"I see you've introduced yourselves to the locals." Division Coordinator Manny Ortega says with a grin to the group of Agents and soldiers in front of him.
"So we have, Manny." Faye replies. "Who attacked us?"
"Based on your descriptions, it was the True Sons and Hyenas….respectively. The True Sons are Joint Task Force mutineers, and the Hyenas are wandering criminals and scumbags. Most of them have histories of violence and drug abuse."
"That would explain why that one was so easy to run over." I mumble to Jay. "Must've been stoned off her tits."
"So where are the Agents we're supposed to be helping?" Kelly asks.
"Agents 'Knight', 'Sheriff' and 'Rocket' are all on priority missions of their own, but I do have something for you: Air Force One was shot down on it's way into D.C. last week, and the Hyenas made it to the crash site first. They took something off the plane, what it is...we don't know. It was obviously important, since they brought it to the vault of the World Bank Headquarters in Downtown West."
"Was the President on board?" I inquire, worried about both answers.
"Yes." Manny finally says after a long moment. "Ellis is MIA at the moment."
"Wait… Ellis?" Jay asks. "What happened to Waller?" Manny shakes his head.
"You all missed quite alot in New York." He says glumly. "During the outbreak, shortly after activating Directive 51, President Waller passed from a heart attack. His second, VP Mendez took over and tried to take control, but the pressure of a rapidly collapsing nation got to him, too. He was only in office for about a month until he… took his own life."
Our group is taken aback by this news. How could we have missed so much?
"Now, Ellis is the last one, and he's missing." Manny concludes. "I think that finding whatever the Hyenas took from Air Force One is the key to finding him. I have people bringing in your belongings. The barracks are downstairs in the East Wing. Gather whatever you need, then head out."
We all begin to head for the stairs when Manny speaks up again.
"1st Sgt. Lambert. I hate to ask, but I need your men to stay here at the base. There hasn't been a real shift rotation in a while, and my guys are running on empty."
Kelly shrugs.
"They won't like the idea, but you're the boss around here."
"Thank you. And Agents...Odessa Sawyer, the head of the Theater Settlement, asked for a check-in for any new Agents coming into D.C. Can one of you make the trip?"
The four of us exchange glances with each other.
"Should we draw straws?" I ask.
"Don't bother." Says Dima. "I will go."
"Alright then ladies…" Manny looks at Dima. "...and gentleman, best get a move on."
"So I guess we're working together...separately?" Miller asks as we gather our weapons and check for any last minute items.
"It doesn't matter if we're in separate units or not working together directly." Kelly replies reassuringly, slinging her M16 over her shoulder. "We're still at team." She looks between her men and Dima, who will all be taking different paths during their stay in D.C.. "Anything you're told to do, just pretend I'm giving the order. Or Sarah, or Benitez."
"I'm surprised all four of us aren't being sidelined." Upton muses, putting away his ACUs in favor of the ERDL trousers and green t-shirts the other JTF members are wearing.
"Then we would be down two guns, instead of one." Faye gestures to Dima, who is fiddling with the rifle strap on his AK.
Suddenly, our Smart Watches light up bright orange, signifying re-activation.
*INTELLIGENT SYSTEM ANALYTIC COMPUTER IS ACTIVATED* ISAC announces once again. *ALL 'ISAC' SYSTEMS CONFIRMED ONLINE*
"Well," I say after a moment. "I guess the 'Sheriff' finished his mission."
"I'll be honest." Jay says somewhat glumly. "I was hoping to never hear ISAC's voice ever again."
"It just means we're officially on the clock again." I point out. "And it shows we're Agents and not just...civilian volunteers or something."
"Would've been cool to be incognito for at least a little while." My companion replies.
"Jay." Faye says. "Come on. The shit we get into? Only ISAC can get us out. Not Manny, not the JTF or the Militia. ISAC."
"I suppose that's true."
"While there are exceptions…" The boss points to Kelly, who shrugs modestly. "ISAC is the go-to."
We stow anything we aren't bringing and head for the South Lawn.
"I honestly didn't expect the White House to be so...homely." Says Kelly as we walk into the hot, humid sunlight.
"Why do you say that?" I ask curiously, rolling my smoke pack into my sleeve after readying one to light.
"Well, it always used to be portrayed as the epicenter. So official, so...perfect, so secure." The Guardsman looks up at the tattered american flag on the roof. "Now...it just looks like someone's house. A very expensive one, of course, but it's just a house."
"That's what it always was." Jay replies as I flick my lighter a few times. "Just a house. It's the people who live there who are important."
"Hmm." Kelly hums, sounding unconvinced. "So this is where we part ways?" Jay and I stop and turn to our group.
Finnigan, Miller and Upton stand together near the entrance to the White House, looking out of place missing the tired faces the rest of the JTF troops wear. Dima has started to wander to the East entrance, taking in the layout of the city around us.
"I suppose so." He says gruffly.
"We'll be here." Miller says. "Waiting."
"See if you can get yourselves slated for a patrol or something." Kelly replies dismissively.
"I'll keep them in line." Upton says, receiving a shove from Finnigan. "Stay safe, Lambert."
"Eh, I'll be fine. I've got three Division Agents at my disposal." She says cheekily. Jay and I exchange glances behind her.
"Did I say that out loud?"
"We head back here." Dima says, pointing to the spot we're all standing at. "When we complete our objectives."
"Be careful, Dima." Faye says, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You too, Faye." He replies with a nod and what looks like a faint smile before heading off. She turns back to us and ignores the looks of questioning.
"Let's roll, kiddos." She orders, readying her FN SCAR-L.