NationStates Jolt Archive

The Knight of Dark Chaos

Please bear in mind this disclaimer. What is said is fictional and is centered around a character that, in any IC, does not exist. He is a soldier of a Black Operations Unit. That means that not only is he the most elite warrior in all of the Empire of Layarteb but he is also the most unknown person. Any "Well we caught him and we're going to figure out who he is" will be ignored simply because it is just impossible. He is a trained warrior, a veteran of the field. This is the type of person that could sneak into your house, while you are still awake, steal the knives from your kitchen, place each one in a room, leave, and you will not even know it. America has warriors like this. Russia has warriors like this. Israel has warriors like this. And so on and so fourth.

Please also take into account that the character has also undergone medical treatments. These such treatments do not make him invincible to bullets and so on and so fourth. The treatments given to him allow him to remain awake. The doctorial staff that worked on him and many other warriors and delegates from the Empire of Layarteb are some of the most highly respected doctors in the world and some of the most unconventional. The US military has, in the past, done many experiments will enabling a soldier to remain awake forever, making them a very highly effective killing machine. Additionally, the procedure done also curbs aging. It is essentially a fountin of youth. It is an unknown proceedure and is not available to anyone, especially ones with money. It is available only to those members of the military or government that operate in black units or significant posts. This warrior is, under many respects, immortal to natural causes. If you cut off head arm he's going to bleed to death most likely. This is not meant to appear as if this warrior is a "Terminator."

Lastly, before you read please do not pass any judgement that this will be a pathetic post. If you must have a reference, please go to to the list below and you will see the abilities of me to tell a story. I am a writer.
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Legend

All text in red type is top secret classified. It is unknown to the normal reader and even anyone else other than those present in the text. All are loyal to the government so please none of that, "We had spies" nonsense because I'm going to ignore it.

Italic text is text that is speech. It is italic to differentiate from normal text.

Italic underlined text is thought.

Small, green text is documents, communications, etc.

Bold, small, green text in quote form is used to mean something that isn't in the document.

Blue text is just a minor announcement.

Bold, blue text is a service announcement meant in OOC form
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Notes

This will be updated on an irregular basis. Pictures may be included with horrible images of death but I will try to keep away from that and keep it PG-13. If there is ever something that violates NS rules (and no nothing illegal will be had here) please inform me and I'll take care of it. An example is in Part II with the test subjects. I could not find any images on the internet of what it would look like to be exposed to something like Ebola and even if I did they would be horrible images so in the interest of stomachs and decency I have just put in a small comment. Swearing will be curbed and if anything you will see the first letter and asteriks at least so you know the word they are saying. If you are offended don't read! Simple as that.
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Other Role-Playing Stories

Isla del Enfermo (Earth II) (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=398102)
Sehnsucht für das Glück (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=386920)
The Kingdom of Forgotten Warriors (Earth II) (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=380343)
The Layartebian Chronicles (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=384916)

Table of Contents


Part I: The Knight in Darkened Armor (Page 1)
Part II: Darkened Breezes
Part III: A New Life
Part IV: Training Circle
Part V: Assignment One
Part VI: The Team
Part VII: Absolution
Part VIII: The Mark
Part IX: When the Bullet Hits the Bone...

Characters


Adams, Jack: Second in charge of Force Falcon.
Armistad, Alex: Intelligence commander of Force Falcon.
Delaney, Jack: Leader of Force Falcon Team One.
McClintock, John: Head of Force Falcon
The Dictator: Leader of Layarteb.
West, Simon: Delaney's immediate superior.
Westerguard, Mark: Operations commander of Force Falcon.

Organizations


Force Falcon: Secret Layartebian Black Operations unit.

Part I: The Knight in Darkened Armor

SFC. James Devlin was a family man. He had served with the army for a little under a year and had arisen to the most prestigious unit in the Layartebian Army and the rank of E-7, something that would have taken six years had there not been a war going on. He was a commando in the elite Delta Force unit, the 1st Special Forces Unit. He had a son, two years old, and a wife of four years both of whom he loved very much. It was a time when things were just starting out. The War for Independence had just ended, Layarteb won. The Emperor and his victorious army had defeated Tnemrot and set the land free. But all was not well. Pockets of insurgency still roamed free. SFC. Devlin had, in the past two weeks, conducted seventeen raids on insurgents, fourteen of which were brutal successes. They had netted one hundred insurgents and captured enough weapons to supply a small battalion.

He was about to conduct the eighteen raid on the evening of November 15, independence coming on October 31. He and his squad of ten soldiers, including himself, were aboard a pair of UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters, suited up and ready to go. They carried M4 Carbines, customized to their personal requirements, pistols, knives, grenades, and some carried an additional assault rifle or submachine gun. The MP5SD5 and the MP5SD6 were fan favorites.

The helicopters lifted off from inside Layarteb City at 2100 and headed southwest low. They had conducted numerous raids like this during the war except they were constantly being shot at as they flew over the city, especially Layarteb City. The target building was in a small village ninety-two miles outside of Layarteb City. It would be an hour flight from their location.

The night air was cool and crisp, fall settling in over Layarteb. Inside the helicopter there was silence. Some of the men read, some napped, others just stared out of the helicopter into the black oblivion of the night. The crew chief manning the GAU-2 Minigun was the most alert of the men in the back. It was his job, should the situation warrant, to protect the helicopter from ground fire. A pair of AH-64A Apaches would join the Black Hawks at the outskirts of Layarteb City to provide escort to the village. Intelligence and reconnaissance reported the possibility of light armor or anti-aircraft guns. The insurgency was known to possess at least forty ZSU-23-4 Shilka systems, eighty-two 2S6M Tunguska-M systems, and an assortment of ZSU-57-2 Sparka, T-72 MBTs, and BMP-2 APCs still. It was uncertain where any of them were.

The hour flight was, as usual, characterized by suspense. Ten miles out from the target, the helicopters dropped to just above the trees, a mere one hundred feet being the highest they would fly. They were still moving at close to a hundred miles per hour, flying with their escorts in tight formation. Once you left the cities it was all up the enemy. Most of the back country was still under insurgent control, especially around Layarteb City, the prior stronghold of the govenor and his military might.

The two minute warnings were given out and the helicopters prepared to go. They would be touching down for a mere four seconds, enough for all five men to get out of each helicopter, onto the ground, and down into the brush.

When the moment of truth came they were down and out in four seconds, into the brush, hidden. The Black Hawks took off and headed to a safe orbiting point not far from the drop zone. Suppressors mounted, the Carbines being carried were on single-shot. The team waited two minutes and popped up, they had a full klik to walk to the village, far enough out to remain undetected. It would take them a mere six minutes to get to the village. Each of them had enough tie-wraps for twenty people each. They expected to get no more than six, mostly high level lieutenants conducting snatch-and-run operations against supply lines.

The village was quiet, too quiet. Their night vision goggles showed no light whatsoever throughout the village. They were walking into an ambush and SFC. Devlin knew it immediately. He tapped the squad leader on the shoulder, 1LT. Masterson. He whispered, "Sir, I think we're walking into an ambush." The first lieutenant nodded that he thought so as well and they were off. No sooner than they entered the actual village did gunfire begin.

Immediately, the radioman was calling in the Black Hawks and the Apaches for close air support as they ducked into a small hut, shooting six insurgents in the process. Bullets came through the windows and the thin wooden walls. The team was pinned down right away, being fired at by some thirty to forty hostiles, hidden and dispersed. The small hut was protective enough for the time being. They used the windows to draw fire as they shot through holes in the wall and through the cracks in the door. By the time the helicopters arrived they reported at least twenty-six insurgents down but there were far more than initially thought.

The sound of helicopters overhead echoed over the village and was followed by the trademark sound of the thirty millimeter chain gun of the Apache and the seven point six-two millimeter Minigun of the Black Hawk. Rocket fire and MANPAD fire followed towards the helicopters, operating at a mere two hundred feet AGL. The team used the opportunity to sneak out the back of the hut and take positions up to charge the village. They split off into two groups, the first lieutenant leading one and SFC. Devlin leading the other. They pounced the village for the next twenty minutes, getting another forty-six insurgents before the fighting tapered off.

