《The Misfits》 Chapter 1 - Surrounded August 20th, 2015 1300 hours Somewhere in Afghanistan Mountain range. The air was dry and hot, creating an uncomfortable time for a small platoon of Rangers whose faces weren¡¯t showing their obvious discomfort, but rather determination and worry. Their eyes focused down in the valley floor as if waiting for something, or someone to show themselves. Each man held their weapon at the ready, the silence doing its work to create an unnerving atmosphere. The silence, however, was soon broken as Sergeant Richardson, one of the Platoon¡¯s squad leads came sliding over beside both his platoon commander and the Scout detachment NCO. ¡°Where is this guy, sir? He was supposed to meet us here two hours ago¡­ Something about this whole thing seems fucked.¡± Richardson commented, his eyes peering down the valley from their observation point. William, a young yet experienced 27-year-old first lieutenant, eyed him for a moment, his blue eyes looking at his sergeant before looking over at the rest of his young that remained spread out, hidden behind either a large boulder or in a makeshift slit-trench. ¡°I know¡­¡± William replied slowly, biting his bottom lip in annoyance as he tried to come up with a better answer. ¡°I know¡­ but our CIA contact told us to wait for the contact here, though¡­ shit, shit, shit¡­ Staff Sergeant!¡± William slowly twisted about, looking over at the Calvary Scout NCO whose eyes were hidden behind a dark pair of tactical sunglasses. ¡°Yes, sir? What¡¯s up?¡± Lucas asked as he twisted about, leaning his back against the boulder he was previously laying on. The lieutenant nodded, ¡°Any chance I could get you and your guys to go and scout up ahead?¡± As he asked the Cav scout he brought his M4A1 up and peered down the ACOG scope, looking for any signs of life. ¡°Something about all this seems off.¡± ¡°Agreed¡± Richardson noted, his own eyes scanning the valley. ¡°Shit seems too quiet¡­¡± ¡°Mhm¡­ plus what¡¯s more, the birds aren¡¯t chirping.¡± William added quietly as he slumped down, relaxing a bit. ¡°Birds?¡± A nearby private questioned, ¡°What you mean?¡± Andre was the one to look at him and shake his head. ¡°You should know this bro. When it¡¯s silent as the grave like this¡­ means something bad is on the way.¡± ¡°Ambush.¡± The private muttered softly, cursing under his breath as he quickly began to resume his scan of the mountain range. Andre nodded in reply before doing the same. ¡°Andre, have you and your squad move to get a better vantage point to cover the scouts. I don¡¯t want them getting fucked up when they¡¯re doing their job.¡± As William made the order he looked over at Lucas who quickly nodded before keying his mic, giving the order for his team to move. William watched both the NCO¡¯s return to their units, each quickly carrying out his orders before suddenly a crack snapped past his helmet. He snapped down towards the area the shot had come from, his blue eyes quickly going wide in utter shock before the area was being peppered by hostile small arms. ¡°Contact! Front one-hundred meters!¡± Cried William before he brought his M4A1 up and began to return fire, his eyes looking for any muzzle flashes or any signs of life. He quickly found one in the distance followed closely by the shapes of men running from behind rocks and bushes. His eyes went wide for a moment but his training quickly kicked in as he calmed his nerves and took aim. Squeezing the trigger, sending a burst towards the first target, the man crying out in pain as he spun about before falling dead. The second looked at his friend¡¯s death in shock for a moment before shaking it off and bringing his AK up before William¡¯s second volley punched through his skull. His lifeless body slumping over dead. Though the blue eyed lieutenant didn¡¯t stop, as he began to scan for his next target, seeing his third in his sights. Firing once more the third man fell lifeless onto the rocks before another man let out a scream of pain as one of the bullets from Will¡¯s shot ripped through the third¡¯s torso before slamming into the other¡¯s leg, causing him to fall screaming as he clutched his bloody leg. As his platoon and the scouts began to return fire, his comms began to blare with numerous voices, each reporting contact to the left, right, and center positions. They were surrounded. They couldn¡¯t do anything either to call for air support¡­ The main radio connecting them to the base was somehow or another cut-off, essentially putting them in a small dark zone with only each other to contact, as it seemed their own short range communications seemed to be unaffected. Richardson, however, didn¡¯t much care as he quickly went prone as he made his way to his squad who was already returning fire while reporting any contact sightings and their range. ¡°Fuck!¡± Andre cursed to himself as he brought his Mk18, his gloved hand making full use of the foregrip. As he continued to fire down towards the general area the incoming fire was coming from, he heard a familiar voice over his own comms. ¡°Knight-One! Vehicles are under heavy fire, need support! Over!¡± Came a panicked tone belonging to none other than Sergeant Dylan ¡°Bull¡± Smith who was in charge of the armored Humvees maintenance, along with the team of 91B mechanics he had with him. Andre glanced over to William who shot at look back at him, his face a mix of worry and fear. ¡°Andre! Take your Squad and regroup with the Humvees! I¡¯ll have squads two and four cover your retreat!¡± The dark skinned sergeant nodded quickly. ¡°Charlie! Fall back! We¡¯re moving to regroup with the Humvees!¡± He barked quickly as he continued to return fire. The blue eyed commander watched for a moment longer as his 3rd squad began to make this fighting retreat back to the vehicles, before turning to spot the scouts moving to regroup with the rest of the chalk. ¡°Boerhave! What¡¯s your team¡¯s status?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Lucas was focused on covering his scouts as they made this withdrawal, each man covering the other as their training dictated. Keying his mic as he continued to fire, he opened his mouth to reply, ¡°We¡¯re falling back, Anderson! Our flanks and forward are under heavy fire, but otherwise, we¡¯re all good. Moving to regroup with you. Over.¡± William nodding, replied quickly, ¡°Sounds good. Once you reach my position, we¡¯re pulling out! We¡¯re going to get fucked if we stay here any longer. Out.¡± As the final word left his lips, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck followed closely by the sound of a bullet slamming into the mountain behind him. Slumping down, the young officer, quickly brought his left hand up to his neck before bringing it to his eyes to see if his fears were true, and sadly they were. He¡¯d be hit and was bleeding. ¡°Fuck¡­ I¡¯m hit¡­ fuck, fuck, fuck¡­ keep calm Will¡­ don¡¯t let up now. Not yet.¡± He began telling himself, his left hand holding his neck, his glove quickly getting covered his own blood. Turning over he looked around to see if he could see anyone. He quickly spotted Lucas running towards him at full speed. ¡°Lieutenant¡¯s down! I need a medic here ASAP. Come on!¡± Lucas barked, as he pulled William up to rest behind cover. Within moments a medic came rushing towards them, swinging around a pack before be began to pull out the necessary tools and material needed. William looked at them both calmly and grinned, ¡°Just a scratch¡­ Just get a Band-Aid on it or something and get to your squad man.¡± He said calmly, his grin still firmly across his face, in an effort to try and ease the otherwise worried expression on his friends face. ¡°Man¡­ Get him out of here Evan. I¡¯ll have my team cover you. Get a move on¡± Lucas ordered quickly, pushing William¡¯s younger brother and the medic to hurry before he swung his hand around ordering his team to regroup. ¡°Let¡¯s go gents! We¡¯re getting the Lieutenant out of here.¡± As soon as he made the order he quickly shifted his attention back at the enemy firing towards them, bringing his own M4A1 up. Quickly spotting his first target moving up the mountain he quickly lined up the shot and squeezed the trigger. Through his scope, he saw the target crumple to the ground, a small puff of bloody mist letting him know he hit. Turning to see William now being carried off by 1st squad he began to make his own retreat. Stopping every now and again to return fire, as he slowly began to reach the crest of the hilltop. The situation was becoming dire with every passing minute as the Taliban continued to encroach ever closer¡­ though they were paying a bloody price for it as the more they drew closer, a Ranger would spot and put him down, hard. Though none of it really mattered since the Ranger chalk was trying its best to return to their Humvee¡¯s which were currently under heavy fire as well. Bull was sadly in the middle of the hell storm of bullets and screams. His eyes seeing a number of targets coming past the 60-meter mark. ¡°Hmm¡­ well¡­ this isn¡¯t good.¡± Dylan whispered to himself as he pulled himself behind the cover of the armored vehicle. Suddenly as he turned around he saw William¡¯s unit come up over the hill, his eyes narrowing in on the sight of them all firing at all sides. ¡°This REALLY isn¡¯t good.¡± He repeated once more, before looking up and seeing the ranger manning the gun drop, a splash of blood being the one indicator that he¡¯d taken a bad hit. Dylan quickly popped open the door, and the moment his sight came to rest on the fallen ranger he could see the man was dead, as blood seeped from an open head wound. ¡°Fuck!¡± Cursing softly he pulled himself into the Humvee before dragging the dead man from the gunner position and slipping the body onto the seat before he took the fallen rangers place. Quickly popping up, he checked the gun, noting how the blood seemed to have missed the actual .50cal. Grinning, Dylan quickly went through the motions, making sure it was ready to fire, he took aim and opened fire. As the 50 opened up, two of its first victims, Dylan assumed were the ones responsible for his fellow Ranger¡¯s death, were torn asunder as the large caliber rounds ripped through their bodies like a knife through butter. All that remained of the two attackers was a bloody mess of limbs. Though he didn¡¯t let up the fire, quickly shifting the turret around he began to fire on another group of Taliban fighters that drew too close. Four men in total tried to hide behind a large bolder but to no avail as the .50 cal ripped through the stone before ripping the four men up. Bull did his best to continue the fire, and as he did so, his own team quickly began to return fire with the other Humvee 50¡¯s, turning the attackers to a bloody paste. ¡°Hey, short stuff! You miss us?¡± Came the sarcastic tone of Andre who came rushing up to Dylan¡¯s vehicle. Bull just grunted before grinning widely, ¡°Tyrone.¡± He replied warmly, his focus still on keeping the wall of fire going. In truth, both friends were happy to see that neither was harmed. But the moment Andre saw William being carried by both the medic and Will¡¯s brother Evan, his happy mood soon soured. ¡°What happened?¡± Richardson asked as he came rushing up to help. William looked up smiling, ¡°Got a bit unlucky with getting a minor wound to the neck, but nothing to worry about. What¡¯s the situation right now?¡± He soon waved the medic away, before finally also getting free from his brother. ¡°It¡¯s a flesh wound, nothing more¡­ worry about the others.¡± He told the medic who looked like he was going to protest, but was more or less cut off by the lieutenant pointing towards one of his rangers who dropped holding his arm. Richardson looked at Evan who gave the same worried look before they both shook any questions aside saving them for later. ¡°We have two wounded, one KIA from Dylan¡¯s team.¡± Andre reported with a slight sigh. The blue-eyed officer cast his gaze to the dirt in thought as he heard that one of his rangers had been killed. ¡°Dammit¡­ Right, let¡¯s get everyone mounted and get the hell out of here before things get worse.¡± Both Andre and Evan nodded in agreement before they returned to their respective squads, and vehicles. Within moments the entire chalk was mounted and on the move again, the entire exit out of the valley being a constant firefight, with Dylan in the lead vehicle with William as he continued to lay down heavy suppressive fire down on the Taliban until finally they reached open ground once more and had communications with base as they came out of the dark zone. As they escaped the valley, the unit thought the roads would be littered with IED¡¯s but thankfully there were no sightings. Rather it was a silent and smooth trip back to base, which was nothing short of a miracle in the eyes of every man in the unit. William visibly relaxed in his seat as the adrenaline began to leave his system. His hand covering the area he had been shot, which was now wrapped up. As they drove down the road back towards base, his mind, like many of the other Rangers was filled with the one question, ¡®what happened?¡¯ A thought that would continue to plague them for the next few hours as they drove through the country onto their road. Dylan sighed lightly as he rested his back against the frame. ¡°Safe¡­¡± Will nodded in agreement, as did both Evan who was currently driving the Humvee, and the medic who was looking over the body of the fallen ranger. ¡°Yeah¡­ safe¡­ though we should never have been in danger in the first place.¡± William commented aloud. ¡°Yeah, well, that¡¯s what we get for trusting a spook. Most of those guys tend to be off carrying out their own agenda.¡± Dylan grunted in annoyance. ¡°They couldn¡¯t give two shits about us. I bet the bastard sold us out to save his own ass¡­ or to get something from the fucks who attacked us.¡± ¡°Mhm, I agree with Bull.¡± Evan said flatly, his tone showing his utter neutrality to the matter as his focus remained solely on the road. William just shrugged, before looking out the window once more, ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe.¡± Right now, he was only focused on trying to think up what to put on the report. But for now, he pushed even that thought aside as pain shot through him due to the wound on his neck. ¡°OWE! That bloody hurts!¡± Chapter 2 - More Questions than Answers 1600 hours Kandahar Base As the unit pulled in through the gate, each of the rangers began to pile out, the look of exhaustion and anger plastered across their dirtied features. Out of the five friends, Andre was the first to exit his vehicle, his once gentle eyes now darkened with anger wandering about the convoy, trying to count all the rangers to ensure no one was left behind. A small sigh of relief escaping his lips as his count came to show all were accounted for. No one was left behind¡­ not even their fallen brother; who was now being carried out by William, Evan, and Dylan. As the three men looked at their fallen brother, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a great deal more anger than sadness since his death could¡¯ve been prevented if it hadn¡¯t been for the spook that had sold them out. William looked over at Andre who was walking up towards them, shaking his head, ¡°That fuck can¡¯t get away with this! Rather the CIA should be held accountable for this fuck up.¡± Dylan growled as the lieutenant glanced over at the body of his fallen ranger, a small frown now seen on his dirty face. Andre nodded in reply before opening his mouth to reply, ¡°Fuck yeah he¡¯s not. If we don¡¯t get that bastard back, our brother won¡¯t be able to rest in peace knowing that some spook is out there selling out our positions.¡± As he made his reply Evan returned after a group of medics and doctors began to take the wounded and the fallen ranger away. William just had Dylan stand in just the right way to prevent any of them from seeing his wound, as he really didn''t feel like going to get his neck fixed up until he had his answers. ¡°So, what¡¯re we going to do now then?¡± Dylan asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. Evan merely pointed his thumb towards Dylan, ¡°What he said.¡± William shook his head and shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t rightly know¡­ I¡¯ll see if I can get some answers from the Colonel, but don¡¯t expect any answers. In truth¡­¡± He paused a moment, his gaze focused on the dirt, ¡°We¡¯ll get more questions then answers I bet¡­¡± ¡°Given how it all played out, I have to agree,¡± Lucas added as he walked into the circle that they had unintentionally formed. Dylan and Lucas both pounded their fists in greeting as they both looked at the lieutenant. ¡°Yeah... either way I¡¯ll try to get some answers, no matter how small they maybe.¡± William replied frowning before looking up at his friends and giving them all a reassuring smile. The four others nodded, ¡°Sounds good.¡± Dylan sighed as he pulled his helmet off, his bald head showing how much he had been sweating under the afternoon sun. ¡°Right, I¡¯ll give you guys the details at dinner,¡± William said before he made his way towards the Colonel¡¯s office, giving a small wave before turning a corner. As William vanished from sight, the others looked at each other then shrugged, ¡°Nothing to do now but get cleaned up. Especially you, Evan, you look likeshitbro.¡± Lucas said a wide grin across his face as Evan pulled off his helmet showing how greasy his dark brown hair had become. Evan smiled and chuckled a bit, ¡°Yeah, yeah. At least I can clean myself up and smell nice, unlike you Cavs. You always smell like shit.¡± He retorted before walking off to get out of his tactical gear. Everyone joined in the laugh as they soon followed the Corporal, with the want to get the heavy shit off. Meanwhile, William who was still wearing his combat gear stood outside the command ops, his helmet tucked under his arm, and his M4A1 hanging at the other side; empty and clipless. He tried his best to make sure he looked at least slightly presentable before meeting their commander. A man named Colonel Sigismund, who was a man who looked older than he really was, which the guys more or less chalked up to all the shit he had seen and had to deal with in his career¡­ hell the ¡®old man Siggy¡¯ as the unit called him was even a former Delta before age forced him to retire from the teams and take up a desk. Though he was a man who was highly respected by every Ranger under his command and was the type of person who one could trust. So William hoped he¡¯d be able to get some answers from him. More so since they lost one of their brothers. Within a few minutes, a young intelligence agent popped his head outside the door, looking around for a moment before looking down at the blonde haired officer. ¡°The Colonel can see you now.¡± William nodded his head, ¡°Thanks, Sergeant.¡± As he stepped inside, he stopped at the door and stood at attention before snapping off a salute. ¡°First Lieutenant William Anderson, reporting, sir!¡± The graying Colonel looked over his shoulder and back towards his junior. ¡°Glad to see you¡­ Well, I¡¯d like to say unharmed, but judging by the bandage and wrappings around your neck, I¡¯d be lying.¡± Sigismund greeted before offering a chair for William. ¡°Now, please, sit. I can only imagine how exhausted you are after the shit you went through over there.¡± As he made the offer to William he looked at the NCO and nodded for him to leave them. William watched the NCO leave before taking the offered seat. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°No need for that formal stuff around me.¡± Waving his hand dismissively at the title. ¡°Uh¡­ okay.¡± He replied hesistantly, not sure if he''d actually take the honorific out. As William sat down he felt a sudden surge of exhaustion hit him again, which made it hard for his eyes to stay open given how soft the chair was. ¡®fuck this chair¡­¡¯ he cursed to himself as he leaned forward. ¡°So¡­ I take it our Sigpig gave you the run down when we came out of the dark zone?¡± William asked. Sigismund raised a brow before walking over to the window. ¡°Mhm¡­ Can¡¯t say I¡¯m all too happy to hear that my rangers were ambushed on an Intel op.¡± The young officer nodded, ¡°Yeah¡­ if I have permission to speak freely sir.¡± The Colonel nodded his head, ¡°¡­ we nearly got wiped out if it hadn¡¯t been for the talent of my brothers.¡± The Colonel nodded his head sagely before turning to face the blue-eyed officer. ¡°Well, that¡¯s something good then at least.¡± William looked up and watched as the Colonel took a seat behind his desk before resting he had rested his arms on the desk. ¡°But¡­ I know why you¡¯ve come. You¡¯ve come for that spook''s name.¡± The aging colonel, his brown eyes looking at Will¡¯s. ¡°Correct?¡± Willnodded. ¡°Well¡­ All I can tell you is he¡¯s not one of ours¡­ at least¡­¡± Pausing a moment he looked around the room before leaning closer. ¡°He went rogue some time ago, and no one here, not even myself knew about it until after you left the AO.¡± As he admitted the truth of the matter he let out a heavy sigh, before pulling out a cigar from his desk. ¡°Clich¨¦, I know, but¡­ it¡¯s a stressful moment, and it¡¯s going to get worse, for both of us.¡± He added before he lit the cigar and began to puff out sweet smelling smoke. ¡°What you mean, sir?¡± William asked, his eyes darkening a bit as his anger began to grow. Sigismund looked at him off the corner of his eye before closing them and taking a deep drag. ¡°You and your people need to forget you ever heard or took part in the operation.¡± The room went silent for a moment as both officers felt the tension grow. ¡°What? I don¡¯t think I heard you correctly sir... are you telling me to tell my Rangers¡­ no, my brothers out there that the fuck responsible for our wounded and dead is going to get away with nearly killing us?¡± William repeated as his anger flared. ¡°Sit the fuck down Lieutenant!¡± Sigismund barked as he slammed his fist down on the desk. William gritted his teeth as his anger continued to grow, ¡°No sir, I don¡¯t think I will. I want to know why, why should we forget what just happened?!¡± His tone began to get louder and before long the door swung wide open as Dylan, Lucas, Andre, and Evan came rushing inside. ¡°We¡¯re with him on this sir!¡± They all said, Evan, closing the door behind him. The young officer turned back to his friends eying them all as if asking why they¡¯d come, but chose not to question it, knowing they had the right to be in the room with him. Turning back to the commander, ¡°Well? Can you at least give us SOMETHING?!¡± William growled. ¡°You better watch your fucking tone Lieutenant.¡± He warned, before sighing finally in defeat. ¡°Fine¡­ but¡­ I say this not only as your commander but as a fellow brother. The people that man worked for.¡± He paused looking at the pictures on his desk. ¡°The people he worked for are the type of people we¡¯re meant to fight against¡­ yet¡­ yet these men and women have put themselves in such powerful positions we can¡¯t fucking touch them. What¡¯s more¡­¡± As the Colonel began to explain what happened he shook his head. ¡°They¡¯ve done this before. We don¡¯t know why they¡¯re selling out our positions and operations, but they¡¯re doing it, and our people are paying a price¡­ a price we have no idea what they¡¯re trying to gain. Hell, whenever we try to look into it, our own intelligence agents are found dead or vanish without a trace.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The Colonel paused a moment, taking another long drag before blowing out the smoke, ¡°We don¡¯t have a chance at getting these bastards as we are. The military doesn¡¯t want to risk any more resources on tracking these fucks down.¡± He finished finally, the look of pure defeat plastered across his face. The five Rangers started to feel their shoulders slump in defeat as they heard all the Colonel was saying. An untouchable enemy¡­ a foe they couldn¡¯t hope to even get their hands on if they remained in the military¡­ if they remained. Suddenly Dylan popped his head up and looked over at Andre who nodded knowing just what he was thinking. ¡°You know what I¡¯m thinking Tyrone?¡± Dylan asked grinning. Andre nodded grinning, ¡°Ice cream.¡± ¡°What? No, what? Well¡­ that¡¯s good one for later, but no, I mean-¡± Suddenly Dylan was cut off by Andre who was chuckling, ¡°I was kidding, no, I know what you were thinkingshorty. Leaving the military to bag these fuckers.¡± Dylan nodded laughing, ¡°Yeah.¡± The others looked at the two, even the Colonel was staring at them, before smiling and closing his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m down. Plus, I¡¯ve already had my fill of military life.¡± Lucas replied as he folded in arms, nodding in agreement. ¡°Likewise,¡± Evan muttered, a smile across his face as he lowered his head closing his eyes. William chuckled softly shaking his head, ¡°Fuck it. I wouldn¡¯t last a day without you guys to cover up my mistakes.¡± The Colonel looked happy, yet sad at the same time but was happy with their determination. ¡°Chances are you won¡¯t be able to find them¡­ but I¡¯ll pull some strings to help you guys out once you¡¯re on the civilian side.¡± ¡°Thanks, old man,¡± Andre said first. ¡°Yeah¡­ we¡¯re going to need all the help we can get to hunt these bastards.¡± Dylan added before Lucas scratched the back of his head in thought. ¡°Plus, we¡¯ll also need the funds.¡± ¡°You¡¯re on your own for that onegentlemen.¡± Sigismund replied, taking another drag. William clicked his tongue in mock anger before saying, ¡°Well shit, there goes my retirement.¡± Evan shrugged, ¡°Not like we can¡¯t save up for it.¡± ¡°True, from here on out we¡¯ll start saving up all our funds and retirement cheques,¡± William replied, which saw to the other four nodding in agreement. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, this will be our last tour, and posting.¡± The Colonel stood up and saluted his five rangers, looking at them like a proud father. ¡°Do your brothers and sisters proud gentlemen. I¡¯ll do my part where I am, but the rest is on you.