Chapter 2: Observations
Pack Den-Early Dawn
The pack was in an uproar. Aside from the occasional rouge human, no hunter has entered their forest domain since the early years of their elders. Now they were being told that "dead" hunters were roaming their territory, hunters with more precision and deadlier guns then they have ever seen before. Though they were in an angry tussle, the wolves of the newly formed pack were frightened by Garth and Humphrey's description of these never before seen humans.
The wolves were now talking over one another, voicing their opinions; whether they should attack the humans, watch the humans or just leave them alone entirely, yet neither party is willing to submit to the other. The pack's leaders, Winston and Tony were trying to calm their people, but their voices could barely be heard over the bickering of the other wolves.
While the pack was in disorder, two young couples sat in the corner, the newly wedded Humphrey and Kate, and her sister Lily with her mate Garth. Both young female wolfs were more concern for their mates then the horrid stories they just reported, for both the males seems to be quite shock at what they saw, wide eyed and shivering a bit, alarming the girls instantly.
"Humphrey," Kate said soothingly, "Tell us again what happen, a bunch of dead hunters, jump from a giant black metal bird where you and Garth were hunting, right?" she ask in a somewhat sarcastic tone to see if this was his kind of sick joke, even the part that Garth was trying to teach Humphrey how to hunt sounded unbelievable.
"No, of course not," Humphrey said, Kate was feeling relief flow through her body when Humphrey continued, "They didn't jump from the bird, they slide down on something that looked like a snake."
Kate sighs, so much for it being a sick joke.
Lily turns to Garth, "Maybe you were mistaken, I mean we're Omegas," she said nodding to Humphrey and said, "Even to us what you said sounds unbelievable."
Garth took a shaky breath and said, "Look, I'm not sure if those humans were dead or not, but the fact is there are humans here," he looks to Kate, "they moved like Alpha's on the prowl, they made no sound, and their guns looks large enough to bring down an entire herd of grizzlies!"
"But grizzles don't move in herds," Lily said, thinking Garth was joking.
"Exactly!" he said with a wild eyed expression, "So why do they have such big guns?"
The sisters' exchange worried glances, both wondering whether their mates had eaten bad meat again when the pack finally settled down and Winston's voice boom through the large den.
"All of you listen to me," once he was sure everyone was paying attention he continued, "I know what we had just heard is…unusual, but I do believe something peculiar is happening. First the humans had stop visiting our forest, then the birds are coming back early from migrations with their strange stories of a human war, and now my…sons in law," he said rather annoyingly that made both his daughters flush with embarrassment, "comes bearing news of a new breed of human hunters entering our forest. So in order to get to the bottom of this, I want every Alpha, young and old, to scout the lands. If you do find anything that is out of place, signal with a howl and if you do find humans, whatever you do, do not interact with them, understood?"
The wolves all nod, the Alphas began separating into their usual hunting groups while the Omegas watch rather enviously. Except for the new couples in the back, Humphrey and Lilly instantly felt worry rise as they gaze at their mates, especially Humphrey who remembers what he saw.
As Kate got ready to leave Humphrey walked over and said, "Please be careful," with as much love as he could muster.
Hearing the anxiety in his voice, Kate lick his cheek and said, "It'll be alright, I'll be back before you know it" and smiles, making the Omega feel a little better.
Meanwhile Garth and Lilly were having a similar conversation. "Make sure you're not alone and stay close to the others, ok?" she ask, still getting use to the idea of giving an Alpha orders.
However Garth loved it when he heard Lilly telling him what to do, "I'll be alight," he said and lean forward, kissing Lilly, causing them both to sigh.
Garth and Kate got in their hunting group which included their fathers, Winston and Tony, as well as two other Alphas', Viola and Hutch. It wasn't long before the seven hunting parties formed and they ran out of the den and into different directions of the forest. Humphrey and Lily watched their beloved Alphas race over the hill heading west.
Soon the Omegas either return to sleep or started telling each other's jokes to pass the time. Lilly lay down and tried to rest, but worry and Humphrey's loud pacing kept her awake. After ten minutes she grew annoyed and asks, "Could you please walk more quietly, I'm trying to get my beauty sleep," Even when agitated the Omegas treated everything through humor.
The male Omega stops pacing, and asks, "This is how things will be isn't it?"
Seeing Lilly's confused face he said, "We'll be here while Kate and Garth are out there, leaving us to ponder and worry," he finished with an angry snort.