When the raid was over, the ten men were unharmed except for minor wounds from fragments. Their body armor had stopped a combined sixteen bullets. They were grateful for it. All-in-all, eighty-nine insurgents lie dead, twenty-seven were wounded, and six were okay but restrained. Six army CH-53E Super Stallions were on the way to pick up the wounded, the weapons, and the captured. There were enough weapons in the village to supply another small battalion. It was amazing. More air support was brought in to oversee the loading operation, which continued until morning when they all left just before dawn.

But, upon returning to his base, SFC. Devlin had a message waiting for him. It was about his wife and son. An insurgent attack, led by the notorious Victor Armkill, had destroyed seven homes inside Layarteb City. His wife and son were DOA upon arriving at the hospital.

Part II: Darkened Breezes

Identifying the bodies of his wife and son in the morgue erased the humanity in him. SFC. Devlin was filled with rage, burying them only the next day. He was told to take a few days off but he wouldn't, he just couldn't. If he sat around idle then he would just think and that wouldn't be good. He saw the videotape later that evening, two days after he buried his family. It was a confession by the bomber, Victor Armkill, the "Grim Reaper" of the insurgency. SFC. Devlin would make it his goal to personally kill him.

For the next week he went on the standard number of raids, killing with impunity. He had, inside of a single week, been solely responsible for two hundred and eight deaths. Most of his victims were killed with single head shots from his M21 rifle or his M4A2 Carbine. A bunch of them were made with his MK.23 SOCOM pistol and many with either his knife or his bare hands. He was ruthless and his squad recognized it, staying two steps away from him. He was dangerous, as was any man without anything to lose.

A raid was set for the next night, a week and a day after he buried his family. It was against an apartment complex inside of Layarteb City, to the southwest of the city. SFC. Devlin and his team would be doing the raid, after all, they had been overwhelmingly successful. Mission load was for CQB. SFC. Devlin opted for an MP5SD6 instead of a M21. Yet he still had his M4A2 Carbine, customized and loaded. It was customized with a suppressor, M203 grenade launcher, and an M68 aimpoint scope.

He and his team dropped onto the roof just after 0200. A blocking team had already secured the bottom of the building and there would be no escape. They pounced the building hard, the blocking team catching six people running out of the front door as the MH-6 Littlebird's landed on the roof. The two MH-6s were accompanied by a pair of AH-6J Littlebirds armed with two seven-tube 2.75 inch rocket launchers and two 7.62mm M134 mini-guns.

The entire building was six stories and their objective was a three bedroom apartment on the fourth floor. They hit that within seconds of landing on the roof. Those inside were completely flabbergasted. Two flashbangs through both doors completely neutralized both the living room and the master bedroom. The team pounced seconds later and began disarming those inside. By 0220, the entire apartment was secure and thirty-four prisoners were taken without a single shot fired, except for the two flashbangs and one swift hit with the butt of an MP5SD6 by SFC. Devlin.

A convoy waiting outside was loaded up and the truck convoy drove the sixteen miles back to base, without taking a single shot of fire. It was, on the most part, one of the easiest missions they had gone on. But it would be the most influential. When they got back to base and began identifying the prisoners, something the team and a pair of intelligence experts handled, it came apparent that among them was Victor Armkill.

It was then that all hell broke loose. SFC. Devlin, being one of those in the roof, though he was armed to provide protection if one of them decided to get rowdy, lost it. He threw down his rifle on the table and leaped across it, spearing him, knocking him down onto the ground hard. It was a concrete floor and though the prisoner was restrained, he still began to beat the living garbage out of the prisoner. It took all seven of his team members to pull him off. By that time, he had beaten Victor Armkill to within an inch of his life. Medics had to come in and perform CPR to revive him. A dozen or so socks to the center chest had afflictively stopped his heart. Aside from the heart attack, Victor Armkill walked away with a broken jaw, a broken shoulder, four broken ribs, thirty-two bruises, a swollen eye, a broken nose, and loss of hearing in one of his ears. A concussion was surprisingly not present.

After seventeen days in the infirmary, Victor Armkill was placed in a solitary cell, deep underground inside the main prison facility for all of the insurgents. SFC. Devlin spent fourteen days in solitary himself for the action but was soon released as it was deemed "instantaneous rage" and he had no control. He had all the control in the world. However, things were changing quickly. Inside of the fourteen days that he was in the brig, the insurgency fell apart. Without their "Grim Reaper," they fell apart without a base of operations. Repeated raids, air strikes, and assault missions wiped out, inside of two weeks, 80% of the insurgency and the last 20% ran and hid or killed themselves. It was brutal.

But, SFC. Devlin, would not let his rage subside just yet. Sixteen days after Victor Armkill was placed in his own cell, the door exploded open with the full fury of a kick. SFC. Devlin had actually broke his foot but due to the amount of adrenaline, he didn't feel any pain. Inside of five minutes, he had beat Victor Armkill to death, brutally make him suffer the entire time, while he did attempt to fight back. SFC. Devlin, at that time, left the cell and walked away from the base, going AWOL but didn't get too far...

Part III: A New Life

SFC. Devlin was inside a motel room he had rented, too distraught to return to his own home. With him was a bottle of scotch, Johnny Walker Black, half empty. He also had a twenty-four pack of Budweiser beer, only six remaining. Over the past two days he had drank thirty-four ounces of alcohol, more than he had ever consumed in such a short time. A lightweight, he usually drank four drinks and was drunk, five made him s***-faced. He had consumed eighteen beers and at least sixteen shots of scotch, enough to put anyone over the edge. He had woken up still drunk that morning and when he finally sobered up, he started drinking again. The toilet bowl reeked of vomit and his entire body hurt. The drapes were drawn and the only light inside of the room was the pale moonlight that seeped through the drapery. It was like walking into a slaughter house at night but without the carcasses. He hadn't showered since and himself reeked of vomit, tears, sweat, and alcohol.

But this was the final day of his life, as he knew it. Around 2100 when he had just finished off the remainder of the beer, he heard footsteps outside of his door. He still had another twenty-four hours left on his stay so he knew it couldn't be the motel owner. He made barely any noise except the sounds of his own wrenching so it wasn't a noise complaint. It couldn't be the military, how could they know where he was, he paid cash. It certainly wasn't room service or a maid, he made that expressly clear when he checked in. The footsteps stoped and he nearly sobered up when the door exploded inward. Standing there were six men, two with flashlights on their MP5 submachine guns, two more in military uniform, a colonel and a brigadier general, and two more in suits, civilians.

SFC. Devlin immediately dove off the bed to pick up his own weapon, a SIG Sauer P229, loaded with thirteen rounds of .357SIG caliber. "Who the hell are you!" He shouted, unlocking the safety. The men were all silent and the two gunmen positioned themselves tactically and shined the light right in his eyes. "Get that goddamn f****** light off me you piece of s***!" The men did nothing.

"Calm down sergeant. Gentlemen if you will be so kind. Sergeant I will order my men to lower their weapons but you must do the same." One of the men, he couldn't see who, stated.

"I will not relinquish my weapon." His defiance was mixed with anger, guilt, and inebriation.

"Sergeant. I am Brigadier General Farly. You will do as you are ordered. Now!"

"Sir!"

"Now sergeant!" His military discipline was not in absence and he did, leaving it on the bed out of his reach. One of the MP5 gunmen picked it up and turned off their flashlights. All six men stepped in and shut the door. They turned on the lights, which immediately sent SFC. Devlin into the shadows out of sheer pain from the sudden adjustment in light levels. "Sergeant. We are all aware of your situation, your condition, and what you have done. Armkill is dead and we are fully aware that it is you who did this to him. But we are not here to prosecute you. I have a proposal."

"Well sir you are to the point aren't you." He was still hidden but slowly coming out, sobered up completely from the instant shock.

