Underground Laboratory
Codename: WOLF DEN
Half an Hour Later…
*AGENT FIRETEAM DOWN*
…
…
*HACKING INTO CCTV NETWORK*
…
…
*ACCESS GRANTED*
A security camera in the lab swivels around erratically for a moment, then pans around the room slowly.
One word to describe the feed: Carnage.
Several bullet holes riddle the walls, accompanied by large pools of blood on the floor, one showing drag marks towards the exit.
*SCANNING BLOOD SAMPLE*
…
…
*DNA MATCH FOUND*
*AGENT: GREEN, SARAH*
*BLOOD TYPE: B NEG*
*STATUS: MISSING*
The camera focuses on the only person in the room, sitting in a pool of blood and propped against a wall.
*SHD TECH SCANNING*
…
…
*AGENT IDENTIFIED*
*AGENT: ROBERTS, JAYLENE*
*BLOOD TYPE: O POS*
*STATUS: KIA. UNCONFIRMED BY SHD*
The security camera zooms out slightly as Agent Roberts suddenly stirs, sitting up further and slowly looking around. She reaches forward and fumbles for the weapon she was carrying, a .44 magnum revolver, dragging it closer by the muzzle. Capturing the loose weapon, she picks it up, popping open the cylinder to count the remaining ammunition.
*SHD TECH SCANNING*
…
…
*WEAPON IDENTIFIED*
*MODEL: M629 CLASSIC*
*MANUFACTURER: SMITH & WESSON*
*AMMUNITION TYPE: .44 MAGNUM*
*SERIAL NUMBER: 802571*
*OWNER: ROBERTS, JAYLENE. MEMBER OF METROPOLITAN ROD & GUN CLUB, 162 PACIFIC ST. BROOKLYN, NY*
*WEAPON STATUS: RECENTLY FIRED, 4/6 ROUNDS REMAINING*
The camera feed suddenly begins to rewind, too fast to make out anything, then stops and resumes, just after the Agents enter the room.
*INTEGRATING AUDIO FEED*
…
*SUCCESS*
"Mr. President?" Agent Green asks. "What are you doing here? What is this place?"
"This 'place' is none of your concern. As for what I'm doing here: My job. As President."
"Then who are these people?" This time, Agent Roberts pipes up, the both of them looking around at the black-uniformed men and women standing around them, weapons drawn.
"Good question, Agent Roberts. And I suppose, since you saved my life, and I am your employer, I owe you an answer. This…" Ellis extends a hand and pats the shoulder of the man standing next to him. "Is Bardon Schaeffer. He is the field commander of Black Tusk, members of which you see before you. Mr. Schaeffer will be taking Mr. Ortega's place, and his men will be taking yours. As your employer, The Strategic Homeland Division and it's Agents are hereby terminated as government employees, effective immediately."
"Why? And why by them?"
"Why? Because BTSU is not subject to personal agendas. It's members do not 'Go Rogue'. They do not abandon or fail their missions. Whereas the Division, the JTF and their allies have been the orchestrators of failure after catastrophic failure. Simply look at Manhattan, Pittsburgh, Miami, Los Angeles and dozens of other cities including our own and you'll see my reasoning on full display. As such, any and all Division Agents and JTF personnel are hereby standing in the way of this nation's recovery, and must be eliminated."
Agent Green draws her sidearm and aims it directly at Ellis.
"But we succeeded!" She argues. "Why is this happening? Why are you here in this lab? What's here that's so important?"
President Ellis doesn't respond, simply looking back at one of the chemical storage containers, which has a very familiar label on it.
"That's...that's the cure, isn't it?!" Agent Roberts exclaims. "The one we created!"
"Yes. And these fine men will ensure that there is plenty to go around...to those who deserve it. Those who won't...get in the way."
"This is unbelievable…" Says Agent Green, quickly losing her composure and lowering her gun.
"Believe it, Agents. Because it's happening. And since you now know all of this, our obstacle removal must start with the two of you. It's a shame really. You had so much potential."
Several gunshots ring out, and Agent Green falls to the floor.
"SARAH!" Agent Roberts wails.
"You Division Agents. Always so predictable."
Agent Roberts draws her gun.
"You traitorous piece of shi-!"
More gunshots cut her off, and Agent Roberts staggers back to a nearby wall, slowly sliding down to the floor. Meanwhile, Agent Green slowly and painfully picks up her weapon and tries to aim it at the first Black Tusk soldier she sees, but he casually kicks the gun away and kneels down to search her for any hidden weapons she may have.
"Get away from her!" Agent Roberts screams at the man. He ignores her. "Touch her and you die!" Another soldier steps up to the badly wounded Agent and aims his rifle at her head.
"Do it!" Agent Roberts dares him. "Do your job like the puppet you are!"
"Don't" President Ellis orders. "Agent Roberts is all talk. Let her talk. She's not worth the bullet."
The soldier looks at Ellis for a moment, then shrugs, looking back at the Agent at his feet.
"We'll take this one with us. She might still be useful."
"Stay away from my partner! Lay a finger on her, and you all die! You hear me?!"
Despite the demands, the soldiers bandage Agent Green's more serious wounds and begin dragging her to the exit.
"...Jay…?" She calls weakly.
"Sarah! Let her go, you animals! Sar-"
Agent Roberts' pleas are cut short by a swift boot kick to the side of her head. Her helpless partner is dragged to the elevator out of the frame.
The feed stays on Agent Roberts for a long moment. Other than her shallow breaths and slowly growing pool of blood, she sits motionless.
Fast-forward to the present, and Agent Roberts is attempting to stand, with limited success. She's up on all fours, slowly crawling around for a moment.
"Sarah…?" She says weakly. "Sarah?"
The only reply is silence.
Agent Roberts struggles to stand again, this time successfully, and staggers towards the exit, nursing a wound to her thigh. The elevator car makes it's mechanical whirring sound as it descends through the shaft.
"They took you...but I'll find you, Sarah." The wounded Agent says to the empty room. "I'll find you, if it's the last thing I do."