Chapter 34: A Barren Little Colony

Location: HMS Sutherland, 50km from West Falkland

Unit: GOU, Royal Navy

Date: 26th April 2022 CE

Zeller looked off the bow of the frigate, "Never been this far south before."

Mclaw smiled back, "Been a while for me as well, I believe it was the mid-1990s when we completed our project here, after that we left a small group of operators in case the Argies decided to come back."

James chuckled, walking up behind them, "Got to be prepared for every scenario right?"

Mclaw turned around as a tall wave splashed his shoes, "Well, I have to share some of the US military's budget around."

Zeller cracked a smile turning to Mclaw, "So what even is this safe house we're going to?"

Mclaw sighed, "Well after 1982, I feared the Argentine Military would come back once it was rebuilt. My paranoia of modern warfare lead to the creation of Project Foreign Defence. Its goal was to secure islands like west and east Falkland along Hong Kong from foreign invasion, we used well over a billion from the Americans, without them knowing of course."

James raised an eyebrow, "How much money have you stolen from the Americans in the past?"

Mclaw tilted his head left and right, "I wouldn't say stolen, more like tactically acquired."

Zeller chuckled, "Bet they didn't even notice it."

Mclaw turned back to face the ocean, "Well, they nearly did," he paused, "We managed to destroy all evidence of the one in Hong Kong on the handover. However, stupidly, a group of kids stumbled into the other base in the Falklands by accident in 2001, at the time there were no guards, as it was just after the September 11th attacks and our focus was on the middle east."

James eye's widened, "Holy shit, that was you?"

Zeller raised an eyebrow, "How do you know about this?"

James looked at her, "So basically, from the articles, I read a British Army Bunker was found with a shit load of firearms and artillery along with several anti-ship missiles."

Zeller slapped her forehead, "So the press blew it up, and the Argies got pissed?"

Mclaw nodded, "Exactly, it was a political nightmare, as I had this built without the knowledge of the British government, they wanted to destroy it, but I had Kyton push to absorb it into the island's defence force," Mclaw sighed, "Any way we're nearly here, you two should grab your gear."

James and Zeller nodded heading beneath the deck.

Mclaw saw the beach as several Matt Black vehicles sat on the shoreline with a few figures running around.

He sighed heading into the steel structure.

***

James sat in the back of a vehicle as it bounced along the well-worn path. Next to him sat Baker, who had his rifle unloaded and pointing up, he was pulling the charging handle back and forth before the rifle clicked. Zeller in the front seat started to tap the window. They started to make a beat, and moving in sync they complemented each other's rhythms. James watched carefully attempting to predict when the change of pace would come.

Suddenly, Zeller's beat got faster and Baker quickly adapted to her. Not a word was spoken. Suddenly, the vehicle hit a huge pothole and both of them immediately stopped. James was completely shocked, these two were in complete sync. Baker noticed James looking between them, he just smiled at James. Before turning back to his window. Watching the empty landscape, he leaned his head against the window.

A few minutes passed before the vehicles came to an abrupt stop. The driver looked back, "You're here, Reaper wants you out."

Zeller nodded, "Understood," immediately they all climbed out stretching.

As they watched the surroundings they noticed it looked completely normal for this island chain. Mclaw took a pace forward as the vehicles drove away. They watched the surroundings, expecting something big. But nothing came.

Mounts shrugged speaking, "Why are we out here, sir?"

Mclaw turned around, "Well, they are making sure there is no one recording us currently, then we will be let in."

The GOU exchanged glances.

James kicked the floor as hard as he could, it was deep dirt. Nothing off about it. But as he looked up he noticed Mclaw's gaze. James looked back wondering what he was up to.

Turning around he started to look closer, the floor looked like it had cuts in certain places. Approaching one of them, York walked up beside him, "So you've noticed as well?"

James nodded, "I think so."

Mclaw turned his head, "Don't go on the other side of the line."

The floor started to rubble as James was momentarily thrown off balance. Catching himself he noticed the floor begin to descend. The GOU watched in shock as they went deeper and deeper before it stopped.