"Sergeant I must be I do not have a lot of time. You will accompany me and the colonel, these two civilians, and my four bodyguards to a secure site immediately. You bill and room will be cleaned at our expense. However you must agree that you will please regard this in utmost secrecy."

"Yes sir." He had come into the light now. It didn't look like he was human at all. The thick beard and complete emptiness on his face coupled with the utter dishevelry portrayed the image of a torn and beaten man. He limped, his foot still broken. "I believe my foot is broken sir."

"Very well all of these bodyguards are medically certified but we cannot do much at this juncture in time. You must accompany us immediately. Authorities are looking for you sergeant."

He followed, as fast as he could go. Outside there were two more guards with an MP5 each standing by the door. Two curious people had come out but were immediately ordered to return to where they had come from and threatened by the barrel of an MP5.

They all climbed inside of black van, spacious and roomy enough for ten, them only being nine. As SFC. Devlin climbed into the van he apologized, "Sir I am sorry for my appearance and my smell. As you are aware I am not in the most pristine condition. If you would allow me, when we get to wherever we are going to please make myself respectful."

"I believe we can allot you that. After all we have to open the windows." The brigadier general arose a chuckle out of everyone, none of whom seemed to care as to the state of the sergeant. They couldn't possibly imagine what he was feeling. The ten minute car ride wound them in a dark alley deep inside of Layarteb City. They entered a grim and eerie looking apartment building that appeared as if it had been unscathed by the previous war.

"Where the hell am I?" SFC. Devlin was curious.

"In due time you will learn sergeant." The colonel had uttered his first words thus far. "In due time..."

SFC. Devlin showered, shaved, changed, and made himself presentable. He was sober now, having taken two pills that worked wonderfully to counteract the effects of his alcohol intoxication. There was one side affect. He had never peed so long in his entire life, at least, without a doubt, fifteen minutes worth of urination, non-stop. He was only a few percent away from actually having alcohol poisoning. Lucky for him or else he would most likely be dead inside of that motel room.

Upon exiting the bathroom he sat down at a long table in a well-lit room. He grunted from the light. The pills counteracted the effects but not the hang-over. "Do we really need so much light?" He asked, the same eight people now inside of the room with the addition of one more, someone he had never met before.

"Sergeant it is most necessary. Would you like some aspirin?" The colonel asked.

"Two Bayer please and a glass of water." The colonel sent one of the bodyguards and he returned moments later. "Now what is going on here?"

"Sergeant. I am positive that you have never seen any of us before. Is this correct?"

"Yes."

"Very well. I must ask you a few questions. Bear in mind that this man," he pointed to the additional person, "is the new leader of our country."

"Very well. It is an honor to meet you sir." The Dictator nodded but kept his mouth shut.

"Were you ever involved in Operation Sideshow?"

"No."

"Were you ever involved in the training of civilians to fight against the combined forces of Tnemrot."

"No."

"Have you ever served with the Layartebian military?"

"Yes."

"What unit?"

"I am a computer analyst for the army."

"Why were you in the same place as Victor Armkill?"

"I learned of his whereabouts through unconventional means and made it my duty to end his life."

"Very well. Are you or have you ever been a Delta Force operative?"

"No."

"Are you currently a citizen of Tnemrot?"

"No."

"Very well. I believe that concludes that. This meeting has never happened and requires the utmost classification. All of the questions I have asked you I know that you full well were lying but you were not aware that I do have a lie detector in that chair you are sitting in. According to the results, you passed. I am glad to see that our training has worked effectively."

"Sir..."

"Never mind about that. This is not an interrogation. It has come to the attention of the Dictator and his Joint Chiefs that special forces will not do in this new land we are setting up. We need the best of the best of the best soldiers available to protect our country and our great leader and his staff using unconventional and different means. I am sure you have an idea of what I am talking about."

"Black Ops."

"Yes." The Dictator became involved. "At this stage of the game we are setting up a Black Ops team that will be known as Force Falcon. The primary goal of this unit will be my protection and the carrying out of the most sensitive operations of this country. You will see combat in many theaters where we do not belong and will deny that we have any involvement in. Your classification level will be the highest, just under myself and the Joint Chiefs. You will be under the Special Forces Division but your orders come directly from me. One of the requirements, aside from being in the top 1% of the military, is to have absolutely nothing to lose. I am deeply sorry that your family had to take on the fate that they suffered. However, I am sure you can see that it makes you a perfect candidate."

"Yes sir."

"Your identity will not longer exist. You will be dead to the world and to the entire human race as we know it. However, your rewards will be massive. You will be given new life, so to speak. Our top scientists have harnessed mortality. You will undergo several medical procedures that will erase your need for sleep, erase aging, and erase natural causes. You will not be immortal let me make it known but you will not die by any natural cause."

"But how..."

"There are certain things that only I and others will know about sergeant."

"Go on..."

"Nevertheless. We have looked through a massive list of candidates and you are at the top which makes you eligible for the top spot in this unit as Team One leader. As the leader of Team One you will be in charge of the most highly trained and equipped unit in the entire military of Layarteb. Team One is also responsible for my protection and only my protection. If you are deployed naturally we will go to the next team but you understand."

"I do sir."

"Are you okay with what I have said."

"Where do I sign?" He smirked. "Anything that I can do to expedite this will be grateful. I imagine I will enter much more training?"

"Sixteen extra weeks. But you will survive it, I have been assured. That is why you are my top pick as well."

"Very well. I shall commit. I need not think about such an honor and a desire. What kind of freedom will I have in battle?"

"Sergeant you will not exist."

"I understand."

"Now for this to work effectively as there are authorities searching for you, we will need to 'kill you.' Such is being arranged. We have 'stolen' your car and will be giving a known spy for Tnemrot use of the car to transport 'explosives' to a secret location. We are killing two birds with one stone. Inside of the car will be a suicide note that you will write." He slid a pen and a piece of paper across the table. "Make it sloppy. Remember this will be fully investigated. The car is under our control and we will remotely be able to control it from a vehicle traveling just behind the car. Along the route is a tree that will be your death, so to speak. We will remotely crash this car into the tree at a speed of some one hundred and twenty-four miles per hour, the limit at which the governor of your car kicks in. There is no doubt that the explosives will detonate. The suicide note will be placed into the motel room you are currently in. We will make it appear as if the door was kicked in by you because you lost your keys. Two witnesses to the event are being dealt with as we speak."

Sixty miles away the man and woman who were unfortunate enough to see the motel room incident, were being read their last rites by a priest of their faith. Each of them were shot moments later in an apparent homicide-suicide.

"Sergeant it is imperative that you follow along with me closely now. There will be little left of the corpse to identify, especially with the explosives that are there. Most likely he will have to be identified through dental records, which we will surgically operate on him for and additionally, which we will need to x-ray you for. Is this clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Very well. Do you have any questions?"

"One sir."

"Proceed."

"What is my name?"

"You will be Jack Delaney and upon completion of the training course you will be a second lieutenant."

"Thank you sir. I will not fail."

"We know..." SFC. Devlin slid the note across the table and the pen, which was immediately discarded.

Part IV: Training Circle

"Gentlemen, today is a fine day in the history of our great country. Today is the day that our first black operations unit took to force. Today is the day when I can proudly say that all sixteen of you have been successful in your endeavor, though there were far more of you in the beginning. I am the General of the Special Forces and I am the commander of all special forces and black operations. However, your unit I have very little jurisdiction over. The Dictator himself has that honor. But let me be the first to tell you that I have full faith in your capabilities as soldiers, as men, and as killers to do the job right the first time!" The General sat down and the Dictator stood up. The room was no bigger than a high school classroom and it was packed with everyone from Force Falcon and some of the higher ups in the government.

The Dictator stood at the podium and cleared his throat. "Gentlemen. You are the first two teams of Force Falcon. Behind you are your support personnel and officers. In front of you is your chain of command. Remember these faces gentlemen because they are the only ones who know you exist. But let me not disparage any of you. The task you have been chosen for and the duty which you have volunteered for is the most esteemed and coveted in all of our military and nobody except those inside this room, know about your existence. Let me be the first to welcome you to Force Falcon!" The ceremony was over minutes later and it was instantly off to duty.

