Kilo-61 (Damned of the 2/19th Book 19)- Ongoing

Hatred Never Dies

Site Bravo-Three (Rapid Entry Point)
Blackbriar Ridge Training Facility
Secure Military Area (Decommissioned)
North Dakota
United States of America
18 Feb, 2002
1930 Hours

I took a deep breath of the facility as we began to walk down the hallway. It smelled of cold iron, rust, dust, and, well, secrets. None of the lights were buzzing, and there were Disney characters on the walls. Everything about this entrance was designed to keep shocked children from panicking and keep them moving.

I could feel the pack of nitwits behind me. The LT, an E-5 buck sergeant, Kincaid, Heather, and the small handful of privates who were all about to get a lesson into just how little the US government cared about the majority of the population. It wasn't anything malevolent, but after the 1961 protests the government had basically thrown up its hands and said "Fine, if you die, don't come crying to us" and shifted focus of the CoG project into protecting a handful of willing volunteers, ensuring military fighting force in the wreckage, and the ability to rebuild.

Civilians. They fuck up everything.

Besides, we wouldn't hit any defensive measures until after we got out of the children's section. Can't have anything that Little Johnny Snotnose might trip and blow his goddamn legs off with. There wasn't a big likelihood that I'd...

...

...

...oh shit...

I turned around, looking at the group, who all stopped suddenly. They were all clustered up and the E-5 bumped into Kincaid, who drove his elbow back into the E-5's stomach. I could see him snarl through the clear plastic visor.

"You've volunteered," I snapped, pointing at him.

"For what?" He asked.

"Mask off," I told him.

"No way," He said.

Kincaid snarled again and started turn around, raising the flamethrower.

"At ease," I snapped. Kincaid pulled up short and turned back around. I looked at the group of privates. "All right, Sergeant, but I'll remember that," I pointed at one of the privates, "How about you, high speed, got the balls to unmask?"

They nodded and pulled their mask off. I could see the sweat bead up and knew they were nervous, but they had done it, and that was what mattered. He came up and stood next to me.

"What do you need, umm," He looked at my lapels, "Corporal?"

"Good enough," I grinned. "All right, put on your NVG's, your job is to watch for any infra-red beams across the doorways or hallways. I don't feel like having my face blown off by a security charge or a goddamn mine some smartass left behind," I nodded as he pulled the NVG's on and turned them on. "You're next to me, stay a little to the side to clear my line of fire."

"Roger, Corporal," He said. I could tell he was nervous.

We reached an unmarked door and I thought about stopping. It was more than likely an excursion section, but I didn't want to get sidetracked. I wanted to find out what I needed to know and get moving again. Blackbriar Ridge felt malevolent to me.

...old dark places attract old dark things...

I felt the skin between my shoulderblades tighten up.

I counted my paces as we passed by doors with "PROCESSING" and "PRIMARY DECONTAMINATION" and "EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE" listed on them. I knew it was to treat thermal pulse burns, asthma attacks, falls down the stairs, all the stuff that kids were prone too. Finally we hit a serious door blocking the passage.