Ahead of them stood one man, James noticed he was mixed race, and the left side of his neck was scarred with burns. While on his shoulder he wore the flag of South Africa.

Zeller stepped forward, "Good to see you again, Safari."

Mabasa smiled, "Hear you've been having a little adventure in Japan without me."

Mclaw nodded, "Yeah, got a bit side-tracked."

James looked at Mclaw, "Another one of your friends?"

Mclaw nodded, "James meet Mabasa, Mabasa meet James."

James held out his hand and Mabasa shook it, Mabasa spoke, "Firm grip."

James chuckled, "You too."

Stepping back Mclaw walked down a corridor, "Follow me," the GOU quickly lined up behind him, following him down the corridor, "As you can see, the base is not in the best of shapes, so in your rooms, there are brooms and dust pans and brushes, I expect the whole base cleaned within the hour."

Hitting a button on the door, it slides open revealing a dusty room filled with cobwebs. Mclaw walked off leaving the GOU and looking down the doorway. Lights lit up signs indicating for ladies left and males right. Splitting up, Zeller and Burt walked down into a dorm room to the left while the rest moved into several rooms on the right.

Turner coughed, "Where's the fucking air conditioner."

Mabasa started pressing buttons as cool air was blasted into the room, "There you go."

Oza chuckled, "Of course, the American needs aircon to survive."

Turner raised an eyebrow, "What the fuck is aircon?"

Mounts looked back, "Another way to say AC."

Turner sighed, "AC is so much easier."

Mabasa and Oza exchanged a glance, smiling.

Turner opened a cupboard pulling out an old dustpan and brush, the other three followed suit, and quickly they started cleaning the room. Mabasa grabbed a broom from the hall before sweeping.

Going up and down the room, he noticed a load of dust piling up even after ten seconds of sweeping, "Fucking hell, these bunkers really were abandoned."

Turner chuckled, "My dustpan is basically full," he paused, "Do we have a bin?"

Mounts turned the corner, "Fuck!" he drew his pistol opening fire into a corner.

Mabasa immediately drew his own raising it in Mounts's direction, "What happened."

Mounts didn't move his head, "Fucking rats," he spat on the small animal carcass, "Also, the bin may have a few holes in it."

Turner slapped his face as the door slammed open, Mclaw held a large full auto shotgun with a drum magazine fitted, "What happened?"

Turner laughed, "Mounts was scared by a group of rats and decided the best course was to open fire on them."

Mclaw dropped the shotgun to his side, "Rats?"

Mounts nodded, "Yes sir."

Mclaw swore, "For fuck's sake! They told me they already gassed the place out."

Mabasa looked at Mclaw, "Gas?"

Mclaw nodded, "We weren't sure what could have got down here in twenty years so we filled it with gas."

Oza dropped to his knee watching the corner, moving a cupboard he noticed something, "Found where they came from."

He shone his torch on the small tunnel, Mclaw knelt next to him, "How the fuck? This place is made from reinforced concrete." Mclaw rubbed his eyebrows, "Right, sorry lads, you're going to have to find another room, I can't let you live in a rat-infested room. Now I have to call down those fuckers in the 3rd."

Mclaw stormed out of the room before yelling was heard from down the corridor, Mclaw was properly laying into someone with a flurry of insults.

The four of them funnelled into the room next door before Mabasa locked the rat room. Mounts first checked the walls of the new room, before nodding, "Room seems untouched, let's get to work lads."

Turner chuckled, "hooah," he said sarcastically.

***

Later, Mclaw's voice came over a speaker in the corner of the room, "There is an old map in a secure metal case on the bottom of your bed," he paused, "The default passwords are all 0000, meet me in the common room, you have five minutes."

Mabasa looked up, throwing the dustpan into his cupboard he quickly slung his rifle over his shoulder, "I know where it is, follow me."

He quickly ran out of the room with the rest following. Leading them down the corridor, he brought them to the lift room, before carrying on down the opposite corridor, turning left he started to explain, "So when I arrived, I was allowed to stay in the common room, already completely clean. My guess is it was loyalists who decided to clean it."

Oza turned back and forth, "Don't the hallways also look tidier?"