Lilly sigh and reply, "Well what can we do, we're Omegas and nothing can change that." Seeing his down cast look Lilly change the subject, "have you ever wonder how it all happen, how we both found love with Alphas?" she asks with a smile.
Despite the circumstances, Humphrey smile as well and said, "I don't know about you, but I guess I was always in love with Kate, even before I knew what love was."
Lilly chuckled, "Me too, when I first saw Garth…something just told me he was the one."
"It wouldn't have been his rippling muscles would it?" Humphrey asked which earn him a swat of dust from Lilly. He just laughs it off though.
They were silent for a moment before Humphrey said, "I was thinking of taking Kate to that small lake I found last year," he glance at Lilly, "I think I showed it to you before."
Lilly nods and said, "You did, it was quite nice there, I remember the small valley next to it, the lake was nice and clean, and I think we smelled a human scent there."
Humphrey nods then froze as a thought enter his brain. Lilly saw this motion and asks, "Humphrey? Are you ok?"
He suddenly turns to her and ask, "The lake, which direction was it in?"
"What?" Lilly asks, confused by the turn of conversation.
"Just making sure," he replied, his brow was furrowed as he thought hard. Lilly gave him a concern look before answering, "Um, I think it was to the east of here."
Humphrey eyes suddenly open ad turns to Lilly, "That's it!"
"What's it?" Lilly ask and sat up, giving Humphrey a strange look.
"The humans," he explained quickly, "they were heading towards the lake! Maybe it was their scent we smelled there, maybe they've been here before" feeling suddenly bold he added, "We should go and have a look."
"What?" Lilly asks slightly aghast, "but my dad said-"
"He said 'all Alphas'" Humphrey quoted rather mischievously, "he didn't say anything about Omegas right?"
"Well uh, yeah, but-" Lilly stuttered before Humphrey continued, "We'll just have a look, and if we do see something, we'll come back, no harm done, and if you want, I won't tell your dad."
Lilly started shaking her head, "Dad is already having trouble adjusting to, um, you," she said rather embarrass, "if he finds out you did something like this without his permission-"
Feeling agitated and inpatient to do something useful Humphrey said, "Okay, stay here then, I'll go alone," and turns to leave.
"Humphrey!" Lilly called after him, but he has already gone out the entrance. Glancing back nervously at the other Omegas who haven't notice Humphrey's departure, she sighs and said, "Oh boy," before getting up and following her brother in law.
Elsewhere
"They're not hiding that's for sure," Swans whisper as he stares through his scope down into the small valley.
About fifty feet below the ridge Ghost Team Comanche was laying on, a booming Federation base was being constructed. There were three barrack tents, a command post that look like a bunker made of plaster, another plaster like building with a large antenna protruding from the top and four wooden watch towers, two of which guarded the entrance of the valley. All across the perimeter, generators produce power for search lights and flood lights, enabling the Feds to work in the dark. There were five trucks, five technicals, and two tanks, along with large equipment the team has never seen before.
The team watches and estimated that there must be at least two hundred Feds in the place. Two hundred!
Joyce couldn't believe his eyes when he first saw the small encampment. The scans that he studied before the operation showed a small force, possibly a small number of combatants ranging between fifteen and twenty. Yet here they were, watching two hundred troops set up camp and work on the machinery.
"What do you suppose that thing does?" Gordon asks as they all watch the Federation's engineers work on the strange pieces machinery. The large chunks of metal didn't look like much, but the engineers were adding and connecting circuitry, pipes, and wires, like a puzzle, the misshapen contraptions were starting to take shape; the team wasn't sure what it would become, but knew it would be important.
"How in the world could the Canadians not see this?" Falkner asks to no one in particular.
"Same reason I didn't," Joyce said, earning him his team's full attention, "I'm guessing that antenna array on top of that structure next to the command building is causing interference with our spy birds. The scans I read showed a force of ten guys, I actually thought it was a band of hunters, but lo and behold, the Feds are actually smart son guns.
"Not that smart," Falkner said, "how are they going to attack the U.S with a force of two hundred? I'm pretty sure Seattle could hold its own against these bums."
"Focus guys," Joyce said as he raising his binoculars to his eyes again, "we still need to ID the mole and figure out what their plan for invasion is; we can learn both from this place's CO."
For the past hour the team has been searching for the commander of this whole expedition but has yet to find him. They had found three Captains, five lieutenants and a whole lot of sergeants, but so far nothing else to indicate who the commander is. The four masked men kept scanning with their binoculars, etching the surroundings, strength of the enemy and important features into their brain so they can begin organizing their game plan later on.
