. "Gunnery, Staff Sergeant, you two are my point men. Clean the cabin and give us the signal when things are cleared."
Both Sergeants looked to each other, then nodded back to the Major.
White swapped weapons with Colton. He tucked two extra Lacer magazines in his belt pouch and cocked the rifle. Satisfies he gave a thumbs up to the Gunnery.
With a quick sigh from Cruise, the two sprinted across fifteen meters of clearing, none of them gave a second to slow. The two Gears slammed hard against the side of the entrance.
Cruise poked his head threw the opening and quickly pulled back. He gave a series of hand signals to White; ordering him to enter first. The Staff Sergeant nodded and crouched low.
The Lancer's muzzle entered first, sweeping left and right. White slowly crept in; the floor boards under his boots creaked. He entered the heavy shadowed living room.
The air was thick with dust. Spears of light pierced through holes in the curtain, revealing the particles whirled in the air.
The Staff Sergeant took note of the room, seeing a dusty couch, TV, shelf, and a coffee table.
White gave a whistle, indicating "clear".
The Gunnery entered next. His rifle aimed up at the staircase that was positioned in front of the doorway. He slowly advanced up the steps, to the second floor.
There was a narrow corridor with four doors, two on either side of the walls. Light pelted through the open doors on the leftside.
A floor board creaked and a shadow moved in the nearest room.
"Hello?" The Gunnery leveled his Lancer and advanced to the hall.
As he walked through the threshold of the room, Cruise lowered his rifle. To his aspect, the room was a children room. With a bunk bed and another small bed under the window, a shelf and a locked chest, desk and pictures of a family.
The door behind Cruise creaked closed. A rifle cocked and the Gunnery turned around to see a Lancer's muzzle pointed at his face.
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The Major waited for any signal from the two Sergeants.
"What do you think's taking so long?" Alyssa asked. But her question hung in the air.
A minute later a figure stepped out of the house and waved an arm above his head.
"All clear," Dixon said. "Let's move, Gears."
He lead the way to the cabin.
The Major entered first, with easy. He was surprised to be greeted by, not two, but three Gears. The Gunnery, Staff Sergeant and…the Lieutenant Colonel.
"Good afternoon, Major." Kinsley extended out his hand.
The Major looked at the out reached hand for a second, then shook it. He would have preferred saluting his higher commander.
"We thought we lost you, sir."
Kinsley chuckled. "Funny. I thought I lost you."
"Have you run into any Echoes or Alphas?"
"No," Kinsley said. "Why? Are there still some out there?"
"I've seen the Lance Corporal and Corporals Brandon and Winters to look for you and the other Alphas."
Kinsley looked to the ground with distraught. He then pulled out a pair of COG tags from his belt pouch.
They were immediately snatched from his hand by Harper. The Corporal read the identifications on the tags.
Captain James Moore and Corpsman Troy Vander.
"That means there's still an Alpha out there!" Alyssa exclaimed.
The Corpsman shut the door. "What do we do now, sir?"
"We wait," Kinsley said, "until the search team rendezvous with us. Then we head for Landown. But for now we hold up here. Check all rooms, the basement, and find all possible exits to this place."
In unison, Echo squad snapped to attention, and replied, "Sir! Yes, sir!"
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A/N: Again, not my best chapter. Haaaaa!!! Sorry. Next one will be better, I promise. Oh and if I've made any mistakes, just tell. Later