Chapter 42: Infiltration

Location: 5 miles out of the Ex-New Zealand claim in Antarctica

Unit: Forsvarets Spesialkommando (FSK)

Date: 14th March 2023 CE

Sab reclined on the hillside, diligently scanning the facility through his binoculars. His unwavering focus mirrored the countless times he and his unit had observed it before. The intelligence updates they received from the GOU were astonishingly accurate, timed down to the millisecond. He subtly adjusted his mouth cover and leaned in towards one of his soldiers, gently tapping his helmet with his fingers. In a hushed tone, he commanded, "Follow my lead."

He looked to his second in command, as the soldier ran over, "Sir."

Sab put the binoculars down, "Where's Golf unit?"

The soldier shrugged, "They said they were on time half an hour ago."

Suddenly, a group of figures emerged from the crest of a hill, catching the attention of the vigilant FSK soldiers who swiftly aimed their weapons at them. The figures were clad in white garments, cleverly blending into their surroundings with their camouflage attire. However, as they drew nearer, the tension among the FSK soldiers eased, and they began to lower their weapons. Were these the peculiar individuals who had visited their base a few weeks ago? Their clothing bore a striking resemblance.

Sab, sensing the need for confirmation of the GOU's presence, stood up and stepped forward, breaking away from the formation. "Halt," he commanded in English. The figures paused in their tracks as Sab continued, "Identify yourselves and remove your hoods."

The figures exchanged glances before complying, one by one revealing their face masks. To the astonishment of the FSK soldiers, each person wore a skull mask. From behind their backs, they swiftly produced ACR-3 assault rifles, intensifying the gravity of the situation.

The FSK soldiers stood frozen, their blood running cold as the realisation dawned upon them. This wasn't a friendly squadron; it was an unforgiving unit of Oceanic Empire death troopers.

Suddenly, Sab caught sight of a peculiar sphere appearing below his eye line. As he looked down, he witnessed a clenched fist forcefully penetrating his chest. "Faen..." he coughed up blood, realising that it had already punctured one of his lungs. "You."

Sab struggled to turn his head and face his attacker, but he managed to do so, glimpsing a human face on a monstrous figure that stood several inches taller than even him. This monstrous being had a human-like appearance, but its pulsating veins beneath the light clothing gave away its otherworldly nature.

The figure smiled, "Welcome to hell, Major," it taunted, its face contorted in a sinister grin.

Sab felt the fist stretching his torso as it continued to rise inside his body, slowly tearing him apart. With a final cry, he looked around, witnessing his fallen comrades, already overcome by the merciless assault.

Approximately five hundred metres away, Mclaw picked up a distressing message over the radio, "We've been discovered! Move to exfil!"

In response, Mclaw quickly scanned his surroundings as the members of the GOU team swiftly dropped to the ground, seeking cover.

Mclaw kept his gaze fixed on the mountains ahead as he replied, "Copy that, moving to exfil. Ensure everyone gets out of there alive. Over."

Mabasa ran up next to him, a concerned expression on his face. "Sir, we can't just abandon our position."

Mclaw nodded, fully aware of the predicament. "I understand, but if we inform the NZA, they might divert their attention to the search rather than strengthening their defence."

Mabasa looked at him, perplexed. "But the FSK soldiers don't know that."

Arching an eyebrow, Mclaw pulled up a recording. "Listen closely."

The recording played once more, and Burt approached, kneeling beside them. "There's some background noise."

Mclaw nodded, affirming Burt's observation. "Precisely. You heard it."

Burt shook her head kneeling next to both him and Mabasa, "Seen it as well," she sent them a file as it popped up in their HUDs, "I can see and isolate it."

Mclaw nodded playing the isolated file, this time the voice was completely different, "Whhhe've bhheen discovered! Move to exfihhh!" the person speaking had a snake-like voice almost like their voice box had been damaged.

Mclaw looked at Burt who nodded, "The voice."

Mclaw nodded, "Sounds like the NZA have our coms," he turned back, "Gibson, glass em."

Gibson turned around, tapping a few buttons, "Done!"

Suddenly, a deafening explosion jolted the nearby hillside, sending a cascade of blue flames shooting into the wintry sky. The force of the blast propelled shards of steel high above, raining down upon the surviving enemies.

Mclaw acknowledged the explosion with a nod and confidently led the formation, taking the lead in their patrol. They approached a cave, and Mclaw peered inside, assessing the surroundings. Spotting his snowmobile, he checked the seat before opening it and connecting some wires to a device. "What's our ammo count?" he inquired, seeking an update.