¡± The five smiled and quickly stood at attention and returned the salute. -- 1 year later, 2016 1931 hours Somewhere in the USA A small sigh escaped Evan¡¯s lips as he continued to scroll through the numerous job adverts, each one seemingly too low paying or too much-needed experience wise to even attempt to apply to. Overall it created a rather upsetting mood for the former Airborne Ranger, who now lived with his brother William and his girlfriend. Though in truth it was more like the two of them were living with the girlfriend since she was the one who paid the bills since the Anderson brothers left the military some 6 months ago along with their friends; Dylan, Andre, and Lucas. In truth four of the five were all pretty much jobless or working minimum wage jobs just to get by, an incredible downgrade from what they were getting paid when on the 75th. Only Dylan ¡°Bull¡± Smith was able to find and land a stable job on the civilian side, becoming a lead hand as a mechanic at some local machine shop. Though what Evan thought to be the weirdest bit was how his older brother was unable to find ANYTHING, given how he had a bachelor''s in history anda mastersin political Sciences. Though when questioned about it, William more or less chalked it up to the shitty economy. In the midst of his job hunt in his dark room, he saw it. The perfect job for a combat veteran and it seems there were five positions that needed to be filled. The moment Evan¡¯s green eyes came to rest on the ad he knew it was the job for him and his friends, though mama raised no fool, as he promptly began to read up on the job being requested. All in all, from what he could see it was your standard Private Military Contractor type of thing. Some company was looking for some people to serve as security for a group of civilians that were headed for a dangerous region. Either way, the job seemed pretty standard. However what did start raising some questions in his mind were the experiences each position required. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Scrolling through the ad, he began to read up on the experiences, noting how they all seemed a little too¡­ familiar. Each job position seemed to match the five friends perfectly. A marksman, a survivalist, a mechanic, a jack of all trades, and a team lead. There were a fair bit more details overall, but they all seemed to match up to him and his fellow Rangers. Himself, being a formerly designated marksman in his squad he was a damn fine shot, even earning himself the right to call himself an expert marksman. The survivalist being Lucas who, as a Scout was the type of person to get huge into surviving just about anywhere with so little, and was also known for doing just that when he had the money and time to travel. The Mechanic being Dylan, who was one of the best damn mechanics the guys knew, as he could fix just about anything; hell even an aircraft if he had enough time and motivation to actually do it. The jack of all trades being Andre, the only African American in their group and the one guy who caught on fast and could pick up and do just about anything he set his mind to. Then the teamleadobviously fitting his older brother who had served as an officer in the 75thRanger Regiment and was one of the more down to earth and respected commanders he and the others had served alongside with for years. Overall it was scary how each job title seemed to match up with the guys, but the fear vanished the moment he saw the payout for taking the job and how much they¡¯d get for completing it. Well over five million USD all together to split between the five, a cool million each. Knowing such a contact would be snatched up in a heartbeat he quickly began to type away, filling out the contract signing up both himself and the others. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be cool with this once they see the payout,¡± Evan told himself as he typed away. -- Same time, Local bar somewhere close the Anderson home William, Dylan, Andre, and Lucas sat in complete silence as they nursed theirpints. Each of them sat at their usual table, a worn out old wooden booth near the end of their local bar. The place was a well-known hangout for most military personnel, both active and retired. Plus the place was relatively close to the areas where they lived, so it was the one place they chose for their monthly catch ups. ¡°He¡¯s late,¡± Andre spoke firsts, pointing towards the empty fifth seat. William shrugged in response, before Dylan spoke next, ¡°Again.¡± ¡°Come on guys, he¡¯s looking for a job. The guy was more unlucky than us¡­ though in truth I should say you.¡± Willrepliedpromptly, casting a look towards Dylan, as if to symbolize how he was the only one of the five to get a stable job in the civilian side. ¡°Hey! Not my fault my resume looked more attractive than yours.¡± Dylan had a point, in truth his work experience was by far the most attractive of the group given how he worked on cars before joining the military and continued the trade well into the military. Either way, Lucas, and Andre just brushed it off with a, ¡°Pfft¡± before taking a swig of their drinks. As Lucas put the pint down on the table he looked over at Dylan, ashit-eatinggrin on his face, ¡°You and I both know you only got that job in return for a little favor.¡± Lucas joked while making blowjob motions, which prompted William and Andre to burst out laughing, while Dylan just flipped him off. ¡°And you wondered why no one likes Cav scouts. Trying to push people into what you do for a living.¡± Dylan retorted quickly as he joined in the laughter. Suddenly the laughter stopped the moment a pile of paperswereslapped down on the table, causing the four men to look at the pile of papers then up to the one who delivered them. Quickly seeing it was none other than the missing man himself, Evan. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Dylan said, his eyes on the paperwork. ¡°So what¡¯s all this then?¡± He added, taking a sip from his pint. Evan pulled out the chair reserved for him, grabbing a pen and handing it to Lucas first. ¡°Okay¡­ why¡¯d you give me a pen? Early birthday gift? If so, you¡¯re cheap.¡± Lucas asked half-jokingly the moment he got the pen. Grinning, Evan pushed over the contract towards Lucas who eyed the contract with some skepticism. ¡°Trust me guys, just read the contract. It¡¯s the shit we¡¯ve been looking for since we left.¡± William, Lucas, and Andre began to quickly read through the contracts as they were handed them. Lucas nodding in approval before quickly signing, followed by Andre. ¡°One mil? Fuck yeah, I¡¯ll sign up for that shit. Plus it¡¯s just a security job guarding a bunch of history nerds.¡± Andre said first before looking at William, ¡°No offense.¡± He said remembering the degree he had gotten. ¡°Nonetaken.¡± Will replied, his eyes still glued to the contract. ¡°Well¡­ as nice as the money sounds, I¡¯m going to have to say¡­¡± Pausing he pushed the contract away, before crossing his arms over his chest as he began leaning his weight against the back of his chair. ¡°Fuck that shit. Sorry to say, but I¡¯m happy with the job I have right now. I don¡¯t get shot at¡­ sure I want to shoot some people, but that doesn¡¯t mean I REALLY want to do it.¡± William shrugged, sighing lightly as he shook his head. ¡°I might have to reject it as well¡­ Yulia mightnot be too happy with me leaving for South America for four months. I¡¯ll need to discuss it with her first.¡± Evan grinning, pulled the contracts from Dylan and his brother, ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s a little late for that since I¡­ already signed the contract for you two.¡± He admitted, looking innocent as he grabbed the signed contracts from both Lucas and Andre who were now laughing. ¡°Wait¡­what? No¡­ No! I have a job I actually lov- I enjo-¡­ I tolerate. And the best part¡­ I have to worry about big fucking bugs the size of my hand.¡± Dylan complained slapping his hand down on the table in annoyance. ¡°It is a big hand.¡± Lucas joked. ¡°Only big thing on him.¡± Andre chimed in. ¡°A-ha-ha-ha¡­ fuck you guys. Heh¡± Dylan replied, flipping the two off before smiling and shaking his head. William looked at the papers then sighed. ¡°Fuck it¡­ I¡¯ll come up with something. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be cool with it.¡± Evan grinned, ¡°So¡­ we¡¯ll finally have the money.¡± He said looking at his four friends, who all nodded in unison. ¡°Yeah¡­ guess we have wasted a bit too much time on this shit. Might as well take the payday and do what we can.¡± Lucas added, before downing the rest of his beer. ¡°Plus, I think it¡¯d be cool to see South America. Haven¡¯t been there before¡­ always did want to see some of the ruins there.¡± William admitted, smiling a bit at the thought of seeing a ruin no one had seen in centuries. Dylan sighed and let his head hit the table in defeat. ¡°Dammit¡­Fine¡­ not like I could leave you guys alone. Chances are you¡¯d break something if I wasn¡¯t there.¡± He said looking at Andre, who gave the look mock offense. ¡°I¡¯m hurt short stuff~.¡± Andre joked softly in reply as he relaxed in his chair. The five friends just looked at each other before they called for around to celebrate. They were getting back into what they all knew best, soldiering¡­and hopefully kicking ass. Chapter 3 - Meeting the Team 1000 hours, October 10th Somewhere in the USA, OGL Private Airstrip. ¡°So, this is the place they told us to meet?¡± Dylan asked as he slowly pulled up into the gravel parking lot. Andre, who was sitting in the front seat of Dylan¡¯s car nodded in reply. ¡°Yeah, this is the place alright¡­ or at least that¡¯s what the GPS says.¡± William, Evan, and Lucas poked their heads up from in the back, looking at the rather well maintained and well-built private airstrip that even had a small hanger attached to it. The airstrip itself was even paved and seemed to look as though it was owned by a Special Forces group more than a company dedicated to the collection and preservation of artifacts. But the five friends pushed the thought aside as Andre was the first to step out of the black Ford Mustang. His eyes hidden behind a pair of black sunglasses he had used back when he was a Ranger. Dylan was next though as he got out, pulling the front seat forward so the others could get out, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder why everyone decided to use his car, and not their own. ¡°So¡­ tell me again, why did we have to take my car here?¡± Dylan asked, still a little confused as to why they all took his car. Evan smiled and patted his shoulder, ¡°Carpool.¡± Short but sufficient as Dylan shrugged and nodded his head. ¡°So, when do I get the gas money then?¡± Dylan added as he paused a moment to think. ¡°What money?¡± William added as he stepped out next, stretching his arms high into the air before bringing them back to his side. Dylan raised a finger to protest but stopped himself, telling himself it wasn¡¯t worth it. Instead, he simply adjusted his lucky baseball cap that had his former unit patch and ranger tab on the front. He¡¯d had it with him since day one of his time in the Rangers. Having received his ranger tab was the highlight of his career. Plus everyone pretty much saw it as being a lucky tool as well since it always seemed to give them a fair bit of good fortune whenever he wore the cameo cap. ¡°So where are these guys?¡± Lucas asked, trying to figure out where their employers were. Looking around the five friends could see there was little to no life around the airstrip which saw to the group being a little uneasy. ¡°You fuck up the directions Andre?¡± Lucas asked as he looked towards the empty strip. William just shrugged as he opened the trunk, pulling out his bag. ¡°I bet you twenty they¡¯re in the hanger and or the adjoining building.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that bet,¡± Dylan replied quickly. Andre peered over towards the buildings, before he too grabbed his bag, heaving it around his shoulder, before passing Evan his. Lucas and Dylan were last to grab their stuff. Dylan pulling out his trusty 590A1 Shotgun along with his rucksack and backpack, throwing the rucksack over his shoulders before grinning at his friends who were giving him a surprised look at the sight. ¡°Why the hell do you have a tactical shotgun just sitting around in your trunk like that?¡± Andre questioned, his tone showing both his surprise and curiosity. Slinging their rucksacks over their shoulders each of the friends nodded in agreement to Andre¡¯s question, more so Lucas who was curious how it even fit with all the baggage they had in the car. ¡°Come on guys, you don¡¯t talk bad about old faithful here. She¡¯s gotten me through more shit than any weapon¡­ save maybe my colt nineteen eleven.¡± He replied patting his duffle bag which housed his pistol. ¡°No, no, it''s all cool and stuff, but I mean¡­ a better question is, how did none of us notice the shotgun when we put our stuff in there?¡± Evan observed, looking at the trunk in wonder and surprise at how all their stuff managed to fit. William raised a brow but shook it off as he adjusted his own rucksack, before pausing a moment to consider something, ¡°By the way¡­ I just noticed this as well but¡­ why does this car have so much trunk space? It had our backpacks and rucksacks, which is weird.¡± Dylan chuckled softly before shaking his head, ¡°Reasons.¡± Was all he said before walking towards the strip hanger and the small building connected to it. William just looked at him, then back at the open trunk before sighing as he dismissed the thought knowing full well that the answer he was given was the best he was going to get. Much like Evan who had already thrown away any hope to his question as he began moving to catch up with the rest of the group. As they walked to the front door of the small Spartan-like building, they noticed a sign that had the company¡¯s name, ¡®The Order of Golden Light Corporation.¡¯ ¡°Huh, an odd name for a research company.¡± Andre thought aloud, ¡°Hey, Evan, who¡¯d you say these guys were again?¡± Evan shrugged, ¡°Didn¡¯t say. But from what I read, they¡¯re one of those old organizations. Some group that¡¯s based off an order of European Knights.¡± ¡°Sixteenth century if I remember correctly. The real order was made up of Explorers who tried to work with the natives of North America, rather than destroy and or conquer.¡± William interjected, his blue eyes showing an obvious interest in the name. The four others looked at him a little surprised for a moment before shrugging it off as they remembered his degree. ¡°So should we knock?¡± Lucas asked, looking around at the others, his hand hovering just a mere two inches from the steel door. ¡°No point making them wait any longer than they already have,¡± William replied quickly which prompted the former Scout to knock on the thin steel door. As Lucas knocked, the group looked at the door a little nervously, wondering who it was that actually hired them, and who it was that had all this money¡­ more so since they were getting paid a cool one million each¡­ an amount one would consider to be a near impossible payout no matter what type of job you were doing¡­ hell, not even millionaires made as much as they were about to in such a short amount of time¡­ save maybe Bill Gates and the top ten billionaires. But yeah, the thought was one that seemed to be shared by the five friends who waited with baited breath to meet their employers. Within moments the thin metal door swung open, and standing there holding it open was a rather intimidating woman standing 4¡¯11¡± with short black hair tied in a small ponytail, though it what made her look a fair bit intimidating was the scar that ran down the side of her otherwise beautiful face. Her cold emerald green eyes seemingly adding to the fact that she was not the type of person one would wish to mess with. But the thing that seemed to give the five friends a bit of surprise was how she was dressed. Standing at the door wearing full on tactical gear, her torso protected by a jungle cameo designed plate carrier vest, with a pistol holster strapped to her right thigh. In truth it looked like they were looking at one of their sisters from the 75th; more so given how badass those women were. ¡°Yes?¡± The woman asked with a brow raised. Despite her cold tone and rather¡­ intimidating aura, Dylan was the first to speak up, ¡°We¡¯re the team you guys hired to provide security.¡± The woman nodded slowly, scanning the group of Rangers before smiling as if satisfied by what she saw before opening the way for them to enter. ¡°Ah, yes. Please, come in.¡± They didn¡¯t need to be told twice, as hefted their rucksacks over their shoulders and made their way into the small and as they could tell, quite cramped building. ¡°You¡¯d think with how much money they¡¯re throwing at us, they¡¯d make something a little larger,¡± Andre whispered over towards Evan who just nodded silently in return. The group of friends looked around the small building noting how they were now in the company of six other individuals, each seemingly dressed and ready for the hot and humid jungles of the Amazon, though that was the extent of their looks, as they were looked like your average group of civilians¡­ much like how the five friends would¡¯ve appeared had they not been carrying their rucksacks and backpacks. Though as the five friends came to a stop to join the other six around a small table with a map and numerous other documents laid out atop it, everything suddenly went silent. William pursed his lips before taking a deep breath in to speak. ¡°Hey.¡± Short and simple, and one that had the people whom the five assumed were the ones they were to protect look up and give a rather curious nod in greeting. ¡°Hello, I¡­ take it you¡¯re the fellows our patron over there had hired to act as our protectors?¡± Came a voice by a grey-haired man looked to be about 60-years-old given his overall appearance. ¡°That¡¯s correct Doctor.¡± Answered the petite woman as she rejoined the group. Resting against the nearby wall she gave a nod over towards William, ¡°That man over there is the one who¡¯ll be in charge of security during our time in South America. If you have any questions or have anything to report he¡¯s the one you go to.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The large group all looked at her for a moment before they all looked over at William who just nodded silently in reply, as he knew he couldn¡¯t really correct his employer though in truth the only difference between him and the others was the title he now had and the paperwork he would no doubt have to do now. But none the less, it probably brought some peace of mind to the civilians who looked at the group with some apprehension given how Dylan looked with his shotgun resting against his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, so long as we¡¯re around your safety is guaranteed,¡± Andre said, trying to reassure them before he put his rucksack and another bag down as to rest his shoulders. ¡°Names Andre Richardson. I¡¯ll be the one down the area with you guys providing both support and security.¡± Evan stepped up next, taking advantage of Andre¡¯s introduction to make his own. ¡°Evan Anderson. Younger brother to William over there, and I¡¯ll be the one watching over you all from a distance. Think of me as your guardian angel.¡± ¡°Dylan Smith¡­ or Bull if you want something shorter.¡± Dylan started a warm smile across his face. ¡°I¡¯ll be doing the job of keeping you all safe as well as our vehicles.¡± As Dylan finished making his introduction, Lucas scratched the back of his head realizing he was next, ¡°Boerhave, Lucas Boerhave. I¡¯ll be the point man. I¡¯ll be the one ensuring we camp in safe locations and ensuring you all have a higher life expectancy out in the wilderness.¡± William nodded, liking how short his friends kept their introductions before they all suddenly looked at him as if expecting something from him. ¡°What?¡± He asked, his arms crossed over his chest before realizing he was supposed to say something. ¡°Uh¡­ well¡­ to be honest with you, the boss more or less introduced me already. I¡¯ll be the one dealing with the security reports and also the middleman who coordinates with my team and HQ.¡± he quickly followed up, his face a little red in embarrassment at his complete lack of a proper introduction. ¡°Well, now that we¡¯ve gotten our security team¡¯s introduction I believe we should give them the same.¡± The woman who hired them walked up, resting her hands on the table before looking at the guys with a rather warm smile. ¡°Erynn Collier. I work for the OGL Corporation as the manager in charge of both the security and research divisions.¡± As she finished she cast a look over towards another woman who looked to be around the same age as the guys. The second woman shrugged before pushing herself up from her seat, pulling down her hood as she did so. ¡°Pleasure to meet you, gentlemen. Katie Roberts. Former United States Air Force. I also work for the OGL through their Air Division¡­ Which consists of just me and this lovely airport you find yourselves at¡­ and I¡¯m also the one who¡¯ll be flying you all to your destination.¡± She replied in a rather forced friendly tone. Like Erynn, she kept her hair tied in a ponytail, though her brown hair was a fair bit longer and one could tell it was a bit curly by the few strands of hair that fell down her forehead. Her light skin seemingly showing no imperfections, save the odd freckle or two scattered across her pretty features. The former rangers, however, focused more on her military history, feeling a little confident in the fact they were working with an experienced pilot, having both civilian and military experience in flying was a plus in their books, as it meant they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about having to go ¡®airborne¡¯ anytime soon. The next person to come to introduce themselves was the older gentleman who had spoken previously. ¡°Well, I suppose I should apologize for not introducing myself sooner. Doctor Jourdain Linville. I specialize in South American civilizations dating from the fifteenth century all the way back to their earliest history.¡± The man gave a warm smile to the five men before offering his hand to shake to each of the five friends. Shortly after the old researcher made his introduction the rest made theirs, each seemingly becoming more open and friendly as they continued to say the areas they specialized in. Another expert in the field of ancient civilizations, a linguist who specialized in lost and dead languages, a doctor who worked for the OGL, and finally another archeologist. Overall the group was highly specialized in what they were all hired to find and examine. Though once all the introductions were done and over, the former rangers looked over towards Erynn whom they expected to start the briefing to give them the rest of their objective and duty in the coming days, more so since it was strange how they had to hire so many ex-military personnel to handle a job that only two or three guys could handle. ¡°Well, since we¡¯ve all introduce ourselves I believe you¡¯re up Mrs. Roberts.¡± Erynn started, her tone once more returning to its original neutral one. ¡°I believe we should begin making preparations to make our way to Brazil, so, if I may ask our researchers and archeologists to please gather your belongings and head to the plane.¡± As she spoke she motioned for the six civilians to head towards the second door, which had a small plate attached to it indicating that it lead to the hanger. Dylan looked at their boss, curious to know why they were excluded from going to the plane. Though before he could ask anything she shot a look their way, ¡°Now, as for you gentlemen, I have another task for you before you board the plane.¡± -- Stepping outside the five men looked at the large hanger doors for a moment. ¡°So¡­ she wants us to do all this shit? Don¡¯t they have staff for this stuff?¡± Lucas questioned first. Andre chuckled softly as he looked over at Lucas, ¡°Yeah, they do have staff. Us.¡± Evan closed his eyes, nodding in silent agreement with Andre, while Dylan was already starting to roll the doors open, using his hulk-like strength. ¡°Good job Shorty! Keep it up! Come on, push it!¡± Cheered William sarcastically who joined the other three in watching Dylan open the large doors by himself. ¡°Ffffuuuucccckkkk¡­. Yyyyoooouuuu¡­. Guyyysss!!~¡± Dylan grunted in reply. But knowing they couldn¡¯t let him do all the work, Will pulled out a small remote and pressed one of the buttons which saw to the two large doors open. ¡°I found the remote to open these things before we came out here¡­" Dylan looked over at the four, the look of ¡®da fuck?¡¯ written all over his face before he just shook it off by throwing his hands up into the air in defeat before heading to the plane. Once the doors were fully open and its passengers fully loaded, the rather large luxury plane began to taxi its way outside and onto the strip of pavement. Sitting in the cockpit were Katie and Erynn who began their final checks before the edging up the thrust. The former rangers, on the other hand, were in the belly of the plane, quickly strapping themselves into their seats after having stowed their stuff for checking later in the flight. The civilians, however, were sitting in the more luxurious area of the plan which was located on the second level of the plane, where they could fully relax and conduct their research in peace without having to worry about anything their security detail did or would do. And once they were all squared away the plane was off and they were on their way to Brazil. Evan sat in complete silence, his eyes looking over at the sign, waiting for the right moment so he could stand up and begin checking his gear. Dylan and William, on the other hand, were already looking at a map that Erynn had given them as they boarded before telling them to study the routes they would take. Lucas and Andre were looking over their seats trying to look at the map as well. Finally, the sign came up telling them it was good to walk around now. Not wasting even a second, Evan launched himself up and headed for the back to begin squaring away his gear. Looking over Dylan tapped William¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll go start putting our shit together along with Evan.¡± He told his blonde friend before looking at Lucas, ¡°You should take my place man, you¡¯re the point man on this op, so you should get to know the map better than the rest of us.¡± The former scout nodded in agreement, ¡°Sounds good bro.¡± Then, with all being said, Dylan made his way towards the back to join Evan. Lucas quickly took Dylan¡¯s spot and within moments was already scanning and memorizing the map as best he could. Andre, on the other hand, tapped both their shoulders before pointing to the back, ¡°We should start getting our shit squared away as well here. Will, I say we leave our Scout to study the map while we get started in putting our stuff together.¡± ¡°Sounds good Rich.¡± He replied quickly, ¡°We¡¯ll meet you in the back there once you¡¯ve gotten a good enough grasp on where we¡¯re going.