The 22 touched down at about ten after ten that night, the lurch stirred us all from sleep. When the hatch came down, it was pouring rain out. Thunder was cracking off every few seconds and the flashes of lightning briefly lit the area like it was the middle of the day. Greyson killed the 22 and shut off the cabin lights. Sozenn cracked a few glowsticks as I stepped out to scan the area. We had landed on the side of a small mountain and I could see the castle from where I was. There were two search lights that were pointing to the sky and I could hear the faint rumble of Deuces coming and going from within the compounds walls. I pulled out my tactical binos and started scanning the area. I could see four stone towers on each side of the castle and they each played host to a sniper, dressed in red and black with the Soviet Star and Dragonov sniper rifles. There were many, many jeeps and trucks lined up in a parking lot and there were a few guys unloading crates from them. I could see two buildings at the base of the castle and several scaffolding that lined the outer wall. They looked vacant at the moment, but that could change. I counted at least fifty or sixty guys, many of them were ready to fight a small war, others looked ready to throw down with America, Romeo, China and Russia, all at the same time.
"Well would you look at that", Sozenn growled, "our Russian's got a whole private army down there."
"Russians, Yugoslavians, Ukrainians, looks like ex military, PMCs state of the art tech", I said.
"Does Nolan really think that Andrews will turn up here?", Sozenn asked.
"He's got balls if he does", Hudson said.
I continued scanning the area. I was passing by the cat walk when I picked up something on the thermals. I shifted my view to a catwalk near the top of the castle and saw a single man walking along. His signature barely registered on the thermals, so I know he wasn't the one doing it. I shifted my glance when the Thermals ticked again and saw a glowing white, four legged figure with tail swishing creep around the corner and pounce on the man.
"Found him", I said, "I can see Andrews on the catwalk near the top of the castle."
Hudson charged his FAL, "then let's go get him."
I flared my wings, "can you keep up old man?"
"Any day of the week", Hudson said putting on a helmet for his wingsuit. He slapped a button on his rig and a membrane filled the area between his legs and arms. He slung his FAL over his shoulder and stepped to the edge.
"Were about 10,000 feet up right now", I said as Sozenn and I flared our wings, "and it's 4,734 feet to the cliff we need to hit. If we drop off more than 300 feet during or descent were gonna smack into a rock wall."
"Ever heard of not doing that?", Hudson asked as he jumped off the cliff.
"See you on the other side Sozenn!", I said as I joined him.
Sozenn lept after me. I clicked my gun down by my side to reduce my drag as I glided through the choppy air and Sozenn did the same. In the night vision on my HUD, I could see all kinds of rock formations that were in our path. There was a giant arch that curved at least 300 feet in the air above me and was covered with trees on top and on several slabs of rock extending from it. It was really something to see. The three of us glided through it without any problems and weaved through several more rock formations before the cliff we were aiming for began to come into view.
"Deploying chute!", Hudson shouted as he pulled the rip cord on his vest.
"Deploying chute!", Sozenn said.
"Deploying chute!", I said yanking my own ripcord. There wasn't any way I was going to risk opening my wings at 450 miles an hour because I would rip the membrane clean off. My Dad always told me that the higher your speed is, the less effective your wings become. After you hit the 300MPH mark, the most you can do before hurting yourself is just glide on the wind.
The chute ripped out of it's carrier and the lurch slowed me down just enough to get my wings open and slow down enough not to brake a bone when I touched down. Sozenn landed second and Hudson brought up our rear. I clicked off the safety on my 20 and turned to my friends.
"Keep up or I leave you behind, there are too many people here for us to be messing around in any way."
"Got it boss", Hudson said, "let's go."
I took point with Sozenn at my tail and Hudson bringing up the rear. We followed a path down the cliff and to a small, destroyed rock wall that separated us from two MAT-11 wielding men. They were standing under glowsticks they had hanging from a tree trading what looked like superhero cards with each other. I lowered myself to the ground.
"Let these two go", I whispered.
Sozenn and Hudson nodded to me. It was a ten minute wait before the men's radios rang and they ran off.
"Move", I said, "only shoot at what you can kill."
We followed the trail down to a drop off which led us into a bowl of a fortress that was crawling with rebels. Hudson might be able to slip past, but Sozenn and I would be shot to pieces if we tried to enter.
"There's gotta be a way around here", I said.
"I don't see one", Sozenn said.
"Well you and I are gonna be sharing graves and Hudson is going to have to explain to Adelind and Cora why we didn't come home if we don't find one", I said, "there's gotta be one."
"You feel like getting muddy?", Hudson asked, "there's a deep ass trench that runs along that side of the wall. It looks more than deep enough for you and Sozenn to crawl through."
I looked here Hudson was pointing. Along the entire castle wall was a deep drainage trench that was covered by grates piled high with boxes, you'd only see someone underneath it if you were looking, and even then, with the dark, they would be near impossible to see.
"We stick together", I said looking at Hudson, "we'll carry you through that thing if we have to."
