Operation: thieving Thunder

the final hint

Kye's POV (1 year later)
       I sat on the hood of a humvee with Zofia as Ela and Eliza sparred until Erik came running towards us yelling for Zofia and I "Raven! Zofia! It's urgent!" I looked at Zofia as we tore off the hood and started running after Erik(Maverick). We ran across the sandy FOB until we reached the central intelligence hub and burst into the room, I walked forward "What do we got?" Harry looked up "Our last piece of the puzzle, Typhon got picked up by our buddies at the CIA" I leaned forward on the table "Where. Is. He?" Harry spoke as he placed down a map of the United States and pointed to western Tennessee "Here, now what I'm about to tell you is not to be shared with anyone outside this room... not even your team" I recoiled, Harry has never asked us to keep information from our team, I looked at Zofia she looked just as shocked before we steeled ourselves and nodded.
        Harry spoke again "At these coordinates is a black site, mostly testing the effects of weapons. Somehow Typhon got the location, the lab went dark 37 hours ago, from what we could see with Satellite imaging Typhon and a small detachment of Masks have built up positions and an old friend of yours is there as well, Dr. Angelica Wagner was seen. I want your team ready and on a helicopter heading to Fort Brag ASAP. Any questions?" I nodded while looking at schematics "it's in a national park, why?" Harry replied "No one would think it's there" I heard Zofia "What else was this Lab researching? I doubt it was just Weapons" he sighed before nodding "Some not-so-legal human experiments have been conducted as well" Zofia looked uncomfortable at the words before asking "What about QRF?"
         Harry looked at both of us "A government owned PMC black team will be on standby to relieve you, the nightstalkers are also holding orbit" I checked one last thing "Mission fragility?" He looked down "crystal, no one can see you entering or exiting. The brass have ordered anyone that does to be detained" I nodded before turning and starting to walk away "What's our time-frame?" He called after me "done by dawn" I nodded as Zofia joined me by the door "It'll be done"
      We jogged to our barracks when we arrived I saw Ryad, Julien and Monika hanging out with Marius(Jager), Alexsandr(Tachanka) and Gilles(Montagne). I called out "My team gear up, night time. We've got a mission, limited information" they looked unsure but grabbed their gear as Zofia spoke "Suppressors, and Julien use my LMG" he shook off his shock but carefully took the gun as Marius stood up "So where am I taking you?" I looked at him "Not this time my friend" he rested his hand on his heart and leaned back "You're cheating on me" I sighed "Not by choice, it was in the mission outline" he nodded and sat back down as we all hurried through getting out gear on.
      I looked up and grabbed my quadnods before fixing them to my head mount and grabbing my M4 "We good to go?" Everyone nodded except for Julien who was just finishing up putting on his helmet. He looked up a second later and gave me a thumbs up, I went to the door and opened it finding two women in pilots gear "You Rainbow?" I nodded as her voice dropped to a whisper "we're your ride follow us, we've got a little bird escort once we reach Fort brag"
      I turned "Lets go, we need to move" as the two pilot turned and started jogging towards the airfield. I heard Harry over our coms "Rainbow are you en route?" Zofia replied "A-ffirm, we're following the pilots now" Monika asked "Why isn't Marius flying us? Where are we even going?" I replied "I don't know, like I said it's a limited intel mission" Ryad pointed out "Limited intel typically means you only know the location" Harry replied for us "The mission came from the committee, I'll give you all the intel I have. Somewhere in the south east US, Typhon has taken a HVT, they're in a national park and you're gonna go get them out. It's a night op and for once you have air support, I'll let you know if I get anything else"
      The unease of the squad grew as Zofia, Harry and I talked in hushed tones on an alternate channel. When we climbed into the chopper Zofia and I looked over things on our tablets until I heard Julien "Raven, what are we doing?" I looked up "I don't know Rook" I glanced at the rest of the team and saw the side eyed doubt grow in their eyes before we leaned back and got some sleep.
        I woke up 10 hours later as we crossed the eastern seaboard and heard the pilots on the secondary channel "Raven, we're approaching fort brag. We have a 10 minute break to refuel and pick up our escort, then we're on station in 3" I checked my watch 6 pm I radioed back "Rig' keep me updated" I heard Monika on the primary channel "Raven, Zofia, why are we going to America? The masks could strike London, or Germany and they'd need our help" Julien jumped in "And why are we so heavily armed, this is unusual even for a heavy mask incursion" Ryad finished off the round of questioning "And why did you have us remove our patches and ID?"
      Zofia replied tiredly "Because it's what the mission told us to do, I don't know the answer to your questions. We've told you everything we know" I saw the shifting of doubt from Zofia and I to Harry to the committee, they looked to be questioning everything. The struggles of always being straight with them, they know we're lying I heard the pilot "10 minute break to refuel" I gave a short "Got it" as I checked my watch.