¡± Once they reached the back, the four friends quickly began to go through their rucksacks, emptying them of their tactical gear and weapon parts. Each man had an MK18 (though each customized with the parts that made them more deadly) be them either a secondary or primary, though in the case of Evan and Dylan they were secondary weapons. Dylan had his Colt 1911, his lucky shotgun, and an MK18 with an ACOG scope, and a tan foregrip to help add some stability. Evan, on the other hand, would be going into the field with an M110 SDM rifle, with an x12 scope, a Sig Sauser P229 pistol, and an MK18 for a secondary small arm; customized in much the same way as Dylan¡¯s but with a holographic sight. Each man save Bull was equipped with a P229 Pistol like Evan, as they were good weapons to use in tight situations and each man seemed rather confident in the piece¡­ that and with the budget they got from their employers they were also an affordable choice. In terms of tactical gear, each of the five had a tactical plate carrier which was very much like the ones they had in the Rangers. They were also going in wearing the standard knee pads, waterproof gloves, hiking boots with steel toes, tactical belts with attached pouches for ammo and other small supplies, and of course¡­ a harness built into their backpacks which carried the rest of their kits and sleeping gear. The former rangers also had small ear pieces and neck communication set as a means of contacting on another without the use of bulky headsets. In terms of head protection, each man had an Ops-Core helmet like the ones they wore back in the 75th, though the Anderson brothers both opted for the Sentry variant of the Ops-Core, while the others went with the FAST variant; Dylan wearing it with his lucky baseball cap. The OGL Corporation had actually given them the budget for both the tactical gear and the weapons, which was actually coming out of their overall pay since they were considered full-time employees of the company and as such were expected to keep and maintain the weapons and gear they received. Each piece being designed to be lightweight, and flexible in terms of both customization and movement. All in all, they were ready. More so since they were even equipped with NVG¡¯s, strobe markers, cameo netting, the works. In truth, the guys were actually surprised by the shit they were given by their employers. ¡°So¡­ is anyone else but me a little curious as to why they¡¯re equipping us with all this shit? I mean it¡¯s like we¡¯re getting ready for a war or something.¡± Andre asked while loading his harness up. Dylan nodded slowly in response before looking over at the others, wrench in hand. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, man¡­ we¡¯re going to get shot at. You don¡¯t hire five vets just to guard people on a simple archeological dig. That shit doesn¡¯t happen...¡± He then shot a glare over at Evan, ¡°If I get shot you¡¯re paying for my medical bills.¡± The group laughed at Dylan¡¯s final words, trying in some small way to help calm their nerves as their minds began to race with thoughts of what they had just walked into. ¡°¡­I hope they actually give us some answers when we¡¯re boots on the ground. I don¡¯t like the fact that we¡¯re going into this mess blindfolded.¡± William finally said. As they sat in silence, Lucas suddenly stood up tossing the map onto his pack, before seating with his brothers. ¡°Not a whole lot we can do at the moment¡­ we signed the contract bros. All we can do is do what we do best.¡± ¡°Hurrying up to Wait?¡± Evan joked. ¡°Hahaha, partly right. Though I meant, soldiering.¡± He replied with a grin. He did have a point, and each of the Rangers did miss a fair bit when it came to the military. Namely¡­ the firefights. When everyone came back in one piece, it was like a high no drug could create. Combat was their element and it was something they were good at controlling when they had all the cards in their hand. Every one of them a talented and highly trained soldier able to utilize their combined experience to the fullest. They were like a pack of wolves just waiting to be let loose¡­ and when they¡¯re set loose¡­ God help whoever¡¯s in their sights. "By the way, you owe me twenty Bull," William said with a sly grin. Chapter 4 - Setting Things Up 1900 hours, Private Airport, Brazil As the plane made it''s descent, Erynn looked over at Katie who merely nodded in response before she flipped a switch letting the rest of the passengers know to buckle up and prepare for landing. A warning which everyone on the plane was quick to listen to. Though the Rangers were already in their seats having completed their checks, cleaning, and studying the maps and their routes. So once the plane glided onto the tarmac, a small shake alerted everyone that the wheels had touched down and they were now in Brazil. Each of the former rangers sat in complete silence, a nervous air about them all as they waited for the word to disembark. Though the silence was broken by their ride coming to a halt, letting them all know it was time to get going. ¡°Fffuuucckkk~ I¡¯m nervous man.¡± Dylan said while he stood up and grabbing his gear. Andre looked over at him, ¡°Think we¡¯ll run into any hostiles?¡± Everyone paused, a serious look on their faces. ¡°Yeah¡­ Spiders. Fucking big¡­ass¡­spiders.¡± Dylan replied, looking down at the ground as if he was lost in thought. ¡°Wait¡­ what? Spiders? That¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about?¡± Andre questioned a little surprised. Suddenly they all broke out into laughter before moving on, gathering their belongings as they made their way to regroup with the others. ¡°So long as you have that hat on your head, we¡¯ll be fine.¡± William said, trying to reassure their mechanic before they all walked out of the plane. Once they were outside, the setting sun coloring the skies a beautiful red. A good first sight to see in their first ever visit to Brazil. Though surprisingly, the former Rangers were the only ones taking in the sight of the sun shining through the surrounding jungle. ¡°Enjoy the flight?¡± Katie asked, giving them a wave as they regrouped with the others. Lucas was first to wave back, ¡°Wasn¡¯t bad, though have to admit, spending seven hours studying a map isn¡¯t really my ideal flight.¡± ¡°Mhm, I can imagine so.¡± She replied quickly before turning her attention towards Erynn who had just finished speaking to a few people the guys assumed were employees of OGL. ¡°Evening gentlemen, I trust you enjoyed the flight?¡± Erynn greeted in her usual neutral tone. ¡°The lovely pilot over here already asked us, but yeah, it wasn¡¯t bad.¡± Andre replied this time, his arms crossed over his chest. William looked over at Erynn for a moment, ¡°So, any chance we can get more details as to where we¡¯re actually going? The contract said we¡¯re to guard you all while you look at some ruins, but you never really stated what was at said ruins nor why you needed us decked out in full combat gear.¡± Erynn glanced over at him, raising a brow. ¡°For now you have all you need to know. Just do what we¡¯re paying you for, and keep our people safe.¡± Her reply came out cold before looking at the others, ¡°Understood?¡± Dylan raised a finger about to make a rebuttal but was stopped by Evan who shook his head. The rangers all replied with a slow, ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Erynn gave them a small nod before turning around, holding her hands behind her back as she made her way to the researchers. ¡°She seemed nicer back in the States.¡± Dylan said sarcastically. Suddenly, as the group all gathered together the sound of vehicles driving up could be heard. Immediately the former rangers slung their Mk¡¯s up, ensuring they were ready for whatever or whoever was coming their way. But before they did anything else, Katie waved them down. ¡°Relax man, everyone and everything within ten miles of this place are friendly.¡± She reasurred the Scout, a thin slash of a smile across her face. Dylan was the first to lower his guard a bit as he noticed the silhouette of a small convoy of vehicles come into view. ¡°Well shit¡­¡± As the vehicles came drew closer, the group was now able to clearly see they were Jeeps, though only Bull was able to tell just what type of jeep these four vehicles were. Four 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee¡¯s. Whistling in surprise, the mechanic approached the first of the jeeps to stop, his curiosity getting the best of him. ¡°I know they¡¯ve more than likely been check and shit, but until I do my own check I can¡¯t trust them.¡± Dylan said as he began to inspect the first jeep. Andre smiled and shook his head as he noticed the thin slash of a grin across his friend''s lips. They all knew how much Dylan loved anything with wheels, more so when they were something completely new. So not wanting to disturb him, Richardson was the first to find a place to chill out until their team mechanic was done with his check. William, however just watched from his current place. He didn¡¯t trust ANY vehicle that wasn¡¯t first inspected by his team, given all that could go wrong if a stranger didn¡¯t take into account every possibility. So he just stood there, resting the weight of his arms onto his Mk18¡¯s strap. Evan and Lucas though were watching the drivers who climbed out of the jeeps. Despite having been told that they were friendlies, they still didn¡¯t feel up to trusting anyone they didn¡¯t know the names of¡­ more so after Afghanistan. They kept their weapons down, but otherwise, their guard was up and they were ready for whatever outcome presented itself. As Bull began his check, he began to tap on the hood of the lead vehicle. ¡°W-what? Why is this¡­¡± Eyes wide, he turned to William who raised a brow, ¡°This is level four bulletproof plating. And judging by how thick the glass is here, I¡¯d say the windows are level three. Why the hell are we driving heavily armored cars for a simple archeological dig?¡± William turned to look at Erynn, expecting some answer, but all he got was a cold glare. ¡°Best¡­ to just continue with your check Bull.¡± He replied, his eyes glued to Erynn¡¯s before she turned away. Dylan couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous as he returned to his check. Everything seemed off to him, as so far all he was seeing from this jeep was insane. A 5.0 cummings turbo engine, 18¡± mud tires, bulletproof shell and glass, and the one piece that surprised him the most being an air ride selection suspension; very much like the ones Humvee¡¯s used. Overall, what he was seeing saw to his grin quickly turning into a concerned look. As he began to think on it, suddenly he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, which brought him back to reality for a moment. Turning around he noticed Andre. ¡°What¡¯s up Shorty? What did you find?¡± Andre asked. Dylan shot him a look of concern before peering over at their employer then back to Andre, ¡°Like our gear, our rides are decked out and ready for a war zone. Somethings off man¡­ everything here is sending warning signs.¡± Andre frowned before looking over to William who shrugged, he didn¡¯t know anything either. No one in their group did, and for all, they knew the only one who did was their boss who was currently talking with the drivers.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°I don¡¯t like this Will. Dylan just told me the specs. Those jeeps are equipped to drive into a war zone.¡± Andre stated as he came to stand beside his friend. ¡°I know¡­ I don¡¯t either. I started to get warning signs the moment we got our gear. NVG¡¯s, military grade equipment and supplies? It¡¯s like we¡¯re taking part in an operation rather than guarding an archaeological site.¡± As William made his reply signaled the others to regroup. Quickly the five rangers formed a small huddle. ¡°Alright bro¡¯s, everything about this job is fucked. We¡¯re not going to a dig site here¡­ we¡¯re going into a war zone. Keep your guard up and trust NO one other than each other. Right now¡­ all we have is each other.¡± William said, his tone sounding as if he was giving a briefing for a deadly mission. The rangers all looked at each other for a moment, the look of determination quickly replacing their fear. ¡°Rangers lead the way.¡± William said a grin replacing the previously stern look. ¡°Always.¡± Came the others who quickly returned to the group. ¡°Alright then. Everyone, Smith¡¯s finished his inspection, meaning I want all of you to load up your gear and any other vital tools up. We¡¯ll head out the moment you¡¯re loaded in your assigned vehicle!¡± Lucas announced as the others began to help load the gear into the cargo carriers located on the top of the jeeps. -- The thought to drive in the late evening was one more or less thought up by Lucas who believed that the faster they were on the road the better. Plus the idea of driving in the dark seemed like an ironic one given the current state of knowledge the group was currently in, as they were basically in the dark intel wise. But they didn¡¯t bother to bring it up anymore given how their employer had continually shut them down at the airstrip a few hours earlier. ¡°I don¡¯t like this man¡­¡± William said, his eyes focusing on the dark jungle. ¡°I told you, man, we¡¯ll get to checkpoint alpha if we-¡± ¡°No, not that, I¡¯m talking about the situation Scout¡­¡± Lucas nodded slowly, ¡°Oooooh. Whoops, my bad. But yeah, I see what you mean man. The whole thing¡¯s fucked. Worse yet was the route they had originally planned.¡± Raising a brow, William looked over at Lucas, ¡°What you mean?¡± ¡°Well, think about it. All the roads were going through are the most backwater locations possible, which would¡¯ve taken our trip at least five extra days just to arrive on site.¡± As he replied he reached over and opened the glove compartment before pointing to the map. ¡°Check it out. I marked our new route down in red, original was in black.¡± The former officer quickly grabbed the map, before pulling out his flashlight to examine it more closely. As he did, he quickly noticed the odd and pointlessly long detours they were originally to make. Not looking up from the map, he keyed his comms, which were connected to the others. ¡°Hey Bull, you see the map?¡± Dylan in the Jeep behind them heard the question. Turning back to see if anyone was listening, he noticed all the researchers in their jeep were dead asleep. Tapping the side of his earpiece he whispered softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t, but judging by the question I take it that it has something to do with our current state?¡± Evan, who was sitting in the passenger seat next to Dylan kept his eyes on the researchers behind them, just in case one of them woke up in the middle of their conversation. Giving Dylan the time enough to discuss what was happening. ¡°Yeah¡­ I didn¡¯t get much time with the map originally, so I didn¡¯t really take into account the detours.¡± Pausing, William looked over at Lucas whose own eyes were focused solely on the dirt road. ¡°But judging by what I¡¯m seeing now that I have the time to look it over, I¡¯d say they were trying to avoid all the main routes into the jungle, even going so far as to have us go through some rivers apparently.¡± Looking outside the passenger window, he peered out into the dark forest below. ¡°For what reason, I can only guess at. ¡°Danger¡­¡± Andre added quickly, his voice low since he was in the third jeep in the convoy which had both the old man and their field doctor. ¡°Yeah¡­ only thing that comes to mind.¡± Dylan frowned slightly, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, man, this whole thing is fucked. And it¡¯s made even worse since our lovely employer is in the fourth vehicle behind us¡­ Had no interest in taking any of the others¡­ almost as if she was expecting something.¡± Evan quickly patted his friend''s shoulder, reassuring him in a way while also letting him know to chill out. ¡°Thanks, man¡­ though that little act of kindness isn¡¯t getting you out of this shit. You¡¯re the one that got us into this mess bro.¡± ¡°Fuck off.¡± Evan replied with a grin. The group smiled at the little mock argument before William cut the silence short, ¡°Either way, like I said before back at the airstrip, keep your guard up, and be ready for anything.¡± As he finished making his warning he quickly turned his flashlight off before closing his eyes for a moment of rest. ¡°Way to listen to your own advice bro¡­¡± Lucas said. William waved his hand as if shooing away the insult. ¡°Do as I say, not as I do.¡± With a shake of his head, Lucas dismissed the quote. Though William wasn¡¯t the only one to take a small nap, as the man in the passenger seats were the ones who got to sleep for a bit before they¡¯d make a stop to switch drivers so that everyone on the team was rested and in top form. And thankfully their convoy ran into nothing save the odd wild animal or monkey who came across the less traveled roads, so overall the nervous aura seemed to leave the former Rangers, more so as they continued to draw closer towards their destination. ¡°Hey, wake up.¡± The former officer tapped the Scout¡¯s shoulder, gently nudging his friend awake. ¡°Get up bro. We¡¯re drawing closer to the site.¡± Lucas popped up in his seat, blinking the sleep from his eyes as the slowly rising sun assaulted his eyes. ¡°Shit¡­ really?¡± ¡°Yeah, been driving a good two hours without having run into anything out of the ordinary.¡± The Cav Scout scanned his surroundings before he rested his finger on his earpiece, ¡°Alright sleeping beauties, time to get ready.¡± Despite his ¡®kind¡¯ attempt to wake his friends, he was sadly a few minutes too late. ¡°Only sleeping beauty we were all waiting on was you,¡± Andre replied. ¡°Not sure HOW you were able to sleep with all the bumps we keep hitting,¡± Dylan said as he joined in their unique check in. ¡°By the way, Evan¡¯s up too, just dropped his earpiece under the seat.¡± He added quickly before Evan hit him over the head. ¡°Bro.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s true!¡± Dylan brought his left hand up to block the attack, while his left gripped the steering wheel. ¡°Alright, alright you love birds, save the marital fight for later.¡± As William joked warmly, a cheeky grin on his face. ¡°¡­ instead, use the time you have to prep. We¡¯re coming up to the site.¡± However, despite having given the order, the four friends were already getting ready, or at least the ones not driving. Within 30 minutes the group pulled up into the site. William and Lucas were first to climb out, their MK-18¡¯s strapped around their shoulders. Looking around, the two scanned the area, their eyes looking for anything out of the ordinary. Though so far all they could see was just ruins, jungle, and dirt. ¡°AO is clear,¡± Lucas reported before he began his patrol of the area. William turned and waved over towards Dylan and Andre who were next to climb out of their vehicles. ¡°Let¡¯s start by helping the researchers unload. Once their gear is out and setup we¡¯ll start regular patrols around the site.¡± Both men nodded, Andre, however, paused a moment longer watching as the researchers who were in his vehicle piled out, each quickly beginning to look at the ruins with both awe and surprise. ¡°Alright, alright. You can look at the awesome ruin after we¡¯ve managed to unload all the gear.¡± He said, before pushing the closest researcher towards the Jeep. ¡°Let¡¯s go let¡¯s go!¡± Dylan grinned shaking his head. ¡°You would¡¯ve made a good drill sergeant Tyrone.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. You too Shorty. Get over here and help us unload." Both men laughed as they began to help the researchers unload the equipment and gear that was loaded in each of the Jeeps. Evan, on the other hand, did much the same thing as Lucas. Grabbing his M110, he checked it over once more before loading a full clip into the weapon. Pausing a moment to look over at William he pointed over towards a nearby hill that would provide a good position for him to provide overwatch from. ¡°I¡¯m head up there to get eyes on.¡± His brother looked at him for a moment before peering over towards Lucas who was just making his way back having forgotten his water bottle in the Jeep. ¡°Hey, Lucas, any chance I could get you to join Evan and provide overwatch for us? At least until we¡¯ve finished setting things up here.¡± ¡°Suurrrree~ Should also give me time to survey the AO while I¡¯m up there.¡± He replied quickly as he grabbed his water bottle. ¡°Come on bro, best not waste any more daylight while we still have it.¡± Patting Evan on the shoulder as he walked past him, the team marksman just grinned and shook his head. Within a few minutes, the two rangers were hidden behind the dense rainforest, leaving the other three to begin setting things up. And setting things up was not as easy as the three friends had thought as they found themselves having to often run around helping the different archeologists with setting things up, and or helping to clear out certain spots in order to properly establish a good base of operations. But thankfully, after a few hours, the base camp was up and the academics quickly went about their way, each beginning to prep for their archeological work, ensuring the sites they were to look at remained safe from anything that might otherwise harm them. ¡°Well¡­ settle in bro¡¯s, we¡¯re going to be here awhile.¡± Andre announced with a grin as he and Dylan began to organize the teams own little area in the base camp. Evan sighed lightly as he rested the butt of his rifle against his shoulder, "Yeah, and no signs of this turning into a war zone yet." At least for the time being, a thought that seemed to be shared by all five as they went about their duties. Chapter 5 - Fear and Surprise 1400 hours, Unknown Muisca Ruins, Deep in the Venezuela Rainforest ¡°Have any Kings?¡± Dylan asked, his eyes peering over towards Andre. Andre looked up, his eyes trying in some small measure to hide the fact that he did, in fact, have a King. ¡°What if I told you¡­ the king was just an illusion?¡± Dylan paused a moment with the look of pure bewilderment, ¡°And what if I told you that my hand slapping your face was also an illusion?¡± ¡°Well, given the size of those hands¡­ I doubt I could really see it as such.¡± Andre shot back with a grin across his features. Though before anything more could be said, William walked up behind Andre pulling the King from his hand before passing it over to Dylan. ¡°HA! I win bitch!¡± ¡°Way to ruin my physiological attack bro.¡± Grumbled Andre who threw his remaining cards on the makeshift table. The blonde haired officer just shrugged while smiling. ¡°Yeah, yeah. You lost the moment you went against Bull¡­ guy never loses at any game when he has that hat on.¡± As he made his reply he pointed towards the hat that Dylan was current wearing. Slumping against his chair, he had to agree, ¡°True enough¡­¡± Dylan grinned smugly while patting his lucky cameo cap. ¡°No one can best the Bull when I wear the hat.¡± The three men laughed aloud as they relaxed in their little home away from home. ¡°Anything out of the ordinary up there Evan?¡± Will requested from his younger brother. Far off to the small sniper nest which he had made, Evan keyed his earpiece. ¡°Nothing so far¡­¡± Yawning in the mist of his report, he quickly tried to rub the exhaustion from his eyes before continuing. ¡°Honestly, all I¡¯ve seen is a number of unique birds.¡± William nodded, ¡°Heh¡­ well keep your eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary, god knows something about this whole job you got us into stinks.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯ll keep you posted. Out.¡± With that, the elder Anderson stood silent for a moment as he tapped his fingers against the map that was now spread out over a table. All in all their little HQ was made up to look like a forward operating base¡­ just less gear and staff. Either way, it suited the needs of the former rangers, more so as they had so far only been doing the job they were hired for, security. Dylan looked over at William for a moment seeing him nervously tap a map in thought. With a heavy sigh, and knowing he had to help break the silence he leaned back against his chair, before pulling out a pack of cherry flavored cigars from under his tactical vest. Throwing the pack on the table to get his friends attention, ¡°Man, I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about it. The more you look at that map the more insane you look to the rest of us.¡± ¡°More insane?¡± William asked brow raised. ¡°More than usual, yeah.¡± Andre joined in with a slash of a grin once more across his features. Dylan chuckled softly as he pulled a small cigar from his pack and placed it between his lips, ¡°I take that back, you¡¯ll look saner.¡± As he finished making his little quip he lit the cigar, sweet smelling smoke soon filling up the tent. Rolling his eyes with a laugh, William pulled up a chair and sat down before grabbing a cigar from the pack and doing the same as Dylan. Andre on the other hand just smiled shaking his head before pulling up his wrist to check his watch. ¡°Well, time to make my rounds.¡± Dylan and William both nodded in reply as they watched Andre get up from his seat, grabbing his MK18, and strapping his ops-core helmet on. ¡°You¡¯re on in two Shorty.¡± Bull watched a moment longer. ¡°Well, I¡¯m on too. I¡¯ll start patrolling the left side. You got comms Will?¡± Dylan asked patting his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll monitor things here until Andre returns then I¡¯ll take up his post.¡± Nodding in response Dylan grabbed his own kit, ensuring old faithful was strapped to his back, while he held his own MK18. ¡°Kay sounds good bro.¡± Within a few moments, both men were gone, leaving the former officer to monitor the comms. So as Andre made his way to conduct the routine patrol he found himself pausing a moment to look over at the work being done at the ruins, that were now starting to appear white in as the academics began to strip the vegetation and overgrowth from the stonework. Taking a glance down at two of the archeologists who were discussing something with Erynn, Richardson pulled out his water bottle, whilst letting his MK18 hang from its strap for a moment. ¡°So, how goes the excavation?¡± He asked as he crouched down. Erynn was the first to look over at him before giving him a small nod in acknowledgment. ¡°It goes. So far we¡¯ve uncovered a few artifacts that seem to more or less answer a few questions¡­ or well will answer.¡± Richardson paused a moment, looking at her before looking over at the other researchers who tried to avoid his gaze as if they were hiding something. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s cool I guess. Any chance we¡¯d be able to see some of these artifacts before the trips over?¡± An honest question and one that would have often come with a yes, but sadly it seemed this whole trip was laden with a lot of silence and no¡¯s as their employer raised a brow as if suggesting he should know the answer. With an awkward laugh, Andre made his reply, ¡°Right¡­ Well, I¡¯ll just get back to my patrol.¡± ¡°Mhm, thank you, Richardson.