Suddenly a loud long howl sounded in the distance causing the Ghost team to freeze. Though Joyce thought the howl sounded cool, it filled him with dread. He remembers the savage wolves from no man's land and began to wonder whether the wolves of Canada were just as deadly.
He then notices the Federation soldiers were also interested in the howl and began looking for the source, some even got out Night Vision Goggles, Joyce motions his team to move away from the edge so they wouldn't be spotted.
When Joyce look back down that was when he saw him, standing outside the command building looking around for the source of the howl and Joyce soon felt his stomach drop. He knew the man, he seen his face on the U.S most wanted list, heard his name praise across the Federation and read of his victories in the US and Fed newspapers.
It was Colonel Alonso Estrada, hero of the Federation and the dark lord of the Americans. He was tall, six foot two, muscular, had a rifle slung on his back, a massive knife strap to his chest with salt and pepper hair. He was wearing an officer's combat uniform, camo pants and a black shirt with the encircle stars of the Federation colored red press on the fabric. He wore a dark cloak like the villains in old movies, no doubt hiding secret weapons and other sinister objects. Even though he was nearly a mile away from the man, the Ghost team leader felt a chill creep up his back.
Estrada was a legend on the battlefield since the start of the war ten years ago. He was the first officer to lead his troops into battle, resulting with the capture of the ruin cities of Phoenix, Albuquerque and even San Diego. He was known to be a cruel man, there was a rumor of how the colonel was almost killed by a sniper, story goes when he realize he was a target he grab one of his personal body guards and used him as a shield until he made it to cover. There were rumors that Estrada also personally tortures his prisoners, using methods that haven't been seen since the dark ages.
What concern Royce the most though was that he knows the Ghosts existed. He survived two assassination attempts made by the Ghosts and personally fought and won in hand to hand combat with a Ghost commando, it wasn't until later did Joyce learn that it was Ajax who was beaten and taken prisoner.
Estrada went dark a month ago and command was unable to find him, so far a while he was forgotten. Now Joyce realizes this complicates the mission, the Ghost primary weapon was surprise, a surprise they no longer have now that the colonel knew of their existence and probably expecting them.
Joyce look at his team and saw their eyes slightly widen as they notice the Colonel. They watch Estrada as he looks above him towards the cliffs before turning and going back inside the command structure. The Ghost team looks at each other but was silent, having no idea what to say next.
It was Gordon who broke the silence, "Well now we know who the players are," he said in a light voice but it had little effect on the Ghost team's morale.
Elsewhere
"I thought you said we were going to just take a look," Lilly said as she felt panic rise, both from fear of being caught and by the number of humans she was looking at.
"I know but I didn't think we see anything like this," Humphrey reasoned, "your dad and the others must know now."
Below the ridge they were nested on was a large gathering of humans, the largest gathering both wolves have ever seen before. They were all within the valley Humphrey had discovered last year, nearly filling it with their numbers and machines. There were strange garments on the ground that Humphrey had learn was called tents while there were three buildings constructed in the middle, he hasn't seen a building since he left Idaho. They had their cars and some other large bulky pieces of metal he has never seen before, he thought it wasn't anything special, but that changed as he watch the humans adding different bits and pieces to the thing, as if they were making something.
What concerned Humphrey the most though was that all of them look like hunters. They were wearing the same garments that hunters wore; different shapes and shades of green. They wore the strange things on their feet that left large prints and was strong enough to crush bone. Most concerning of all were their guns, like the dead hunters he and Garth saw earlier, these humans had large weapons, each and every one of them did. There were enough humans here to destroy their entire pack.
Mostly out of fear than common sense, Humphrey howled into the night, calling for the Alphas to come. He didn't want to be trouble with Kate's father, but trouble or no trouble the pack must learn about this threat.
They didn't have to wait long before an Alpha group came along and it was just the Omegas luck when they saw it was their pack leaders and Alpha mates. Both Kate and Garth eyes widen when they instantly recognize their mates, but before they could say anything, Winston spoke first.
"Lilly," he said in a slow and deadly voice, "what are you doing here, it's not safe for you to-" and that was when he notice the artificial lights and look down in the valley below.
The old Alphas eyes widen as he gaze down upon the scene below him. The other Alphas look down as well and let out a gasp, no one has ever seen so many humans before, let alone hunters.
