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We pulled into the airfield. Soldiers gaped at the bullet holes which speckled the sides and rear of our vehicle. Tank drove to the command center where the informant was unloaded and secured. We were met by to Special Assignments Team agents who were assigned to the region for support on our missions. They gave me instructions for traveling to the first bunker and better yet, keys to our new transport.

We found the designated vehicle. This one was plainly an armored personal transport. It wasn't disguised as anything. It had a sleek, angular design, and despite being about average size, appeared to be flatter than normal. There was a hidden roof hatch to allow a gunner to stand in the back and shoot. It exterior was painted with the white, silver, gray, and black camouflage used in snowy regions and the windows were covered with a matching film.

I looked in the back. The remaining crates from Center Seventeen were already loaded. I closed the hatch and took shotgun. Teague was once again at the wheel with the others seated in the back. He turned the ignition and grinned at the feeling of the supercharged engine revving up. He threw the transmission into reverse, pulled out, and we speed back off base.

We rumbled along dirt tracks which could barely be called roads for an hour and a half, receiving new coordinates twice until we finally reached the bunker. It was dung into a granite hillside, camouflage netting covering the entrance. Teague pulled the truck into the front entrance. I whistled as we entered the space. The "garage" doubled as the armory and was big enough to park three of these. The opposite wall was lined with weapon racks and boxes of ammunition. I guess they planned on us being here for a while.

I helped unload the crates onto the racks. Finished in that, we entered the living quarters. As I walked though a heavy steel door, I flipped on a light switch. Halogen lights flickered on illumination the bunker's interior.

"Home sweet home."

We were standing in the main room. It contained the kitchen, table, two couches, computers, television and even a stationary bike and free weights. An opening in the right wall led to a hallway and five partitioned rooms. I threw my duffle into the first one.

"Come on Harper, I wanted that one," Joked Jessica.

After settling down, our orders were to report in to Center 17. I sat down at the com station and switched on the monitor and camera. A few seconds later, Hogan's face appeared.

"Chief Warrant Officer Harper reporting as ordered."

"Cut the crap Harper, you know you don't need formalities with me."

I smiled, "how's it going up there."

"Good now that we know you're secure. Great work with Sergovich by the way. He should home side in a few hours for interrogation."

"Glad to hear it. What do we do now?"

"No orders yet. They don't want you to move until we have some more info. We need to know which targets to attack when for the most effective operation down there. This has to be over before it starts, or things are going to get nasty."

"I understand."

"How's the bunker? Well stocked?"

"I haven't checked provisions yet, but everything looks fine so far."

"Alright. Keep an eye on the fuel cells, and try not to get too bored. We'll contact you as soon as we know anything."

"Thanks Hogan, Alpha bunker out."

I clicked off the com and sat back in my chair. More waiting around doing nothing. I had hoped that being stationed down here would mean more action. My stomach growled loudly.

"Hey Teague, how do we look on food?"

He stepped out of the large pantry with a disgusted look on his face.

"They defiantly went for quantity over quality on this one. We're going to be eating food from a box which probably tastes better than the food. They didn't even have the decency of giving us cold milk."

He tossed me a small blue box, similar to a cub's juice box. I recognized it immediately. It was the military's ultra processed, nonperishable, non refrigerated milk. I hated this stuff.

Jessica laughed as she looked in the pantry. "If they want us to save the world, may they could try to keep us happy doing it."

Life at bunker Alpha was dull at best. We were confined to the interior with nothing but the limited workout facilities, the TV, crappy war video games, and the two books I had brought. We weren't even allowed to go outside to practice shooting. Laughing to myself I thought of what Traci would say if she knew where I was living. I sat bolt upright at this.

"Harper, what's up?"

"Nothing."

I sat back into the cushion of the couch. It had been a very long time since I had thought about that distant part of my life. Funny I thought as the memories dissipated, it seemed so important at the time. Now, leaving my family and friends was just a standard fact of my life with the special assignments team. Nothing to worry about anymore.

We sat underground for three days, doing practically nothing. I was picking at a stale sandwich when the com came online. I rushed over to the consol and the others soon joined me. Once again, Hogan stared back at us from the monitor.

"Hey guys, how's it been?"

I responded by glaring back at him.

"Right. The question of the informant is over and the higher ups have a new mission for you. Obviously the ultimate goal is to take out the leader. This guy sounds like a real wacko. He calls himself The Phoenix."

I inhaled sharply.

"Don't worry, he's not actually a Phoenix."

I let out my held breath. If he was a true Phoenix we would have no authority, much less the means, to stop him.

"Like I was saying, he calls himself The Phoenix. From what we know, he's a black eagle, but he only ever allows his top general's to see him, so the illusion stands amongst his followers. We don't know where he is though. In the mean time though, we've made a deal with the Croanian government. The New World Order has been giving them a lot of trouble. You have full reign to deal with them as long as no more Croanians are harmed. We do know the location of one of their generals, and a training center he is running. His name is Bantano Davis."

A picture of a fearsome looking polar bear appeared in the corner of the screen.

"We believe he's one of the NWO's first recruits. He's in deep, possibly high enough to know who The Phoenix is. We need to take him out before the trainees at his facility go active. You will have three objectives. One, kill Bantano. He's much too dangerous to keep alive. Two, secure any data which is easily obtainable and will not compromise or slow the mission by doing so. Finally, destroy the training center. The last thing we need is more NWO disciples running around killing people."

"Alright, how do we do this?"

A hologram appeared of the facility.

"This is the compound where Bantano is working out of. There's one problem with accessing it though."

A ring appeared around the original image.

"There is a secure perimeter one mile out. We don't think you will be able to penetrate without giving away your position to everyone there. This means you'll have to..."

"Jump," I interrupted.

"Correct. You're going to have to go in HAHO."

I nodded. We had practiced these jumps before. We would be dropped well away from the LZ where the aircraft engines could not be heard at an altitude around 30,000ft. We would then fall for fifteen seconds before opening our chutes and flying in under canopy. In this fashion, we could fly for close to 30 miles and land silently.

Tank spoke up, "Why not HALO? Wouldn't that get us in faster?"

"Faster, yes. However, the fear is that the noise of a parachute opening at low altitude will alert the enemy to your position. You'll be making this jump at night under photoreactive canopies. If you come in on the pre designated course, you should make it to the ground half a mile into the perimeter undetected."

"Understood."

Shit, a night opp. I hated jumping at night. We had had to do it countless times during training and it never got better, especially alone. At least we would be traveling in a stack. It could be worse.

"Harper, you're going to hate me for this next part. They want you to move the instant you touch down, no time for sniping. The general's quarters are here."

He indicated one of the holographic buildings.

"Get in, do your business and get out."

"What are our extraction options?"

"If all goes as planned, there will be a chopper waiting for you on the other side of the base."

A small marker flashed.

"And if not?"

"Improvise."

We were good at that. Now that we had the intell, I had no doubts that this mission would go just as smoothly as the last. Hopefully smoother if possible. If we moved quickly and didn't run into too many snags, the operation should be over in no time and The New World Order would be short a second general by our hands.

"Alright Hogan, anything else."

"No Sir."

"Roger that, bunker Alpha, out."