¡± Was all she said in reply before turning to oversee what the two archeologists were covering up. As he pushed himself up he caught a glimpse of some kind of golden object, though he couldn¡¯t make out the rest of its features as he had to walk away to avoid suspicion. ¡°Fucking odd man¡­¡± He mumbled softly to himself before turning his attention back to his front. Back at the overwatch position that both Lucas and Evan were stationed at, both men were watching all the possible entrances to the ruins. Lucas let out a small sigh in both boredom and annoyance as he looked through his Scope. ¡°This sucks~¡± Evan looked over, taking a moment to rest his eyes. ¡°Yeah, well no one said this job would be fun¡­ hell, at least we¡¯re in a shaded area.¡± Lucas shrugged lightly, ¡°Meh, whatever works I suppose. Though¡­ gotta say, I miss my weed bro¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Man, I still can¡¯t believe how much you started to smoke once we all retired.¡± Evan said before looking through his scope once more. Turning away, Lucas chuckled, ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s a great way to mellow out.¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± As Evan replied he suddenly noticed birds come flying out from the jungle. ¡°Shit¡­ something¡¯s wrong, look over there.¡± Lucas squinted as he watched the birds fly away, a frown soon appearing across his face. ¡°I¡¯ll get the guys on the comms, keep your eyes on that area there.¡± Evan didn¡¯t need to be told twice, or rather he didn¡¯t need to be told at all as he was already aiming his M110 down range. His brown eyes looking for any signs of activity near the area the place the wildlife was rushing away from. ¡°Scout to HQ. Possible contacts coming from our north, get ready to greet guests. How copy? Over.¡± William quickly tapped his ear piece, ¡°Solid copy. Thanks for the heads up. If they appear hostile rain some lead down on them. Over.¡± Lucas looked over at Evan, patting his shoulder. ¡°You have the go order to fire at your discretion. If they look hostile, you take them out.¡± He then keyed his comms once more, ¡°Copy. Getting ready to provide covering fire. Out.¡± William quickly rushed out of the large olive green tent, his head on a swivel as he looked for both Andre and Dylan, whom he was quick to spot come rushing towards him. ¡°You guys get the report?¡± Dylan and Andre both nodded, ¡°Yeah bro. What¡¯s the game plan?¡± Andre followed up quickly. ¡°First and foremost is getting those researchers to safety. Dylan, can you get our people to the vehicles? Once that¡¯s done, I need you to rejoin us and help us prepare for possible contact.¡± Then turning to Andre. ¡°Andre, you¡¯re with me. We¡¯ll start prepping our defenses.¡± ¡°Good thing we set some sort of barricades earlier,¡± Andre noted before looking over at Dylan who nodded in response before opening his mouth to reply. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll link up with you guys once I¡¯m done.¡± Within moments Dylan was rushing towards the researchers, ¡°Everyone, pack your shit, and get to the vehicles. Erynn, Katie, you¡¯ll both need to act as their protectors for the duration of the emergency.¡± All the OGL researchers looked up at Dylan, fear evident in their eyes as they saw their protectors begin to take up defensive firing positions to the north. ¡°What¡¯s happening Mr. Smith?¡± Erynn asked in a cold yet slightly anxious tone. ¡°We¡¯ve got contacts coming up to our north, following our previous route. Anderson just wants to be safe, so he wants all of you ready to evacuate should the worst happen.¡± As he explained the reasoning behind the emergency he quickly helped Katie up who was climbing up. Patting the moss and dirt off her pants Katie grinned, ¡°Well, ¡®bout damn time we got to have some fun.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Dylan raised a brow for a moment, ¡°Yeah¡­ well, just be ready for whatever.¡± To help illustrate his point he undid his shotgun and handed it over to the brown haired pilot. ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to tell you how to use old faithful there. Even you guys in the chair force had to take your yearly firearms test.¡± Katie chuckled softly shaking her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make good use of her.¡± ¡°Here, you¡¯ll need these too.¡± Dylan then passed her his shotgun ammo. ¡°Get them out of here.¡± Then with that, Dylan quickly rushed off to regroup with Andre and William who were quickly getting set up behind their makeshift cover. ¡°They going to be okay?¡± Andre asked as he brought his MK18 up, adjusting his sights. Dylan shrugged as he leaned against one of the barriers. ¡°Don¡¯t honestly know. They got that one Air Force chick with them, and the scary employer of ours, so I think they should be good.¡± ¡°All we can do is make sure they don¡¯t have to fight or need to drive away.¡± William said, joining in. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I don¡¯t need to remind you gents to watch your sectors.¡± ¡°Pfft, bitch, that¡¯s something we need to tell you.¡± Andre joked. The three friends laughed, ¡°True enough I suppose.¡± Then as the three men got into positions, their Ops-Core helmets firmly atop their heads (save Bull who preferred to wear just his lucky hat over his helmet), they readied themselves for whatever was heading their way. Looking into the dense jungle they wondered who or what was approaching before suddenly the sound of engines could be heard. ¡°Jeeps¡­¡± Dylan muttered softly. Looking over towards the overwatch position, or at least the general area of it, Will pressed his ear piece. ¡°What¡¯s it looking like up there?¡± Evan and Lucas both frowned slightly as they saw a small convoy of silver jeeps come barreling through the jungle. Quickly both men spotted what looked like Mexican cartels, each looking as though they were spoiling for a fight rather than a peaceful meet and greet. ¡°Uh¡­ kinda fucked, but looks like we got a bunch of Cartels heading your way, and they don¡¯t look like they¡¯re here to say hello either.¡± As Lucas made his report he looked over at Evan who was already taking into account the distance, the wind, grain of the powder, and the angle of decent. William looked over at Andre and Dylan who both looked at him in return as if they were speaking with their eyes, telling Will to give the order to fuck them up. ¡°If you have a shot¡­ you take the fuckers down.¡± A sick grin soon appeared across Evan¡¯s face, one which Lucas noticed but decided to ignore it as he quickly returned to range finding and spotting for their marksman. ¡°Copy. Will deliver the payload. Out.¡± The jungle was suddenly silent, save the sound of the vehicles approaching at high speed. The former rangers each lining up their shots, each man ready for the coming battle. Despite having little to go on, the men chose to instead trust their guts that told them the people coming weren¡¯t here to warn them or giving them a friendly greeting. After the report given by Lucas and Evan, it seemed a group of Narcos were heading their way spoiling for a fight and armed to the teeth¡­ or well as well armed as they could be given the fact that they were more than likely untrained men. However, the thought that these men could be a trained militia was still a very real threat but given their past experience in dealing with the Mexican cartels¡­ they tended to be untrained murderers who just enjoyed the act of fighting and killing. Nevertheless, each of the former rangers would give them the same respect they gave all their enemies. Suddenly, from one of the clearings to the north they spotted them, and the men in each of the open topped jeeps began to stand up and aim their AK¡¯s, or Uzi¡¯s their way, basically clearing up any worries. And the sight was all Evan needed before he fired off his first round. The sound of the round whizzing through the air until¡­ pop, it smacked into the head of the first jeep¡¯s driver, his head blowing up in a gory mess of bloody paste before his limp limbs quickly sent the jeep into a turn and roll. The two men standing in the back having been promptly killed when the jeep turned over snapping and crushing their upper bodies that remained on the jungle floor. The passenger was also not so long as the bullet that had killed his friend traveled through and punctured his chest and lungs¡­ he¡¯d die quickly as his blood soon filled his lungs. The other three rangers didn¡¯t waste any time either as they each took calm concentrated breaths before popping off a few two round bursts as the second, third, and fourth vehicles. The cartels in the remaining jeeps quickly swerved around, before the remaining hostiles quickly climbed out trying to seek cover as they blindly began to fire towards the general direction of Dylan, Andre, and William. The three rangers calmly returned fire, William turning to Andre and Dylan for a moment. ¡°I count fifteen hostiles! Evan, even the odds a bit more!¡± Evan began to bob his head as if he was listening to some sort of song in his head before he took his second shot. The sound of the round cracking past two of the cartels before it smashed into the left arm of another, the bullet stopping at his heart killing the man instantly as he collapsed lifelessly. Not stopping with his fire he fired off two more rounds, one missing, smashing into a nearby tree while the second splashed into the head of another narco, his headless body spurting blood onto his buddy who let out a small yelp before William spotted him. Squeezing the trigger, he sent two rounds into the screaming man¡¯s torso. Reeling around, the once screaming man fell silent as he died next to the bloody remains of his friend. ¡°One-hundred meters, to your four Dylan!¡± Andre shouted. Dylan quickly spun around, his hand gripping the foregrip tightly, his fingers feeling the hard plastic grip dig into his palms before he fired off a burst towards the forewarned opponent whose head snapped back as one of the rounds ripped through his forehead, killing him instantly. ¡°Reloading!¡± Bull shouted, letting the others know as he slipped behind cover to reload. ¡°Copy, covering fire!¡± William barked as he began to lay down suppressing fire on the other narco¡¯s who continued to try and return fire. The Narco rounds cracked and snapped past their heads, but each of the three just ignored them, merely watching the direction and angle of the weapons being fired at them to get an idea where they were bound to hit, only popping into cover the moment they noticed the barrels point their way. And so the two sides continued to exchange heavy fire, though the five rangers were clearly coming out on top fairly quickly as the attackers continued to drop one by one, by a mix of assault rifle and sniper fire. Looking at the dwindling numbers, William waved forward. ¡°Let¡¯s fucking murder these fucks.¡± He growled as he began to move at the fire ready along with his two other brothers whose eyes became as cold as ice, mercy no longer in their mind as the three continued to fire at the remaining five who were now huddling behind a tree, fear clearly displayed on each of their panicked faces. They had attacked the wrong group of people¡­ and they were paying for their mistake with their lives. As the three moved in, they fired at the fifth and four men, killing them instantly with shots to the forearm then to their necks and head. As their lifeless bodies dropped, the three came around seeing the remaining cartels throw down their weapons, their hands above their heads in surrender. It was then that the three quickly calmed down, their hearts still racing however as the closed the distance. ¡°We¡¯re clear¡­ nice shooting guys.¡± Dylan announced as he was the first to lower his weapon, while Andre kept his trained on the three men that remained. The three cartel fighters were covered in blood, mud, and snot as hot tears streamed down their faces. The fear from seeing their entire group wiped out by such a small group having more or less broken them to the point they now found themselves in. Looking down at the three William nodded for Dylan to restrain each of them. ¡°Let¡¯s get them back to camp so we can get some answers¡­ I don¡¯t like how random this attack was.¡± Within moments the three men were restrained, their hands bound with zip ties. Pushing the three onto the dry dirt, Dylan pulled up a chair from one of the nearby tents before sitting on it. His eyes looking intently into their own swollen ones. As he did Erynn and Katie came walking towards the group. ¡°These the assholes that attacked us?¡± Erynn asked as she stopped beside William. Will looked down at her then back at the three men on their knees. ¡°Yeah¡­ these are them. Didn¡¯t take much to beat them. Hell¡­ the Taliban were harder to fight than these asshats.¡± Their employer just stared at the three men with an icy expression. ¡°I see¡­¡± As she looked at them three cartel gunmen saw her, and their eyes went wide in recognition. One of them opened his mouth to speak but before he could say anything, Erynn quickly drew her berretta 9mm and quickly pulled the trigger, executing all three with cold efficiency. Dylan stood up throwing his hands up in the air, ¡°What the fuck was that?!¡± Andre just stood there, resting his arms over his assault rifle, whistling softly in surprise. ¡°Damn girl¡­ you¡¯re quite the savage one, aren¡¯t you?¡± Will on the other hand just looked at her for a moment, his eyes shooting daggers into hers before he grabbed her by the scruff of her collar and slammed her against a nearby tree forcing her to let out a small gasp in pain and shock before William scanned her eyes with his own. His gaze was cold and murderous. Quickly Katie brought the shotgun up to try and get him to stand down but was stopped quickly by the crack of a round that smacked the dirt next to her. Dylan quickly brought his own weapon up, aiming it at the researchers cautiously, while Andre aimed his at Katie, who quickly lowered her weapon and gently dropped it on the ground. ¡°Want to tell me what you¡¯re doing Mr. Anderson?¡± Erynn asked, her tone sounding as threatening as it could before she was abruptly silenced as William put pressure on her chest with his elbow. ¡°No, I think that¡¯s something I need to ask you, ma¡¯am. You want to tell me what the fuck just happened there?¡± He growled as he continued to put pressure on Erynn. ¡°F-fine¡­ just¡­ ease up.¡± She grunted in reply. Easing up on her grip he slowly backed away, taking her pistol with him before turning it on her, the muzzle of the still hot weapon aimed directly at her forehead. ¡°Now¡­ are you going to tell me why they recognized you? And what we¡¯re looking for here?¡± His question was sound, and the petite woman frowned softly as she patted herself off. ¡°No point hiding it anymore I suppose¡­ not if you¡¯re just going to put a bullet in my skull.¡± She said, knowing full well the look this man was giving her was the not the one of a bluffing man, but the look of a man ready to kill. ¡°First of all, I suppose I should answer your main question¡­¡± She continued as she glanced over towards the three dead Narcos. ¡°These men were more than likely hired to hinder, kill, or kidnap our researchers here.¡± Dylan looked at the three dead men before crouching down and looking for any evidence to back up Erynn¡¯s story. Plus with her actually answering everything without putting up a fight he no longer needed to worry about Katie or any of the researchers who were still nervously watching from the side. Looking up towards William he brought up a small piece of paper with some orders. ¡°Found this on one bodies, not sure what it says, though¡­ I don¡¯t speak Spanish.¡± Andre grabbed the sheet from Bull¡¯s hand, ¡°From what I can make out, seems like it matches our employer¡¯s story. These boys were indeed hired to kidnap our civies.¡± William¡¯s eyes never left Erynn¡¯s as he opened his mouth to reply, ¡°Well, that¡¯s one question answered...¡± He paused a moment, debating whether or not to lower the weapon, ¡°Now, for the second.¡± With these words, he chose to keep it up. Erynn sighed and shrugged as she cast her gaze to the ground before she pulled out a small notebook from her cargo pants pocket. ¡°Everything you need to know is here. Though I can tell you now, you may not like what it says.¡± Her warning fell on deaf ears as Dylan walked up and grabbed the notebook. ¡°We¡¯ll be the judges of that.¡± Will replied calmly as their team mechanic began to go through it. As Bull read through the notebook, his eyes began to grow wider and wider, ¡°The fuck¡­¡± He was in utter shock, it was as though they had stepped into a spy movie by what he was reading, secret organizations fighting a shadow war, lost civilizations, treasures with the power to destroy whole nations¡­ It sounded incredibly odd and highly improbable. Though Dylan just shrugged it off as he continued to read on, trying to figure out who it was they were fighting. As he continued to read on, there was one name that stuck out, one that gave him an eerily familiar shiver upon seeing. ¡°Andrew Reynolds¡­¡± Whispering the words back to himself he tapped the name with his right index finger. It was then that he popped up looking at Andre who gave him a puzzled look, ¡°Andrew Reynolds!¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°That CIA fuck that sold us out back in Afghanistan.¡± Andre and William¡¯s eyes both went wide in shock for a moment. ¡°Wait, how the fuck?...¡± Dylan shrugged, ¡°Says here that that asshat is the one leading a group of other assholes hell bent on collecting lost treasures¡­ much like the Nazi¡¯s were before and during the second world war.¡± As he explained he shook his head with a small chuckle, ¡°Sounds like something straight out of an adventure novel man.¡± Andre raised a brow before he lowered his weapon. ¡°Well shit¡­ so, looks like we get to an answer to our prayers.¡± Looking over at William who also lowered his weapon, he gave a reassuring grin. ¡°Finally got a shot at getting the fuck that sold us out.¡± Erynn just stared at the three men, giving an unsurprised look as if she knew what they were talking about before she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Yes¡­ well¡­ now you know, and now you know why we also hired you.¡± The three men paused for a moment before each of them looked at her. ¡°What? You think it was by mere chance that we hired the five of you?¡± She questioned, a small grin growing across her scarred face. ¡°Believe me, that ad we sent you was not some random help wanted advert¡­ no, rather it was sent to you specifically, and the reason why?¡± ¡°Was because we¡¯re the only five outside the military and government looking for this guy¡­¡± William answered. ¡°Correct.¡± Dylan narrowed his gaze, ¡°But that still doesn¡¯t explain how you knew of us¡­ or even how to find us.¡± Erynn let out a small laugh before shaking her head once more, ¡°Really? Do you not remember what your former CO told you? I believe he said something along the lines of, ¡®I¡¯ll handle things on my end¡¯, correct?¡± She didn¡¯t actually need them to answer it, the look on their faces was enough of an answer already. ¡°That¡¯s right, your former Commander, Sigismund is a member of our little organization. So when you five left the army claiming you were going to go on the hunt for Reynolds, we quickly began planning the current expedition you¡¯re now a part of.¡± ¡°Oh shit! So¡­ you mean, the reason we couldn¡¯t land a job anywhere, was because you fuckers blacklisted us?¡± Andre asked. Erynn nodded, ¡°Precisely. Well done Sergeant.¡± Andre felt his anger swell up for a moment but quickly stowed it, knowing full well how pointless it would be for him to be angry. ¡°Then how did I land a job?¡± Dylan quickly followed up. Erynn turned to Bull and gave a small shrug. ¡°People need experienced mechanics I suppose.¡± Dylan just nodded knowing full well that was the best he was going to get. William closed his eyes for a moment as he raised his hand to silence any other questions. ¡°First¡­ I want to say sorry for the way we treated you there, and second¡­ thanks for finally answering our question. But, we still have one more question.¡± Raising a brow, ¡°And what would that be?¡± ¡°What is it we¡¯re searching for?¡± Dylan interjected as he pushed William aside as if saying ''you¡¯re not my boss¡¯. Stumbling for a moment as Dylan pushed him aside, ¡°What he said.¡± ¡°Well¡­ as you more than likely read there Mr. Smith, we¡¯re looking for artifacts. Lost treasures said to hold the powers of myth and legend.¡± She replied smoothly before suddenly the elderly expert walked up and rested his hand on her shoulder as if telling her that he would take it from here. The greying old man looked at them with tired eyes, the fear of the previous battle long since gone. ¡°I believe I should answer any more questions related to what we¡¯re looking.¡± William waved his hand in a circle as if motioning for him to get on with it. Coughing away his annoyance at the gesture the doctor continued. ¡°Well, as you may have guessed these ruins we¡¯re examining are NOT your average set of ruins. Rather¡­ these ruins you¡¯re seeing now are actually the ruins of the lost ¡®white city¡¯, as you can plainly see by the white walls which surround the site.¡± Whistling in amazement, Andre walked up to rejoin his two friends; his anger now gone. ¡°So, what you¡¯re telling us is¡­ we¡¯re some of the first people to walk among a site no one¡¯s been too in centuries?¡± The doctor nodded, ¡°Indeed, four-hundred to be exact.¡± ¡°Not going to lie, that¡¯s fucking cool.¡± Dylan pursed his lips and nodded, ¡°Yeah¡­ almost makes up for being shot at.¡± ¡°Pfft, you can¡¯t lie to us Shorty, we know once you heard that you forgave all.¡± ¡°You wanna be bitch slapped Tyrone, for my pimp hand is strong?¡± Joked Dylan who raised his hand. ¡°"Yeah well my duck is strong. How about that?" Dylan paused a moment, ¡°Damn¡­ you beat me this time Tyrone¡­ this time.¡± Both men laughed and William just sighed before a small grin formed on his face. ¡°So, what is exactly that we¡¯re trying to find here then? I can¡¯t imagine you guys came to this ruin to the standard excavation.¡± The old man nodded while running his hand through his grey beard. ¡°It¡¯s as you say, we¡¯re not here to document and or look at the ruins as they are¡­ we¡¯ll leave that to other scholars. No, what we¡¯re here for is a clue¡­ a clue that will hopefully lead us to the fabled city of gold.¡± As he named the location they were looking for the three friends didn¡¯t know how to respond, with Andre and Dylan pausing in a mid-slap fight to stare in both shock and amazement. ¡°Wait¡­ what did you just say? I don¡¯t think I heard you correctly, did you say the city of gold?¡± Dylan asked, quickly breaking the silence. Andre raised his finger up to point at Dylan, ¡°What he asked.¡± William did the same, pointing to Dylan. Smiling for a brief moment the aging doctor Linville gave a slight nod, ¡°That¡¯s correct, I said the city of gold, or as it¡¯s famously referred as¡­ El Dorado.¡± The rangers didn¡¯t know how to respond, they couldn¡¯t, and just the name alone was enough to have all three think the same thing, ¡®Fffuuucccckkkk~¡¯. Despite sharing the thought, none of them voiced their thoughts on the matter, just remained silent and still. It wasn¡¯t until William looked back at his two brothers in arms with a worried expression plastered across his face, ¡°We gotta tell the others.¡± Chapter 6 - The White City 1700 Hours ¡°The White City¡± Ruins Venezuela Amazon Forest After having told Evan and Lucas the news, the two had much the same reaction as the others, the look of utter dumbfounded and surprise written across their features. Though it was it who had the more surprised look, seeing as he was the one responsible for finding the ad. Looking down at the ground for a moment in thought, Evan began to scratch the back of his head. ¡°So¡­ wait¡­ wait a minute¡­ you¡¯re telling me that they set all this up?¡± Evan asked. Dylan merely responded with a shrug, ¡°Already know as much as I do.¡± ¡°Well shit¡­¡± Lucas joined in with a cough, ¡°Well so long as it was Sigismund that sent them, I¡¯m willing to trust these guys.¡± The four others nodded in agreement. ¡°Not like we have much of a choice given how much they¡¯re paying us¡­ plus¡­¡± William added before pausing to look at the makeshift graves of their attackers. ¡°If we leave them, they¡¯ll more than likely be either kidnapped or killed.¡± The tent went silent for a moment as the five rangers knew the researchers would indeed suffer a sad fate should they leave them to their fates. Though with a clap of his hands Andre was the first to end the silence. ¡°I¡¯m with Will and Lucas. I say we stay. No way I¡¯m passing up one million, more so when all we have to face is a bunch of amateurs like those fucks.¡± Dylan and Evan were the only ones to remain silent on the matter, though Evan just sighed and waved his hand. ¡°Fine¡­ if you¡¯re all hell bent on this, I might as well join you guys, I mean who else would cover your asses?¡± Dylan was the only one who just shook his head no, ¡°Honestly I¡¯m still not one-hundred percent about this whole thing. To be honest with you guys, I¡¯m still not all into the idea of getting shot¡­ I like the money, but is it really worth it?¡± The other four looked at him for a moment then at each other, as if timed they all gave their mechanic the same answer, ¡°Yes.¡± Dylan blinked in surprise as they all gave the same answer, seemingly leaving him the only one who was still a fair bit afraid of what might happen. Though with a heavy sign of resignation he knew he couldn¡¯t back out now, even if he wanted to, the door had long since closed. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Snapping back upright, Dylan clapped his hands, ¡°Alright, so, what¡¯s the plan now then?¡± ¡°For now? Well, for now, I¡¯d like all of you on high alert. Given what we now know, I¡¯d say it¡¯s safe to assume another attempt at kidnapping our colleges might occur.¡± William replied, his tone a little more measured than usual as he walked over towards the map. Turning to face his friends once more, ¡°Although with some changes, Andre and Dylan I want both of you to head up the entrance and see if you can set up some traps to welcome anymore¡­ guests.¡± Both men nodded in reply before grabbing their kit and heading out. ¡°Sounds good.¡± Bull was first to reply as he pushed himself up from his spot and quickly began to make his way outside. ¡°Really wishing I hadn¡¯t quit smoking¡­¡± As both the scout and mechanic vanished out of sight, William turned to Evan and Andre, ¡°Evan, I need you on overwatch again, this time I want you to find a new location to set up¡­ just to be double sure. Never know if they got out some sort of report.