The Cross of Mithras Vol. 1: EOD Operation Welcome to Hell (55 page)

  “Sir… the shoe is not on the other foot.” Murphy said. Mad Dawg only smiled because he didn’t want to argue over it.

  Mad Dawg knew that he was in a difficult situation. He knew that he is walking a tight rope with his crew. He knew that if Murphy wanted another mutiny, Mad Dawg knew that nobody would support him. But he also knew that they should stand their ground.

  “I know that all of you are scared, but please for the love of God listen to me. Not as your captain, not as someone you mutiny against earlier, but as a friend. I want all of you to think very carefully about the following. Isn’t it obvious that Lenkov and Omori don’t want Task Force ZH-3C to leave Golden Hyperion? And do any of you want to take the chance that the same applies to this star system? Our fate is in the hands of Task Force ZH-3C. Get our communication up and running and let them know of our situation. But please… don’t abandon them.” Mad Dawg said.

  Everybody knew that he was right. They wouldn’t want to be abandoned if the shoe was on the other foot. But they all knew that, just like Task Force ZH-3C is trap on Golden Hyperion, they are trap in the star system. All of them deeply regretted treating the team the way in which they did. They now know that their fate rest in the hands of the very group of people that they treated like crap for three weeks. And now they’re afraid that they may pay a high price for it.

Part Two: A Sinister Discovery

Long ago in the days of old there was a pestilent in the land

Ruination and destruction where the ways of the Elders of the Profane

The Noble warriors came seeking to avenge the blood of the martyrs

Truth be told they were discovered when they landed on the distant shore

Seeking enlightenment they traveled off to the strange theatrical play

For the Noble leader was inspired when he heard the words of wisdom

With their cause made just they travel off to confront the Elders of the Profane

Magic and deception waited them at the Castle of the Damned

Death be told as they try to go through the gate of the Archer of Stone

Suspend your thoughts is the key to enter the Castle of the Damned

Enter they did into the sea of victory and salutation

Or so we where told by the scribe who stayed behind

Waiting for life he did for his beloved friends who left him behind

Never again where the Noble warriors ever seen again

Honor be told was their love not of family and friends

So my little warriors what sayth you when you are there and not here?

Honor...  or the Profane?

- The Noble Warriors

A story that was learned by Apollinarian warriors in Vaistll’s day

The Two Ghost Towns

(1)

  When each of the team members of Task Force ZH-3C witness the destruction of all five of the drop-ships, they knew the shocking truth. They just walked into a trap. They knew how dire their situation had just begun. They’re trap on a world with no intelligence, no means to escape safely, no re-supply, nothing. No one said anything. They were too shocked to.

  After Vaistll came to her senses she instructed the team to immediately sit up base camp. She wanted the communicational array to be up and running, like yesterday. When the communicational array was up and running, that is when they learned that they could not contact Galactic Prime. They did know that it was still in orbit.

  They landed on the eastern side of a small island, on the beach. It was mid-day when they landed and late evening when the base camp was finished. The island was heavily forested. The setting, with some of the moons in the sky and a small part of Ishtar showing, was simply breathtaking. Some of  the team members took pictures of the scene. It was deceptively calm, peaceful and serene.

  “We need to do recon.” Vaistll mentioned to both Taylor and Ramirez.

  “You do know who the best person for that is… don’t you?” Ramirez asked.

  “Yes I do. And what are you getting at?” She asked him.

  “Nothing. Other than the problems that we’ve been having with Sanchez.” Ramirez responded.

  “Then who’s better? In the tactical sense. Her… or Hayes?” Vaistll asked Ramirez.

  Ramirez didn’t say anything because he already knew the answer – Sanchez.

  “Well… that solves the problem about recon. Don’t it? But what about our communicational array? We’ve haven’t been able to it use since…” Taylor mentioned.

  “We’re gonna have to keep on doing what we have been doing.” Vaistll responded.

  “What… not using it?” Taylor asked.

  “If you have a better idea… then I’m all ears. Furthermore… do you want to give the EOD the ability to listen in our conversations? We have no intelligence on whether they can or can’t. So, until you can prove one way or the other whether the EOD can listen in our conversation, or not, we cannot use our communicational array.” Vaistll mentioned to Taylor. He got the point.

  “Okay… so we send out Blue Team to do recon. So who’s going to be the runner for our down and out communicational array?” Ramirez asked.

  “Lieutenant Sanchez front and center!” Taylor ordered her.

  “Lieutenant Sanchez reporting as ordered.”

