"This is the spot," the thirty-year-old man says after stopping suddenly in the middle of the forest. Like he's been the entire trip, the man is alert and attentive, acting as if something could attack at any moment.
The man kneels down to one knee and examines the ground, as if he can see something no one else is able to. The rest of his team stops as well, where they each wear a different expression.
There are five members in the mysterious man's team, including him. He was the one that recruited them, vetted them and laid out what their role would be in this mission. Each knows they have a special part to play in what he means to do. And each also knows they will be paid a hell of a lot of money if they are successful.
"Remember the rules," the mysterious man tells the group, again. He knows he doesn't have to say this as he made each of them memorize all of the rules, but he wants to impress upon them how serious this is. That their lives are at stake here.
"Whatever I say, you do, no matter how crazy it may seem. Even if I tell you to shoot yourself in the head, it is for a reason that will save your life," he tells the group as serious as can be as he keeps looking at the spot on the ground.
"Johnson, the group of college kids, how far are they?" the mysterious man, who they call "Professor" asks another member of the group who is decked out in military gear. The military man is called Johnson, and he was hired by Professor because he is a very experienced tracker, having served many tours and hundreds of missions. Not just that, but he is versed in guerrilla warfare and has extensive experience in combat.
"100 meters, west. They just arrived at what looks to be a cabin, but is clearly a front," Johnson replies, pointing in that direction. Currently he wears something that most would think is a VR device but isn't. It's the viewer to a very special drone that has a cloaking device, developed by the military for stealth.
"A front?" a woman in the group asks, clearly confused. She looks at Johnson, then at the Professor, showing that she feels she's not been told important information.
"The group is going to go inside that cabin, once they do, we start. This isn't going to give us much time, so get prepared," Professor says, ignoring the woman completely.
"Something...something isn't right. Military Man here is right. That cabin isn't really a cabin," a man who the Professor has been calling "The Mind" says, making his opinion known.
To look at "The Mind" one would think that he is a lawyer or stockbroker as he is dressed rather well. Even now, when he wears clothes meant for hiking, you can tell they are very expensive. But the reason he was hired is one that no one would ever guess. The Mind is an accomplished psychic, using his abilities for as much profit as he can get for them.
"Hell, all of this...it's not real. I mean, it is, like there's dirt and those are real trees," The Mind says as he motions all about the huge forest they are in.
"But...it's fake. It's all been set up, like a movie set," The Mind continues. His face shows how concerned he is at this, as this is unlike anything he's felt before. From the look he gives, the others can tell he is downright scared.
"Yes, I know," Professor says, waving off The Mind's concern as well.
"Subjects are inside the cabin," Johnson says as his drone scouts the cabin.
"Time to get started. We have maybe fifteen or thirty minutes before they know we are here," the Professor tells the team. Only the woman in the group notices that the Professor doesn't mean the college kids. She catches that he is referring to someone or some ones else.
"Operation One starts now. Remember the plan, stick to it," The Professor announces, standing back up.
"Johnson, set up the perimeter. You have 4 minutes," the Professor then orders Johnson. Johnson pulls off his backpack and begins to pull out item after item. He quickly starts to assemble these various items, to which he very quickly sneaks off, keeping low to the ground as if expecting a firefight.
The team watches Johnson rushes off, especially the woman where she figures the military man must be moving to a better vantage spot to be able to see the area. Unlike the others, she doesn't seem to be overly concerned about the weirdness of what is happening.
"Mind, be on guard for anything...not natural. I don't care how small it may feel, you let me know the moment you feel something coming," Professor tells the Mind.
"Father, you best find a shady spot to hide in," The Professor tells the last member of the team, which is a real Catholic Priest. He is the oldest of the team being in his sixties, but to look at him you wouldn't think he's a priest as he dresses almost as if he's homeless.
On purpose Professor doesn't say anything to the woman on the team. She stands in back, a forgotten member, as everyone else gets ready for their part. Unlike the others, she wasn't given some detailed plan to remember, but instead was told to follow along and do as requested. Also unlike the others, they all know what her profession is, which is why none of them talk to her.
"Alright, Whore...you're up," The Professor says, finally acknowledging the woman. She looks at the Professor with a look that seems to suggest she may punch him for giving her that code name, but she shakes it off like she's done several times today. For what he's paying her, he's free to call her a whore. She's making more from this little session than what she would in an entire year.
"Here? Like this?" The Whore asks, noticing that The Mind is just feet away. Not to mention that The Father is still nearby as he has found a hollow tree to hide in that is about twenty feet away. The larger man is trying to force himself into the hollow tree, breaking pieces away.
"Yes," The Professor states as if this shouldn't be an issue. That he's given an order and is annoyed she isn't following it. The fact it concerns sex in front of others doesn't seem to cross his mind.