Zeller appeared around the corner as Mabasa ran straight into her map. A tearing sound filled the air as Mabasa fell to the floor, "Fuck me!"

Zeller looked down, "In your dreams, Safari," she held out her hands bringing Mabasa to his feet.

"You know I didn't mean it like that," he sighed.

Zeller smiled, as Mclaw appeared around the corner, "10!" he said.

Immediately running down the corridor, Zeller followed by Burt, entered the room, followed by the group from Mabasa's room.

Mclaw finished counting down, "2, 1... and York, Richards, Abhay, Gibson, Lake, Baker are late."

Mabasa sat down, noticing James with his legs up on the side of the armchair, "Yo."

Mabasa nodded at him, sitting down on the sofa next to him, "You good kid?"

James nodded, "Just relaxing, finished my room half an hour ago and helped Mclaw with the main hall."

Suddenly, he heard a call from around the corner, "This fucking map is bullshit!" it was York.

Mclaw stood in the doorway, "You owe me 1 press-up," He heard footsteps getting louder, "Now it's ten press-ups," he paused as he heard panting from the bottom of the corridor, suddenly six figures emerged from the corridor, as Mclaw spoke, "Now it's 100 each."

Suddenly, the six raced into the room before Mclaw could say anything else.

Then Mclaw checked his watch, "Thirty seconds late, you owe me a hundred press-ups later, now sit down."

Richards slapped York over the back of the head before sitting down.

Mclaw watched them all get settled, "Right, over the next six months or so, we will be in reserve, for training."

A groan came from several of them as Mclaw continued, "I know, but as demonstrated in Japan, no one was fast enough to protect James from the Death Trooper," he paused, "If James hadn't been given that magazine the NZA would have had him for breakfast."

Mabasa raised an eyebrow, "Sir, one fuck up can't be the reason you shelved us for half a year."

Mclaw nodded, "Correct, where we are going after the 6 months will push us to our limits, we will be operating independently from command near the NZA homeland, in aircraft range," he paused, "That's all I can reveal for now."

Mclaw sat down, "Anyway, for the time being, James will be sent to Port Stanley with Zeller and Baker. They will be operating under the last name, Gale. You three will live normal lives for the weekdays but on Saturday you will meet us out here at 0600 hours sharp." He looked at them, Zeller was still half asleep, as Mclaw continued, "You will play a family, I've already got Baker a job in the pub, while Zeller will work as a police instructor from northern England."

James swore, going to speak as Zeller shot up, "But I'm not from England!"

Mclaw looked at her, "I've heard your English accent, it's good, very believable. All you will have to tell them is your mother was Swiss, and that's why you are fluent in German and French," he paused coughing, "That's what I usually do when I need to blend into somewhere."

She raised an eyebrow, "Anyway, I will never pass as his mother, I'm in my early 20s and he's 16!"

Mabasa chuckled whispering something, Zellers head shot around shooting him daggers. Mabasa gulped looking down.

Mclaw continued, "James's position in this has put me in between a rock and a hard place, as I insisted you did your GCSEs in March I can't send you back into secondary especially with exams right around the corner, it would be too odd and probably draw a lot of unwanted attention, so you are going to get a bit of work experience and find your own apprenticeship, I know a trustworthy salesman on the island."

James sighed, "Sure, I can do that."

Baker chuckled, "As long as I can grow out my beard."

Lake eyed him, "You can grow a beard?"

Baker looked in her direction, "Yes of course I can, haven't you seen the pictures? Oh, that was a month before you joined..."

Mclaw rolled his eyes, "Yes, Baker you can grow that dead possum out," Baker gave a small celebratory punch into the air, before Mclaw continued, "Zeller if you are really worried about looking too young, you could either lie or I could get one of my people to make you look older."

Zeller gulped, "I'll just stick with lying."

Mclaw continued, "You three will use your first names but adopt the last name of Gale," he paused, looking at Baker, "Paul Gale," then to Zeller, "Sophie Gale," then finally to James, "James Gale. Got it?"

The three of them nodded.

Mclaw chuckled, "Good, get some rest you three, you will meet a group of Loyalists at 0400 hours at the entrance tomorrow."