The Hunters

Chapter Two

Gaz nodded firmly, addressing us warmly, "Soldiers, let's start with the mess hall." We followed him outside, and I appreciated that he wasn't trying to hold the door open for us, seeming to have taken Larsen's request to heart. Beside the office building was the mess hall; a large building filled with circular tables and a small kitchen. The style of counters and glass displays reminded me of nearly every base I'd been on; this place wasn't unique in the least.

We were shown the female bathroom, the gym–Larsen and I shared an excited glance; the equipment was perfect–and other various places before being led across the base to our barracks, separated from everyone else. The other task forces stepped out of their spaces; some training, some lounging, and some tucked away in their barracks. Whistles filled the crisp air, and we kept our eyes forward, ignoring the uninvited attention. Larsen slowed briefly, telling us over her shoulder, "On second thought, give them Hell. You have my permission."

I smirked and met the gaze of my companions, winking at them. Haugen giggled while using me as a shield from their attention. "This base just got a lot better," a man called.

Gaz paused, turning to glare at the growing crowd. "Apologies, soldiers. These fools are here to guard, not talk," he muttered to us. "One moment." I watched him approach the men, seeing that the crowd was made up of American soldiers, none belonging to the other two task forces sent here. What were those task forces, again? Kortac and Task Force 141? Yeah; that's it. Where are they?

Gaz stepped into the face of the most vocal man, yelling loudly, "Have you lost your mind, boy? Those soldiers could wipe the floor with you! Say one more word, and I'll let them!"

The taunting expressions quickly shifted into panic, their faces lowering in respect. Of course, they only respected the man's threat. "How much do you think Kalberg's going to make them cry?" Andersen whispered to Haugen, who giggled wildly.

"Rivers and rivers," she responded humorously, and I turned my head when an approaching group caught my eye. Seven soldiers walked together, split in half into tight groups, dressed heavily in gear. I nudged my head toward them, redirecting the attention of my unit toward the group.

Larsen could tell instantly who was who, having researched the other task forces in detail. "Left is 141. Gaz is one of them. Looks like they've selected Captain Price and Captain Soap, and Lieutenant Ghost," she informed us. The heavily mustached man was Price; one of the few without a hat, Soap had a mohawk that was coated in sweat from their activities.

Fitting for his name, Ghost wore a white skull mask, and while he was roughly the same height as Soap, he seemed to tower over the group. The men were muscular, dressed almost entirely in black, with their country of origin marking their shoulders. Price and Soap weren't wearing masks, their exposed faces surprising me while their exhales puffed in thick white fog. Why weren't these special ops people hiding their faces? Only Ghost did out of the four of them.

Gesturing at the other group, Larsen continued, "Kortac. Big one's Colonel König." My eyes widened at the man's height; he towered over his companions. Unlike his bare-faced companions, his face was covered by a sniper's hood, further adding to his intimidating appearance. "Aksel's Norwegian as well, so we might be able to tolerate him, although I don't know his rank. The other two are Master Sergeant Fender and Hutch; rank also unknown."

"What are they feeding that guy?" I whispered to Andersen and Haugen, who laughed at the question.

Aksel winked when he spotted us, calling out in Norwegian, "Hunter Troop! It's great to finally have the most badass women on the planet here!" He quickly approached, grabbing Larsen's hand in a firm shake before pulling her into an unexpected chest bump. She huffed and pushed him away, and he chuckled before doing the same thing to Haugen and Andersen. He paused when he approached me, asking, "Are you part of the troop?"

I tilted my head, seeing the other task forces waiting quite some distance away. I didn't reply to his question, shifting my gaze to look him up and down. When my eyes reached his crotch, I squinted, seeing him tense at my expression as he covered himself. "Alright, alright," he scoffed when I remained silent, taunting him with my disappointment and unimpressed expressions. "No need to make me feel tiny. The cold's doing that enough."

Haugen giggled at the response, bumping my shoulder while Gaz returned after further scolding the soldiers. "Ah! I see you've met Aksel. Come over here, guys! Time to meet our final task force, the Jegertroppen!"