05:16
Runway - 07, New Eden Airfield
The artemis landed on the runway, and as the back-ramp lowered, six men wearing medic uniforms ran inside. A few moments later, they came out with three strechures carrying the three members of Delta squad. Mitali came out with them. Other four Bravo squad members followed behind.
Mitali taruned to them and said, "I'll go to the medical station now. Will meet you in the squad house later."
Sohel said, "Okay. Let us know about their situation."
Just then, Leon approached them from seemingly nowhere. He looked distraught.
He frantically asked Sohel, "Sohel... Sohel, where's my brother? Where's Ivan?"
Sohel couldn't understand. He held Leon's shoulders and said, "Leon, calm down. You have a brother? Who's Ivan?"
Leon calmed down a little and said, "Ivan Petrov. Callsign Eagle. Specialist in the Delta Squad. He's my brother. He.."
The moment Sohel and the others heard the callsign, their faces went dark. Leon noticed this and started panicking. He grabbed Sohel's coat and started to shake him as he said, "What's with the expression? Sohel, talk to me. Where's my brother?"
Sohel didn't know how to break the news to Leon, but just at that moment, a BAe 146 jet landed on the runway. Sohel felt a little relieved as he recognised the jet to be one of the ones belonging to the clean-up crew that went to the Suchitra Island.
A bunch of soldiers wearing their full ceremonial uniform came and stood behind the plane. Just as the back ramp lowered, eight soldiers ran inside. A moment later they came out, carrying two coffins, one wrapped in the Russian flag and the other wrapped in the British flag.
Sohel didn't have to say anything to Leon anymore, as what he was seeing was enough for him to figure out what had happened. Leon let go of Sohel's coat and ran towards the place where the coffins were kept. He went to the coffin with the Russian flag. The name of Flight Lieutenant Ivan 'Eagle' Petrov, embroidered to the front of the flag.
Leon didn't move; he didn't try to open the coffin; he didn't cry; he didn't even try to touch it.
He started mumbling to himself, "Why? I knew this was coming. I knew I'd have to say goodbye to you one day. I knew it when we joined. But why did this have to happen this early? I had so many things I wanted to talk to you about. So many places to go. So many beers left to share. So…"
Sohel reached Leon and put a hand on his shoulder from the back. Leon said to Sohel, still eyes fixated on the coffin, "How did this happen, Sohel? Weren't you there? Aren't you guys supposed to be the best? Then How? Why?"
Sohel said in a really heartfelt tone, "I'm sorry, Leon. We were too late. We only found the bodies. I'm really sorry."
Leon didn't say anything. He just moved Sohel's hand from his shoulder and walked away. Sohel called him, "Leon, wait," but he didn't stop. Jacob tried to run after Leon but Naomi stopped him. She said, "Don't, Jacob. Let him be for now."
Jacob quietly nodded.
A military truck came in and the soldiers loaded the coffins into the truck. A corporal was going to sit in the front passenger seat of the truck but Sohel called out to him. The corporal came to Sohel and saluted him.
Sohel asked, "When'll be the funeral held?"
The corporal answered, "It's scheduled for 14:00 today, sir."
Sohel said, "Ok. You can go."
The corporal left. Naomi said, "Let's go to the squad house for now. All of us need rest."
Sohel said, "You three go. I'll submit the mission report and come."
Annabelle said, "Can't you do it later?"
"I've already readied it. Why postpone for later."
Naomi said, "Ok. See you."
Annabelle said, "I'm gonna stay here for a bit. Gotta run a check on Artemis."
Jacob had already unloaded their KIA Sportage and was waiting in the driving seat. Naomi got on and bid farewell as they drove away.
Sohel went back inside Artemis, and as he unlocked the Subaru, Annabelle suddenly said, "The general called for you, didn't he?"
Sohel calmly turned back at him and said, "Cause the mission report that you're going to submit is still sitting on your table, half complete."
Sohel gave a small smile and said, "Looks like I made a mistake. Yeah, he called for me. I don't know why though."
Annabelle gave a small chuckle and said, "I bet he just wants to pass time. Go go."
Sohel smiled as he sat on the driving seat.
06:20
Academy Building, New Eden
Sohel got out of the lift on the 65th floor. Everything was the same as he knew it. Same old long corridor, same old wide window and same old table-chair setup just outside the general's office. But the person who's supposed to sit there was missing. Sohel found it a little weird, but he went forward. Just as he was about to knock on the door, the general's voice came from inside: "Come in."
Same Time
San Pablo City, Philippines
A big room painted in full white colour,with bright white lights beaming from the ceiling. Around 50 children, all aged between 8 and 10, were inside the room, all wearing white overalls.
There was a wide, one-sided glass window on the top right of the room.
On the other side of the window was a small cabin room. There were around 10 people wearing doctor aprons taking notes on their tablets. There was a Japanese man in his late 40s standing close to the window, looking down it.
One doctor said, "All the subjects are showing steady growth. No defective subjects as of now."
The man nodded and said, "Hmm."
Just at that moment, a man frantically entered the room. The man turned and looked at the man with dissatisfaction. The man caught his breath and said, "Sir, A big problem. Subject 24 has been found. He's… He's killing all our members and subjects one after the other."
The man stayed silent for a moment. Then said, "Call subjects 51, 52 and 53."
"The Yu sisters?"
The man didn't say anything.
"Got it." He ran outside.