¡± ¡°Confirmed,¡± Andre said as he patted Evan¡¯s shoulder. As Evan stood up, he turned towards his brother as a question soon popped into his head, ¡°So¡­ if we¡¯re all doing that, what¡¯re you going to be doing?¡± With a brow raised, William pointed his head towards the dig site. ¡°I¡¯ll be helping them with their work. I have some experience with archeology, so I¡¯m hoping that another pair of hands and eyes might speed things along.¡± ¡°Ah, right, makes sense I suppose. Well, meet back here at seventeen hundred hours like usual?¡± ¡°Yup, I¡¯ll see you guys then.¡± And with that the five former rangers set off to conduct their day¡¯s job, each of them committed to keeping themselves busy, lest their minds become plagued with thoughts of fear and doubt, more so in the case of Dylan who felt he would be in an uphill battle in keeping his motivation. After having been shot at, even if untrained, it did a great deal of mental damage, as he was the type of person who tended to be more of a homebody. After having left the military, he had learned just how much he hated the army, and how much he hated getting shot at, more so after having witnessed the deaths of two of his brother rangers. So, walking with Lucas through the jungle, his fingers absentmindedly played with the strap of his MK-18. Lucas peered over, quickly noticing the nervous habit of his best friend. ¡°What¡¯s up, man? You seem a little off your game since the firefight.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ yeah, sorry.¡± Raising a brow, Lucas adjusted his weapon, ¡°You know man¡­ if you want to talk you know you have your brothers here for you.¡± Lucas said, trying to reassure Dylan. Dylan looked over at Lucas, his words reminding him of who he was. He was angry now, not at Lucas or any of his brothers, rather he was angry at himself. He was the man who earned the nickname ¡°Bull¡± during his time training to become a Ranger, and now¡­ he wasn¡¯t sure any of that, rather he was showing a doe, and he was damn well pissed off that he had lost that warrior spirit that drove him to become the brother everyone could rely on when things got tough. Slapping himself both mentally and physically, Dylan smiled. ¡°Thanks, man, but I¡¯m good now. Just had to remind myself why I came here.¡± ¡°Oh? And what made you come?¡± Lucas asked curiously. ¡°Look after you lot. God knows you guys would have some sort of issue without me around to fix it.¡± ¡°Haha! Yeah, I suppose so." Both men let out a small laugh as he continued on. -- 1730 hours ¡°Tired~¡± Dylan bemoaned as he collapsed onto his chair, as his bearded face hit the table. Throwing off his tactical vest and plate carrier off to the side, Lucas chuckled in reply, ¡°Same bro, same.¡± William, covered in dirt turned to them with a smile, ¡°You guys manage to set up the traps?¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Dylan just let out a moan of exhaustion in reply. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve set up a lovely welcome for anyone not nice enough to at least call before visiting,¡± Lucas added with a small joke. William nodded, ¡°Good, good. Means we can at least sleep soundly now.¡± Then, just as Will finished speaking both Andre and Evan walked in to join their friends around the table. With a small sigh and stretch, Evan rested his M110 down with the rest of his kit. Andre did much the same after ensuring his weapon was empty and safe before resting it down on his own kit, his Ops-Core helmet being the last to come off. Rubbing his shaved head, Andre picked up and opened up his canteen before taking a swig. ¡°Pwah! God¡­ its way to fucking hot out there man¡­¡± ¡°Also doesn¡¯t help that we were constantly having to swat away all the bugs.¡± Evan said, adding to the complaint made by Andre. Dylan turned over to look at his two friends, a weak smile soon creeping across his face. ¡°Tyrone¡­ Tyrone! I miss your afro¡­ that glorious afro.¡± Andre rolled his eyes as he chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re quite the racist, aren¡¯t you shorty?¡± ¡°Only on Sundays, and sometimes on Tuesdays.¡± Dylan joked in reply. ¡°But it''s Saturday today.¡± Eva pointed out with a small grin across his face. Dylan shot him a non-serious glare, "Don¡¯t fight me on this Evan!¡± The group soon burst out into laughter as Dylan m\de his cries of protest. Though as the sun continued to fall under the jungle canopy, William found himself staring out towards the ruins. Noticing the lost in thought look of his friend Andre came walking up beside him patting him on the shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s up bro?¡± William was quickly shaken back to reality as he turned to see Andre. ¡°Nothing just seems odd is all.¡± Andre chuckled softly as he shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re only getting this thought now?¡± ¡°No, no, I mean, it¡¯s odd that none of the archeologists have come out from the ruins yet.¡± Andre raised a brow before he too turned towards the ruins. ¡°Shit¡­¡± Without a second thought, both he and Andre quickly grabbed their MK-18¡¯s. Andre quickly throwing over his plate carrier, while William just strapped his Ops-Core helmet on as they rushed towards the ancient city center. Dylan, Evan, and Lucas were next to gather their kit, Bull even going so far as to grab his shotgun in preparation for some CQC. As they all ran into the center of the ruins, each of them quickly went into fire ready stance. William peered over his shoulder towards Evan and Andre, giving them both the order to begin sweeping the left side for any signs of hostile or friendly contacts, while he had Lucas focus on the right side while he and Dylan would take the north. Bull rested his hand on Will¡¯s shoulder, letting him know he was ready to move. Not wasting time the five friends began to make their sweep. An unsettling silence soon settling in as they began to make their checks. As Will and Bull came walking towards the location the academics were located before, they both came to a halt by a nearby worn white wall, both men quickly checking each of their sectors before William peered around the right corner, his eyes scanning the area through his ACOG scope. Finding nothing he patted Dylan¡¯s hip, before waving over towards the nearby tree. Dylan quickly understood as he twisted about, slowly moving towards the tree ten meters from his former position, knowing full well he was covered by Will whose eyes never left the forward sector. And as soon as Bull came to crouch behind the thick trunked tree, he angled himself just right so he had a good view of the area before suddenly he motioned for William to move up with his left hand, which was covered by his fingerless gloves. Pushing himself to his feet, William made his move, his weapon up and at the ready, as he came towards what looked like a temple entrance. The pointed archway entrance seemingly worn out, with overgrowth all around its surrounding walls, though by the look of the door it appeared as though someone had cut through the vines. Raising a brow, William looked at the old temple entrance with some skepticism for a moment before standing, noting how the area seemed to be clear. ¡°Alpha-one to all call signs, forward clear. Copy.¡± William reported to the others before keying his mic once more, ¡°Report status on other sectors. Over.¡± As he waited for the others to chime in, Dylan came walking up beside him. ¡°Did you know about this door?¡± He asked as he scanned the doorway. William shook his head, ¡°No¡­ wasn¡¯t here when I was helping them excavate.¡± Then, just as he was about to continue the three others quickly made their report. ¡°Alpha-three here, nothing on our end, all¡¯s quiet and peaceful here. Over.¡± Came Andre¡¯s voice. ¡°Same here, all clear. Over.¡± Lucas was the final one to report in. The former officer sighed in relief before he pressed his index finger against his ear piece. ¡°Copy on all. Regroup at mine and Alpha-Four¡¯s position. Out.¡± Within moments the three other rangers quickly regrouped with Dylan and Will who were resting against, what they assumed was some sort of temple. ¡°Hey.¡± William greeted the group with a small wave and smile. Andre nodded as he walked up to his friends. ¡°Fuck~¡± He cursed aloud with a small chuckle. ¡°House clearing sucks almost as much dick as a POG.¡± Turning back at Lucas with a shit eating grin on his face. Lucas just flipped him off, ¡°Ha-ha-ha, fuck off.¡± Shaking his head with a laugh as he joined the others. ¡°This the place you think they went into then I take it?¡± Lucas continued, pointing towards the open doorway. William nodded, ¡°More or less¡­ Only other place I can think of them going.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± Andre added, hoping against the odds that they might need to do some building clearing. Looking up at Andre, ¡°hundred percent. Unless you guys saw some other building and or entrance as open as this one.¡± He replied before standing up and grabbing one of the nearby vines. ¡°I mean, look at this. This wasn¡¯t cut when I was here a few hours ago.¡± Grabbing the vine from the Elder Anderson Andre examined it, knowing full well now that they were about to go house clearing. ¡°Man¡­¡± Dylan grinned. ¡°Since you¡¯re the one who bitched, I say you¡¯re on point.¡± Andre was about to protest before everyone nodded in agreement, with William all but cementing it as he rested his gloved hand on his shoulder. ¡°Good luck.¡± William said as he gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Aww¡­ fuck- No¡­ Richardson, you know better.¡± He told himself before slapping his cheeks with his gloved hands. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take point, but only if Shorty has my six.¡± Bull shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± William satisfied nodded, ¡°sounds good. I¡¯ll take the third spot. Evan, you''re rear guard.¡± Evan nodded, as he adjusted the strap of his M110. Within moments the five rangers quickly got into position. Once they were all ready, they quickly began to pat each other¡¯s shoulder and or arm letting them know they were ready until they came up to Andre, who was the first to go in. His brown eyes scanning the front, while Dylan covered the right side, Will the left, Lucas the top¡­ if there was one, and Evan the rear. Each of the five moved in an experienced and practiced pace, not stopping until they came to a corner. As they came to the first corridor, Andre took to watching the left side, whilst Bull took the right, each quickly taking a crouched stance as they began to watch their sectors. William came up behind Andre, while Lucas came behind Dylan, with Evan stopping just behind his brother, his eyes still glued to the end of the hallway. ¡°Clear left!¡± Andre reported. ¡°Clear right!¡± Came next from Dylan. ¡°Rear still clear.¡± Evan then chimed in silently. William quickly tapped Andre¡¯s shoulder before suddenly his dark skinned friend stood up and began to move, while Dylan and Lucas covered the right flank, allowing for both William and Andre to scout up ahead. Once they came to the end of the left-hand corridor, they quickly saw the adjoined hallway was caved in, with overgrowth all around it. It was here they knew no one had gone this way. Quickly twisting around, Will signaled for Dylan and Lucas to move up, letting them know their hallway was clear. With a small nod, Bull and Lucas quickly began to move on while William and Andre regrouped with Evan. Peering over the edge Dylan spotted more cleaved vines and branches. Turning back to Lucas who in turn signaled for the others to regroup on them. Within moments they once again took their positions, quickly going about clearing hallway after hallway. ¡°It¡¯s like we¡¯re in a fucking maze man¡­¡± Lucas observed, annoyance clearly evident in his tone. ¡°Yeah¡­ and we¡¯ve yet to run into our researchers yet.¡± Dylan added in a hushed tone. But they were quickly silenced as they came to the end of the hallways, as their eyes came to rest on what looked like a torch lit opening. Pausing a moment the group began to take their places at either end of the hallway before coming to the open doorway. Andre and Bull both looked at each other, nodding they were ready before Will, Evan, and Lucas all tapped their shoulders letting them know they were ready to enter. And without a moment¡¯s pause, the group quickly entered. As they came into the room, the two groups quickly fanned out, with Dylan¡¯s going left and Andre right. ¡°Clear left!¡± Lucas reported quickly as he and Dylan cleared their sectors. Andre, William, and Evan quickly lowered their weapons as they came to see the entire team of OGL researchers and their boss look up at them. ¡°Eyes on our researchers. They¡¯re fine¡­ save the small scare we just gave them.¡± William said before he began to walk down a thin stairway leading to another chamber below, which the OGL researchers were gathered in. Erynn, with her hands held behind her back, gave a slight nod in greeting. ¡°Glad to see you and your team, Anderson.¡± Unslinging his carbine, William glared over at his employer, ¡°Likewise, wasn¡¯t sure if you lot ran into trouble or not while we weren¡¯t looking.¡± Waving her hand dismissively Erynn just chuckled, ¡°As you can see, we¡¯re perfectly fine. Though admittedly, your sudden appearance did give our people a bit of a scare.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yeah, sorry. Just doing our job.¡± William apologized, as he pulled his helmet off. Though quickly pushing any other thoughts aside, he looked over at the new passageway the archeologists were looking over and examining. ¡°So¡­ what is this you guys are looking at?¡± William asked. ¡°Hmm?¡± Erynn hummed before her green eyes looked over at the large passageway. ¡°Oh, that?¡± ¡°Yes, that.¡± Dylan chimed in as he came to sit on a nearby block of stone. ¡°That gentlemen, is the other part of your job.¡± She replied coly as she looked back at the former rangers. ¡°Aww fuck¡­¡± Dylan cursed. Chapter 7 - Opening the Door 1936 hours, Inside Temple Ruins Sighing lightly with a small shrug Andre patted his friend on the shoulder. ¡°Meh, it is what it is Shorty. Nothing we can do about it now since we did sign the dotted line.¡± He added. William ignored Dylan and Andre as he walked over to the front of the massive stone door, which barring them from going any further. ¡°So¡­ how do you expect us to get through this door?¡± He asked as he ran his gloved fingers along the finely carved stone wall. Erynn gave a sly grin as she walked up beside William. ¡°That, that, Anderson is the fun part.¡± ¡°Hah? What do you mean, ¡®fun part¡¯?¡± He questioned quickly, brow raised. Turning back towards her researchers she waved over two of the younger academics, one a tall lanky fellow with green eyes which were hidden behind a pair of rather expensive looking glasses, while his brown hair seemed to suggest he was quite the lazy individual. The other researchers, however, seemed a lot more organized as her hair was neatly tied in a ponytail, while her sea blue eyes seemed to show a scary intelligence. They both didn¡¯t waste time as they walked up to join the Will and their boss. ¡°This, Anderson is what we¡¯ll be using to open the door.¡± As she spoke she grabbed what looked like some sort of idle from a sealed case. With brow still raised William looked a bit unsure. ¡°See what I mean, adventure novel shit.¡± Dylan said as he walked up beside Will. Andre, grinning as though he was about to laugh just shook his head, ¡°Yeah, yeah, keep your fantasies in that bald head of yours there Shorty.¡± ¡°Pfft, Tyrone, you¡¯re just jealous I look like Jason Statham.¡± He retorted quickly smiling. Walking up and in between his two brothers, Lucas rested his elbow on Dylan¡¯s shoulder as he looked over at the idle with a rather keen interest in¡­ the one holding the piece. ¡°Come on guys, let¡¯s give her a chance to show us.¡± He said, before turning over to Evan, ¡°Right bro?¡± Evan remained silent as he closed his eyes and shrugged, which more or less went to show his neutrality on the matter. Lucas frowned slightly, ¡°Still shy, hey man?¡± Evan just raised a brow before flipping Lucas off before following up with a ¡°Love you too bro.¡± finally speaking. Lucas chuckled softly before turning his attention back towards their employer. ¡°Anyways, no point in wasting any more time. Might as well do what you took that piece out to do.¡± William said, ending any other additions to the conversation. ¡°Mhm, thank you.¡± She replied coolly as she turned away, her slender fingers running along the crease of the stonework until finally, she found what she wanted. ¡°Got it.¡± Grinning she pulled out a loose stone, letting it fall to the ground before replacing it with the decorative icon. As she locked it in place, the room suddenly began to shake before the large stone block began to slowly inch away. The group watched in silence, with only the researchers moving around as they took notes on the mechanics of the trap door, while their employer just stood there confidently as she once more folded her arms across her chest. Once the door slipped into the wall, vanishing into whatever space was there, the five rangers knew that a new level of hell was about to start. ¡°Whelp¡­ this is gonna suck a lot of dick¡­¡± Dylan mumbled in annoyance. William turned back to his friends, ¡°Alright guys, just in case, pull out your gas masks. We don¡¯t know WHAT we¡¯re walking into, and for all we know, there could be some gas trap or some shit.¡± As he told the others to get their masks out, was already beginning to remember a lot of his classes that went into detail about the traps many tombs and ruins seemed to have. Andre nodded slowly, ¡°Yeah¡­ I wouldn¡¯t trust this place to have ¡®clean air¡¯¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Everyone else agreed at the same time with a, ¡°Agreed.¡± It was one of those things that just seemed to be a precaution that each of them wanted to be sure of. So without wasting another moment the team quickly returned to the camp, before they began to gather things and set them all up in the temple ruins. While the researchers were looking for further clues to what might be waiting in the tunnel, the former rangers, however, were getting their gear all set up, checking their kits and gear to make sure that they were ready for everything that could possibly happen. They had everything they needed from their NVG¡¯s, gas masks, thicker armour for their limbs to avoid getting hit by sharp objects; yet still light enough to ensure they could run at full sprint. Their tactical vests and plate carriers had a new harness put overtop them, with a number of extra clips stuffed in them. William, on the other hand, was the one carrying the explosives, having gone through their supplies remembering the C-4 bricks they had, plus he was also the only one with the most EOD experience. After having spent his first time working with the EOD units back during his first combat tour, he learned a great deal from them, so he was more or less the explosives guy and team lead. ¡°You have everything?¡± Erynn asked as she walked up behind the group. William was the first to turn back, patting his kit. ¡°Yup got it all.¡± ¡°Though if you¡¯re really concerned you could always come with?¡± Lucas added, a grin soon appearing across his face. Dylan just patted his lucky hat, ¡°All I need.¡± Evan just remained silent, not a word escaping past his lips as he began to check his M110. Andre on the other hand just grinned, as he passed a pack of trail mix towards Dylan. ¡°Pretty sure we¡¯re all good, just need some sleep.¡± ¡°Good, glad to see our money and time is being well spent.¡± Erynn said, a smile now on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we know what we¡¯re doing¡­ been soldier for the better part of our twenties.¡± William said as he pushed himself back to his feet. ¡°Mhm, well then, I¡¯ll leave you gentlemen to it then.¡± And with that their employer began to walk away, her focus now on Doctors Jourdain and the one ponytailed woman whom all the rangers had forgotten the name of. As she walked away, William watched her for a moment longer before turning back to his brothers, ¡°By the way, anyone knows where the rope is?¡± The other four paused before they all turned over towards Dylan who looked up and around, ¡°What? Me? Why¡¯re you all looking at me? I¡¯m not the¡­ oh¡­ wait¡­¡± He stammered a bit taken back by the sudden cast of blame being placed on him before suddenly he remembered he was indeed the one who was the last to have the rope. Quickly recalling the moment on the plane, he was the one putting it to the side for a moment so he could focus on the rest of his kit. It was then that he remembered that he didn¡¯t actually remember to put the rope in with the rest of the stuff. Eyes going wide, he began to laugh nervously. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah¡­ so, funny story about the rope¡­ I may or may not have forgotten it on the plane.¡± Dylan said looking down in a way as though he was embarrassed. The four others just looked at him in silence, a silence that much to unnerve the one who was known as Bull. ¡°Come on! It was an honest mistake, I know you would¡¯ve forgotten it too!¡± Dylan said trying to save face. Soon the group broke out into laughter, with Lucas pulling out a set of climbing tools and rope. ¡°Don¡¯t worry bro, I saw the mistake back on the plane and packed it. You¡¯re cool, we¡¯re just bugging ya.¡± Dylan raised both his hands, flipping everyone off, ¡°Fuck¡­ you guys." As he flipped them off he grinned shaking his head. The guys all just laughed the insult off as they continued to go back to their kit checks, ensuring that everything was set and ready for when they went in. -- ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m telling you, man, this is just risky as hell.¡± Dylan said, once again voicing his concern. William just shrugged, ¡°Meh, adventure, right?¡± Andre, grinning walked up beside Dylan patting him on the shoulder, ¡°I agree with Will there. You gotta lighten up bro. It¡¯s an adventure.¡± Dylan focused over towards Andre with an unconvinced look, ¡°Yeah¡­ and if I remember correctly you said the same thing about the military. All the adventure I had was getting shot at.¡± ¡°Pfft, details, details!¡± Andre dismissed the reply with a wave of his hand. ¡°You know you liked doing Ranger stuff.¡± Sighing in defeat, ¡°Yeah, suppose I did, but that¡¯s that, and this is this.¡± He said motioning towards the dark narrow hallway that looked more like a tunnel. Lucas pushed both of them towards the tunnel, ¡°Stop flirting with each other and get moving. Don¡¯t have all day here guys.¡± William stood silently as he watched his three friends enter the entrance to the unexplored part of the temple structure, his own thoughts soon being filled with what if¡¯s. It wasn¡¯t until his actual brother, Evan came walking up nudging his shoulder with the butt of his rifle as if trying to reassure him. Looking over at his brother William smiled, shaking his head. ¡°Thanks, Ev.¡± Evan just smiled and walked ahead of him waving for the two researchers who were joining them to follow him, which they quickly did, the look of pure excitement fully displayed on their faces as they began to follow their armed escort. ¡°You sure you guys will be around while we¡¯re away?¡± William asked Erynn who came to stop beside him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ve left us plenty of ammo, and your own carbine for us, so we¡¯ll be fine.¡± Looking over and down at her, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something might happen while they were away, but taking a deep breath in, he quickly dismissed the worry. ¡°Alright¡­ well, we¡¯ll try to return as fast as we possibly can. Wish us luck.¡± Erynn didn¡¯t say anything, merely waving her bare right hand. As William soon vanished into the darkness she stood there a while longer, a frown now growing across her face. ¡°Good luck¡­¡± Chapter 8 - A City Under a City 2000 Hours Inside the unexplored tunnel The sound of water dripping on stone echoed throughout the vast virtually untouched stone hallway, which was blanketed by an eerie darkness that seemed to do well to unnerve the group of seven. Lucas at the head of the group, his MK 18 held at the fire ready stance, a string tied around the muzzle of the assault rifle with a small metal piece to weigh it down; an old trick to find tripwires. ¡°So¡­ want to tell me again why I¡¯m the one on point?¡± Lucas whispered, his eyes remaining locked in front of himself. Evan patted him on the shoulder, ¡°You¡¯re the Scout, so this stuff¡¯s your speciality.¡± He whispered back. Lucas grunted, ¡°Heh, nice excuse¡­¡± Andre, who was guarding the rear, turned his head around, ¡°Hey! Shut up, up there!¡± He quietly barked, trying to remind the guys that there could be sound sensitive traps. William looked at the three with a neutral expression, his blue eyes lit up by the dull green light of his NVG¡¯s -which each of the five was wearing, including the two archeologists- before he rested his hand on Dylan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Surprised to see you so quiet Bull, usually you¡¯re the one complaining.¡± Dylan didn¡¯t turn back, rather he, like Lucas, kept his eyes forward, his weapon at the ready. ¡°Yeah¡­ well¡­ I just want to make sure I don¡¯t get hit first should there actually be a sound sensitive trap.¡± He replied silently. William shrugged, ¡°I think it¡¯s highly unlikely that such a trap was made, in truth I think the only traps we¡¯d run into here, are trip wire based, or pressure plate based ones.¡± It was then that Lucas paused, raising his left fist in the air, letting everyone know to stop. ¡°Hold up, got a wire here¡­¡± Lucas whispered back to the others. Doctor Linville, peered over towards the front, his aging eyes still trying to adjust to the NVG¡¯s as he squinted over towards Lucas, who was now crouched down, wrapping reflective tape around the thick rope that served as a catalyst for whatever trap awaited them. ¡°Hmm¡­ seems your precautions are paying off.¡± Linville noted to no one in particular. Andre looked back, shaking his head, ¡°Yeah¡­ well¡­ three combat tours tend to keep you on your toes¡­ you¡¯d be surprised with the type of shit the Taliban used to hide and detonate IED¡¯s.¡± ¡°I believe it. My son was killed by an IED.¡± Linville replied with a pained tone. Andre lowered his gaze as if to show his guilt for bringing up such a painful memory. ¡°Sorry¡­ you have my condolences.¡± Linville put up a brave front trying to reassure the dark skinned soldier with a small smile. ¡°Thanks, and it¡¯s okay, you didn¡¯t know. Not something I go about telling everyone.