They were in the Force Falcon compound, a three billion dollar facility that had been under construction for years. It was burrowed deep inside a mountain and deep underground at that. Protected from shock and pressure it was a self-sustaining facility, designed to operate independently of the outside world, especially in a NBC attack. Earthquakes were also a major force in this particular region and such was provided for as well. The facility had a complete barracks, an armory, a garage for vehicles numbering over one hundred as well as facilities for repair, helicopter pads, communications centers, intelligence centers, briefing rooms, training areas, and even lounges for rest and relaxation. The entire complex was like a city. It was invisioned that one day it would hold some thirty-thousand soldiers, officers, and support personnel for Force Falcon. There were less than a hundred in the facility at this juncture in time and certainly the facility was eerie, it being so empty.

2LT. Delaney was the leader of Team One. His previous identity had been erased. His entire past life was but a flicker on a cigarette, which he had finally given up. The medical procedures that he had done to him were stressing and kept him on his nerves, especially since he would need another three months to fully adjust to them. However, the pills he was required to take nightly were enough to calm his nerves for twenty-four hours. Like clockwork he took them every night at 2000, just as the doctor ordered. The four months of training he had gone through were grueling and he had seen candidates wash out left and right, two of them even perish. One died after he slipped off the side of a building they were monitoring and the other took a fatal round to the neck during live fire training. They were both accidents though foolish ones at that. Since they had no families they were buried in unmarked graves just outside of the new facility with a memorial service for each one of them. It was scary to think that this was only training...

2LT. Delaney had to report to the shooting range at 1800. He needed to hone up on his sniper skills as for the past two weeks he had been doing all but. He carried his faithful M21 rifle with him and would pick up at least ten magazines of ammunition, twenty rounds per magazine. That was what he prepared to do for the next two hours and he was definitely in need of them. He practiced standing shots, crouching shots, and prone shots. All in all he had shot one hundred and ninety-eight out of two hundred, a fine tally for an impressive marksman. During enhanced sniper training for Force Falcon he had scored so high that the instructors accused him of cheating and required he do it again. He scored better the second time!

But before he went to bed that night he laid down in his private quarters and looked at the only picture he had of his wife and son. It was taken while they were on vacation one year, not too long ago. He almost cried himself to sleep that night but pushed on, just as he had done every night. But he also slept with a SIG Sauer P229 under his pillow, loaded with thirteen .357SIG rounds. If all else failed, he would be a trigger pull away.

Part V: Assignment One

2LT. Delaney sat in the briefing room with the rest of Team One. He had been told to report there at 0520 sharp. It was 0519 and everyone was present. All of his team members asked him what was going on but he could only respond that he did not know either. At 0520, the colonel and his assistant entered the room and in unison, all eight men of Team One stood and saluted. "Gentlemen. Please be seated." He returned the salute. "Last night at 0200, a UFO crashed some eighty-six miles southwest of our facility. The crash has not produced a fire nor has it been noticed by any civilians. We have never had such an event before and it is our duty to secure the site immediately and without fail. We have little information except that the craft is definitely alien and of unknown origin. Radar did not pick up the craft but a military transport flight reported seeing a flash of light in the forest at this location." He pointed to a red dot on a map that had been placed on the overhead projector. "You will be going out armed and via MH-60L Blackhawk. A rapid response team, newly formed in case such an event happened, is being mobilized but they are some four hundred miles away. We don't expect any intruders nor do we expect anything to actually be alive there. However, the orders are as follows. If any unathorized personnel wander into visual range they are to be detained. If they try to escape and you cannot aprehend them, use deadly force and make sure you kill them. If anything is alive on that craft you are to hold fast and remain calm. We do not want to provoke an alien species, God knows what kind of technology they have. This is definitely some straight up science fiction shit gentlemen and I am not afraid to say it. We're in a very unfamiliar situation here.

"Lastly, I want to make it clear. You are NOT to approach or touch the craft. Given its space travel it is most likely going to be emitting radiation. You are to stay fifty meters, at minimum, away from the craft. Take up covered and conceiled positions in the foliage and sit tight. We expect you to be at the site by 0700 and the rapid response team to be there by 1130. They will radio ahead of time when they are five minutes out with the code 'Mark Five Zulu Zulu Alpha Ten.' It is imperitive that you memorize this code and respond back, 'Ten Alpha Zulu Zulu Five Mark.' Understood?" The men nodded. "Alright. You have until 0600 before the chopper leaves. Pack light gentlemen, weapons, ammunition, and water only. Lastly, I want to emphasize this: 'If you are in trouble and there is life on this craft, hostile life, use deadly force. If such is not sufficient, radio for support. We will have a B-1B Lancer in the air armed with incendiary munitions. We will, if necessary, firebomb that entire area to protect you gentlemen. Do not make us do this please. Dismissed." The men saluted again and immediately went to the armory to get their weapons and ammunition.

The MH-60L left the complex at 0600 and headed out over the forest, just above the tree tops, as the morning sun rose in the east. They were moving southwest and though the sun was behind them, it illuminated the forest. They would be going in by fast rope a kilometer from the crash site. That would give them plenty of distance to get to the site and ascertain the situation. The hour long flight was made without incident, though it appeared as if a storm was on the horizon, probably moving northward from the way the wind was blowing.

They roped in successfully, assembled on the ground, and began moving in less than two minutes, a new record, especially for this terrain. As they double timed it through the forest towards the crash site, they scanned for contacts, human contacts. Using an electronic position device, they watched as their GPS coordinates changed with each step. They moved rapidly and as they closed to within two hundred and fifty meters of the crash they could see wreckage. The main body of the craft was in tact but there were damaged and sliced trees as well as debris in another location. At one hundred meters from the craft, they took a knee and using bionoculars, searched the wreckage. Life did not appear to be existent. At that moment, 2LT. Delaney, using hand signals, ordered his men to take up positions around the craft and to get low and hidden.

They wait there until 1125 when the rapid response team finally keyed in on the radio. 2LT. Delaney responded and they came in from the south. Force Falcon Team One reassembled and greeted the men in biohazard suits. They provided security for the next six hours until the wreckage could be moved as well as what was inside, two dead extraterrestrial lifeforms and a new material called Magnitide. Additionally, the craft would be used to provide research to stealthiness for future aircraft. It was a big find and it was definitely chapter two in the history of Force Falcon and the Dictatorship of Layarteb.

Part VI: The Team

Eight men comprised Force Falcon Team One. They were the best of the best of the best of the best. When they weren't abroad on missions, they trained and served as the personal bodyguards of the Dictator. To them he was their primary protection and if they failed, the entire country failed. They were all military trained and each one of them had "died" and thus existed only in body and not on paper.

http://www.forsakenoutlaw.com/Graphics/Nation-States/Role-Playing/Knight%20of%20Dark%20Chaos/jdelaney.jpghttp://www.forsakenoutlaw.com/Graphics/Nation-States/Role-Playing/Knight%20of%20Dark%20Chaos/mwilkins.jpghttp://www.forsakenoutlaw.com/Graphics/Nation-States/Role-Playing/Knight%20of%20Dark%20Chaos/drigalo.jpghttp://www.forsakenoutlaw.com/Graphics/Nation-States/Role-Playing/Knight%20of%20Dark%20Chaos/lwilson.jpg
http://www.forsakenoutlaw.com/Graphics/Nation-States/Role-Playing/Knight%20of%20Dark%20Chaos/msteel.jpghttp://www.forsakenoutlaw.com/Graphics/Nation-States/Role-Playing/Knight%20of%20Dark%20Chaos/rhoward.jpghttp://www.forsakenoutlaw.com/Graphics/Nation-States/Role-Playing/Knight%20of%20Dark%20Chaos/sjackson.jpghttp://www.forsakenoutlaw.com/Graphics/Nation-States/Role-Playing/Knight%20of%20Dark%20Chaos/smilton.jpg
From left to right (top): Jack Delaney, Mark Wilkins, Dennis Rigalo, Luke Wilson
(bottom): Mike Steel, Roger Howard, Steve Jackson, Sandy Milton

Jack Delaney was the team leader. A former Delta who was previously one of the best snipers in the entire military. Delaney is well educated, having graduated college with a having a masters of science and a bachelors of arts in political science. A theorist at first, he joined the Layartebian military when the first civil war broke out. The final war saw ultimate independence and saw him enter Force Falcon.

