Enoch has worked all his life as a contractor. From fighting the Tuvalu Free States, and brutal melees in the Putrid Ganges against river gangs and Indian Rebels, to Going one-to-one with the Revolutionary Armies Dual Swordsmen, and Skull Crushers. Enoch had always had no fear and no apprehension when it came to an operation, and this time was no different. Despite his caste and size, Enoch was a capable fighter with blade skills only trained Arts Blades men could match even when their cheating with their techniques.

Enoch had been hired by the New Global Securities United on an anti-terrorism operation near Volund, where he now laid. He moved low, concealed by the foliage and trees at the edge of a Rebel camp. The location was spotted by Myrian Special Intelligence in Hell’s Break Jungle. It was a small encampment even for the Revolutionary Army. It consisted of only a couple of civilian camping tents and three RecVeds, Big Motor vehicles designed for civilian recreation, bought by the rebel Army. Enoch laid flat next to his squad mate and fellow contractor he knew as Hasasar as he observed the temporary encampment with his binoculars.

“Six Targets in the open, all carrying melee weapons. Lighter force than Usual.” Hasasar Looked around carefully, “No snipers and from the looks of it the rest of the Targets are in their tents and RecVeds.” “Looks like an easy night this time.” He said in his softly high-pitched voice, then taking a deep breath and exhaling.

“Got it,” said Enoch, voice soft and calm as a gentle stream. “Even with the lower numbers, our team size was cut in half for this contract, and going loud is not an option.” Enoch said, taking a pause and looking at Hassar, “I have already formulated a plan and I want you to listen. Okay?”

“Alright, Enoch. What do have now genius?”

Enoch took Hassar's goggles into his small hands and began observing. “See those three.” Enoch pointed out at the three soldiers in the dark. “That boy right there.” Taking a smoke, Enoch pointed at a stock soldier caste kid. “I can take him first, and you move on to the one on my left.” He pointed to another young boy with what appeared to be a great sword looking away for our position. “Him right there,” he told Hassar as he then pointed to another soldier. She appeared the most aware, looking across the forest edge. “Her last. I'll silence her quickly, and we can roll up into the camp and take the Vehicles.”

“Would killing the third soldier first, then the first then the second work better?” Hasasar inquired of Enoch.

“You have a point, but this mission must have the factor of surprise.” Enoch paused to make sure Hasasar Understood. “The order I chose allows for the fastest assault and less noise, reducing our chance for open combat.”

“Hasasar nodded and turned his head towards the camp.” “Hopefully, your right.” Hasasar took a very deep breath. “Let us begin Enoch. Just like last time, right” Hasasar showed his signature smile and big shiny brown eyes. “Yes...just like old times.”

Enoch and Hasasar move silently through the wet jungle undergrowth. The new moon made tonight extra dark. Only campfires of the Revolutionary Army are shown bright in this total darkness. Enoch, like a silent feline Fermut emerged from the bush and approached the first soldier who had pulled out another Cigarette from a box in one of his pockets on his plate carrier not even aware of the shadow skulking towards him. He was dead before he could react as Enoch's Dual blade, which was across his throat like slicing bread at chow. His body dropped like a stone into the thick grass and Enoch drew his body further into the darkened brush out of site. Enoch then quickly staked towards the girl who wore a simple stab-ballistic vest with a long sword hanging from a hilt that faced Enoch’s approach. She still looked around like a hawk, but Enoch's attack did even give her time to scream as with a quick tug he pulled her legs from under her, mounted, and stabbed her in the throat with his Dominant blade.

Enoch looked around and then picked up his radio and reported to Hasasar. “The soldiers on this side have been eliminated. ready to move into the camp. Over.”

“10-4. Took down my tango as well. Moving in.” H

“Copy.” And with that reply, Enoch moved into the camp. The camp had several main trails that were small, but clean and orderly, and the tents were arranged in a circle with the RecVeds in the center; However, there were no combatants beyond the sentries they disposed of earlier. As Enoch looked around, he thought about where the objective was and which one of the many tents or the Three RecVeds the package may be.

“Hasasar. Where did Dominion Intelligence say the package maybe?”

“They were very inexact with it” Hasasar let out a deep sigh. “ Worthless Bastards, but the Ved with the antenna may be it.”