Zeller replied, "4000 rounds just with pistols and rifles."

Mclaw nodded, "You have enough 50 BMG?"

Zeller smiled, "30 on me, Turner is carrying another hundred in one of his pouches."

Turning around he closed the lid, "Take Turner to a sniper point, I want overwatch before the fireworks start."

She grinned, "You know how to treat a lady, sir," she ran off as Lake approached.

Mclaw sat on the vehicle checking it over one final time, "Attach one of your drones, one that's not too expensive please."

Lake nodded, hooking a drone to the controls, "Ready."

Mclaw locked his pad to it, "Let's turn this back in our favour then."

***

Two NZA guards stationed at the gatehouse stood alert, gripping their ACRs firmly with both hands. In the distance, a shape materialised, causing the first guard to step forward, his head tilting in confusion. He instinctively reached for his radio but paused, realising he struggled to find the words to accurately describe what he was witnessing.

Speaking in a hushed, unintelligible language into the radio, his message remained incomprehensible to any human ear. As the shape drew nearer, he discerned that it was a snowmobile. Yet, to his surprise, its engine emitted an almost imperceptible hum, as soft as the chirp of a tiny bird.

In an instant, the snowmobile rapidly closed the distance, its speed increasing. Both guards knew that it showed no signs of stopping. They swiftly adjusted their rifles to full auto, the distinct sound of the rifles clicking as they checked the chamber and loaded another round with precision.

Gazing up once more, the snowmobile swiftly passed through the gate, devoid of a pilot. This peculiar sight piqued the guards' curiosity, causing them to raise their weapons, bracing themselves for the unknown.

Approaching the snowmobile cautiously, they lifted the seat and discovered several charges of plastic explosives concealed within. The ensuing blast unleashed a barrage of shrapnel, triggering a chain reaction that engulfed several other vehicles in a fiery explosion.

As the flames gradually subsided, GOU operators stealthily infiltrated the base, their rifles drawn and ready. Like ethereal figures emerging from the darkness, they advanced with death himself leading them into the jaws of the unknown.

Mclaw reached a crossing where another hallway intersected, and he signalled for Lake and Oza to join him.

The two team members efficiently cleared the corridors, their voices overlapping as they both confirmed, "Clear."

Mclaw advanced down the corridor, leading the GOU team. They split into three groups, with Mclaw taking the centre, Richards leading a team on the left, and Mabasa on the right.

Skillfully evading NZA patrols, they discreetly disabled cameras along their path. Mabasa checked his map and came to a halt, signalling that the target room was just around the corner. He and Lake cautiously approached, their eyes fixed on two NZA guards who were peering into an open vault. In a swift, synchronised movement, they fired a single shot each, and the enemies fell to the ground.

As they approached the open vault, Mabasa bent down to check underneath a nearby cart, while Lake entered the vault itself. Suddenly, Lake's voice carried a note of surprise and concern, "Tian..."

Mabasa stood up and walked over to Lake, finding the rest of the fire team hiding inside the vault. Mabasa's eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in the equipment present. "A decontamination room?" he observed, his voice tinged with intrigue.

They exchanged glances as Baker stepped forward, breaking the silence. "Switching to CBRN gear then?" he suggested.

Mabasa nodded and proceeded to open his visor, pulling a gas mask over his head and securing a protective hood tightly. Looking back, he observed the others doing the same, preparing for the hazardous environment. Mabasa approached the first door and opened it, allowing the first two members of the fireteam to enter.

As another door swung open, Mabasa halted, taking in the sight of a room filled with several large cone-shaped objects. He reached for his radio, uncertainty momentarily freezing his words. Gathering his resolve, he inhaled deeply and spoke, "Captain... this base, it's not what we anticipated. They're not just building ships here..."

Mabasa paused, swallowing hard. "It's nukes."

Mclaw's footsteps faltered as he entered a room on the opposite side of the compound. His gaze swept across an assembly line, revealing the production of missiles alongside the nuclear weaponry. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily upon him.

Suddenly, Mclaw caught a distant shout. Reacting swiftly, he dropped to the ground, signalling his fireteam to do the same. Crawling under the cover of heavy machinery, he observed a large contingent of NZA soldiers rushing past his team.