Mark Wilkins was second in charge. He too was a former Delta and was a career military man. He was also the best computer technician in the group, having the ability to break into most systems and steal what data he needed. He was never married nor had any children. His family was notified of his death just days after the war ended when his Black Hawk crashed into the sea on a training mission.

Dennis Rigalo was the radioman. He was also the communications technician. A former SEAL, he had served with the military for several years before the last war for independence broke out. He was previously injured in combat but the injuries were minor. Of the eight team members, he was the oldest.

Luke Wilson was one of two demolitions experts. Additionally he was the heavy gunner of the team, often carrying a heavy machine gun into combat. He trained for several years prior to the last war for independence as an Army Ranger and had a masters of science in engineering and a bachelors of science in chemistry.

Mike Steel was the sniper of the team. Aside from Delaney, he was the only man to have served previously as a sniper. He was a Marine in the Layartebian military and was also trained extensively in reconnaissance operations. Additionally, he was also an expert is computer operations as well as Wilkins but not as extensively trained.

Roger Howard was the medic. He was previously a nurse before being conscripted into the military and was also well trained in communications equipment. He served in the SEALs prior to his inception into Force Falcon and also served as a combat medic.

Steve Jackson was the other demolitions expert, having a masters of science in engineering and a bachelor of arts in physics. Additionally he was another heavy gunner and often used a heavy machine gun as well as Wilson. He had been a Delta prior to coming to Force Falcon.

Sandy Milton was the second half of Steel. Steel was the sniper, he was the spotter. He too served in the Marines and was extensively trained in communications, reconnaissance, and weapons. Of the team members he had served the longest in the military prior to Force Falcon and had also been wounded in prior combat, breaking his leg in a HMMWV accident. Luckily, he was able to return to combat status without any limitations.

The eight of them were Team One, the most highly trained and ruthless bunch of men in the entire Layartebian military. They were all trained heavily in weapons, spoke multiple languages, and were professional soldiers, dedicated to their country and dedicated to their teammates.

Part VII: Absolution

"Lieutenant! Lieutenant!" The Corporal ran after Second Lieutenant Delaney as Delaney moved back towards his quarters. "Lieutenant...Lieutenant..." Delaney was too focused on a report to be paying attention until finally the Corporal came up on his side. "Lieutenant."

"Yes Corporal?"

"Sir." He saluted. "Sir, they're requesting your presence in briefing room sixteen sir."

"Roger that. Thank you Corporal. Anything else?"

"No sir." The Corporal saluted and left, Delaney moving immediately to the briefing room. It was his least favorite of them. It was an engineering foul up, originally meant to be an interrogation room. It was nothing but concrete with a steel door. It was used for individual briefings, the room having a single table with up to ten chairs around it. It was not hooked up to any audio-visual equipment and therein not very sophisticated. Two men outside guarded the door, each armed with MP5s and Colt 1911 pistols. Second Lieutenant Delaney had a sidearm as well. He never walked around unarmed. He carried a single pistol, a USP Match in .45ACP, twelve rounds at the ready and another three magazines in his pockets. He also carried with him a Seal Knife 2000, refusing to give either up under any circumstances.

He stood stern in front of the door, the two men saluting and checking his clearance. "Sir, they're waiting for you in there."

"Any clue why?"

"No sir. Have a good afternoon."

"You too Sergeant." They opened the door and Delaney stepped in. "Gentlemen." He offered a salute and saw the faces of those who were in charge of Force Falcon, including the Dictator. "Dictator sir." The six men stood and saluted. He then sat down in an open seat at the side of the table. "Am I under review already?"

"Sort of Lieutenant." The General of the Special Forces said. "This is a relaxed meeting so you can relax."

"Thank you sir." He was curious as to the nature of this meeting.

"Lieutenant we've looked over your performance in the past few months here." Lieutenant General McClintock, head of Force Falcon, said as he put a folder onto the table. "You have performed well, exceeding expectations by far."

"Thank you. I have tried very hard." What the hell is this about!

"This is precisely why we are here to offer you a promotion to First Lieutenant. A silver bar." Brigadier General Adams said. He was in charge of personnel and second in command for Force Falcon and also a long time veteran. Also in attendance were Major Armistad, who was deeply rooted in intelligence, Colonel Westerguard, who was operations commander, and Captain West, Delaney's immediate superior. The six of them, excluding the Dictator were the most important men in Force Falcon. These seven men were, by far, beyond capable.

"First Lieutenant? Well I am honored sirs."

"Hold on just one minute." Captain West spoke up. "I have yet to review this."

"Yes you have. Stop with the antics." LTG. McClintock was not a man for games. He put down his cigarette and blew another thick cloud of smoke into the already hazy and cramped room. It was hot as well, the florescent lights above not yielding much comfort. But it was sound-proof and air-tight, therein why it was chosen.

"Sir?" Delaney was confused. "Antics?"

"I object to your promotion."

"Why Captain?"

"Because I do not feel you are fit for command. You are a maverick. I still don't wholly trust you Lieutenant. Not after the incident which we absolved you of."

"And you wouldn't have done the same thing?"

"No."

"Liar!"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen. Let's not get into a p****** match here alright. We're here for multiple matters."

"Sorry General."

"Sorry sir." Captain West lit his own cigarette and puffed away.

"So then what is the other matter?"

"Aren't you more curious about your promotion?"

"Major, with all respect, rank is of no importance to me. Since when has it been in this organization but to have order and to prevent against chaos."

"You are right Lieutenant." LTG. McClintock spoke up again. "Well you are going to be promoted, whether you like it or not so get used to that silver bar for now. As far as the other matter of importance. New information has come around in regards to the murder of your wife and son."

"What information? I thought this was over and done with." Captain West shot out.

"Easy there Captain," the Dictator interjected. "Let's hear what has to be said shall we? Proceed General."

"Very well. Information about the whereabouts of your wife and son leaked from somewhere inside the organization. Unfortunately, until today we were unable to determine who that person was."

"Is there any point to this? It's been settled."

"Captain, one more outburst and I'm going to tape your mouth shut."

"Sorry General."

"Very well. Lieutenant, we know who it was that gave away the information to the resistance. In fact that person was terminated earlier this morning."

"And who was it?"

"Your operations officer at the time."

"Slimy little s***."

"I understand that until now you could not put that little bit to rest but rest assured, it is handled and dealt with."

"Thank you. I well sir I do not like to think about it."

"Understandable."

"Yes sir."

"Alright are we done here?"

"Captain what is the hurry?"

"It's just uncomfortable in here. I'm not fond of interrogation rooms."

"You shouldn't be. But I advise you become fond of them."

"Why is that? I haven't done a thing wrong."

"Oh haven't you?"

"What have I ever done?"

"Let's start with treason Captain." Lieutenant Delaney shot up straight in his chair and stared right into the eyes of Captain West. "Treason Captain."

"What are you talking about?"

"Lieutenant. We did kill the man responsible for divulging the information but we failed to apprehend the bomber."

"But I?"

"It wasn't Armkill."

"But I?"

"Lieutenant. Relax."

"So then I killed..."

"He deserved to die Lieutenant."

"And for that I thank you Lieutenant." The Dictator said.

"I'm glad I could serve the country sir."

"Your service is not in question. But Mr. West here is."

"No offense sir but it's Captain West."

"Not as of right now. I hereby release you from your duty as a military man of Layarteb." The Dictator smiled. "Don't mess with me!"

"Mr. West. What is it that you were trained in?"

"Why is that of importance General?"

"What is it that you were trained in?"

