End of Winter (Rewrite & Expansions into Book Four)

ARCHIVE FILE

SECRET//NOFORN//COURIER ONLY//NO DIST

FROM: MAJ MITCHELL, CAROL, 41st CID CO

TO: COL HALEY, JOHNATHON, 41st CID CO

SUBJECT: INVESTIGATION INTO RECENT INTERNATIONAL INCIDENT

John, I accompanied the Rangers to the "Lower Egress Point" where they dismounted the vehicle to open the door. After nearly forty-five minutes, during which the Rangers told me that someone was rejecting their access codes, the door opened. I used "door" in the loosest sense of the word as the door must have been two feet thick and weighed literal tons. I was informed by Ms. Smith that I was to stay with the medical personnel and not accompany the Rangers into the "Classified Charlie Site" despite my objections.

The Rangers were held at gunpoint at the entrance until their identities could be verified. Afterwards medical personnel were allowed inside the "facility" which is apparently repurposed Nazi tunnels.

I was not allowed inside the facility, by direct orders of "Ms. Smith" to the Rangers.

I object to whatever circumstances apparently allow Ms. Smith to order me about as well as obstruct my investigation.

The men and women removed from the facility were largely injured. Only a handful were not removed via stretcher. They were loaded into medical M113s and moved to Main Post for medical treatment.

At that time, I was not allowed to interview any of the rescued soldiers, despite the fact that timely interviews are extremely important to an investigation. Additionally, I was still denied access to the facility. Despite the fact that I informed the Rangers and Ms. Smith that time is of the essence when examining the scene of an incident. The Rangers closed the door after the last person had been evacuated from the tunnels, citing "Need to Know", "Special Access Project", and "Classified From Birth" security concerns. Ms. Smith was allowed to open the "access panel" and do some kind of work. I was able to move so I could see what she was doing, and it appears she was exchanging microchips for one she had in a plastic case in her jacket pocket. She refused to answer questions I had regarding her actions as well as why the tunnels were sealed instead of allowing me access to photograph and document the site.

By the time medical care was performed on the "survivors" 2/19th had sent representatives to "take possession of military equipment" whereupon they removed any soldier that had not undergone surgery.

While I was denied access for interviews I did observe several of them and read their medical charts.

They had been injured repeatedly. Gunshot injuries, stabbings, blunt force, burns. John, one of their personnel had been disemboweled, one is blind from shrapnel, another lost her eye, and their detachment OIC was suffering from an intracranial bleed brought on by a skull fracture caused by ballistic trauma. One man had been shot through the side of the mouth, one woman had the side of her face almost peeled away by damage.

John, these are serious injuries, the type I'm not accustomed to seeing. I was able to see several of the personnel before their surgery, but in every case they refused to speak at all to me, even though I identified myself as CID. One person did reply to me, but only in the crudest manner. One Specialist Nancy Nagle replied to my identifying myself with "Go gargle cum in hell, CID whore."

Again, I have to reiterate the rudeness, defiance, and outright hostility/harassment I've received since taking on this assignment.

My treatment is in sharp contrast to the treatment of "Ms. Smith-3324", who is treated with deference, politeness, and fear. She is given total access to everything she requests, including materials that I have been denied access to. Additionally, she seems to focus on non-sequiturs like requesting the following:

Training schedules for 2/19th

Incident Data about a place called "Atlas"

Ammunition expenditures for places that seem to be named after mythological figures.

Reports on something called "Saber" that seems to have been a minor scandal.

2/19th unit casualty and incident reports.

When I asked to see the data I was refused. When I asked to be informed why it was relative I was denied information. When I asked to share information with "Ms. Smith-3324" she informed me I was not cleared for the information she has gathered nor am I cleared for being briefed by her.

John, I cannot perform an investigation if I'd denied information as well as access to evidence and locations.

--MAJ Mitchell

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---