  “We need Blue Team to do recon of this island. Select the best runner you got for our messenger.” Taylor ordered her.

  “Yes sir. Anything else?”

  “No that will be all.”

  Sanchez then left to get her team ready and to collect the supplies that they needed. She also made the decision to have Coté, Kaminski and Hoffneisten to pack their wet suits. She had Sanders become their runner. When everybody was ready, they left heading towards the western part of the island.

  Taylor left and headed over to his tent and started to write a letter home to his wife and family. He felt that he should since he had no way of knowing if he would survive or not. Given the fact of what just happen earlier with the drop-ships and their communicational array he strongly felt that he should write the letter.

  “There’s something that’s been bothering me all day and I was hoping that you could shed some light on it.” Vaistll asked Ramirez.

  “Is it about our communicational array?”

  “Yes it is.”

  “Well like I said earlier, that type of starbase could in theory knock out Galactic Prime’s com-system, but typically they wouldn’t do it.”

  “Could it be somebody on the starbase who could do it?”

  “It’s plausible. One person comes to mind who could do it.”

  “Who?”

  “Ma’am… I don’t think you would want to know.”

  “Tell me.”

  “Sayaka Cyber Doom Omori.”

  “Why her? Why not a team?”

  “It takes a team to neutralize a team. And she’s better than any team.”

  “Do you think that it was her who did it?”

  “Either it’s her or it’s Mad Dawg.”

  “Then why is Galactic Prime still in orbit if it is Mad Dawg?”

  “That I can’t answer ma’am.”

  “Alright. Then tell no one of our suspicions that it could be her.”

  “Not even Taylor?”

  “I’m leaving that up to you.”

  “Anything else on your mind ma’am?”

  “No.”

  “I did thought of another reason why Galactic Prime cannot respond to us. It could be equipment failure.” Ramirez added after a few moments.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Look at everything that the ship went through in the past three weeks.”

  “I seriously doubt that could be the reason.”

  “Then what do you think that it is.”

  “We’ll know in a few days. That would be, or should be, the length of time that they should have their communicational system back up and running.”

  “And if it isn’t?”

  “Let’s not think about that until we reach that crossroad.”

  “Alright.”

  Mad Dawg did come up earlier in the conversation between Vaistll, Taylor and Ramirez as a possible reason why they can’t communicate with Galactic Prime, but they quickly dismiss him. If it is Mad Dawg, then what would he have to gain? Why won’t he leave? Is there somebody trying to stop him on Galactic Prime? And they asked a whole host of other questions. Each one gave a very simple answer: if it is Mad Dawg than he really is insane. But how could it be him when he was on the losing side of the mutiny? Any mutiny wouldn’t be in his favor. Such was their conversation.

  Whereas Vaistll, Taylor and Ramirez thought that it could be Mad Dawg, the rest of the team did not. They felt that Galactic Prime is just like them - a victim of whoever is on that starbase. It won’t take long for them to realize the truth.

(2)

  “Ma’am… I see a hill to the north-by-northwest of our position.” Martinez said to Sanchez. He was in a tree using the scope on his sniper rifle to survey the land.

  “Alright… get down here and let’s head over there.” She said.

  Martinez then climb down from the tree and they then headed over to the hill. Martinez the climbed the tree and started to scan the land.

  “Ma’am… I see a road to the north-by-southwest of our position. The road heads eastbound and then it heads south.” Martinez said.

  “Alright. Get down here.” Sanchez said.

  Sanchez then stood there for a moment thinking about the next course of action. She then made the decision for them to head south and check out what is at the end of that road. They ran for about five miles before they learned that there was a manmade structure at the end of the road. The structure was on top of a cliff overlooking the sea.

  “Ma’am… it’s a broadcasting station.” Martinez said up in a tree.

  “Shit. Alright. Nguyen, Kaminski go with Martinez and check it out. And Kaminski… try your best to remember that it is a broadcasting station. Which mean if you get trigger happy than everybody will know on Golden Hyperion that we are here.” Sanchez said. Kaminski does have that problem.

  “Understood ma’am.” Kaminski said.

  The three of them approached the broadcasting station with the hearts pounding in their chest. Their hearts were racing, not because they have just been running, but because they were afraid that someone is in there who will broadcast that they are there.

  When they got there, Martinez told the other two to wait. He then used his gun and pointed at the door. The place appeared to have been broken into. Martinez then told Kaminski to wait outside while he and Nguyen check the place out. After several minutes both of them came out and all three of them immediately headed back to where the rest of Blue Team is.