"Demolitions." Lieutenant Delaney stared further at him and his blood began to boil.

"Demolitions?"

"Yeah what do you got a problem with that now too?"

"Mr. West, calm down."

"I am calm but when you accuse me of such slander."

"I haven't accused you of anything yet aside from treason. Guilty conscience?"

"You haven't a thing on me."

"Oh I do." LTG. McClintock threw another folder across the desk. Pictures spilled out. They were pictures of Mr. West lighting a fuse for a bomb, placing a bomb, running away from a bomb, and so on and so fourth.

"Forgeries."

"Not likely."

"Lieutenant Delaney, it is my duty to present to you the real killer of your wife and of your son." LTG. McClintock took another puff of his cigarette and breathed deeply.

Immediately, Mr. West went for his sidearm but was beaten to it. Lieutenant Delaney had his pistol already out and raised, right at the head of Mr. West. "Go ahead, reach for it." He unlocked the safety and smirked. "You vile piece of rat s***. I thought you were on our side."

"What would you know you little p*** ant. I defended this country more than you ever will."

"Treason will never be my topic of necessity. Now you listen here. Why?"

"Why would you care?"

"Because I need to know you piece of trash. Why would you kill the only two things I cared about after all those times I saved your ass!"

"Saved me?"

"Yeah saved you."

"I don't need saving. Ever."

"It looks like you need it now. Answer me."

"Because you're nothing more than a little s***."

"There's more than that. Much more..."

"What do you deserve. You deserve nothing. You are a cold blooded killer. That's what you are."

"I am now. Look at what you've created."

"I created?"

"When you took them from me you took my humanity from me."

"And where were you to save me when Matty died?"

"Where was I?"

"Yeah. Why weren't you there for Matty!"

"Matty is dead get over it. It's his own fault."

"It's your fault. You were his protector!"

"I was nobody's protector. I told Matty clean and simple. Stay low!"

"You should have been there with him! He was your spotter!"

"He was a moron!"

"Where were you when he died?"

"Evading capture you little twit!"

"Evading capture from who?"

"What do you know you were at a desk!"

"I was there. I was there in that helicopter. The one you and Matty NEVER got on!"

"You want to know what happened? We were on a recon mission forty kliks away from where you were. We got sidetracked. Matty got us lost is what happened. We were forty kliks away from the target point because Matty got us lost! We were there to look for General Hassan. Remember. The mission you sent us out on. You were forty kliks away from where we were. Why? Why didn't you report in to us!"

"The coordinates were wrong."

"They weren't wrong. You wrote them wrong. On purpose. What did you have to gain from us being out of the way! Was it the drug operation we stopped on you?"

"It was."

"General, sir. He was dealing drugs through Panama. We stopped that operation. How much money did you lose!"

"Sixty-two million."

"Sixty-two million. Well now we have your motive."

"General, I had no motive until he came along. It wasn't the operation that he stopped. When you raided that compound Lieutenant what did you do with the women and children there."

"We rounded them up and put them in the storage bunker."

"And what happened to the bunker?"

"It blew up!"

"And who was in it?"

"You tell me."

"My wife and my f****** daughter! And the bunker was destroyed and so were they!"

"It was destroyed by your own men! Your own goddamn MEN!"

"They would do nothing of th..."

"Remember. Sixty-two million..."

"That son of..."

"Now do you believe me. You're the rat. You're the p*** ant."

"Now let's no do anything."

"Goodbye." Lieutenant Delaney pulled the trigger and the .45ACP bullet exited the barrel of the USP Match moving at a thundering eight hundred feet per second. It twisted through the air and moved the six feet across the table in 7.5 milliseconds. The bullet made contact with Mr. West at his forehead and tore through his skull and brain, failing to lose much velocity. It continued and exploded out the back of his skull, leaving a hole big enough for a hand to fit through. Mr. West blew backwards, the splatter of blood, skull, and brain matter staining the concrete wall. The bullet kept going though, slamming into the concrete wall and borrowing into it. The sound echoed in the room and put a ringing in everyone's ears. The mess was massive, blood everywhere as it began to pool out on the floor.

"Well well Lieutenant. I do believe that was a course of action we predicted." LTG. McClintock said as he puffed his cigarette. "We'll clean this up. You are relieved of our necessity right now. Why don't you go back to your quarters and relax. Good work Lieutenant."

"Sir. Thank you sir." Lieutenant Delaney stood and saluted. They returned and as he left the room, LTG. McClintock stopped him.

"Lieutenant. Absolution can still be had."

"Yes sir." Lieutenant Delaney left the room and went immediately towards his quarters. Absolution can still be had? I know no such thing...

Part VIII: The Mark

"Lieutenant Delaney. Please report to Briefing Room 6 A-S-A-P. Lieutenant Delaney. Please report to Briefing Room 6 A-S-A-P." The intercom buzzed and repeated the order one last time, three in total. Lieutenant Delaney, who was in his quarters updating a journal entry, immediately disembarked. It was a short walk to Briefing Room 6, only about one hundred feet. He made his way there on the double, moving at a very brisk pace, saluting the guards at the door before he entered.

"Lieutenant. It's good to see you."

"You too sir." LTG. McClintock was inside with only one other person, a man whom he had never met or seen before.

"Lieutenant. This is Mr. Calloway. He is a civilian from the Ministry of Intelligence. Have you ever met him before?"

"No sir."

"Did you meet him today or have this meeting?"

"No sir."

"See Mr. Calloway. Now shall we get going on this?"

"Very well." Mr. Calloway nodded as he put a folder on the table. "His name is Jonas Aruck. He works for the Ministry of Intelligence and he is a spy. Who he is spying for cannot be divulged but he is actively working against us, seeking out knowledge of this very organization. He must be assassinated. He lives in a suburb of Layarteb City with his wife and three children. They are also on the target list."

"Sir?" Lieutenant Delaney interrupted.

"Yes I am afraid so Lieutenant. Mr. Calloway continue."

"Very well. It is to look like a robbery. You will use a combination of a knife and a pistol, forty-five caliber, M1911A2. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Silenced is an option if you choose. Nobody is to survive. The house is to be ransacked as if you were looking for something but take nothing."

"Roger."

"It will be just you and no one else for this op. Is that understood?"

"Yes."

"Very well. There isn't any intelligence to give you other than our mark has a loaded twelve-gage shotgun in the house and may resort to using it to protect his family if necessary. It is imperative that you are NOT to fail this mission or to leave any DNA at the scene."

"Understood. But I cannot help some DNA like hair?"

"That is of course. That is not a problem. Just don't leave any blood."

"Understood."

"Any questions?"

"No sir."

"General?"

"None Mr. Calloway."

"Very well. I believe this meeting is over."

"Correct."

"Good luck Lieutenant."

"Thank you." Mr. Calloway left, leaving just LTG. McClintock and Delaney in the room. "Women and children. Sir you know how I feel about that."

"I know Lieutenant but it's not a luxury we can have in this business. You are an assassin, assassin's do not spare the lives of those that he or she feels is not a target. They can identify you, they can talk to the police, they can make a simple situation very complex. I am sorry but I cannot contradict Mr. Calloway on this matter. I know it's a s***** deal but you'll have to make due."

"Understood sir. Please note my objection."

"I will. I always do."

"Very well. How can I get transportation? We're over a hundred miles away."

"That is not a problem. You'll fly into Layarteb City via Black Hawk. You are a civilian analyst with the Ministry of Intelligence. I have the documents and papers here. Your name is Harry Goldstein, a Jew. You have top level clearance. A car will be waiting for you at the exit of the military barracks and it will take you to a parking lot near a central train station. You will get into a car, a black Monte Carlo, licence plate 224-YHWW. You will find, inside, a map, directions, and money. From there on in you are on your own. Return to the barracks and we will take you back."

"Yes sir. What method of contact do I have?"

"None. You'll have to contact me from the barracks via a secure line. Get privacy you hear!"

"Understood. I'm done then."