Mclaw stealthily climbed out, trailing the enemy unit. Taking position against a wall, he and his fireteam switched their rifles to full auto. Mclaw kicked in the door, bringing his M16 to his hip, and calmly inquired, "Anyone got a light?" The NZA soldiers all turned towards the sound, their hands reaching for their weapons.

He unleashed a flurry of gunfire, accompanied by York, who joined him in the firefight. The room fell into an eerie silence as Mclaw opened the chamber of his rifle, realising he had only two brass cases left in the magazine.

Mclaw swiftly removed his magazine, replacing it with a fresh one from his pocket. He slung his pistol across his body and cautiously moved behind a desk. Using his foot, he nudged aside a lifeless body, creating space for himself.

With a purposeful determination, he opened the drawers of the desk, rapidly flipping through the files. He selected several sets that piqued his interest before moving on to the next drawer. As he pulled on one of the drawers, he noticed it was heavier than the rest and securely locked.

A triumphant smile crossed his face. "Bingo."

Putting all his strength into it, Mclaw yanked on the drawer, causing it to be flung across the room and crash against the wall. Gibson glanced at him, curiosity evident in his expression, while York raised his head from his own search. Mclaw rose to his feet and retrieved the steel shelf from the fallen drawer. It had cracked open, and files were already spilling out from the broken roof.

Swiftly, Mclaw grabbed a duffel bag from one of his pouches and began stuffing it with as many files as it could hold.

York turned towards Mclaw, a hint of concern in his voice. "Sir... we may have a problem."

Mclaw straightened up, his gaze focused on York as he noticed his teammate holding up a board that had been concealed behind the door.

In bold letters, it read, 'Elimination List.'

Mclaw let out a frustrated huff. "Well, that's a rather blunt statement."

He leaned in closer, examining the pictures on the list, one by one. Making a quick decision, he switched on his helmet camera, ensuring that the unfolding evidence was captured.

Turner spoke through the radio, "No one I recognise."

He watched through a pad as Zeller sat on the snow ahead of him, she turned back, "Send the feed to my HUD."

Turner nodded, pressing a few buttons, "Here you go."

Zeller's eyes widened, "Two across, four down. He was one of the scientists we recovered in Switzerland."

Turner's voice came through the radio, his tone filled with curiosity. "What I find odd is that there are no political or military leaders here..."

Mclaw nodded, sharing the same observation. "Yeah, it seems there's some criteria to who they see as imp--"

His words trailed off abruptly as his eyes caught sight of another sheet beneath the top one.

Stepping forward, he lifted the top page, revealing a second set of pictures. His expression turned to one of horror, his voice filled with urgency. "Mabasa, arm the nukes and prepare for detonation."

Mabasa's response was immediate, confusion evident in his voice. "Sir?"

Mclaw stared at the board, his throat tightening. "They have in-depth files on all of us. They know our names, our families. They know everything."

The concealed board displayed every member of the GOU, with one name crossed out in red and another circled.

Mclaw swiftly retrieved a USB. "Burt, I need you to wipe everything."

Burt nodded, lifting her pad. "Give me five minutes."

Mclaw turned around just as a hail of bullets flew past him, narrowly missing his head. "You have two!" he shouted.

He swiftly brought his pistol to bear, taking down multiple NZA soldiers as they stormed into the room.

York unleashed a barrage of gunfire toward the window, causing two figures to slump to the floor. Gibson burst through one of the doors, kicking it off its hinges. Amid the chaos, he heard a cry and approached where the heavy door had landed, discovering a smudge of blood around it. "Ouch," he muttered wryly.

York approached, commenting with grim humour, "Nasty way to go," before walking away.

Gibson let out a sigh as the four of them exited the room.

With York leading the way, they swiftly manoeuvred through the maze-like corridors, avoiding patrols with close calls. Abhay skillfully disabled one surveillance camera after another.

As they turned a corner, they came across two figures slumped beside an open vault. Next to them, a soldier dressed in GOU gear walked out, removing his gas mask. "Charges are set," he announced. Lake exchanged a glance with Mclaw as he closed his visor.

Burt emerged behind him, still engrossed with her pad. "They have quite a bit of information, but their firewalls aren't up to scratch."

She glanced up, noticing Mclaw raising an eyebrow behind his helmet. "So, it's done?"

Burt nodded, pressing her tablet once more. "Yeah, it's done."

Mabasa let out a sigh, eager to move forward. He tossed the detonator to Mclaw as a crackle came over the radio.

"We've reached the shipyard!" Richards' voice came through.

Mclaw nodded approvingly. "Good work. Plant the case."