Session 1 β The Moment
Session 2 β The Enemy
Session 3 β The Search
Session 4 β The Horror
Session 5 β The Coward
Session 6 β The Lie
Session 7 β The End
Session 8 β The Sacrifices
Session 9 β The Mission
Session 3 β The Search
Her colleague looked over her report, turning pale as soon as she hit the spot about Niki and Jodi being impregnated by the insects. "This...is horrible..."
Fox nodded gravely. "I hope that it makes as big of an impact as on you. These things are dangerous, Wolf."
Senior Agent Wolf adjusted her glasses when she looked at the camera. "As I've heard. Unfortunately, although what I see is compelling, it remains mostly speculation."
"Speculation?" Fox didn't like how that sounded. "There were clear signs of shooting inside that chamber, and yet the insects clearly won that struggle. The witness was also confident in the weapon handling of the victims."
"The witness had no experience in the military," Wolf replied sharply. "His definition of firearms proficiency would not be the same as yours. Nor did you see the battle itself, only the aftermath. Yes..." She held her hand up, stopping Fox's defense in her throat. "I know you can read a battlefield. I trust your instincts Fox, but in order to convince the higher brass we need something more substantial than this."
After a moment's thoughts, Fox conceded this. "What about the other survivors?"
"Survivors are a questionable word to use," Wolf said. She relented with a sigh though. "The other survivors have been quarantined; we are not allowed to speak with them."
"Quarantined?" Fox repeated. "Who has the authority to prevent us from speaking to them?"
The answer made Wolf uncomfortable. "The orders came from General Lanes"
Fox lifted her head higher, recalling a detail from Martin's memories. "Wolf, the General might have a personal stake in this."
Wolf narrowed her eyes. "Explain."
Gathering what she recalled about this, Fox elaborated. "The witness was made aware of a gathering of college coeds at a lake house inside the quarantine zone. This house was owned by General Lanes, as was the adjacent house rented by the adult entertainment people mentioned in my report. Martin was informed that the General's daughter was one of these coeds."
"Likely how these girls got inside such an exclusive locale," Wolf gauged. Her eyes narrowed at a thought. "You suspect the General's daughter might have something to do with this?"
"Yes," Fox responded confidently. "A 'Christine Lanes' was reported among the survivors when I first accepted the mission, but now these names are conspicuously absent from the files. I checked."
After a moment, Wolf looked at her. Her eyes blazed serious. "Agent Fox, I will look into the General. He might very well be undermining us, but do not repeat this to anyone else. The General is a powerful man, and I would hate to see him come after you. Am I clear?"
Fox nodded quickly. She knew just how powerful General Lanes was; no sense stirring that sort of trouble.
Wolf nodded in approval. "Well done Agent. Proceed with the readings with all due haste."
This order didn't make Fox happy at all. "Sir, this experience has been trying. The witness has been fighting every step of the way, and he has exacted a toll on me. I request two additional days for this mission."
"Unacceptable." Wolf's reply was curt, formal, and serious.
Fox had to press this issue; there was something going on here. "I request the details concerning the urgency."
Other officers in the past would berate her for this, but Wolf was once an Agent as well before her eyesight turned sour. "As you wish. The quarantine is in effect in order to contain the insect outbreak, as you might've guessed by now. We've been telling everyone that everything is going alright..."
"...but it's not," Fox completed for her. She knew that look. "The insects are winning?"
"Yes." Saying that seemed to pain Wolf, especially knowing what she knew now. "Information on the enemy has been very limited. We've known that they men are killed and eaten, expected when fighting animals, but any women they've come across have been abducted. Until now, we have not known why."
Fox felt herself shaking; she had seen rapes before but never like this. "Breeding..."
Wolf nodded grimly. "According to your report, the witness thought it was twelve eggs per woman. Current estimates on victims are in the thousands, although you're your information I can narrow it down to younger, child-bearing women. Even so, depending on the gestation period we could be looking at a massive number of enemies in short order. We need to know how long it takes for an insect to be born after impregnation, as well as how long it takes to grow to full size." Wolf leaned forward into the camera. "Agent Fox, I need you for this. Are you able to do this?"
"Yes." Fox had no uncertainty in her voice. She would get this mission done, or die trying.
Wolf had faith in her. "Good. You know how important it is to get any information you can on these creatures. Don't worry about minor updates; just do what you need to do to get us a bigger picture. I will be in touch with Doctor...?"
"Emerson."
"Right, Dr. Emerson, about the situation. He will be instructed to give you everything you need in addition to what he has already provided." Wolf looked at Fox, and she saw the tired look in her boss's eyes. This has not been a good past few days. "God speed, Agent Fox. You might very well be our best hope for stopping these things. Agent Wolf out."
Fox watched the screen turn blank, and reclined in her chair. She knew it was difficult, but had no idea it was truly this bad. Never before had her missions been so important. She had experienced risks before, but those were mostly to herself. Assassinating some scum in some shithole part of the world, or delaying an unfriendly country's development...that was something she was used to.