Forgetting his anger just for a while, Winston said in a stern voice, "Call of the searches, get everyone back to the den right now, we need to get back before dawn comes."
Kate step forward and asks, "Dad? What's going on?"
"Get back to the cave," he repeated as he and Tony share a concern yet knowing look, "its best we tell everyone at the same time."
The Alphas and two Omegas started to trot back to the den when Winston step in front of Humphrey and growls in a low voice so Kat wouldn't hear, "When we get back to the den, you and I are going to have a little chat."
With that, the old wolf turns and ran after the others, leaving Humphrey to lag behind as he gulp and thought oh boy.
Pack Den-Dawn
"It is worse than I thought, the human war has come to our land," Winston stated to the gathered wolves. They all began muttering among themselves in concern; none has ever witness a human war before, let alone heard of one. All that they know is that it was a whole lot different than a wolf pack war.
"There are more humans than there are wolves," Winston continued, "when they march to war, certain death and destruction are sure to follow. They use their own guns against themselves, they brutally kill whatever stands in their way, whether by their hands or by the power of their weapons, which are ten times stronger than an ordinary rifle," he paused so he was sure every wolf was listening before continuing, "These men of the human race are not hunters, hunters kills caribou and other animals, these men are called soldiers; human warriors and they will murder whatever they see as a threat to them. That is why until they leave our forest, no one is allowed to go deep into the valley, all cubs are to stay close to the dens, all Alphas will only hunt in the canyon, and no Omega," here he put stress on the word, "is allowed to take part in any of our activities." In the audience, Humphrey lowers his head in shame.
For a moment there was silence until someone, an Alpha most likely, asks, "If they're such a threat, why don't we run them out of the forest?" There was some grumbling of agreement following the question.
Winston sighs before saying, "Unless you want the entire pack to be killed, we cannot do that. True we could scare hunters away, but soldiers are a different breed, they won't run, they'll fight, and with their guns, they'll probably kill the unlucky fool who challenges them before he even had a chance to yelp out help."
Deathly silence followed before another wolf, Kate, asks, "But…what if they don't leave?"
Winston look at his daughter before answering, "Then we must consider leaving the forest," the wolves started to protest, including Tony who started talking in Winston's ear before he growls, "Enough!" causing every mouth to go quiet, "I do not wish for us to leave, but if the humans claim this land as their own, then we must leave, we will be force to either surrender our home, or our lives to them," he finish gravely.
The entire pack mulled this over. They didn't want to leave their homes, but after everything they had learns, they must be prepared to move should the humans choose to stay. Bitterly some wolves gather together and grumbles to themselves, some left for their own dens to sleep, too tired to think at the moment, while others just sat and talk among themselves over this new development.
Humphrey, who was listening by the exit of the cave, tried to maneuver through the pack so he could talk to Kate, but out of nowhere, her father step in his path and whispers, "Outside, now."
Humphrey gulps again before turning and heading out, trying to keep his tail from going between his back legs.
Once outside he sat and waits for a moment before Winston came out. The ageing Alpha pace a while in front of the Omega before stopping and turning to Humphrey.
"Lilly may be more vocal and active then she was before she met Garth," he began, "but I know for a fact she would never disobey my orders, nor leave the den when there are humans in the forest, so am I correct to assume it was you who led her to that human camp?"
Taking a deep breath, Humphrey replied, "I didn't know there was a human camp, it was just a crazy idea I had-"
"Exactly," Winston interrupted, "a crazy idea, what were you thinking Humphrey? You could have gotten yourself killed if you ran into one of those humans, worse; you put Lilly in danger."
Humphrey head got lower and lower as guilt and shame continue to pile up like stones on his back. After a while he finally said, "I just wanted to help," he said in a small and timid voice.
Eyes lowered, Humphrey stared at his father in law's feet before he heard him speak again, but this time in a much gentler voice, "Humphrey…I think I understand what you're going through, after I've mated with Eve all I kept thinking about was keeping her safe…being an Omega and having an Alpha as a mate is challenging and you want to keep her safe, but don't do something like this again, alright?"
Humphrey sighs, wishing more than ever for the night to end, "Yes sir," he said in a down hearted voice before turning and walking back in the cave, shoulders down in defeat.
He wanted nothing more than to go back to his own cave with Kate and lie down, but the encounter with Kate's father woke him up to grim reality. He was an Omega, not an Alpha, all he's good for is being a good laugh for others, and this was what he was and always meant to be.