"You are. Good luck." The Lieutenant stood and they saluted. He exited the room and went to his quarters to ready. He used his own pistol and his own knife, dressed in a suit and tie, as if he was part of the Ministry of Intelligence. It was a black suit with a dark blue shirt and a silver tie. Tucked inside of it was the pistol and his knife. He also hid kevlar underneath his shirt. The MH-60L Black Hawk took off from the complex at 2000 and he arrived at the barracks within two and a half hours. He was greeted as a civilian and showed his papers to prove it, his briefcase being for decoration.

There were no problems as he traversed through the barracks and to the ground floor, where a Lincoln Towncar was waiting for him, a black one. The driver inside was part of Force Falcon and filled him in on any last minute details, nothing too important. They drove northward towards the edge of the city, where the target train-station was. Upon parking, the driver held up Lieutenant Delaney to give him the last bit of information. "When you return to the barracks. Park in spot G-2. Leave the keys in the car and lock it. The maps and any documents are to be taken with you and burned upon returning to base. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Very well. Good luck." Lieutenant Delaney left the car and walked up to the Monte Carlo, the keys were given to him by the Lincoln driver. He found the map and directions inside. It was a forty minute drive out of the city, north, through highly residential areas to a town that was borderline suburb and rural. The closest house was some five hundred meters away, buried in the forest. He approached without his lights on, driving with night vision goggles. Lights were on at the target house and he knew that wasn't going to be beneficial. He got out of the car, drew his pistol, and unlocked the safety before returning it to his jacket. Using the pitch-black of the night for cover, he darted up the front lawn, the house being raised above the street. He would go in through the side and moved towards that way, low, quiet, and fast.

When he reached the side door he peeked into the kitchen. The lights were out and nobody was there but he could see a light on in another room, definitely the living room. He had, on the helicopter flight, studied the floor plan of the house and knew where every door and room would be. This would be his opportunity and he removed the lock-pick set from his pocket. Using the two, tiny pieces of metal, he managed to unlock the door and open it. He snuck in, crouched. Silently shutting the door behind him, he withdrew his pistol. There were five targets to go and he would have to nail each and every one of them very quickly. He stood up and shot towards the doorframe, leaning against the wall. His pistol was drawn and ready. Quickly, he peaked into the doorframe, looking into the other room. He could see a head sitting on the couch, a woman's head, the long hair being clearly visible. Whomever she was, she was on the phone. She would be distracted and he would use this to his advantage.

He snuck in fast, his steps silent. When he was standing behind the girl, obviously one of the three children. He had the silencer fixed to the muzzle of the pistol and aimed it at the top of her head. She was too indulged in the conversation, possibly to a friend or a boyfriend, to realize just what was going on. A single forty-five caliber bullet pierced the top of her skull and exited the bottom of her chin. Her eyes widened and her body went limp, the phone falling onto the floor as her arms went weak. The bullet continued downward and lodged itself in the couch, blood only millimeters behind it. One down...four to go... He looked around quickly and saw the stairs that would lead up to the second floor, where he expected to encounter the other four individuals. He would go for the mark and his wife first as they were the most capable at defending themselves. The other two children with four and eight, both boys.

Lieutenant Delaney climbed the stairs slowly, keeping close to the wall, his pistol drawn and ready, staring down the sights of it as he inched up the stairs, step by step. At the top of the stairs, if he took a left it would be to the children's rooms and if he took a right, it would be to the parent's bedroom. He would take a right. The door to the bedroom was locked and the lights in the hallway were out. Straight ahead was the door and to the immediate right was a bathroom that also led into the bedroom. He recalled seeing both lights on. That would be his point of ingress. He gently felt the doorknob and saw that it was locked. Both doors were locked. He once again pulled out his lock-pick set and quietly and quickly opened up the bathroom lock. It clicked and he let out a deep breath. He put the lock-pick set away and picked up the pistol from the floor and cracked open the door just a little. The light was out now.

He moved into the bathroom to see that most of it was marble. Someone could slip and kill themselves in this place... He laughed in his head and moved to the other door, the one that led to the bedroom. He could hear a television on but not voices. They were either lying in bed watching television or sleeping, he couldn't tell. Using a mirror from the cabinet above the sink, he slid it underneath the doorway and could see into the bedroom. It was even better, they were having sex. They would be thoroughly distracted and he took this as his chance. He stood and using a swift kick to the left of the doorknob, he smashed the door inward. The mark and his wife were startled in bed from their activity and immediately moved to get off the bed. Lieutenant Delaney fired twice, hitting each of them in the chest, their naked bodies sitting on the floor beside the bed, bleeding. He did a quick count in his head, Four left... He inched forward into the room and put another bullet into the head of the wife. The mark was on the other side of the bed, hiding and bleeding from the chest wound.

He slowly moved around the side of the bed, wary that he could have a weapon. Leaning over he looked down and saw that his mark was dead. He felt for a pulse and found none. The bullet went right through his heart and killed him quickly. Now he would move onto the last two children, asleep in their room at the end of the hallway. They hadn't been startled when Lieutenant Delaney kicked in the door. He was lucky for that. As he opened their unlocked door, he peered in. They were in bunk beds, fast asleep, dreaming, innocent. What the hell am I about to do... He hesitated. If God exists I hope He treats these two like princes... He raised his pistol and fired the last four rounds, two per child. If God exists may He have some mercy upon my soul though I deserve it not! His mission was half accomplished. Now he had to ransack the place. He tore apart the drawers in the master bedroom, leaving jewelry scattered around. Then he moved down to the living room and the office. He smashed in the television and threw every drawer onto the floor, their contents scattered everywhere.

That was it. He was done. He left the same way he entered and ran down to his car. Once inside, he put on his night vision goggles, restarted it, and drove away at thirty miles per hour, the speed limit. When he left the side road he turned his lights on and headed back to the barracks. The entire way he was silent, not even the radio on. What he had done would eat him up inside for years and for eternity. It was unnecessary that they had to kill all of them and he would surely make Mr. Calloway pay for what he had ordered. He would, without a doubt, make him pay severely.

:: Bump ::

Part IX: When the Bullet Hits the Bone...

Lieutenant Delaney was still having nightmares from his previous op. He had killed a whole family, including three children, two of which weren't old enough to watch PG movies. The only thing was he didn't sleep, ever. He was the subject of one of many lab experiments done to members of Force Falcon, lab experiments that allowed the members of Force Falcon to completely skip the necessity for sleep.

That night was one of the more horrible nights that he had experienced. While he was up, filling out reports and making log entries into his journal, he saw a faint shadow in the corner of his room. Startled, he immediately drew his loaded pistol and pointed it at the shadow, which suddenly wasn't there anymore. He took a deep breath and put his pistol away, Damn spooks! He said to himself as he put his head down onto the desk. "What would one day of sleep do for me. I really wonder!" He said aloud as a loud knock echoed onto his door and into his room. "What?" He yelled.

"Sir, you're wanted in Briefing Room 9. You're team has been assembled. They're waiting for you."

"Alright tell them I'll be there in a few minutes, I'm washing my face."

"Sir. Yes sir." The person on the other end of the door knew that Lieutenant Delaney was lying through his teeth. One thing that was common about all of these rooms was that the sinks and bathrooms echoed loudly. If he could hear the Lieutenant speaking to him, he could have heard the water running, especially since he had stood outside the door for a minute before knocking. He had heard too many rumors about disturbing the Lieutenant, especially in the peace of the night, not that there was anything other than clocks and red light to show that it was night time.

Lieutenant Delaney collected his senses and immediately went off to the room. He saluted the guards at the front door and saluted the command staff inside of the room, the usual characters. His men were seated and waiting. "Lieutenant. Did you not hear the four pages?"

"Sir. No I did not. I must have been too enveloped in my work sir. Sorry."

"That's alright. Just be seated. We've got some things to go over."

"Yes sir." Lieutenant Delaney sat down and took another deep breath. What on Earth do they want now!

