Detective Tate and her sisters Georgiana and Charlotte made the best of the space we were allowed. The room we were in was shared by us, Detective Racheal Kyle, the ex-wives of the Hunt brothers, Harper and Maddie's family. We were bunched into a room that was, at best, made for two people, not this many. Detective Sano and I were assigned to this room with the group. Captain Cook and Kremer clarified that they were our responsibility, including Tate and Kyle. That didn't sit well with either of the two firebrand vixens. My partner Sano Emiko started out the day just helping out the Captain. I've seen shit that would turn anyone's blood to ice. Last I heard, Eddie, Thomas, and their buddy Bob were trapped at Kyle's place. They'd left to get her sisters, Mother, and Grandmother.
Oliver brought back the Mayor's husband and children right before the hospital closed its doors. That was a plus, as the Mayor could do her job without worrying about her immediate family. Through her, we'd learned that she'd been held up in her office for a week. Worst of all, most of the higher-ups at One PP were missing or dead. The hit happened nearly two weeks before today. I couldn't wrap that around my head as to how no one knew. There were pockets of still sane officers throughout the city. Bellevue was now the de facto headquarters of the new emergency services. Communication was difficult, but that was being worked out.
I heard the footsteps before I saw them. A group of officers in swat gear were brushing past the crowded hallway. Those heavy boots had a distinct sound. Sano raised her head to see the incoming entourage of officers. We stood at the same time as the group stopped by the room. The man leading them looked like a war vet. His eyes were a vivid blue, and his hair was salty black, fashioned into a military-style cut. I could tell this man stayed in shape. He had a square face with narrow eyebrows, jagged cheekbones, a stubby nose, and thin lips. A scar went across the left side of his face.
"Detective Sano and Giannetti. I need you two to come with us," the officer said with a deep, pronounced voice.
I couldn't tell his accent, but it sounded like he was from the South. There was a presence about the man that shouted no nonsense. His eyes were that of a predator or a man with a mission. I couldn't tell which of those two thoughts fit him the best. Tate and Kyle exited the room, curious about what was happening. Kyle folds her arms, expecting someone to fill her in. She looked at me like I knew; I could only shrug. Rachael was about to shoot off something unpleasant when Hannah spoke up.
"What's going on?" Hannah asked.
"We need Giannetti and Sano for a mission the Mayor is planning. It doesn't concern you at the moment. She wants you two down at the command post," the officer said.
"Oh yeah, what's this mission?" Rachael asked.
"Like I said, it's not related to you. The Mayor wants a detailed report on the cases you've worked on over the past few months. This is a priority, do you understand," the man said.
"Yeah, we get it," Hannah said, taking Racheal by the arm.
"You two, follow me. We're leaving in half an hour. I'll brief you as you gear up. I hear you have army training Giannetti," the man said.
"Sure, but what do you need us for?" I asked.
"It's confidential," the man said, looking at the civilians moving around.
I didn't like where he was going with this. Sano looked at me, and we followed the officer and his men. The officer took us down to the second floor. One of the nursing stations was acting as a command post for this floor. Two bags full of gear were already waiting for Sano and me. The officer pointed to the bag and signaled for us to take them.
"You're coming with me on a mission. We need to keep this under the radar. I'm sure you know that many of the country's major cities are experiencing similar conditions. You may not know that this chaos is restricted to metropolitan areas. The rest of the nation doesn't even know what's happening besides a few local channels, social media, and the internet. No one really knows if any of this is even real. There is a real effort to downplay all of this by the media. The military is on high alert, and the location of the President is unknown," the man said.
I couldn't believe what this man was saying. After seeing those monsters attacking. How could anyone think this was not happening.
"A portion of the city's police force as well as portions of all civil services, are actively working against us. They are considered under the influence of some sort of chemical or affliction. Consider them hostile and very dangerous. From this point on, we are acting under martial law. The Mayor is going to announce that soon. Here, take this. Look it over and memorize it. This is your personal codeword. Give it to no one. You two will be a team of six with me," the man said.
"You still haven't told us what this mission is?" Sano asked.
The man looked around, considering who could hear the conversation. Then he focused on Sano and me. This was a difficult situation.
"We're going to scout an area given to us by the White House. Our information is limited, but a VIP is supposed to be there. We'll be in constant contact with the White House for this mission. As of right now, the place I'm talking about isn't in Washington, D.C. Any communication coming from there or the Pentagon is to be disregarded and ignored. Those locations have been compromised. Our callsign will be Blue Breaker," the man said.
"I don't get it; why us? And who are you anyway? You don't sound like an officer," Sano countered.
"You're right, Detective Sano. My name is Colonel Black. That's all you need to know about me. Now get your gear and be ready to leave in fifteen minutes," Colonel Black said.