¡± Andre still felt bad, he¡¯d seen guys taken out by IED¡¯s before, hell every one of the five had. Although it was one thing to lose a friend, but an entirely different one when it came to losing a loved one. He couldn¡¯t really imagine what the old man was going through. But none the less, Andre just twisted his attention back to the front, as William patted his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re moving.¡± William said before looking over at the two researchers, acting as if he hadn¡¯t heard the conversation exchanged between Andre and Linville. ¡°Remember to watch for the trip wire. We have it marked so you should see it clearly with your NVG¡¯s.¡± Andre halted close to the wire, aiming his rifle back towards the entrance before lowering it once he began to think how pointless it was to actually keep it up given how the entrance was secure. But it was also more or less out of habit and preparedness. That and he was sure it was also good to reassure the researchers that they had 360 coverage. Which was more or less true as well as they both nodded in appreciation as William helped them over the wire, ensuring they wouldn¡¯t trip on it or step on it due to how awkward it was for anyone to use Night Vision Goggles for the first time. And as formally unknown female researcher ¨Cwhom they now knew was named Doctor Elizabeth Knight- climbed over the wire, William turned over towards Andre, patting him on the shoulder, letting him know they were good to move on. Not wasting any time, both Lucas and Evan had gone up ahead, checking the vast hallway for any further traps, an idea that had bore fruit as well given how they managed to find that there were a number of trip wires and even some pressure plates spread all across the floor the further in they went. After marking each, they took a moment to rest in order to let the others catch up, which was fairly slow going given how awkwardly they moved throughout the tunnel. Eventually, though, they did regroup without the slightest bit of trouble. Looking up at the Ms. Knight, Evan could see she was practically gleaming with excitement. Raising a brow in surprise he watched how she more or less skipped up to them. He could only hazard a guess, but he was sure she was excited at having the opportunity to actually explore and examine whatever awaited them¡­ all while doing something that, in the words of Dylan, seemed straight out of an adventure novel. Though as he looked over at her, he was suddenly shaken back to reality by Lucas who motioned for him to keep up. ¡°Come on bro, no time to get lost in thought.¡± Lucas said, reminding Evan of their current location. Evan nodded, ¡°Right¡­¡± He mumbled in reply before pushing himself back up to his feet, quickly following behind Lucas. Lucas, on the other hand, didn¡¯t really care much for how the researchers seemed to act, rather he didn¡¯t even register them at all, just keeping his mind on the current task of guiding them all through the tunnel unharmed. William noted this as well, frowning slightly at how overly serious everyone was at the moment. ¡°Hey, Bull, there¡¯s a spider on your back.¡± William lied, knowing full well there wasn¡¯t, as the only thing able to really get into this damp hallway was water apparently. Though Dylan didn¡¯t know that, ¡°What, fuck you, man¡­ you better not be lying to me¡­¡± Dylan quickly began to look up his eyes trying to spot any spiders. ¡°Fucking spiders¡­ hate spiders¡­ big¡­ fucking spiders! Get it off, get it off!¡± As he began to look around patting his back and backpack trying to get off the non-existent spider, he looked back at William who had a shit eating grin on his face again. ¡°Heh.¡± Will grinned ¡°Ooohhh¡­ you cheeky mother fucker you¡­¡± Dylan said tilting his head to the side. ¡°You know how much I hate bugs, more so spiders!¡± ¡°Yeah, I know, why I said it.¡± He replied calmly, a smile replacing the grin. Dylan gave a bewildered look for a moment, though it looked a bit odd given the NVG¡¯s. ¡°What? So being a dick was part of your plan?¡± ¡°Yup, pretty much. Brought you back, didn¡¯t it?¡± William smiled. Dylan paused a moment before shaking his head, ¡°haaa~¡± sighing he looked back over at Andre, who was snickering away. ¡°He got you, man.¡± ¡°What, is it piss Bull off day today?¡± Dylan questioned, mock annoyance clear as day in his tone of voice. Lucas grinned, ¡°It¡¯s always bug the shit out of Bull day.¡± Dylan merely flipped the others off, shaking it all off with a smile. And as Lucas walked up, he suddenly spotted a bright light that almost blinded him. Quickly pulling off his night vision goggles, Lucas waved to the others. ¡°Got a light up ahead¡­ oddly enough.¡± Lucas reported quickly, his tone returning to normal.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The others all began to remove their own NVG¡¯s the closer they got to the light until finally, they all walked through the open doorway that seemed to emanate light that lit up the edge of the tunnel. As they all stepped in, they all quickly brought their hands and arms up to block the powerfully bright light. ¡°What the hell? Why¡¯s it so bright?¡± Lucas complained as he tried his best to shield his eyes. Doctor Knight was the first to quickly adjust to the light as she looked up, ¡°Crystals Mr. Boerhave¡­ crystals.¡± Lucas looked over with a confused look before he noticed the others looking up at the ceiling along with Ms. Knight. The moment his eyes came to rest on the bright luminous crystals, his jaw dropped in utter shock and surprise. ¡°W-wha¡­ What is that?¡± William asked, his mind racing for answers. None of the other experts could answer either, no one could. It was the first time they¡¯d ever seen such a sight, although as Dylan looked down to examine the rest of the room, he wished his jaw could drop further after what he saw. The room in question wasn¡¯t a room, but rather a massive underground city, that looked as though it had only just yesterday been abandoned. ¡°B-b-bro¡¯s¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ what?¡± Dylan shuddered, losing the ability to put two words together as he looked at the small ancient city lit by crystals. William was the first to shake himself out of the daze, his blue eyes quickly spotting the city as well, though he retained his calm by instead walking up towards what looked like a massive stone staircase that leads down towards the empty city itself. Turning back, he quickly pulled one of his gloves off and snapped his fingers, and almost immediately the group awoke from their momentary shock in time to see the large city. ¡°I found a staircase, Lucas, I believe you were still on point. Andre, you¡¯re at the rear.¡± He said in a calm voice; or at least as calm as he could make it, in an attempt to hide his excitement to see the city below. Andre and Lucas both quickly shook themselves from their daze as they began to walk towards their friend, Lucas being the first to look down the stairwell. Tilting his head to the side he began to ponder just how long it would take for them to get down to the bottom given the overall. The stone stairs themselves being wide enough to fit well over six people side by side, so they¡¯d have no issue in terms of spacing, it was just the length of the stairs. But with a heavy sigh, he dismissed the thought, before looking over at Andre, who shot him a shit eating grin. ¡°Come on bro! Aren¡¯t you pumped? You get to be the first one to step foot in the city.¡± Andre grinned. Lucas looked over at him, a small frown spreading across his face as he turned back to the stairs, ¡°Yeah, yeah, you¡¯re only saying that because you know I¡¯ll get hit first by whatever sort of trap is down there.¡± Andre brought his hand up to his chest as if to act offended, ¡°I¡¯d never!¡± ¡°Uh huh¡­ sure.¡± Lucas replied, his frown soon becoming a smile as he shook his head. Despite the jokes though they knew the seriousness of the situation and would take all precautions on their approach to enter the near virtually untouched city below. Summoning his courage, Lucas was adjusted his weapon as he began to slowly make his way down the stairway. With every step he took he made should to keep his eyes open for any and all possible traps that may very well lay before them. Dylan and William both walked over next, letting the distance between them and their scout grow until they were at least five meters apart from one another. Soon, they followed side by side, Dylan keeping his eyes on the left while William kept his locked on the right. Next were the researchers ¨CDr. Linville, and Dr. Knight- who were trying their best to hold back the excitement that was clear as day on their faces. Evan followed closely behind them, his eyes on the crystals; in case anything was to fall on them. And finally, Andre. Given their speed, it took a little over thirty minutes for them to reach the end of the stairs, with Lucas¡¯ boots touching the stone floor. With a sigh of relief, as there appeared to be no traps waiting for them; which bode well for him. ¡°Alright¡­ seems clear.¡± Lucas waved the group down as he scanned the surroundings for any signs of life or activity. As the rest of the group came down, the five former rangers quickly took their places, two to each wall, with the last man sticking with the researchers. Slowly, they moved together, making sure to watch all angles and sectors as they moved, their weapons trained on anything that looked like movement¡­ only¡­ there wasn¡¯t any. Rather, as they came up to the end of the large stone structure, they noticed a vast empty town square. Lowering their weapons as they concluded the area to be secure, the group began to walk into the empty space. ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re sure this place has been abandoned for the past couple of centuries, right?¡± Andre asked, still looking around in amazement. William nodded, ¡°Pretty sure.¡± Looking around he began to go through what looked like a market of sorts, ¡°Seems like whoever used to live here left in a hurry.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Dylan chimed in as he pointed towards a near pristine wooden cart. Doctor Linville walked up to the cart, quickly examining its every piece and part. ¡°Hmm¡­ odd.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up Doc?¡± William asked as he walked up behind the old man. Eyes still examining the wooden cart, he began to run his wrinkled hand through his hair. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ this is of European design.¡± ¡°So?¡± Dylan said. ¡°So, Mr. Smith, it means, this shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± Linville replied as he pushed himself to back up. ¡°Given the records we¡¯ve read, this area shouldn¡¯t have had any European contact¡­ at all. No one would¡¯ve known to even look here given its terrain and location.¡± William, curious began to look inside the cart to see if he could spot what was being traded before the place was abandoned. As he began to move the rags and dirt away, his eyes were drawn to a sparkle. Quickly digging deeper, he looked in utter shock. ¡°Well¡­ I think they were hiding something doctor...¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± Instead of saying anything, William merely handed Jourdain a golden statue from the cart. His eyes went wide as he grabbed the gold piece, ¡°By¡­ god¡­ is there more?!¡± William flinched a bit in surprise, ¡°Yeah, a fair bit¡­ no need to yell though, I¡¯m standing right beside you¡­¡± Jourdain nearly dived right into the cart ¨Cor would¡¯ve if Dylan hadn¡¯t stopped him- looking for any more of the gold. ¡°Acting almost like the Spanish there Doc.¡± Dylan grinned. Jourdain ignored his quip, and instead began to shove out the dirt and rags from the cart, before pulling out two more gold statues. ¡°Anderson, I need you and your men to look for more of these carts, or European armor, anything that seems out of place in a pre-Colombian site!¡± Turning back to the others who were wandering around as though tourists, William let out a loud whistle. ¡°Alright guys, Doctor Linville wants us to start looking for anything that seems out of place in a pre-Spanish city.¡± William ordered calmly. Dylan looked down at the large pile of gold in the cart, ¡°Do we get to keep any gold we find?¡± William turned to him and grinned before suddenly it vanished, ¡°No¡­¡± Though as he said that, he gave him a thumbs up, letting him know he could. Dylan smiled and nodded. He knew why his friend said no, to ensure that Doctor Linville wouldn¡¯t know and or see. ¡°Well shit¡­ Fine, I won¡¯t take anything then.¡± Dylan replied sourly; although it was an act. Patting his friend on the shoulder, he motioned for him to join him. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you and Doctor Knight to that then. We¡¯ll begin looking for anything European.¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, yeah¡­ sounds good Anderson.¡± Jourdain replied, his mind too focused on the new discovery to pay much attention to anything else. Knight just sighed, shaking her head, before smiling as she began to do the same. Within moments the group quickly spread out and began to check their designated areas, each one looking for something that looked out of place. And before long, they all began to find just that. Each of the five misfits began to return, carrying with them either a trinket or news of some odd objects. ¡°So¡­ seems as though the Spanish did know about this place.¡± Lucas started as he gently laid down a Spanish rapier. Evan did the same, although instead of a blade, he put down what looked like some sort of compass. Andre, however, shook his head, ¡°What I found was too heavy to move. Basically, Spanish chest of, what I guess to be filled with gold.¡± William and Dylan, however, had rather grim expressions on their faces. ¡°Well, our luck sucks then.¡± Dylan started before he threw down into the pile a human skull. ¡°Found that in the building to the south¡­ whole piles of ¡®em¡­ Spanish too, each and every one of them wearing something that looked like it came from Spain.¡± William added. The five stood in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say, before Jourdain broke the silence with a clap of his hands. ¡°Well, seems like you¡¯ve managed to gather evidence that the Spanish did, in fact, find the White City.¡± He started calmly before pausing a moment to look at the skull. ¡°And, judging by the skull, we also found out what happened to them, or at least why there are no stories or written records about this city, other than the few pieces Doctor Knight had found.¡± Knight walked up to join the group, her arms folded against her chest, ¡°Well¡­ this is a rather grim discovery, but a crucial one none the less.¡± Dylan turned to Knight, staring at her for a moment before opening his mouth to speak, ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s the plan now?¡± William rested his hands in his tactical vest, as he looked down at the artifacts gathered before them. ¡°Say question, just phrased in my voice.¡± Andre grinned, ¡°You mean, broken and gay?¡± William chuckled, before looking over at Andre, ¡°Only for you guys.¡± He joked back. Both men laughed, before Knighted coughed, reminding them of the matter at hand, ¡°Anyways, as to what we¡¯ll do next, I¡¯ll have to get you and some of your friends here to report back to Erynn and the others to let them know of the situation. I believe we should get everyone down here to begin investigating and looking for further clues as to the whereabouts of the fabled city of gold¡­¡± Pausing a moment she turned over to the cart filled with gold. ¡°Given how much there is, it might be possible the city exists. Hell, this might be El Dorado for all we know.¡± William nodded, ¡°Right¡­ well, I¡¯ll go up with Dylan and Andre. Evan and Lucas will stay with you guys to help you look for whatever it is you¡¯re hoping to find.¡± ¡°Thank you Anderson.¡± Jourdain said as he returned to his straight-backed self. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, though I wouldn¡¯t say thanks all too much, we¡¯re still not sure what could be waiting for us here. Anyways, we¡¯ll head back now.¡± William replied, before looking over at Lucas and his brother. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll handle things here until you get back, they have a real man to watch there back here.¡± Lucas reassured the others. ¡°Yeah, with Evan here, we shouldn¡¯t need to worry.¡± Dylan said a shit eating grin on his face. Evan just nodded with a smile. Lucas flipped Dylan off before the group turned about and returned to the tunnel entrance. Though as William, Dylan, and Andre made their way up the stairs they couldn¡¯t help but feel something was off¡­ Chapter 9 - Disaster 2146 hours Shortly after Team One''s decent Erynn stood silently at the dark entry way, her green eyes seemingly lost in thought as she wondered whether or not it was wise to let them all go in, without at least one or two of her security detail staying behind to watch over them. Sighing lightly she dismissed it though, knowing for a fact she could handle things by herself long enough for the others to quickly return to push back whoever came their way. So without a second thought, she promptly twisted about on her heels and started to walk towards Katie who had since fallen asleep ¨Chaving gotten so little sleep it wasn¡¯t a surprise to see- on her chair with Dylan¡¯s shotgun resting next to the stone wall of the temple. Erynn raised a brow as she approached, holding her hands behind her straight back, she then brought her right bare hand around and tapped the folded table a few times. ¡°I don¡¯t think I recall the Order paying you to sleep during your shifts, Mrs. Robbert.¡± Katie quickly popped her head up, a trail of drool connecting her to the folded table before she shook the sleep from her face, rubbing the saliva away quickly. ¡°W-wah¡­ uh¡­ yes! Right¡­ sorry, was, uh¡­ thinking?¡± She replied quickly, her face growing red in embarrassment. Erynn gave her a serious glare for a moment before closing her eyes and shaking her head with a small smile. ¡°Never mind. It''s fine, no point getting worked up over it at the moment.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­ I guess?¡± ¡°Mhm, but enough of that, anything to report, before you fell asleep?¡± ¡°Uh, no. Not that I can think of anyways. Was or rather is just as quiet as it was when team one entered the tunnel there.¡± Katie replied confidently as she threw her hands behind her head and leaned back against her chair. Erynn looked over towards the researchers who were clearly now lost in their own world of curiosity and interest as they scanned and cataloged every inch of the area they were in; gathering together whatever evidence they could find. An impressive sight to see, given how dedicated they were to their work, a respectable trait in her eyes. ¡°Always good to see the Order¡¯s resources aren¡¯t being wasted.¡± Katie shrugged, ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± Erynn turned back to Katie for a moment, a small frown on her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong, I just¡­¡± Pausing a moment Katie looked over and up at the stairway then towards the tunnel the rangers went down. ¡°I just wish I was with them¡­¡± looking back at Erynn, ¡°You know?¡± Erynn shrugged as well. ¡°True. The aspect of adventure and danger would be quite interesting.¡± Standing straight once more the 4¡¯11 woman began to walk away and towards the exit. ¡°Anyways, watch the door.¡± Katie sat up, ¡°Sure, I take it you¡¯re going to contact Head Quarters then?¡± Erynn gave a simple nod in reply before vanishing around the corner, one of the carbines strapped around her left shoulder, Robbert following close behind as she launched herself into a run to catch up. -- It didn¡¯t take long for her to reach the outdoors, and once the moonlight shined down upon her scarred face, she gave a small smile. She liked the moon, more so when it was on full display on a clear starry night. But shaking her head, she quickly pushed the thought and desire to see more away, instead of replacing it with her current task, which was to get to the communications. As she took her first step, however, she realized something. It was quiet¡­ too quiet. Nothing was stirring, the area was silent. Something was off and she knew it. Frowning slightly she slowly backed back into the temple doorway, before Katie came running up beside her. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Katie asked as she remained standing. ¡°Shhh¡­¡± Erynn hushed, her finger pressed to her soft lips, before she motioned for Katie to crouch. Katie raised a brow and tilted her head for a moment, but shook it off. Though as she lowered herself down, she was suddenly hit by something in her neck, made evident by the small pinch she felt, and the small thap.It wasn''t the crack of a round wizzing past, but rather it was something else. ¡°W-what?..¡± Katie suddenly crumpled to her knees, her eyes suddenly becoming heavy. She quickly brought her hands up to try and hold herself up as she fell forward. ¡°R-Run!¡± She barked quickly, after mustering whatever she had left in her, before finally slumping down and out. Erynn stood in disbelief for a moment as she saw her teammate go down, but knowing she couldn¡¯t waste any more time than what was already wasted, she took Katie¡¯s plea and bolted down the hallway, heading back towards the group. It was then that she was halted by the sudden sounds of explosions going off in the distance followed closely the pained screams of men and women. A small slash of grin soon formed across her lips the moment she remembered William telling her about their little welcoming gift. Returning to her sprint once more, she felt a little more motivated than before. Katie on the other hand, groaned in annoyance as she desperately tried to move her limbs, but to no avail. All she could do was curse and groan before a pair of black army boots came into her view. ¡°W-who th-e fuck¡­ are you?¡± She managed, her voice a little muffled by the stone floor. Though she didn¡¯t get much of an answer, or in a way she did, as suddenly she felt the sensation of cold steel being clasped around her neck. ¡°F-fuck¡­¡± She coughed, as she was suddenly pulled up. Her brown eyes quickly began to scan the men whose bodies were clad in nothing but black, the only other colour on their person being the NVG¡¯s they wore, and the chains they had in their hands. Though she couldn¡¯t say anything, she knew what was going to happen, as suddenly all of her tactical gear was pulled off, leaving her in just her fatigues, for the time being, that was until those too were removed. Every article of clothing was removed save the steel collar now around her neck, leaving her completely bare. Her pink nipples quickly growing hard as the cold wind nipped at her bare flesh. Her rather shapely breasts heaving, showing the obvious fear she had, before her hands were pulled behind her back, and then pulled up, a small chain linking the cuffs to the collar, before they took it a step further by even cuffing her two thumbs together, ensuring she couldn¡¯t try to get her arms free at all. Next, she was laid back down on her stomach, her legs pulled up and cuffed like her wrist, the cold steel biting into her soft fair skin, and like her thumbs her two big toes were also cuffed together before a chain was connected to the wrist cuffs, effectively hogtying her. Katie could only mumble and grind her teeth in annoyance as this was all going on, though even that didn¡¯t last long as they soon slipped a bit gag in-between her lips, silencing her. She was effectively bound, chained, and gagged. Wiggling her toes in annoyance as she started to get some feeling back in her body, she wondered what fate awaited her. ¡°Sir! Capture of secondary target confirmed. What do you want us to do with her, sir?¡± A man¡¯s voice asked that seemed to send a shiver down Katie¡¯s spin. Katie could do little besides sigh and close her eyes, cursing her lack of caution as she was soon also blindfolded. ¡°Right, good work gentlemen.¡± Katie heard, followed closely by the sound of footsteps that stopped next to her head. ¡°She¡¯s all yours gentlemen, we see no purpose in dealing with her or the other target. So, feel free to take her as part of your payment." Katie, let out a sigh from in between her gag, she knew who these men were, and now¡­ now she also began to feel the fear of the unknown creep upon her. More so as she was suddenly picked up and carried off somewhere. Though, as they loaded her into a truck like some kind of object, she could feel pain shooting through her limbs now as more of the drug seemed to wear off -it seemed like it was a low dose of something- but none the less the pain caused was due to the cuffs and chains binding her, which made her feel a fair bit more uncomfortable. Despite the hopeless situation, she found herself in, she wasn¡¯t going to give in that easy. It was all a matter of finding an opening in her bindings, or during the transport. Either way, none of it mattered as much as getting off this cold truck. --- Erynn didn¡¯t stop running, or rather she couldn¡¯t, at least not yet. Peeling around corners, her hand gripping the edges to help keep her balance as she ran down each corner, trying her utmost to reach a defendable spot. Given the speed she was running at, it didn¡¯t take long for her to reach the area the researchers were, each of whom were quickly scrambling about, each finding the sound of explosions in the distance as a warning for another battle ¨Calthough Erynn and the misfits wouldn¡¯t have called the previous engagement a real battle- more so when they saw their employer come running in, her emerald eyes seemingly scanning each and every one of them. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she knew she was the only combat capable person in the AO.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Fuck¡­ just my luck.¡± She cursed under her breath, her head twisting down towards the hallway as the sound of voices could be heard. She was running out of time, she had to get ready, she had to be ready for the people who were coming to either kill or capture not only herself but her people here. She hated having to leave Katie behind, and just the thought of it boiled her blood. Erynn was going to make sure that no one else would get captured or killed so long as she could still fight. Determination coursing through her mind she brought her carbine up, quickly cocking the weapon, and turning the safety off before she pressed herself against the nearest cover in a crouched stance. Now¡­ she would wait for the coming firefight. She didn¡¯t need to wait long as she saw the familiar sight of a muzzle come around the corner. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself, taking careful aim, her eyes peering through the Holographic sight. Then as the first combatant came around the corner, his weapon up at the fire-ready stance, she opened fire, sending a three round burst into the man¡¯s skull. The 5.56 punching through the man¡¯s skull and helmet, a trail of blood and brains spraying out from the back of his head as the rounds ripped through sending bloody debris onto the man behind him, who brought his hand up in defence, only to feel his arm get smacked by both blood and a stray round that managed to get through the first man¡¯s head. Dropping to his knees, the second man let out a scream of pain, while the first just dropped lifelessly to the stone floor. Erynn grinned, two men taken out with one burst, so far so good, she thought, as she quickly fired off a second volley, which promptly killed the second man, his own head blowing up in a burst of blood and gore as the corpse slumped and slid against the left side wall. The other hostiles, not taking any chances, quickly found cover, the third man peering out from the corner to return fire, popping off two shots before pulling back into cover. Erynn frowned, she knew she couldn¡¯t drag this out, more so given her limited supply of ammunition. Remembering the count of rounds fired, she knew she had half a clip left as she kept her back pressed against the wall. 5.56 rounds punched into the wall next to her, sending chunks of stone and moss flying past her unprotected head. With two men firing down at her, she could only wait until the breath moment of respite came, when they were reloading; that is if they were untrained. ¡°Reloading!¡± Reported a voice from the opposition, causing Erynn to grind her teeth. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± These men were trained, more so as the wall continued to be pelted with enemy rounds, knowing how she had no choice, she began to rummage through her tactical vest, before pulling out a grenade. ¡°¡­ Really don¡¯t want to use it here, but fuck it¡­ better than letting them take my position.¡± She thought as she pulled the pin, quickly starting the count, letting as much time as she could afford past before she had mere moments left, and it was then that she quickly threw herself out of cover, risking the chance of getting hit to throw the explosive. The grenade landed close to the third man, who didn¡¯t notice it at first, but when he did, it was too late as the grenade went off. Her two attackers were dead, their muted screams and the lack of gunfire telling her all she needed to know. Peering around the corner once more to see if anyone else was coming, she nodded satisfied that she had managed to take out the ones following her at least. With a small respite, she quickly took inventory of her current supplies. She had six magazines for her MK-18, four for her Barrett 9mm, three grenades, two flash grenades, and one smoke. If worse came to worse, she would also have her bayonet ready for CQC; the bayonet strapped to her right calf for quick access. She wasn¡¯t sure if she would have enough ammo and supplies to hold out for the misfits to return¡­ all she could do was hope and rely on her skills. Soon enough though, Erynn is brought back from her thoughts and checks as the sound of boots walking in puddles could be heard; no doubt the blood from their fallen comrades. With a moment¡¯s hesitation, Erynn quickly plants herself against the opposite wall, ready for whatever awaited her. And what awaited her was a large group of highly trained soldiers who quickly began to put down suppressive fire onto Erynn¡¯s position. Clicking her tongue in annoyance she began to look around, trying to figure out if she could find another avenue of attack, sadly she found nothing that would offer her more of an advantage than the spot she currently held. Steeling her nerves, the black haired beauty quickly pulled one of the flash bangs from her vest, pulling the pin and adjusting her aim so that the flash bounced off the opposite wall before bouncing over the right wall and then hopefully down in front of the group of soldiers firing towards her. Not a second longer after making her calculations and estimations she threw the flash. Much to her amazement and surprise her little idea turned out to benefit her as the flash bang went off blinding all the men who were in the dark tunnel, the sound of their screams filling the ruins as they tried to remove their NVG¡¯s. ¡°Can¡¯t believe that fucking worked¡­¡± She said pulling another frag grenade from her supply and threw it into the blended group. The grenades were extremely effective, ripping through the large group of black fatigued soldiers who now lay dead, dying, or wounded. Her face soon melted into a sick smile as she saw the carnage she had just inflicted on her foes. ¡°Hmph, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m all too impressed,¡± Erynn announced aloud to anyone who might be listening in the hallway. Then, unsurprising a calculating and cold voice replied promptly. ¡°Ah, yes, I apologize for the¡­ lackluster showing Ms. Collier.¡± Erynn raised a brow, curious as to how they knew her name. ¡°Well, I do have to give you credit for one thing at least¡­ you¡¯ve done your research.¡± ¡°Indeed, in fact, I know all about you Ms. Collier. I know you work for my organizations¡­ hmm¡­ I guess I¡¯d call your group their rivals? Yeah, rivals seem to be appropriate given their goals.¡± The unknown man replied soundly. Even from here she could tell this guy was dangerous, the way he spoke, and the tone of his voice seemed to show he was not the type of man to know the meaning of fear¡­ That much was easy to tell since his voice seemed to grow louder as he drew closer. Calming peaking around the corner she could see the man now. A middle-aged man, whose hair was more of a salt and pepper mix, his cold blue eyes seemingly inflicting fear when looked into longer than a minute. Judging by his build, Erynn estimated the man to be well over 6¡¯3¡± and weight close to 180lbs of muscle. ¡°A scary man indeed.¡± Erynn thought, a little impressed. Though, the smile still on her face, she twisted out of cover, carbine aimed at the man who only grinned in reply before suddenly three rounds smashed into his plate carrier forcing him off his feet. He fell back hard, his unprotected head hitting the vest of one of his dead men. Though with the usual groan of pain that comes with getting hit in the chest, came a small laugh, as the odd man slipped out from his coat a small pistol that fired tranquilizer rounds. Erynn¡¯s eyes went wide in surprise at the sight of the weapon came into view. Quickly aiming through the holographic sight she was about to fire but he fired first the dart quickly slamming into her right thigh, which saw her quickly grunt in both pain and annoyance as she began to stumble back. The drug moved through her system quickly, and she could feel it, her balance becoming a fair bit unsteady. The mysterious man, pushed himself to the upright position, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Not a bad shot there¡­ Too bad the vest I¡¯m wearing absorbed the impact.¡± He started, tapping his vest. ¡°Experimental vest we¡¯ve been working on back at headquarters. Can take just about any caliber save maybe a fifty.¡± He added before suddenly a group of men came rushing from around the corner their weapons quickly aimed at Erynn. Erynn forced a grin across her face as she saw the new arrivals, her chances to hold off a bit longer dwindling down to almost nothing, but she¡¯d continue to fight no matter how bad the odds were stacked against her. Flinching in a mix of pain and numbness, Erynn squeezed the trigger, the MK-18 three round burst quickly ripping through the first of the six men who came around the corner, his body falling limply on top of the other dead men. Though before she could take out a second, she felt a sudden sting as another dart smacked into her right shoulder. ¡°Fuck¡­ fuck¡­ FUCK!!¡± She cursed as she felt her entire arm go numb, it quickly dropping to her side as if dead. Try as she might, she couldn¡¯t will her limbs to move anymore as she felt all her limbs go dead. Grimacing in discomfort as she fell to her knees, her arms letting her weapon just hang around her. Her emerald green eyes piercing daggers at the men as they quickly surrounded her, each aiming their weapons towards her. Although the man she focused more of her scorn upon was none other than the man she had shot who slowly and purposely walked towards her, a sick smile across his aging features. ¡°I must commend you, Ms. Collier¡­¡± He said warmly before crouching down at her level, his cold blue eyes looking into her own emerald green. ¡°Not many people can claim to have held out for as long as you have, with such odds stacked against you.¡± As he complimented her, his eyes began to examine her body. Erynn felt a shiver run down her spine ¨Cwhich was made numb by the drugs- as the man scanned her body. She wanted to spit in his face, but she couldn¡¯t even manage to open her mouth to speak¡­ It was then that her vision began to get blurry, her body betraying her as the drugs took over, effectively knocking her out. Before she fell face first into the stone floor, the blue-eyed man caught her before laying her down gently. Looking down at her, shook his head, ¡°Such a waste¡­¡± He sighed in disappointment before he pushed himself back up to his feet. His eyes wide as he began to feel his age. ¡°Hmm¡­ should see about getting my back cracked again.¡± As he walked away, the five men lowered their weapons and watched him walk towards the researchers. He paused to look back, looking a little dumbfounded by their lack of common sense. Shooting them a quick glare as if to tell them to secure the researchers, he shook his head in annoyance. ¡°Leave her for now¡­ I have an idea for her. A little gift for the ones in there.¡± As he spoke he looked towards the tunnel, knowing full well there were others down there. And so, he stood watching the anthropologists, historians, biologists, and archeologists were escorted out, their hands cuffed behind their backs. Each looking down at Erynn with a pang of guilt; each feeling responsible for having caused her loss. Before long, they vanished around the corner, leaving the black leather coated man who was soon joined by four men, carrying the same type of bindings as the ones used on Katie. ¡°Don¡¯t take this one¡­ rather¡­ just strip her, bind her, and leave her here.¡± The four men looked at him questionably, ¡°Sir?¡± One of them said as if to request a repeat of the order. Grinning the man looked down at Erynn. ¡°I want to leave a message¡­ and a gift to the others.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ right, yes sir!¡± And within moments the four men quickly went about stripping Erynn of her tactical gear, and clothing, until she lay bare. The extent of her training and skill being made more so evident by how well toned she appeared. Her fair white skin marred by what appeared to be an old war wound, her right side scarred by a long and brutal looking cut that ran down her frame, ending at the sole of her right foot. ¡°Hmm¡­ They did say she was hit by an IED back in Iraq.¡± The man noted aloud. ¡°Seems she got lucky given the extent of her scars.¡± The four men just nodded, not really paying attention as they attached the steel collar around her neck, the long chain quickly attached to the cuffs binding her hands behind her back, followed closely by the thumb cuffs. After that, they pulled her bare feet up, and cuffed them as well, only with a smaller chain, which they then attached to the cuffs to keep Erynn hogtied before they also cuffed her big toes. Once she was fully bound in the steel chains, they placed a face harness over her head, with a bit gag going in between her dry pink lips, and then a blindfold was added. Once she was fully bound, they hoisted her up and onto one of the table¡¯s set up by her own team. ¡°That¡¯s good. Go regroup with the others. We have what we came here for.¡± ¡°Sir.¡± And with that the four men doubled back, carrying with them maps, and other such paperwork that had been gathered by a secondary team that was just starting to finish their own job. Once they all left, the man just stood there awhile longer. Sighing lightly to himself, he walked over and began to pen a message using a scrap of paper. Once finished he stuffed the message into Erynn¡¯s head harness and walked away. ¡°Goodbye, Ms. Collier. I do so look forward to our next meeting.¡± And with that, he was gone. Chapter 10 - A favor 2150 hours Underground Lost City, below White City Ruins. ¡°Fuck¡­ I¡­ really¡­ hate¡­ stairs!¡± Huffed Dylan, who found himself hating himself for not keeping up with his cardio. ¡°See, this is why I told you to keep running Shorty,¡± Andre replied smiling, his own voice slightly marred by his own huffing and puffing. William, who was slightly ahead of the other two, just shook his head with a sigh. ¡°Man¡­ how the fuck are you not tired?¡± Dylan asked William, noting how he seemed to be the only one not huffing and puffing. William peered over his shoulder and back towards Dylan, ¡°I¡¯m just as tired as Richard, bro. I just sweat my ass off.¡± ¡°Pfft, fuck that, I¡¯ve seen you running up and down the steps back at the stadium there bro.¡± Andre chimed with a chuckle. ¡°Honestly bro, I just remember to keep doing legs day. Legs day all day, every day¡­ because every day¡¯s a good day for the Airborne Infantry.¡± ¡°Damn straight! Rangers lead the way.¡± Andre followed up with a grin as he ran up just in time to fist bump, William. Dylan frowned slightly as he watched Andre and William begin to jog up the rest of the stairs. ¡°Fuck¡­ you¡­ guys, I¡¯m the one carrying most of the heavy shit!¡± ¡°Only because you don¡¯t trust the rest of us to carry the tools bro.¡± William replied with a grin. ¡°That¡¯s because none of you know how to use these tools masterfully as me.¡± ¡°True, I don¡¯t doubt your skill at masterfully handling another shaft.¡± Andre sneered with a grin. Dylan nodded, ¡°Damn straight- wait¡­ aw, fuck you, man!¡± He cursed as he gave his buddies the bird with a shake of his head. ¡°Alright, alright, best ready up bro¡¯s, remember the traps our hosts left us here. Watch your steps and also¡­¡± William started before turning back to the others with a pause, ¡°When we get back, I need to take a dump.¡± He said finally, a serious look on his face before he smiled and began to laugh. Dylan raised his arms as if saying, ¡®really?¡¯ while Andre just joined in the laugh before confirming the warning with a, ¡°yeah, rog.¡± And shortly after their small little laugh, the three men arrived at the tunnel entrance once more. Getting their NVG¡¯s ready, the misfits began to make their trek back to the base camp to report their findings. Needless to say, the journey there proved to be a fair bit faster given how they were now more keenly aware of the traps and surprises left by the former inhabitants. Though as they grew closer towards the camp, the three Rangers paused for a moment as an uneasy feeling washed over them the closer they got to the main entrance. ¡°It¡¯s quiet¡­¡± Dylan observed as he pulled his NVG¡¯s up and off before the light from the entrance blinded him. William nodded, ¡°Yeah¡­ somethings off.¡± ¡°You think something happened?¡± Andre asked, joining in the worry his friends had. Biting his bottom lip in annoyance, William brought his carbine up and at the ready. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but last time we left, we could still hear the voices of the researchers¡­ and now¡­ now we can¡¯t hear shit. Ready up guys.¡± ¡°Rog.¡± Andre quickly brought his up at the fire ready stance as he took point ahead of the others. Dylan did the same without a word, his eyes locked on the front sector as they made their approach towards the dull light. Slowly the three men walked into the temple, William turned left, Dylan the right, while Andre remained glued to the front. ¡°Clear left.¡± ¡°Clear right.¡± ¡°Clear¡­ oh fuck¡­¡± Andre stopped short of making his reply as his eyes came to rest on the naked and hogtied form of Erynn on the plastic table. Quickly the other two twisted about, their eyes going wide in shock. ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± Growled Dylan who twisted around in disgust and annoyance. William¡¯s grip tightened around the grip of his weapon before he lowered it, and motioned for Andre to cover the exit, before he walked over to Erynn. ¡°FUCK!!¡± Dylan cursed loudly as he flipped over a nearby table ¡°Those fucks! Fuck, fuck, FUCK!!!¡± ¡°Calm the hell down Bull!¡± William barked, ¡°Get your shit together and get me a blanket over here.¡± Dylan, still seething with rage nodded slowly, ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah¡­ right.¡± He replied slowly, visibly calming down as he began to pull around his ruck and dig through it to find a blanket. As William began to figure out how to get Erynn out of her bonds, he peered over towards piece of paper left beside her that had a small rock over top of it, as if to act as a paperweight. Raising a brow, he picked the sheet of paper up, his gloved fingers seemingly having no trouble grabbing the smooth surface. Within seconds his blue eyes went wide as he began to read the words on the page. It was a note addressed to them, and only them. The former officer felt his blood boil as he began to read the lines in the page. Dear Rangers, I¡¯m sorry I could not be there to greet you personally, but I had other tasks to deal with So I was left with no choice but to leave you five this letter, as it¡¯s the least I can do. As you might have guessed, I have taken the liberty of leaving you gentlemen a gift, as Thanks for helping me achieve my goals back in Afghanistan last year. I do hope you understand That it was all for the greater good, and¡­ personally, I had no doubts in my mind that you Fine gentlemen and your unit would have no trouble in dealing with the Taliban fighters. Anyways, getting back on point, I believe it is only fair that I leave you with something to Remember me by, so, I left your lovely employer here. However, the others come with a price. Should you wish to rescue the others from our care, you¡¯ll need to do another favor for me. That favor being the collection of the keystones, like the one you had used to enter the tunnel. Now, I won¡¯t blame you for exploring the location each unlocks, as it actually makes my life easier, In truth, I¡¯m hoping you¡¯ll explore the many locations you find and gather whatever is hidden within Each of the ruins you find. Once you¡¯ve collected them all and the keystones, you won¡¯t need to Contact or find me, rather I¡¯ll come to you, and offer you what it is you want most. Sincerely, Mr. Raven William had to calm himself down as he slowly lowered the letter. ¡°That dirty mother fucker!¡± He cursed under his breath. As Dylan walked up, he grabbed the letter from the table and began to read, his previous rage returning as he threw the letter into the wall, ¡°FUCKING ASSHOLE!!¡± He blurted aloud in a rage, ¡°I swear to God if I EVER see that mother fucker I¡¯ll fucking kill him!¡± Andre shook his head, a somber look on his face ¨Cwhich was unusual given the smile or grin he would often have- as he walked towards his two brothers. ¡°I know, I want to get this guy too, but getting angry is only going to make things harder for us down the line. We¡¯ve been through worse fam, we¡¯ve got this.¡± As Andre reassured his two friends he rested his gloved hands on both men¡¯s shoulders, which seemed to do the trick, as they both visibly relaxed. Sighing, William rested the weight of his upper body onto his rests, before he peered over at the hogtied form of Erynn, still unconscious from the tranquilizer they had used on her. ¡°Your right¡­ sorry¡­ I¡­ well, I can¡¯t find the words¡­ the only thing we can do now is getting our employer here out of her bonds and back in fighting shape. Chances are, we¡¯ll need all the people we can get to help us find the other stones.¡± The other misfits nodded in unison before Dylan chimed in, ¡°Agreed, I don¡¯t want to do anything, or go anywhere until we have a solid team here. I mean, there¡¯s only so much the five of us can do.¡± ¡°I hear you fam.¡± Andre joined in, folding his arms across his chest, ¡°I think we¡¯ll need as many bodies as we can get. Knowing how these fuckers operate, we¡¯ll be seeing some unwelcome surprises in the future.¡± ¡°Agreed. Alright, Bull, you gather what tools you have left, chances are they didn¡¯t find our little cubbyhole in the jungle where we stored our other shit. Ghost, I want you on overwatch, can¡¯t be one-hundred percent that all those asshats are gone, so I think its best if we have you watching that doorway.¡± As William began to layout the orders to the others, he turned around and began to look over the steel bindings that held Erynn in the position she was in. ¡°Already done,¡± Dylan replied, as he began to walk over to the exit. Andre, doing the same, replied with a quick, ¡°Rog." Within moments William was left alone to try and undo Erynn¡¯s bindings. -- Evan and Lucas both sighed, each man looking over the gathered gold, each man seemingly stuck in a sense of wonder before suddenly they were snapped back to reality as Jourdain snapped his fingers. ¡°Gentlemen, I believe we have other tasks to do besides looking at gold, hmm?¡± The old man pointed out, his hands now clasped behind his back, and a small smile tugging at his lips. Both Rangers turned towards the aging researcher. ¡°Yeah¡­ sorry.¡± Lucas said first, as he adjusted the sling of his carbine. ¡°Have anywhere specific you want us to look into?¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Jourdain shook his head, ¡°None at the moment sadly, as of right now, I¡¯m still trying to figure out which one of these buildings we should look into first.¡± Evan began to scan the surrounding area his mind beginning to look back at his experience in Afghanistan, and Africa. Suddenly, as his eyes began to look around he spotted a point that seemed a little out of the way. Quickly resting his hand on Lucas¡¯ shoulder, he then pointed towards the building in the distance. Lucas raised a brow, before he squinted his eyes, trying to see whatever it was Evan was pointing towards before suddenly he saw it. ¡°Ah! Good eye Twitch.¡± Lucas complimented before quickly turning back to the old man, ¡°Sir, we may have a starting point for you to look at. Twitch here spotted a point up ahead that looks like it might be a prime location to hide something you don¡¯t want being found.¡± Jourdain raised a brow, ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Yeah, look over there.¡± He added quickly before pointing towards the building himself. The graying man peered over towards the building in question and his eyes went wide for a moment, ¡°Aha! Well done gentlemen, well done indeed!¡± Quickly crouching down, Jourdain began to dig through his bag of tools before producing a small stone tool. ¡°Quickly now, no time to waste, we¡¯ll need to get over there ASAP. And so the three men quickly rushed towards the rundown looking stone pyramid that seemed to look a fair bit smaller than its associates that darted the underground city. As they rushed towards the stone ruins, Knight stood in silence as she continued to examine her notes on a large stone slab, the fact the three others left without her not at all seeming to bother her. Rather her mind was lost in thought, still bothered by the pristine condition of the ghost town they had found, what¡¯s more, the fact that items that should have rotted away were merely musty in smell, but otherwise in perfect condition. Slowly raising up from her hunched stance, Knight began to look around, looking for the others, only to spot them halfway down the street. ¡°What? Ugh¡­ not even a heads up?¡± Knight frowned in annoyance while scratching the back of her head. Sighing lightly she rested the hands on her hips before looking back at her notebook, she figured she¡¯d do her own independent search and contact the others if she ran into any trouble¡­ or traps. On the opposite side of the ghost town, the Rangers and Doctor Linville were already at the only run down structure in the city, and already the two soldiers were climbing up the stone steps, their weapons at the fire ready stance as they inched further up the structure. Once at the top, both men visibly relaxed as they didn¡¯t see any dangers or anything for that matter. Turning around Lucas waved up the Doctor, ¡°AO¡¯s clear sir- Oh holy shit!¡± Lucas jumped back as he came face to face with the Doctor. ¡°I¡¯m already aware Ranger, though I appreciate the warning.¡± As he spoke, he clasped his hands together and began to rub them in excitement. ¡°Now then, to work my good man.¡± Both Evan and Lucas could see just how excited the old man was, though both just shrugged it off, with Evan quickly bringing up his secondary weapon he began to enter the ruins. Lucas watched a while longer, motioning for the old man to follow behind Evan. However, Jourdain was already following closely behind the former sniper, a hop in his step as the excitement began to take him. ¡°Fuck man, aren¡¯t you ever excited,¡± Lucas observed aloud, before adjusting the sling of his weapon before forming in. Jourdain, grinning opened his mouth to reply, ¡°Think about it, man! We¡¯re walking into a complex no one has been in well over four hundred years!¡± His reply came quickly, and Lucas nodded in agreement, it was an extremely cool moment for the three men as they walked into the darkness of the only ruined building. Though both Evan and Lucas quickly went stone-faced as they began to examine the dark area, looking for any signs of light, not wanting to use their NVG¡¯s in an area that might mysteriously light up like the others when they lit up the torches. ¡°Found it!¡± Evan exclaimed as he brought up a lighter, the gentle orange light filling up the darkness before suddenly it lit up the entire walkway. As the darkness was replaced by the light created by the fire, the three men stood in shock at what lay before them. Bones, human bones, scattered across the ground. ¡°What¡­ the fuck?¡± Muttered Lucas in shock. Jourdain was about to take a step forward but was quickly stopped by Evan¡¯s hand which was thrust in front of the aging researcher. ¡°Hold a moment¡­¡± Evan said, before crouching down, his eyes scanning the dirty floor. ¡°¡­ The area might be booby trapped. Watch out for keystones.¡± As he warned the others he began to look for the trigger stones that might set off whatever traps were hidden. Lucas frowned, ¡°Shit¡­ now we have to deal with the real traps, I guess the ones at the tunnel were just to make the illusion of a poorly defended area.¡± ¡°Agreed¡­ And these unfortunate Spaniards seemed to have discovered just that.