"Just like Vietnam", Hudson said sliding off the cliff. Sozenn and I followed him and hid behind some of the many Deuces parked in the lot. There was a man with an AK-47 pacing up an down the row with a high powered flashlight. He'd raise the alarm if he saw us.
"Hudson", I said, "take him."
Hudson drew his knife and crept up behind the man. He stood all the way up, turned around and punched him dead in the face with the brass knuckles and knocked him cold. He stashed the man underneath the Deuce and then we pressed forward to the grate. Sozenn and I slipped under and Hudson followed. The water was up to my chest and came to a little past Hudson's neck. It impeded his movement so badly that he had to get onto Sozenn's back.
As we moved down the trench, I stopped our advance.
"Plant C4 here to cover our escape", I whispered.
Hudson nodded and placed a block of C4 underneath the area where a crate was sitting so it wasn't visible. He armed it and we pressed down the rest of the trench and came out near the back wall. To our left was what looked like SAT COM building as there were several dishes on the roof and there was a light on inside. The three of us slunk up to the building and I looked inside. The man supposed to be manning the camera's was asleep on the job.
I crept up behind him and pulled him out of the chair, smacking his unprotected head against the concrete, knocking him out. I took a look at the security camera feed. Most of the monitors were blank, but one of them was observing a dragon walking up to it. He stood up on his hind legs and looked into the camera before it went to static.
"What floor is that?", Hudson asked.
I checked the label underneath the monitor, it read "Floor 5/6".
"The fifth floor of the castle", I said, "let's hustle, I give the two we KO'd ten minutes before they wake up and raise an alarm."
We slipped out of the security room and past the castle wall, coming out on a scaffolding that ran across the outside of the actual castle structure. The metal bars were anchored into the sharp, jagged rocks below us. There was somewhat of railing that was playing host to a few sheets of OSB that looked rotted to their cores and a few blue tarps flapping violently as the wind picked up. The broads that we were supposed to be walking on were being soaked by a torrent of water pouring out of a damaged wall in the castle and they looked much, much worse than the broads nailed to the side of the scaffolding did.
"Are we supposed to walk on that?", Sozenn asked, "that don't look like I could hold a feather, much less a 350 pound man and two 5,000 pound dragons."
"The I'll go first because I'm the heaviest", I said, "Sozenn will follow and Hudson will bring up the rear. Just watch where you put your boots."
They nodded as I turned my attention to the scaffolding. I took a deep breath and placed my paw on the board. I sagged a little under my weight, but it still felt solid enough. I took another step, there wasn't any sag this time, but I could feel how rotted it was. I felt sorry for the men who worked on this. This scared me so much that I'd rather stare down the barrel of a 12 gauge.
"This is so sketchy", I said making a face, "it feels like it could brake under me at any second."
"Step by step", Sozenn said.
I made sure that I watched each paw step as a crept across the scaffolding. I came around the corner to a section about half as wide as what I had, what was worse that it was being drenched with water and looked even more rotted than what I'd been walking on. I put one leg in front of the other and crossed over as slowly as I could.
"Be careful guys", I said, "it's really narrow here and could give out at any moment."
Hudson and Sozenn nodded. It took a few more minutes of cautious walking before we finally managed to hit solid rock again. We agreed that we would never again set foot on something so sketchy and then proceeded up a long staircase to what looked like an over watch area where there were two men armed with M27 IAR's watching over the courtyard. We hugged the wall as we slunck around behind them an entered the stone castle.
It was like something out of a High Fantasy novel. The halls rose high into the air, at least fifty feet, dwarfing even the tallest Mountain Alpha. The walls were lavished with stone statues and the windows were beautiful stained glass. There were several gold lined red rugs that covered the grey marble floors and there were elegant crystal chandlers. There were hand carved twisted couloms holding up the ceiling and even they had been decorated. You could tell that this castle was reminiscent of the time when the nobility ruled and had likely played host to more than a few German Chancellors.
"I've only see stuff like this in old Sci-Fi dragon movies", Hudson said.
"Yeah", Sozenn said, "it's like something out of a video game."
"Doesn't matter what it's from", I told them, "let's find Andrews and get outta here."
I pulled up the map Nolan had given me. According to it, we were on the fifth floor. The hallway we were in was right above the sixth floor, but between here and the stairwell we needed to be at, there were several MG emplacements as well as patrolling guards.
"Were gonna go right through this wall", I said, "Hudson stick some det tape to it."
Hudson nodded and pulled the tape from his vest. He tapped a large square on the wall and then wired a blasting cap into it.
"Time the blast with the next shot of thunder", I told him.
Hudson nodded and pulled out the detonator We sat there for a few minutes before a bolt of lightning illuminated the area like an exploding star and a shot of thunder like holding your ear to a 155 as it fired split the heavens in two distinct haves. Sozenn and I even grabbed at our ears through our headphones, Hudson did too, setting off the tape at the same time, the explosion was inaudible over the thunder.
