PAW Patrol: Incubus

Chapter 3- Operation Niagara

As a puppy, Rocky frequently struggled with the fear of water. Although he got over the fear in time for his basic training, it had its ways of crawling back when he least expected it. He hadn't been aware of the weather conditions during missions briefing, it was a fact they always had to improvise around, but his environment had taken a turn for the worst. He was half-submerged in a freezing river, keeping still as a rock as rain assaulted him from above. With his nose just above the surface, he was able to carefully hide himself behind the thick foliage and jungle canopies. He tried his hardest not to think about how filthy the water was, every little thought sending an uncomfortable chatter through his bones. His tactical vest was soaked in and out, clinging to his body like ice and prickling through his fur. His pup-pack was dipped underwater but luckily it would still function, as long as he didn't activate anything on it. It was agonizing already just to be in this hell, all he needed now was some fish to pick him apart from below.

He slowly lifted his muzzle out of the water, freeing his mouth. "Burton, time?"

A garbled static came through his collar, bubbling into words. "Twenty-two hours, captain."

"Right on schedule, alright. Everyone move out." Rocky began to push himself up, water draining out of his vest.

A few feet away, two waterlogged shadows rose out of the river, brandishing their own weapons. Shaking the water off themselves, Chase and Strap quietly trudged through the water to Rocky's side. Dipping their paws in the mud and marsh, the three clawed themselves back onto the land, keeping low in the grass to maintain their approach. The jungle was immensely dense, towering trees forming pillars in the land with miles of vine to string it all together. As unbearable as it was, the constant rain and congested surroundings were the perfect cover for an approach.

"Target building is... roughly three clicks forward." Rocky said, muttering with a low voice. "Where are we on intercepting their radio communications?"

"Still working on it, sir." Burton said quickly. "There's not a whole lot to intercept, Kolechi didn't really leave that much in there. If I'm going to find anything, I need a direct signal to home in on. I'll have to wait until someone uses a radio."

Chase spoke up. "He must've left something, given how many guards he stationed here."

"Well whatever it is," Rocky pushed through the bushes and vines. "We'll find it, and hopefully it'll help us trace his location."

They travelled through the thick blockages of plants and leaves until they finally broke through the trees. The ground turned to stone, jutting out into a cliffside that overlooked the entire forest on the horizon. Rocky walked to the edge of the cliff, squinting his eyes forward at a faraway structure. A mere discolored shape in the distance, a fortress of stone sat abandoned just below the mountains. Even from all the way out here, the mix could clearly see the immense withering that ate away its surfaces. It was only walls of stone now, the rain and overgrown jungle slowly claiming it a little more every day.

"An old castle?" Chase looked out on the horizon, spotting the distant building.

"Not a castle." Said Strap, speaking up from behind. "From what I've read, place used to be a church of some kind, until it was refurbished for... something." The husky gave a shrug. "Evacuation center, military base, I don't know. But it was never restored afterwards, whole thing was just left to rot for years to come."

"Only for Kolechi to randomly visit it for four hours, then leave without a trace." Rocky finished, a growl humming in his throat. "Can't believe we narrowly missed him... though I doubt we could've come out here that fast when we got the warning."