¡± Jourdain said grimly. Evan rose to his feet as he began to rummage through his load-bearing vest, before pulling out an empty clip. ¡°Always carry an empty clip, just in case,¡± Evan said before taking a few steps back just in case. Throwing the empty clip onto the stone floor, the three men waited with baited breath to see what happened, with Lucas quickly pulled the doctor over in behind cover, Evan soon followed, diving behind a large statue. The three men remained silent, and the silence was the reward. Looking up and around the corner Lucas raised a brow, ¡°Nothing happened? You sure you did it right Twitch?¡± Evan shrugged, ¡°Pretty sure.¡± ¡°If you got another, throw it in a different direction.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What? What you mean no? You¡¯re the only one who saves the empties.¡± ¡°Yeah, so?¡± Lucas looked stunned for a moment, shaking his head, ¡°Just¡­ fucking throw one.¡± ¡°You got twenty?¡± ¡°What? You want money for those things?¡± Evan nodded. ¡°Bro! Why do you need money?¡± ¡°They''re expensive, and consider it an investment.¡± ¡°Fuck¡­an investment? Really?¡± Lucas spat in annoyance before turning back and rolling his eyes, ¡°Ugh... fuck it, fine.¡± ¡°Sweet.¡± No sooner had the deal been made, Evan pulled out another empty clip and whipped it across the floor and just on cue a number of darts came flying out and towards them, slamming into the walls, statues, and stone slabs. ¡°Oh fuck, oh fuck!¡± Lucas cursed as he quickly covered his head and that of the doctor, shielding him from any potential ricocheted dart. Thankfully the trap lasted but a few moments, and both Lucas and Evan slowly began to emerge from their cover, and walk back into the hallway. ¡°Well¡­ good thing Bull wasn¡¯t here.¡± Lucas suggested. Evan tilted his head and gave a puzzled look. Turning towards Evan, Lucas grinned, ¡°He¡¯d have gotten a dart in the ass.¡± Evan chuckled, shaking his head, before pushing Lucas forward. ¡°Alright, alright, should still be careful, chances are there¡¯s still traps active.¡± ¡°Mhm, a sound observation Lucas.¡± Jourdain added as he himself pushed himself out from behind the statue. Both men turned to look at the doctor as they stopped in their tracks. ¡°Any suggestions as to what to look for?¡± Lucas asked, his gloved hands resting on the top of his carbine. ¡°Well, normally there would be some sort of symbol, design, or script that would act as a sort of warning to anyone smart enough to listen, but here¡­ it was almost like whatever it was they were trying to hide and protect was something of such importance that they made it so not even their own would know where to step, crawl, or jump.¡± The doctor replied, a grim look on his face as he examined the stone flooring and walls for any sort of clue. ¡°Essentially¡­ we¡¯re walking on pure luck. I¡¯d recommend waiting for the others, and maybe using something as a shield from any more potential traps like the one you had set off there. Given what we¡¯re looking at right now.¡± Turning away from the former Rangers, he peered over towards the hallway, littered with the skeletal remains of the Spanish victims. ¡°There¡¯s no cover between here and the goal.¡± Lucas threw his head back in annoyance, ¡°Fuck~¡± He moaned in annoyance, before pulling his head back up and looking over towards Evan. ¡°Well¡­ no point wasting any more time than we already have, best get the Boss, Bull, and Ghost here¡­ and get them to bring some sort of shield.¡± Evan nodded, pursing his lips, before holstering his weapon and walking out of the complex and down the stone steps. Lucas and Jourdain both watched Evan a bit longer before they soon joined behind him, looking to regroup with the others quickly. As right now¡­ there was little to no chance they could get through the trap infected complex without the support of the others. But, what news awaited them was only going to make things that much more complex for the former soldiers and researchers. -- ¡°OW! Fuck¡­ pinched my finger¡± William whined, waving his pained finger about while trying to undo Erynn¡¯s bonds. Dylan sighed lightly, as he threw down a pair of pliers. ¡°Bro¡­ it¡¯d be easier to use these. Just saying.¡± Turning back to Dylan, William frowned. ¡°Really? Now you bring me this stuff? Would¡¯ve helped twenty minutes before.¡± He retorted quickly, annoyance clear in his tone of voice. Andre grinned as he walked up, ¡°You know shorty, he likes coming in at a fashionably late time.¡± ¡°Pfft, you¡¯re just jealous because at least I look fabulous when I do.¡± Dylan joked with a grin. Shaking his head, ¡°Heh, always.¡± William chuckled softly as he watched the back and forth between his two brothers before he returned his attention back to the hogtied Erynn, who was still very much out like a light. Though given how many darts marks were darting throughout her pale yet scarred skin, it wasn¡¯t hard to see why she was still out despite the time that had passed. With a quick shake of his head, however, he returned to trying to clip the bonds. Dylan, raising a brow as he walked up stroking his legendary beard, couldn¡¯t help but still admire how well built Erynn was. One could tell she had some form of military training by how she moved, but what solidified that thought was the tattoos she had that decorated her arms, back, and her left thigh. Many were beautiful murals that seemed to tell some kind of story, a story of pain, loss, and near death moments in her life that seemed to match well with the brutal scars that littered her otherwise gorgeous frame. ¡°Gotta say¡­ seeing all this¡­ gives me a whole new level of respect for the woman. I mean¡­ damn. Look at these tattoos.¡± Dylan observed his hazel green eyes seemingly glued to the art that decorated the woman¡¯s body. The former Captain just nodded, too focused on trying to free their employer, while Andre walked up, his own eyes taking in the art that decorated her body. ¡°Former Marine by the look of that one there.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± William hummed. ¡°Look, see the unit patch?¡± Shouldering his weapon, Andre pointed out the moniker of a certain deadly USMC group. ¡°Yeah.¡± Both said in unison, which had Andre chuckle before continuing. ¡°Marine Raiders. Our boss here was a former Raider.¡± ¡°Oh shit¡­ but wait¡­ how¡­ how¡¯s that possible? I thought they didn¡¯t accept women in their ranks?¡± Dylan pointed out quickly, his own memories thinking back to the lack of equality in some of the units. ¡°Don¡¯t know bro. Lot of shit we don¡¯t know about. Hell, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she herself asked to remain a secret. But¡­¡± ¡°¡­ But, its not surprising she was in given the mess she left behind.¡± William finished Andre¡¯s sentence after his pause. The three men looked back at the bloody bodies that remained. ¡°Gotta say though¡­ fucking cold that.¡± Dylan spoke up. ¡°What¡¯d you mean?¡± William asked just as he finally managed to break through the cuffs holding Eyrnn¡¯s hands together. Adjusting the strap of his carbine, ¡°I mean¡­ they just left their dead behind like nothing.¡± Dylan said finally. ¡°Rog¡­ seems fucked.¡± Andre agreed. William just shrugged, ¡°I mean, given who we¡¯re up against here, it¡¯s not entirely surprising. But, for now, our main focus should be getting Erynn free, once that¡¯s done, we¡¯ll start burying the dead before they start to really stink up the place. Sound good?¡± Cracking his knuckles, Dylan walked up to help William with the binds. ¡°Really? Did you really just crack your knuckles before coming to help me? Its pulling off some metal bro, not punching someone.¡± William joked, a grin spreading across his face. ¡°What is this? Pick on the Bull day?¡± Dylan retorted in mock insult. ¡°It¡¯s always pick on Shorty day bro.¡± Andre chimed in, his eyes still glued to the entryway; just in case there were some possible stragglers. Dylan flipped both men off, before a wide grin spread across his bearded face. Though, just as he did so, he and William both managed to finally undo the last piece of the puzzle, which saw to Erynn¡¯s limbs once more falling free, leaving her head and neck to free fall until William caught her at the last minute. Both quickly shifted her over, before Bull walked up and threw over a makeshift blanket of sorts to cover her nudity until they could find some clothing for her. ¡°By the way, think they left anything for us out there?¡± William asked, grabbing his gear now that Erynn was free. Andre was the first to shrug, ¡°Honestly, I doubt it. After seeing the condition of this place, I bet you anything they took all our shit and disabled our rides.¡± Bull nodded in agreement as he began to run his fingerless gloved hands through his bushy beard, ¡°Odd¡¯s aren¡¯t with us on this one.¡± William clicked his tongue in annoyance. ¡°Che¡­ fuck it! No harm looking. Bull, Ghost form up on me, we¡¯re going to at least check our st-¡° ¡°What the fuck happened here?!¡± Suddenly shouted Lucas, who, alongside Evan, Knight, and Jourdain, emerged from the tunnel entrance. The other three quickly shifted around before walking up. ¡°Oh¡­ scratch that guys, seems like we have some talking to do.¡± William corrected. Though explaining what had happened, still didn¡¯t really help calm the minds of the others who were still walking around, their eyes darting about as if trying to piece together something they already knew. Evan, however, was different, he just calmly and quietly leaned against the tunnel entrance as if already knowing what they were going to do before the others even did. A trait he often displayed during stressful situations, and one that had almost always been right with; more so after Lucas and Jourdain had told their own little story, which saw to the group more or less at a standstill. ¡°Well fuck¡­¡± Dylan cursed in annoyance as he twisted about on his right heel. ¡°So, then¡­ what the fuck? We don¡¯t even know what the hell we have, let alone what we¡¯re supposed to really do once and IF, a big if there, if we find whatever it is that douche wants.¡± The other four Rangers nodded in agreement before Knight raised her voice to interject. ¡°While I do understand the situation we¡¯re in, I still have to go with our original goal. We should focus on getting that artifact, all other objectives are secondary at this point if I¡¯m to say it in your terms that is.¡± William raised a brow, slightly impressed, ¡°Gotta agree with you on that Doctor Knight... chances are, they left us fuck and all out there, leaving us with only one real option until boss lady over there wakes up.¡± ¡°Find the key.¡± Evan finished. William snapped his fingers and pointed to Evan, ¡°Yup.¡± Bull shook his head, annoyance clear as day on his face. ¡°Man¡­ I¡¯m telling you, this better not be another Africa¡­ cause I¡¯m warning you bro, I will shove whatever tools I have left out there, straight up your fucking asses.¡± ¡°Calm down there Shorty. Africa was just a fluke, no way that shit will happen again.¡± Andre said, resting his hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure his friend, which did little to nothing to help. Sighing, Dylan just shook his head, throwing his hands up in the air in defeat. ¡°Fuck it, better down there then up here.¡± William chuckled softly shaking his head before looking down at Erynn. ¡°Also, we¡¯re gonna need to take her with us. No way can we risk leaving her here. Bad enough we got those guys rotting there. Who knows what¡¯s coming to feast on them.¡± ¡°Rog, I¡¯ll pull out the stretcher.¡± Andre agreed, before taking a knee and pulling ¡®round his rucksack. Lucas walked up behind him, ¡°I¡¯ll help carry her down with ya bro.¡± Andre nodded, happy for the help. ¡°Thanks. Alright Capt, we¡¯re ready to go once she¡¯s on.¡± Not wasting a moment, the former Captain quickly patted Bull on the back, and gave Evan a nod -who quickly twisted into the tunnel- before looking over at the two last researchers they had with them. ¡°Doctors, you¡¯re behind Ghost and Boer there. Follow their every step. Dylan, you¡¯re behind them to watch our rear. Evan¡¯s on point.¡± As he made the order he started to head down the stairway leading to the tunnel. Once all was said and done, the group of soldiers and researchers vanished into the darkness, ensuring that they remembered where the traps were in the dark tunnel. Chapter 11 - The First Step Walking through the pitch black tunnel was a fair bit harder now that they had to carry the remainder of the gear they had, as well as the stretcher with Erynn¡¯s unconscious body on it. Thankfully, Lucas was on point as he had marked out all the trap wires with luminous strings that were easily seen with the groups NVG¡¯s. All in all, it took mere moments for the group to reach the light at the end of the tunnel, walking once more into the underground city that still sent a shiver of excitement down each of the misfits spins whenever they saw the ruins. ¡°Man¡­ this place is still awestriking, no matter how many times I see it,¡± William commented as he pulled off his NVG¡¯s with the others. Dylan nodded in agreement as he and the others began to slowly carry Erynn down the long stairway leading into the town entrance. ¡°Same here bro, though it¡¯s still not as awe inspiring as Andre actually cleaning.¡± Andre grunted as he adjusted the weight around in his gloved hand before he brought up his now free hand and gave Dylan the bird, ¡°Fuck you too Shorty.¡± He retorted with a grin. ¡°At least my skin is clean and not covered in a permanent layer of oil.¡± Bull just waved his hand in thanks, the weight of Erynn essentially nothing to the man whose arms were the size of one¡¯s thighs, ¡°That¡¯s a compliment to someone who works on cars for a living Tyrone. Proves how much more of a man I am in comparison.¡± ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t know men screamed like little girls when they were angry.¡± Andre retorted quickly. ¡°ONE-time man, ONE TIME¡­ stubbed my toe¡­¡± The others laughed, while Doctors, Knight and Linville looked towards them with curious eyes. ¡°I¡¯m curious, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask for a while now, but it¡¯s always been on my mind since we arrived here. Just how long have you gentlemen known each other? You seem to act like men who¡¯ve been together longer than a mere few years.¡± Jourdain observed, curious to know the story behind the five men. William shrugged lightly, ¡°your observation is correct Doctor.¡± ¡°Been friends since we were kids, through middle school to the military.¡± Lucas chimed in with a small yawn as he kept on point ahead of the group. ¡°You¡¯ve known each other for that long?¡± Knight asked, her own curiosity getting the best of her. ¡°Yuppers~, been a curse and a blessing having these glorious bastards around throughout my life,¡± Dylan said. ¡°Pfft, I don¡¯t know about you guys, but I mean I¡¯m the sexy bastard there.¡± Andre joked, a small chuckle soon following. The group joined in the laughter, before Dylan followed up with, ¡°Once you go black, you never go back.¡± ¡°Damn straight.¡± William, shaking his head lightly as his own laughter died down, turned towards the doctors, ¡°In truth, we¡¯re all the reason we joined the military as well.¡± ¡°Oh? You guys managed to talk one another into joining the army?¡± Linville asked. ¡°Yup, though in the case of me and Andre, we went through to get our education paid for.¡± Will replied. ¡°But I thought Mr. Richards was a Sergeant?¡± ¡°I was,¡± Andre said quickly before anyone else. ¡°You dropped out of college then I take it?¡± ¡°Negative, got my degree just like Will over there. The only difference being I loved being a grunt and he hated it, so he took his commission and I stuck with these guys in the field.¡± ¡°Hey! I¡¯ve been in the field with you guys every step of the way.¡± William corrected in mock insult. ¡°That¡¯s only because you know no other officer could stand us.¡± Evan joked, finally speaking up once more. Jourdain raised a brow intrigued to learn more about the group and their origins. ¡°Forgive me if I overstep the line here, but I¡¯m curious¡­ what was your first tour of duty like?¡± Lucas was the first to reply, ¡°Fucked¡­¡± The lot all frowned slightly. Jourdain looked at the men with a slight tinge of regret spread across his aging features. ¡°I take it you lost a lot of people over there?¡± He followed up. Lucas shook his head, ¡°Nope, just super fucking boring.¡± The old man looked flabbergasted for a moment, nearly tripping over his own two feet if not for Knight who quickly grabbed him by the arm. Pulling him up, Knight looked at the group, curious to know why they sounded so sour about a boring tour.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°So, why did you lead with that?¡± She asked confused. William was the first to speak up, a grin on his face as they reached the center of the ghost town. ¡°Boring doesn¡¯t suit us, we¡¯re the type that like action and excitement. Adventure and all that.¡± Both archeologists looked shocked at such an admittance, ¡°wait, so you guys wanted to see combat?¡± Jourdain asked surprised. ¡°Maybe these crazy assholes did, but I for one was quite happy back at base fixing whatever came into my garage.¡± Dylan chimed. ¡°Pfft, bitch you know you were bored as fuck doing that shit.¡± Andre retorted with a grin. Dylan snapped his fingers, ¡°Damn, you caught me, I love being in the heat of combat¡­ not¡­ Tyrone, you know me, man, I¡¯m the one who didn¡¯t want to join the army in the first place.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± ¡°So, how did you join, and why?¡± Knight asked brow raised. Dylan looked over at the archeologist, ¡°These asshats.¡± She looked confused for a moment before remembering what had been said earlier about how they had always been together. ¡°So, I take it they somehow or another talked you into joining?¡± ¡°In a manner of speaking, yes¡­ though in truth it was mainly pressure from that guy over there.¡± Bull then pointed over towards Evan who with the others, laid Erynn down on a nearby low stone wall. Evan grinned, shaking his head, ¡°Seemed like the best way to get you into your, ¡®dream job¡¯.¡± He replied wryly. Andre and the others just chuckled as they all regrouped around the small wall. ¡°Pretty much did it to all of us. Gave us the papers, and bam! We¡¯re all going Ranger, no questions asked.¡± ¡°Some of us took to the military pretty quick, while others *cough*Bull*cough* did not. Though, that¡¯s not to say he doesn¡¯t enjoy a good fight.¡± Lucas joined. William nodded in agreement, ¡°There¡¯s a reason we call him Bull you know. He may say and act like the action isn¡¯t his thing, but when it comes down to it¡­ God help whoever¡¯s shooting at us.¡± Dylan waved his right hand as if to symbolize him being bashful, ¡°Oh, you guys.¡± The Misfits just shook their heads laughing. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ guy,¡± Lucas said. ¡°Well¡­ that doesn¡¯t really answer my question as to how he got you to join.¡± Knight spoke up in the middle of the laughter. ¡°All I got from that is the quiet one there is persuasive, but not how you actually stayed or why, more so if you hated it.¡± ¡°Guilt.¡± William answered honestly, ¡°Guilt is what kept him in.¡± The two academics just looked at the former officer, but they understood what he meant. Given how long Dylan had known the other Rangers, it wasn¡¯t surprising that he would stay to protect those he called his brothers. Knight got her answer though however, no matter how small it was, it was still a valid answer to her question regarding why he remained. ¡°By the way, how did you get that scar on your neck, Mr. Anderson?¡± Jourdain asked this time. The former Ranger captain paused a moment, bringing his gloved hand up to his neck, rubbing the old war wound before peering over towards the older gentleman. ¡°Got shot by a rather unhappy local back in Afghanistan.¡± He answered with a small smile. ¡°But! Enough questions, we gotta get to work on that tomb over there. We¡¯re running short on time to get Katy and the rest of the team back if we don¡¯t get whatever¡¯s in that temple.¡± The researchers nodded in agreement, ¡°Agreed. Anderson, if you¡¯d lead the way.¡± William nodded, before patting Andre¡¯s shoulder as he walked past, letting him know to follow up the team. ¡°We¡¯re mobile bro¡¯s,¡± Andre called out, motioning for the others to follow them in. Lucas looked down at their employer, ¡°What about Collier here?¡± ¡°You can look after her then while we¡¯re away,¡± Evan replied. Shrugged lightly before he let out a small sigh in defeat. ¡°I¡¯ll just wait here then. I¡¯ll regroup with you guys when the boss lady¡¯s up and mobile again.¡± ¡°And dressed,¡± Dylan added. The scout stood there, watching as his friends and brothers walked away, each giving him a small wave, or nod before they rounded the corner and headed towards the temple. With a small sigh, the lone misfit looked about, trying to find a place to sit and wait. After finding a place to sit, he sighed lightly, knowing full well he had a lot of time to kill, all while hoping his brothers would come back in one piece if he didn¡¯t get to rejoin them in time. With a small shake of his head though, he did his utmost to dismiss any thoughts of doubt and worry from his mind before turning his attention towards the entrance to the underground city. -- Back in the temple, the team all stood in the dark entryway leading into the structure. William noted the sight of darts that littered the floor. Turning to look at his brother, the blonde haired man wondered just what it was they did here to set off so many traps, and how they managed to get out unharmed, but knowing his brother and Lucas, luck was something they seemed to have excess amounts of. ¡°I see you set off the first set of traps huh?¡± William observed with a grin. ¡°Meh, wasn¡¯t hard.¡± Evan shrugged as he took point, walking ahead of a stunned Andre. ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa! I¡¯m point man, I get to discover the cool shit first Twitch.¡± Dylan smirked before walking and pushing past his African-American friend. ¡°Not today Tyrone, not today.¡± Andre looked hurt for a second, giving the look of a man who just got his face slapped. ¡°Aww¡­ but, I wanna be the first man in.¡± Patting his friend on the shoulder, William shook his head sympathetically. ¡°Sorry man¡­ but, if it makes you feel any better, I¡¯m in the same boat.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t help man, you¡¯re always last one in anyways,¡± Andre noted with a frown, but none the less, he just shrugged it off before he walked behind Dylan. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m not last¡­ not always.¡± ¡°Well, shall we go then gentlemen?¡± Jourdain asked, the look of excitement clearly spread across his aged features. William watched as Linville walked past him, before he eventually shook his head, and followed close behind the experienced professor, who was soon also followed by Knight, who gave a small smile directed at the former captain as she too walked past as if enjoying the comedy and chemistry of the group. Rolling his eyes, the Ranger soon followed behind her. As the group walked through the first half, they noticed how there were more bones and Spanish armour lying about the narrow hallway. Eying the remains, the group couldn¡¯t help but feel a little unsure of what lies ahead of them. Thankfully though, the group noted the darts as well, that told them that the trap had already been sprung by Evan and Lucas some time ago. ¡°Well, good thing you and Boerhave managed to set off these traps. Would¡¯ve befallen the same fate as these poor buggers here.¡± Dylan noted, his eyes still scanning the remains of the Spanish. Finally, the group reached the end as the hallway twisted around the right, leading to another stone staircase that was virtually spotless save one sword that rested near the top. With Evan on point, he raised his right hand up in a fist letting everyone know to halt before he eventually peered back from his shoulder. ¡°Could be booby-trapped, what¡¯d you think guys, spring the trap?¡± The others paused a moment to think before a mischievous grin appeared on all the Misfit''s faces. ¡°Yes.¡± Came a reply in unison. Evan couldn¡¯t help but shake his head with a chuckle. ¡°Alright, if you say so.¡± Though right before he raised his foot to step on the stone stairway, he was halted by Doctor Linville who pulled him back. ¡°Hold a moment. Give me time to fully read the warnings written here on the wall.¡± Evan starred at the University professor for a moment before shrugging, ¡°You¡¯re the expert.¡± Dylan walked up behind, curious to know what was happening before he took a knee. ¡°Well? What does it say?¡± Jourdain quickly shushed any further questions or words as he brought his finger to his lips. Pulling out his flashlight the old man quickly began to scan the wall. It was weird to see a warning actually written about on the wall, and it seemed as though the people who built the city were looking to make a sort competition; old tomb vs. the grave robbers. Needless to say, Jourdain was not at all thrilled upon what he was reading. ¡°Apparently, the moment you set foot down that stairway, an array of traps will be activated starting a sort of timed game. It also goes on to say that anyone who makes it through will be rewarded with a sight only the gods and their vessel on earth have had the privilege to see.¡± As he read aloud, the team all knew what was going to be coming next. This wasn¡¯t going to be as easy as the series of trip wires or elementary traps¡­ no, this was going to be a deadly race against time while they try to dodge and weave their way through a series of complex and well thought of surprises. But, they had a job to do, and they were determined to see it through to the end. Plus they had the lives of Katie and the rest of their team depending on them. ¡°Alright, so from what you just read... we¡¯re going full on Indiana Jones on this?¡± Andre chimed in, slightly nervous at the prospect of facing something he can¡¯t fight. Nodding, Linville turned back to face the team. ¡°Correct. We¡¯ll have to rely on your teamwork, skill, and speed to get us through there gentlemen¡­ this is what Mr. Collier had hired you for, but I and Ms. Knight will do our utmost to keep up with you step by step, leap for leap.¡± ¡°Sounds good sir, but, once we¡¯re down there, you listen to us. We say stop, you stop, we say go, you go. If you see something that looks unnatural or sparks your expert sense, you tell us. Don¡¯t keep shit to yourselves. That goes for all of you.¡± William briefed the men and woman present. The group nodded in unison, before Evan took a deep breath in, a lump forming in his throat as his nerves began to get the best of him. ¡°Fuck it¡­¡± He breathed before his jungle boots touched the first step, starting the game¡­