"Fuck", Hudson said as he put the detonator away, "that may just be the single loudest thunder shot I've ever heard."
"Is anyone else deaf in one ear now?", Sozenn asked.
"I am", I said replacing my now broken electronic headphones, "and I need new head phones, the sound popped my microphone. Let's go."
Hudson climbed into the cavity first. Inside was near black, even for natural night vision. There was water dripping down the algae covered walls and there were old logs, some thicker than the base of my tail occupying the space between the walls, perfect for climbing. I followed Hudson in, sinking my claws into the wood and pulling myself into the hole, Sozenn following close behind.
I could see a glimmer of light coming from a hole in the wall above us as well as hear a little bit of chatter. I climbed up a few more logs until I was beside Hudson and peered into the small hole in the wall. Inside were four men. Two looked like security forces while another looked like a general of some kind. The last man was dressed in a jet black suit that had a red under and a black tie. His hair was standing on end and he had a handgun strapped to his leg. The room was filled with all kinds of electronic equipment and on a large monitor in the middle of the room was a female who looked like a field commander.
"That's not what I asked Captain", the man in the suit said.
"I know sir", the woman replied, "but our men are dying out here. The government has cut us off and we have more dying than we have operational."
"Dying is no excuse to stop fighting", the man in the suit, who I was beginning to assume was Vladimir, replied, "be that as it may, I'm sending T62 tanks your way, godspeed my friend."
The woman nodded as the TV went off and the man turned to his security.
"Make sure those tanks are delivered to her by nightfall tomorrow", Vlad said, "also send shipments of fresh men, food, water, medical supplies and explosives to all of our men in the field."
The men nodded and turned to the door as it flung open and two flash grenades flew in.
"Nine-Bangers!", Hudson said, "cover your eyes!"
We held our paws over our eyes as the grenades went off with 18 defining bangs, followed by several, quick shots from what sounded like a suppressed .308 caliber rifle. I removed my paw from my eyes and saw that the two guards had been killed and a black suited, wingless dragon covered expect for one eye had entered the room, Andrews. Vlad tried to draw his revolver, but Andrews knocked it out of his hands.
"Your coming with me you Soviet bastard!", he barked. His voice came out as a deep, raspy hiss, "there's a loooottt of good money on your head. Don't try and fight me either, I don't need you alive."
"Go", I ordered, "flash out!"
I pulled the pin on an old style flashbang and tossed it into the room. The second it went off, Sozenn and I placed our back paws against the back wall and shoved ourselves through the thin sheet rock that stood between us in the room.
"Ahh!", Andrews roared, "what in the living fuck!!??"
"Drop it or I'll split you in half!", I barked, "take it off now!"
When Andrews recovered from the flash, he found himself standing directly in front of the muzzle brake on my 105.
"What the fuck is this shit!?", Andrews asked, "how in the HELL do you people know I'm still alive?!"
"Various sources", I said refusing to elaborate, "all you need to know is that your coming with us."
"Fat chance", Andrews said, "take your ass back to your superiors and tell them that you ended up having to kill the target you were sent to capture. Screw all you Draco bastards!"
"Were not Draco", Hudson said.
"RIIGGGHHHTTT!", Andrews laughed, "and I'm not a dragon."
This was proving to be more difficult than I had originally thought. I hadn't taken into account the fact that Andrews likely didn't know a thing about the resistance or it's members.
"Were not", I told him, "were a group of dragons who left Draco to avoid being killed off. Our goal now is to oust the project and get any dragons who want out, out."
He sneered and snickered at me, "gimme one, solid, concrete reason why I shouldn't just shoot you where you stand? I do have Tungsten ammo loaded into my .308 right now."
I growled at myself. There had to be a way I could convince this guy I was on his side.
"You have to trust me", I said, "were friends."
"There's a volcano erupting", Andrews said, "get in this FEMA truck and we'll take to a camp where you'll be safe. But there's no volcano around here? Trust me, I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
I growled again. I was opening my mouth to protest again when it crossed my mind that Andrews was a member of Talon Squad.
"Does the name Faline Serelath mean anything to you?", I asked.
He looked like what was either surprise, or extreme anger masked with a fake surprise.
"Never heard of her", Andrews said.
"I never said it was a her", I answered.
Andrews growled at me, "yeah I know the name. She died 10 years ago because of a CO's fuck up. What's it matter?"
I shook my head, "actually no. She's very much alive and kicking."
The look on his face told me I had him.
"I don't believe you", Andrews said, "all you Draco screws are crafty like that!"
I shrugged and pulled out the rusty tags, tossing them to him.
"Know about those?", I asked.
He picked them up and turned them around in his paw before looking up at me.
"Your not lying", he said, "this was the contingency that Taro had in place if we ever got separated. So tell me dragon, why did you bother to track me down? Are you Talon Squad? If not, then who?"
"Like I said", I told him, "were The Resistance against Project Draco. We came looking for you because we believe that you can help us with something."
He nodded, "very well, what do you need?"