Defense often requires deception, in order to be effective. I suppose the reason for this is that if an enemy knows the nature of my armor, they can find and exploit a weakness in it. Therefore, the armor works best if it remains hidden.
The pack had grown suspicious of our orders, and we wondered at what might be behind the missions we had accomplished. The components of the weapon were gathered at Ravenrock from the ancient hiding places and where even the most evil among us had hidden them. It had become obvious we were unwitting pawns to some hidden agenda.
Lieutenant Colonel Rose gathered us and listened to our opinions and told us he agreed with us. Only Doctor Imbrium and Jack the Ripper were not present, as they were not really a part of the pack. We were told that the weapon was to be removed and assembled elsewhere.
"Isn't that where we will find Grandpa? Waiting for the weapon?" McRaze asked.
"I have not consulted General Stone, I do not know how much of the secret army is compromised. It is up to us to locate and destroy this elusive enemy. We will operate from our own initiative." Lieutenant Colonel Rose determined.
"So, from now on, we do things on our own, your way?" I asked.
"Yes. We all agree we were used to gather this thing, this weapon, and the conflict with Grandpa is a matter of control. We'll hand over the device components and we will see whose eager hands wait for it. Or rather, when Grandpa reaches out of the dark for it, we will know who our enemy is." Lieutenant Colonel Rose outlined.
"So, we are going rogue?" Treach grinned.
"If that is what it takes. Is there anyone here who isn't willing to do this? The risks include getting hunted down, and there's no coming back." Lieutenant Colonel Rose looked around at the pack and saw everyone was with him.
"I'd like to see what difference I can make." Adam spoke.
"I want to see what is happening out there. The sheep must miss their wolves." Bruna added strangely. It was one of those moments when I was seeing her as though for the first time.
"We don't belong down here. We should be fighting this war, not hiding from it." Halo seemed to be reiterating what Bruna had said, and he was looking at her in that way I didn't like. I wondered how close they were before he had left, and Bruna had met me.
I felt alone because I did not want to leave the quiet and comfortable life that I'd grown used to at Ravenrock. We howled and my voice joined, but my heart rebelled. My voice wavered and fell, a sorrowed note at leaving home behind to go to war.
We wore no collars as we abandoned our wolf's den. We took Doctor Imbrium and Jack the Ripper with us, giving them no choice but a conscription. I saw that they were both willing to join us, and for similar reasons. Each of them defined themselves by what they could accomplish, and the opportunity to see the edge of night, the center of all things, the heart of a wolf - it was irresistible to Jack the Ripper and to Doctor Imbrium.
Jack the Ripper was made to wear a collar. Doctor Imbrium was told that if they betrayed us or gave us any reason not to trust them, they would be treated as the enemy. I didn't think the precautions were necessary, but in the fog of early morning, it was unclear who we were facing. The way of the wolf was to move as a pack and to strike at the enemy when they were least prepared.
We took our choice of weapons from the armory. I'd chosen a rifle that was similar to the hunting rifles I'd grown up with.
I looked around and noted that everyone had obtained weapons and combat armor from the armory. Everyone had different weapons, mostly guns. All of us had donned body armor as well. We looked more like mercenaries than soldiers, with our suited uniforms of Ravenrock Pack and our assortment of various firearms and other weapons.
Lieutenant Colonel Rose was still the commander of the brigade, and when the secret army came and loaded the device onto a truck, his orders were obeyed. A second truck with us seated in the back followed the first one, which held the crate. We rode throughout the day and into the moonless night. It felt strange to be making a journey that we would not return from.
Our arrival made us all nervous. We had no idea what we were facing or where we were. Anything could happen. We waited while the first truck was unloaded by the drivers and then Lieutenant Colonel Rose opened the door of our grocery store delivery truck. The drivers had gotten back into the trucks.
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"This is it. We've arrived. We'll wait here with the package until Grandpa shows. Then we find out who is behind this." Lieutenant Colonel Rose told us.
Outside the air was clear and cold. The clouds looked ready to snow, and the stiff dry grass and boulders provided hiding places and cover. I stared at the cave entrance the trucks sat in front of. So, the Elders were ready for their gift, but they had no idea what price we would take.
"Take up positions. Treach, Halo, Slate, McRaze, Conner and Adam will be over there. Abbot, Atanarjuat, Frosty, Seyfried, and Dreich with me." Bruna ordered. We went to our positions, fanned out and covered every angle of the cave, hidden and waiting.
Lieutenant Colonel Rose stood with Doctor Imbrium and Jack the Ripper with the crate. I felt a strange calm under all the excitement. I held my rifle and part of me believed nothing would happen. The longer we waited the more I relaxed and grew bored.