  “So what did you find?” Sanchez asked Ramirez.

  “Nothing ma’am. It appears that somebody broke in the place but didn’t steal anything of value. The broadcasting equipment was sabotaged. The place does not appear to have been occupied since the last time the Marines were here.” Martinez said.

  “You mean the Special Forces who landed here before us?” Sanchez asked.

  “Yes ma’am.”

  They then headed back up to the crossroad. Each one of them was feeling that they were chasing the Special Forces’ bread crumbs. The only intelligence that was useful was that the broadcasting station was abandoned before the Special Forces got there. And that intelligence did them no good. What did it tell them that is relevant to their mission, but nothing. Why was it abandoned? They didn’t know and they didn’t care.

  When they got to the crossroads they went to a hill that was to the southwest of the road. Once again, Martinez climbed a tree to survey the land.

  “What do you see Martinez?” Sanchez asked him.

  “To the west I see a small town. I don’t see any activity going on there. To the south of the town… I can see water. South of our position I see what looks like a rock face. I can’t tell if it is manmade or not. At the rock face there appears to be a trail that leads to the water.” Martinez said.

  “Coté, Kaminski, Hoffneisten… get over there to the rock face. Then head down to the water. Get into your wet suits and head up to the town. Then signal us if the coast is clear.” Sanchez ordered them.

  “Roger.” The three of them said.

  Coté, Kaminski and Hoffneisten then did as they were ordered to. While they were in the water, they scanned the town for any activity. There was none. Hoffneisten then left to where Martinez could see him, and signal him by raising his gun.

  “Ma’am the coast is clear.” Martinez told Sanchez.

  “Nguyen, Van Hoven, Sanders… move up and take defensive position.” Sanchez ordered them.

  “Roger.”

  When Nguyen, Van Hoven and Sanders were in their defensive position, both Sanchez and Martinez joined them. Nguyen, Van Hoven and Sanders then moved up and took another defensive position. No one was seen by them, nor did anyone see them. Martinez would scan their surroundings looking for anyone. When Martinez gave the all clear signal they would then move up and take another defensive position. They repeated it until they could see Coté, Kaminski and Hoffneisten. Each time they moved forward they noticed that nobody was around. Neither one of them thought that it was strange given what time it was.

  When they could see the other three team members, Martinez tapped Sanchez, pointed to himself and then pointed to a lighthouse. Sanchez then signal for Hoffneisten to swim up the coast to provide cover for Martinez. Sanchez also signal Nguyen to go with Martinez. When Martinez was in the lighthouse he scanned the community for any activity. Once again there was none. Martinez also looked across the waterway and noticed a pier. While Martinez and Nguyen was at the lighthouse, Martinez signal Hoffneisten to get out of the water and his wet suit, and with Nguyen, provide cover for him. After Martinez finished providing cover for the rest of Blue Team, he sent Nguyen back to inform Sanchez of what he saw.

  When Martinez and Nguyen left to go to the lighthouse, Sanchez had both Coté and Kaminski get out of the water and their wet suits. Sanchez then had both of them provide cover for her, Sanders and Van Hoven as they do a search and clear of a near-by boat house. When they were finished with searching the boat house, Sanchez made it their base.

  When Nguyen returned, Sanchez had him team up with Coté and Kaminski and do a search and clear of near-by buildings. Sanchez, Sanders and Van Hoven also perform a search and clear of other near-by buildings. They finish searching the rest of the town. When they were finished with their search and clear, they learned that just like with the broadcasting station, the town (a small fishing community with a population of no more than 500) was abandoned before the Special Forces got there. And just like with the broadcasting station, the town provided next to no intelligence.

  After everybody got back to the boat house, Sanchez sent Sanders to tell Hoffneisten to return to the boat house. She also had Sanders ask Martinez what he saw and to tell him that she is going to send someone across the waterway to check out what lies over there.

  “What did Martinez see across the waterway?” Sanchez asked Sanders when he got back.

  “He said that across the waterway there is a pier and what appears to be a house.” Sanders responded.

  “Ma’am I don’t mind going over there and checking it out.” Coté said.

  “Alright go for it.” Sanchez told her.

  Coté then got back into her wet suit and swam across the waterway. When Coté came ashore on the other side the waterway, Martinez noticed that she walking around and kept on looking down with her flashlight. Martinez noticed that she cared more about what is on the ground than her surroundings.

  “What the hell is she looking at?” Martinez said out loud.