“Hmm? I'll check that one first. I would rather not be caught up in a full-blown battle without your support, so be close to the Veds, out of sight, and ready for exfill once retrieve the documents Copy that?”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“10-4,” Hasasar replied before cutting comms.

Enoch let off the button of his walkie stowed it away and moved towards the RecVeds. The RecVeds are arranged in a semicircle, they were fixed motorhomes that you would find in any campsite or Trailer park in the United Territories. Two of the RecVeds had multiple windows that glowed softly, a sign of occupation. They were worn and covered in mud, all signs of constant movement through the jungles of this part of Afara.

Enoch crept slowly across the edge of the trailer home on the left. Enoch was shrouded in the faint light of a fire pit, food pot still on the spit in the center of the mobile homes where the fire had gone out. Passing the vehicle's cab, he sprints to the RecVed with the radio antenna and slides to a stop against the aluminum frame. The windows were dark unlike the others, a good sign. Enoch moved to the door to the motor home's door and turned the handle. The door was surprisingly unlocked and he entered.

The Interior of the Ved looked like a second-rate motel and was nearly pitch black. The right of the home had light so he looked there first. This section had a circular half-couch with a central table littered with papers and books. There were half cabinets above the meeting area with fluorescent light tubes embedded beneath them. A fridge was installed and on the left side and a broom closet on the right. Next to the fridge, a small kitchenette sits relatively unused. Left of the kitchen, Several doors lay beyond, all closed. on the left wall of the home, a Grey Tube on a TV stand and a sofa lay. The sofa had had seen better days and the Grey Tube was a model from the latter years of the Electrum Revolution. From looks alone and may even still be in black and white if he turned it on. The rest of the Home was unremarkable and low on the search priory. Enoch Sheaved his Short swords and started to look around.

He decided to check the diner table first. Enoch approached the table and began to shift around the table's contents. Numerous orders, codebooks, pamphlets on revolutionary theory, and manila folders lay undefended from his prying eyes. Absorbing the details and searching for details that will give him that click in his mind that that is the one that would be the documents we needed. No dice, Enoch, though, and he left the assorted riffraff and moved to the closed doors.

The first room was a bathroom with a toilet and shower. The room was pretty clean, but bland and unremarkable. Enoch closed the door and opened the second door. This room was small, and only two people could fit into the room standing. Enoch moved into the room and looked around was a bunk bedroom with white colorless sheets and mattresses. a closet was on the opposite wall facing away from the door. Seeing nothing useful Enoch shut the door and walked to the end of the hallway to open the door in the back.

Warm yellow light lit up Enoch’s face as the door opened up to the master bedroom. However, where the queen-sized bed and associated drawers and cabinets should be, an entire war room had been set up in its place. A massive corkboard lined the wall in front of him pined with dozens of papers and folders, plus a massive map. A cheap folding table with associated folding chairs lay dead center of the room, with typewriters and stacks of papers lying beside them. Computer racks and their related terminal interfaces lined both walls. From what Enoch could tell, these systems were newer ERM Art’s compatible series computer towers, a perfect example of Myrian miniaturization. There was a time, once, when Military computers needed to consist of entire buildings of reel-to-reel computers crunching the numbers to coordinate a division of Dominion Army soldiers in just one State of the Dominion. Now the computer tech to calculate war plans and counter the empire on multiple fronts can be owned by a rebel army and fit into the room he now stands in.

Enoch noted the find for later, then turned his thoughts on the board. The corkboard consisted of all kinds of documents and orders. A map of the Volta Basin was pinned dead center on the board, marked with tactical information only the Revolutionary Army tacticians or the boys back in Intel could decipher. To the bottom right of the map, he saw a black folder with a golden trim with the title Neotenic Control Project in the center, pined to the board.

Bingo. Enoch whispered to himself. At least Dominion Intelligence got this one right. He pulled the tac out of the folder removed it from the wall and stuffed it into his backpack. Enoch then picked up the radio and Called Hasasar.

“Hasasar. This is Enoch. Found their war room and I have got the file. I will be moving from the Back RecVed to a rallying point at the entrance of the vehicle semicircle over.”

“10-4. I'm near the vehicles. I will meet you at the rally point. Hey also, Make sure you call in and report that intel room. The in-the-intel Kids would love a crack at it.”

“Acknowledged. Bless Her name, out.”