The Eyes of Bliss.


She stands in front of the seven doors with her eyes closed tightly, in her mind she studies as she listens to Mentor’s voice. Her concentration never broken by any distractions, it is just her, the doors and Mentor.
“Do you know why you are here Samantha?”
She stands in silence, unmoved by the question. Mentor smiles.
“You are here Samantha because you are not like the others of your class, your instincts are more refined, you refuse to believe what your eyes tell you is there, you can actually feel the danger, the enemy. This is what will forever set you apart from the others.”
He walks around her.
“The seven Doors in front of you are your last test here at the academy Samantha six will offer you failure and death, only one offers you freedom, there are no clues, you must feel it Samantha, feel the way out. Do not open your eyes until you feel it.”
Without a second thought, with hesitation, she opens her eyes and walks over to one of the doors and opens it to find a room full of her classmates. They are cheering for her but she doesn’t hear them now, now she closes her eyes and all she knows is Mentor’s voice.
“Don’t open your eyes until you feel it.”
Her head cocks slightly to one side, as if to listen to the voice that has been in her mind for the last six years since the academy, offering silent guidance.
“Not until you feel it Samantha.”
She opens her Eyes and she is once again in Battery Park deep into the Canns Landing corridor. It has started to rain softly, the members of team Alpha are patiently waiting for her orders, she looks back over at the red standing by the entrance to the bunker. She looks to Cowboy and Milo Tripper and smiles. She knows it’s a trap. She can just feel it. Lifeguards voice crackles to life in her ear piece.
“Sam? Have you moved on the bunker yet?”
Silence.
“How many reds next to the opening of the bunker Lifeguard?”
“Just one on the outside as far as I can tell.”
She waits. And soon two more hulking figures appear next to the red.
“How many Now?”
“Still only picking up one.” She smiles and whispers to Milo and Cowboy.
“Smart boys.. They made themselves an underground refrigeration unit to try and fool the Sky watch satellites.”
“Shit Sam.. Now what?”
“Now Lifeguard, we wait them out.”
Patience proves indeed to be a rewarding virtue, as they watch three then four, then five through seven more reds emerge from the bunker each rubbing their arms as they step into the rain.
“Lifeguard, wait five minutes and then give me a reading on the heat signatures that are outside.”

Hostage Found.


They wait patiently for another five minute, each member diligently holding their position.
“Damn! Now we’re counting eight, they are faint but they are there.”
“And there are usually ten reds to an outpost, so with the three that we followed here from the bridge that makes thirteen, there’s eight out here and five below with the girl.”
She silently gives the motion for them to move in, and they engage the first reds ten yards from the entrance to the bunker, and the attack catches them totally unaware, and the reds fall easy prey to the advancing Alpha team. They cut them down, one at a time slowly advancing on the entrance to the bunker. There are three left guarding the entrance, firing furiously at the Alpha team. shots are ricocheting in and around the opening, and the last two reds retreat deep into the poorly lit tunnel, Roxx move in behind Twitch and Thump as they ready themselves to launch concussion grenades into the belly of the bunker. She again calls for them to stop, waiting for word from Lifeguard.
“Lifeguard! Feed me the location of the lowest heat signature, that has to be the girl”
“It looks like there could be a small chamber away from the main body of the bunker Sam, It’s in the southeast corner, and has the lowest signature, but if they have a refrigeration unit in there, there could be more Reds hiding somewhere down there that we aren’t seeing. Proceed with caution.” Twitch and Thump move up to launch the concussion grenades and they roll into the main chamber of the bunker, seconds later small explosions Rock the walls deep in the belly of the bunker and they move slowly down the long wide corridor. There is nothing moving, as they enter the main chamber, through the smoke Samantha can see the bodies of five dead reds. They scan the southeast corner and find another small chamber in the floor with two metal doors covering it. Cowboy and Milo Tripper train their weapons on it as Samantha Bliss opens it to find a frightened but alive Jessica Bradley. She stares wide eyed at the team.
“Who Are You?”
Samantha Bliss smiles at her, as she extends her a friendly hand helping her up from the floor.”
“We’re from Threshold Jessica, and we’re here to take you home. Sweep the bunker for stragglers Roxx, Twitch you and Thump go with her, and be careful. Lets get the hell out of this hole.”

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