It was a false sense, a calm before the storm. I watched as four robed cultists emerged to collect their prize. They hesitated when Lieutenant Colonel Rose halted them.
"Where is General Stone? This delivery is meant for him. Where is he?"
The cultists said nothing, and we couldn't see their faces under their dark cowls. They stopped and one of them even took a step back. They had realized something was wrong. Another of them held up a looped string of jade pearls and looked through it, as though able to see whether the contents of the crate were actually the components. Satisfied we had brought their weapon, the same cultist retreated into the cave, evidently to get General Stone or reinforcements.
"Atanarjuat." Bruna said very quietly, "You know how I feel about you, in case this is it."
"I feel the same way." I told her. "But this isn't it. We're too wicked to die here today."
General Stone was with Grandpa. Why I was surprised I cannot say, I guess I thought we weren't in such bad shape. I had wanted to think the secret army were good guys. I had a lot to learn.
He emerged from the cave with a dozen more cultists, all of them in beige monk robes with mauve trim on the sleeves, hem, and hood. They wore veils as cowls and some had a sash draped over their shoulders of a strikingly bright purple. The cultists who served Grandpa also had their own assortment of weapons, AK47s, machetes and Uzis.
"What's the problem, Lieutenant Colonel? Hand over the crate, I know it contains the pieces of the Majara. We will build it and put an end to all wars. You've done good. Take your pack and go in peace." General Stone ordered.
"The Majara is capable of killing all of one's enemies at once. Is that how you'll make peace?" Doctor Imbrium raised their voice, and I admired the way they projected themselves.
"You of all people should know the depth and humanity of our cause, Doctor. It is a noble cause. I'll not stand here and be judged by monsters and their ilk." General Stone was slowly taking steps backward towards the cave while the cultists began to fan out and several more emerged from the darkness of the cave.
"This is as far as this goes. Now is your chance to answer. If you cannot explain what you are doing helping Grandpa, we'll take the crate and go. We can put all the pieces back where we found them." Lieutenant Colonel Rose spoke with an odd mix of insubordination and duty.
"Grandpa isn't the enemy, don't you get that? The Cabinet will soon be in power, and at the advent of their rise, the world will sleep in peace! You are the enemies of this peace if you don't surrender that crate!" General Stone exclaimed.
"The only peace they offer is to destroy all who oppose them. They only serve their own agenda." Doctor Imbrium advised Lieutenant Colonel Rose. The lieutenant colonel folded his arms.
"Take the crate! Kill the wolves!" General Stone ordered. He retreated into the cave as even more cultists came rushing out.
"Ravenrock!" Lieutenant Colonel Rose drew his handgun and shot the nearest cultist twice, dropping him to the frozen dirt. At his signal the whole pack sprang from behind cover and started firing their guns at the surprised cultists.
"Grenade out!" Abbot lobbed an explosive into the midst of the enemy who stood in the open, unready for the ambush. The concussive blast knocked several of them down and threw shrapnel in a radius that struck a few more.
I just held my gun, aimed at a cultist - but I was so scared I didn't shoot. I just froze like that, unable to pull the trigger. Bruna was next to me, firing her assault rifle in short bursts, each taking and spinning a cultist to the ground. I stood and watched in horror as we slaughtered them. Somehow the cultist I was aiming at chose me as a target and I saw the brightness of the muzzle as he shot me.
The bullets hit my body armor and I staggered back and fell. When I looked again, he was already down. His veil and hood were off, and I saw the pained look on his face as he tried to crawl to safety. Bruna had advanced with the rest of those beside us and when she neared him, she fired another burst into him where he lay on the ground.
Then it was over. I started to get up and felt where a bullet had penetrated the armor. It was stuck in my skin and there was blood on my fingertip as I withdrew them. I looked at the battlefield and felt sick as pack members approached wounded enemies and executed them with point-blank headshots. We took no prisoners and left no survivors.
"Load the truck." Lieutenant Colonel Rose ordered. The lead truck's windshield and front tire were hit and the driver's blood was everywhere. The driver of the second truck was wide-eyed. Lieutenant Colonel Rose took the wheel, relieving him.
We loaded our remaining truck with the crate and retreated.
"You alright, Atanarjuat?" Doctor Imbrium asked me.
Bruna laughed. "He's fine." She answered for me. I felt weak, my uniform stained in my own blood.
The whole pack seemed happy. Their eyes were shining, even Frosty looked happy to have stood up to Grandpa. I leaned on Bruna and closed my eyes, wishing we were home.