"Whether any of you have heard or not is not my concern. About three hours ago, the Layartebian Space Division tracked an unidentified flying object over the sky of central New York, about forty-eight miles from here. The aircraft, a stealth aircraft of some sort, moved far too easily and quickly to be a man-made object. This proves our greatest fears that yes, aliens do exist and yes, they are monitoring the planet in some way, shape, or form.

"Just an hour ago, they managed to intercept the object with a flight of F-22As. One of the F-22As downed the craft and it is currently sitting in the forest about eight miles from here, possibly burning completely. We cannot tell what is burning and what isn't burning but we do know that there is fire. This is a priority mission. You are to get out to the crash site, investigate and secure it. There will be UFO nuts all over the place once the sun comes up and that's about two hours from now. You are to suit up with significant supplies, including ammunition. If anything is alive on that craft then we want to know about it and keep it that way. But we do not want to lose any of you in the process! Understood?"

"Yes sir." They repeated.

"Very well. Good luck men!

"Thank you sir!" They were in the armory five minutes later, suiting up and arming. Within ten miuntes they were on a pair of UH-60L Black Hawks heading out to the crash site, escorted by a pair of AH-64D Apache Longbows. They were not playing around! Lights had been seen in the forest by a recon drone but they could not be identified. They were either local police, civilians, or the UFO nuts that had been spoken about.

The two UH-60Ls couldn't touch down at the crash site. The foliage and the fire was too thick for them to safely land. Therein, they had to be dropped off some eight hundred meters away, in a clearing that was wide enough for one helicopter at a time. So they went in, Lieutenant Delaney's helicopter first and the other second. It took no more than a minute but it was grueling, they had never landed in separate teams before and this was, if any where, the place to do it.

"Team A. On me. We're going straight to the crash site. Team B. Head to the east and identify those lights. Use force if necessary. Weapons free."

"Roger that." Roger that was uttered another six times, everyone on the team saying that they understood.

Lieutenant Delaney and his team, armed with M4A2 Carbines with M203 Grenade launchers, suppressors, and M68 Aimpoint scopes moved to the crash site fast. They opted for the lighter assault rifles rather than have someone with a light machine gun. However, Team B had someone with a SAW. All of the eight men carried enough grenades and ammunition to kill a small army, as well as a secondary weapon of an MP5. Everyone carried a SOCOM pistol!

It didn't take long for Team A to get to the crash site. When they got there they could see that about 60% of the wreckage was on fire, all of it scattered in a small area of the forest. The UFO had barely been moving when it was riddled with 20 millimeter bullets from the F-22s cannon. The whole wreckage crashed down into this one area of the forest from an altitude of 28,500 feet. It was definitely not the place to be if you were anyone other than Force Falcon.

Team B, on the other hand, had been having trouble locating the source of the lights, which were basically Maglite flashlights. They heard little noise except the creatures of the night and found little evidence that anyone had gone through there in the past hundred years.

"Team B to Team A. We've got nothing out here sir. Any news from command?"

"No. We're at the crash site. Most of it is in flames. We do...wait we've got movement and noise in the trees. Get here. Double time!" Lieutenant Delaney immediately sent out the hand signals to his men to get down and get hidden. They watched from their positions as the foliage rustled about. Whatever it was it was definitely not the wind. Would it be an animal or did they have enough instinct to know to stay away? It was a grueling two minutes before they realized what it was and it wasn't an animal, it was human. Two rangers, on fire watch, had seen the explosion and been traveling towards it since. Now they finally got to it, both of them armed with .357 Magnum revolvers, nothing that wouldn't give the Force Falcon members a hard day.

"Benny do you see this? Downed plane of some sort but nothing that I've ever seen." One of them called to the other. "What do you think it is?"

"Barney I haven't the slightest clue but our radios are jammed to hell. What's going on?"

"I don't know but I don't like it. Come on let's get back to the truck. We need to get the hell out of here."

"You don't have to tell me twice." But they moved about eight feet away.

"Get down now!" Lieutenant Delaney screamed as he popped up from the position. "Now. Get down!" He yelled again. His other men came out of their hiding spots and surrounded the two rangers.

"We're...what...who are you?"

"Nevermind. What are you doing out here?"

"Investigating the wreck. Are you military?"

"Layartebian Army."

"What is this?"

"We're not at liberty to say."

"Classified?"

"Yes."

"We'll we're just going back to our truck to report the fire."

"No you're staying here."

"We're under direction orders from..."

"So are we. Sit down and shut up if you want to see tomorrow."

"Are you threatening me?"

"I don't have to threaten."

"Listen I," as he said that his partner reached for his pistol but didn't get too far. The soldier watching him saw it and pulled the trigger on his rifle, putting two rounds right into his head. "What the f*** was that!"

"He reached for his gun sir!"

"Roger that. Want to end up like him? No. Now shut your mouth. Team B this is Team A. We've got the targets, two park rangers. Down to one. Secure crash site."

"Roger that."

"Command this is Team One. We're out here at the crash site. Apprehend one park ranger alive and one KIA. Request immediate clean up, over."

"Roger that command. Sweeper team on the way. Over."

"ETA? Over."

"Six minutes. Out."

"Alright men, six minutes until they get here. That means we're sitting on these two. Now, park ranger. Want to keep your hands up and stand up?"

"No but do I have a choice?"

"Don't be a smart ass."

"Fine." As he stood another of the Force Falcon members took his revolver away and took the one away from the dead ranger.

"Three-fifty-seven. Impressive. You boys know how to pack."

"Standard issue sir."

"Now you're getting it." The six minutes weren't fun for any of the nine men standing on the ground. The wreckage was creepy and it was extraterrestrial. After ten minutes there was cause for concern. "Command this is Team One. Where is the sweeper crew? Over."

"Team One, they've been ambushed. Over."

"Ambushed? Over."

"Secure crash site. Unknown hostiles in forest. Out."

"Unknown hostiles? What the f***?"

"It's the militia. They think it's a military crash. Why do you think we carry those revolvers?"

"Militia? Out here?"

"Yes." Lieutenant Delaney looked around curiously.

"Alright men, secure the site. We're in for a gun battle. Ranger you're coming with me!" They took up defensive positions around the crash site and waited patiently. Five, ten, fifteen minutes went by without a single thing. Then the first footsteps echoed. There had to be dozens of them and the eight men of Force Falcon figured a force the size of eighty, from the voices and from the footsteps. They had just ambushed and destroyed the six HMMWVs coming to the crash site and a pair of UH-60L Black Hawks had been damaged in the fight. "We've got hostiles. Team One reports eighty or so. Armed with assault rifles, explosives. Over." Lieutenant Delaney whispered. "Advise we're engaging. Over."

"Clear to engage. Out." Lieutenant Delaney smirked and with that he whispered into his microphone to engage. They opened fire first, shooting from their concealed locations. They each were using semi-automatic fire for the first attack and they could make every bullet count and they did. The eight of them killed eight people right away and then opened fire with fully automatic but usually sending only two bullets at a time. The second salvo from them killed another eight and they were still undetected. A third salvo tagged six and that was when the return fire started.

The militia group had AK-47s and M16s and they knew how to use them. All had served in the military and they were all well trained for this mission but not as well trained as Force Falcon was. A gun battle ensued, first with the militia just shooting randomly towards the directions they thought the gunfire was coming from. Then they began to hone in their shots, shooting dangerously close to the members of Force Falcon.

It wouldn't last more than twenty minutes with eighty of eighty-six militia killed. The other six were wounded and became prisoners. Their existence was officially known by the military at that point. While none of the Force Falcon soldiers were killed, Lieutenant Delaney was wounded, an AK-47 round passing through his arm, plowing through his bone...

The Death of a Thousand Staples....


now there is a name for a chapter

The Death of a Thousand Staples....


now there is a name for a chapter

Could you please not clutter up my thread with stupid things? If you want to tag it go ahead but that doesn't really seem like a tag.

I was genuinely trying too be helpful my apologies...

I was genuinely trying too be helpful my apologies...

Odd, so didn't come out like that. In that case I am sorry.

/me thinks a bump is in order....
Sorry Lay!