I picked up the gear, and one of his men led us to a room for us to change.
"And Sano, drop the pencil skirt and heels. You need to be mobile with the ability to run," Colonel Black said before the officer closed the door.
I just looked at Emiko. She had a disgusted look on her face. Even when Sano was pissed, she was gorgeous. The problem was that we'd have to change in front of each other. Like a gentleman, I turn around to allow her to have privacy. As I looked through the gear, I realized this was specialized gear not carried by the police department. This was military gear and top-of-the-line gear at that. I'd have to remove all my clothes down to my underwear. 'Where the heck did this man come from?' I got down to changing into the gear.
It took a few minutes to figure out the kit, but I managed. I put on the sleek black jumpsuit, followed by knee-high combat boots. The suit was skin-tight and displayed my muscular body. It was more like a wetsuit that divers wore. Hexagon patterns of metallic fabric made up the suit design. Next, I put on something similar to a combat chest plate, then a combat vest. Whatever it was made out of was ultra high-tech. I donned a pair of futuristic gauntlets with a matching pair of gloves. If that wasn't all, I had to put on the leg guards covering up to my thighs. It was the same with my arms. These arm guards were something out of a sci-fi movie. I put the utility belt that was provided. There were devices attached to it that I had yet to learn what the use was for. Last was an exoskeleton in the corner for me. I'd heard of these but have yet to see one. The backpack connected to it was huge. It was packed full of gear, and I had difficulty believing this was scavenged on the fly.
As soon as I was done, I turned to Sano. My mouth nearly dropped at the sight of her uniform. Her suit was similar but revealed her figure more, especially her hefty bust and ample rump. The Detective was bent over, giving me a full view of her peachy bottom. It looked like her suit was two pieces, the black jumpsuit with a one-piece leotard over it. Aside from that, her exoskeleton was leaner than mine. All her gear seemed to be made for a woman like her. I'd noticed two more kits with Kyle and Tate's names as we took ours. I had a feeling they were getting the same treatment as us. I wanted to know why this Colonel picked us out of all the personnel available.
Sano turned to me when she was ready, and I pretended I hadn't seen her round derriere on display. The Detective didn't like the gear she was provided, but it did offer a level of protection that our standard swat gear didn't. The last piece was the heavy helmet that looked like some advanced pilot's helmet.
Colonel Black was waiting for us in the same gear. Two men and one woman were with him, wearing matching kits. The blonde, I recognized. I served with her when I was in the army. As I recall, she was a Navy medic. 'Why was Erica here in New York? She lived in Alaska.' Erica was just as stunning as the last time I saw her. Her blue eyes weren't as menacing as the Colonel's. She had a heart-shaped face, a delicate nose, heart-shaped lips, tilted eyebrows, and prominent cheekbones. I remembered her well-endowed bosom, too, along with her slender legs and an apple tush. The other two's faces were concealed by the helmet they wore.
"Alright, we're ready to depart. These are Leon Adams, Ethan Armstrong, and Erica Kennedy. I've already briefed them on the two of you. We'll leave from the underground parking garage. Once we go, we are on our own, so pick your weapons accordingly. Your packs have everything else we'll need," Colonel Black explained.
I looked over the weapons and picked a SCAR-H, two SIG-Sauer P226, and the magazines to accompany them. My backup was a M870 Shotgun with plenty of shells. Emiko decided on a SCAR-L, two Glock 9s, and a M40A5. I'd heard she was an excellent marksman back in her home country of Japan. Once we were armed, the Colonel led the way to the garage. We took the elevator to get down faster. When the doors opened, Captain Kremer and Cook were waiting for us. Kyle and Tate were already talking to him, wearing the same gear as us. Another team was getting ready to leave.
Tate's expression wasn't happy. "What in God's name is this get-up? What is going on?" Kyle asked, trying not to sound indignant.
"We'll tell you what we can once on the ground. As long as you follow instructions, you'll be fine," a man said. It took her an act of will not to chew him out. I had a feeling that this wasn't going to be easy.
"Didn't I tell you to debrief the Mayor?" Colonel Black barked.
"Sorry old friend. I had to overrule you," one of the soldiers said.
"Colonel Hawk, I thought you'd be deployed on the west coast," the Colonel said.
"No, they sent me here. I was pulled off the Western front the day before last. Whatever is going down here in the Big Apple must be substantial," Colonel Hawk said.
"You hear that team? This means we're walking into the thick of things. Let's complete this job with no one dying. That's an order!" the Colonel said.
Cook and Kremer nodded in acknowledgment as we headed to the exit. The place was barricaded like a fortress, and we were willingly leaving the safety of said fortress. I must be out of my mind, but someone has to do this. Sano and I were in sync on that front. The garage gate shuttered open, revealing the night.