        I pulled out my notepad when I heard Harry in my headset "Developments have occurred, 1 possible enemy has fled into the forests. The Lab's power has been restored, break, if possible recover any intel, if not possible smash it" I quickly replied "Rog' we're 6 minutes to dust off. I'll keep you updated" he didn't reply but I noticed Julien staring at me as I slid out of the helicopter and walked over to the little bird and started talking to the pilot.
       "You've been briefed?" He nodded before spitting some tobacco chew "We know what we're flying into, I heard something about a possible escapee in the forest?" I sighed "Yeah, we can't risk this whole thing blowing up. If you see the target after we breach, gun em" he looked back when the copilot replied "Does your team know what they're going into?" I glanced at our chopper getting refueled "Vtla(no), no they don't." The pilot laughed "that's cold bro" I sighed before looking up "Yeah, I know, but orders are orders" he nodded as I heard the main pilot of our Blackhawk "Hey Raven, we're ready for lift off" I looked at the Little bird pilots "Stay safe"
       I climbed back into the Blackhawk and spoke into the radio "We're good to take off, little bird is prepped for lift off" I heard Monika "We've got little bird support?! What the fuck is this mission?" Zofia replied "IQ, we just learned we're getting it as we landed. More information is coming in as we move, we didn't have time to tell you" Their expressions showed their doubt as we started off again towards this mission.
     the pilots glued the throttle to max while Zofia leaned against me and looked out at the sunset, I didn't like keeping my team in the dark but orders are orders. The roar of the engines was ear splitting but no one spoke, the team was busy trying to piece things together while Zofia and I tried to relax, a painfully quiet 2 hours later we arrived at the landing zone. I climbed out of the helicopter and flipped down my nods looking around the dark forest as if it were daylight, the team formed up on me as we heard the little bird orbiting I checked my compass and notes before pointing in the direction of the facility I spoke on the main channel "Silence is key, make no noise" I got several forms of acknowledgement before I closed my compass and started along the trail.
      About halfway to the target I noticed the forest was silent, I've heard quiet woods before but never have I heard a forest so silent I could hear the breathing of people 2 meters behind me. A chill ran up my spine as we moved, the occasional slip up from one of the team members rang out like a bell. I heard Harry on the second channel causing Zofia and I to switch channels as he asked "Raven, Zofia, can you hear me?" I whispered as quietly as I could "Rog' we hear you" he sighed in relief "I've got more intel," I pulled out my notepad and wrote as he spoke "There's no bluefor on premises, Opfor are suspected to be wielding standard weaponry, no bombers, over?" Zofia replied quietly "We copy all, out"
      Julien spoke on the main channel in anger "You two better tell us what the fuck is going on!" I sighed as Zofia replied "New intel, no friendlies, standard weaponry, no bombers." Ryad sighed in relief "Finally you come clean about something" I looked back with a slight glare "Cut the chatter" as I picked up the pace. It was mostly quiet until we arrived at the clearing the facility was placed on, I froze when I saw the guard's office at the gate. I looked at Zofia but she shook her head in confusion, I started forward keeping my gun ready until I saw the massive blood splatter against the wall and the rotting corpse of the guard.
     I heard Monika behind me "Oh mein gott(oh my god)" I radioed on the second channel "Guards dead" Harry came back "Hold position" I turned to the squad "Fortify, we're holding for an intel update" everyone took up position in a semi-circle as Zofia and I thumbed into the second channel and waited until we heard a new voice "Raven, Zofia, proceed through the office. We need the facility out of mask hands now" I replied swiftly "Wilco" before I spoke to the team "We're moving, on me" the team formed an Alpha line, a straight line, as I pushed out the rest of the shattered glass before vaulting into the small shack.
      I heard muffled complaints as we passed the decomposing body and continued onto the entrance of the building, I paused at the door and heard Zofia "Were at the door, what's the pin?" I heard Ryad mutter something about a blind op as the unknown voice read out "5-9-2-0-1-4" and Zofia typed it in. I shouldered my rifle and held the door as it slid open until I spoke "Jackal, check for tracks" he activated his tracker and spoke "nothing new, last thing I'm picking up was 12 hours ago" I glanced at Zofia before switching to the second channel "Viking 1, begin search of target" I heard the gruff voice of the little bird pilot "On it, see you in a couple hours"
     Julien asked "Target?" I ignored him as I spoke "IQ, scan it. Let me know if there's any explosives" she looked around "Nien, nothing, not even a light." I nodded and started into the pitch black hallway with the team right behind me, my eyes and laser traversed everything until I saw a blood splatter and drags. I crouched and touched it, still warm, I asked Ryad "You sure it was 12 hours ago? This blood's still...." a crash rang out deeper in the compound "warm" I finished as I forced my feet to carry me deeper in.
      With each step the sense of dread forming in my stomach grew, I heard nothing after the initial crash only making me more uncomfortable. We scanned every opening we saw until we came to a T in the halls, I checked the schematics and motioned to the left as I softly counted down "3, 2, 1" before pushing around the corner and crouching as Zofia did the same on the right, Jackal and Rook rushed to the other side of the hall and held it while IQ held out six.