Special Police DekaOps

34

While she walked the halls of OpsBase Ace kept looking around. Something felt off about the place today for some reason, she just couldn’t put a finger on it. People were greeting her as usual as she passed them, although once or twice she would have sworn a couple of them were snickering behind her back.  Of course they’d stop when she looked back at them. Yeah there was nothing suspicious about that.

Turning the corner to the cafeteria she saw Cap standing by the door. She started to wave when he barked, “Ace I need to talk to you now.”

She paused in mid step, he didn’t look happy about something. As she walked over there Ace tried to remember anything she could have done to put him in this sort of mood. Unless he was starting to get upset about the request forms she was drawing a blank. “Is there a problem Cap?”

“I’ll say there is,” he said sternly as he guided her into the cafeteria.

“Surprise!”, everybody in there shouted. Ace nearly jumped out of her skin.

Dan lost the edge to his voice and smiled as he said, “You never told anybody it was your birthday.”

“Michelle,” she growled, “I told you I didn’t want anybody to make a fuss.”

“And how many times are you going to turn twenty one,” Michelle told her.

“Yeah Ace,” Boomer spoke, “it be a crime to let it pass by.”

Dan and Michelle guided her to an able while Target had the group around her separate a bit as Rev brought out a cake. The wax was already starting to trip down the candle as he set it down. “I believe there is a tradition of making a wish before blowing out the candles,” he said.

“If you all are still here it didn’t come true,” she said right before blowing them out.

“Don’t be such a crouch Ace,” Boomer said. “So what if you’re a year older, one step closer to the grave and you have to start looking for gray hairs, wrinkles…” Dan shot him a look, “Shutting up now.”

“I think it would make Ace’s day if teaching her that look ended up being her present,” Target chuckled.

“Dan might be ready to give up command if he does,” Pierce said. “And I don’t think he’s ready yet.”

“Maybe we can do the next best thing,” Dan said. “Now I know Ace is a law abiding citizen and didn’t break any of the drinking laws growing up.” Ace looked away and started whistling. Dan reached under the table and pulled out a couple of brown paper bags. “And considering the occasion,” reaching into the bag he pulled out a six pack of beer, “The first rounds on me.” Pulling a can free he handed it to her, “Live it up while you can Ace.”

Almost expecting him to pull the can away Ace took it while the Major said, “I thought we agreed not to get her the strong stuff?”

“Major, I do believe I know what the people under me can and cannot handle.”

Ace took a drink and nearly coughed, that was stronger than she was expecting. Looking at the others she said, “Don’t let me hog it all.”

“Besides,” Dan continued as he took a can for himself, “I hate the weak stuff. You always told me to plan ahead.”

After an hour or so Ace started to relax and enjoy herself. Yeah she didn’t want anybody to make a fuss about today, but it gave her a good feeling that they did. Dan sat next to her grabbing another beer. “Cap just out of curiosity, why did you buy me the beer.”

“Tradition in my family,” he said. “The moment I turned twenty one my Dad and Grand Dad convinced my CO to let them drag me off base to a bar.”

“Speaking of traditions there’s not any more you guys are going to be following today are you?”, she asked feeling a little worried.

“Depends on how drunk we are and how bored we get later. I wouldn’t worry about it though.” About then they overheard Michelle convince Target to get a ping pong paddle out of one of the rec rooms. Dan happened to notice the grin Michelle was giving Ace. “You might want to tie yourself to that chair.” Ace wrapped her legs around the chair legs.

“Major Pierce,” A tech said coming in, “Command just called, they might have an assignment.”

“Saved by the Alienizer,” Ace mumbled as they ran out of the room.

***

As the Machine Shepard landed in the jungle of Brazil everybody was a bit uneasy. Not from the beer, Rev had something that would counteract it affects. The case was a people disappearing person case. They handled them before so the problem wasn’t there. The problem was the suspects in the area had no problem selling any species as a food source, humans included. “Everybody pay close attentions to the surroundings,” Dan ordered. “These guys are especially dangerous and I don’t want any mistakes.”

“Rev have you heard of these guys before?”, Target asked.

“Only rumors Angela,” he answered. “And those rumors were not particularly pleasant.”

“And the entire planet is like this?”

“Not the entire planet, a majority of them are though.”

“Well if it’s just a majority,” Boomer quipped.

“Not now,” Ace snapped at him.

“Target keep a look out for any stray energy readings,” Dan continued. “I get the feeling detecting any sort of life sign is going to be a bitch.”

“You would be correct so far Captain,” Rev said. “The scanners on the Shepard were having a hard time identifying which life signs were coming from the local inhabitants and the local wild life.”

“Keep an eye on it any way,” he said. “Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“I hope our luck is that good today,” Ace commented.

“Stay together,” Dan told them. “If you have to split off from the group don’t stray off too far.” He led them into the jungle.

***

Deeper in the jungle a bald, troll like being with several missing teeth sat in front of a scanner that was especially designed for the jungle. It cost a pretty penny but paid for itself after the first couple of captures. Behind him his partner, who was missing an ear, was polishing a human rib bone, “Zat, look this.”

Tossing the rib on a pile of other bones he walked over and looked over his shoulder. “More meat,” he grunted.

“Different meat,” he pointed out to one in particular.

Zat looked closer, “Zalmanian. Good price, very rare.”

“Perhaps taste,” he liked his lips. “Check quality.” Zat made a fist and pounded him on top of the head. “What for?”

“No taste, never stop. No profit.”

“Never had Zalmanian,” he whined as he rubbed his head.

“No matter. Set traps send Batsuriods,” Zat ordered.

“Right, right,” he grumbled. Flipping a few switches to his right activated the traps. A group of Batsuroids walked out of a room and out the door toward the signal. “Sneak taste,” he mumbled as Zat started polishing another bone.

***

Space cannibals, just when Dan thought he had heard it all. He was very tempted to have them suit up the moment they landed. But training told him to wait and see what they were up against first. “This was not how I wanted to spend my birthday,” Ace said beside him.

“This wasn’t exactly how we were planning on celebrating it,” Dan told her. “Just between us, why were you so grumpy at the party?”

“I hate surprise parties,” she said. “They only ones who seem to have any fun are the ones surprising you. And it didn’t help any that I thought you were pissed at me.”

“I tried to get him to come out as super happy Cap,” Boomer said. Dan shot him another look. “Wow, look a yellow belly sap sucker.”

“You’re going to have to teach me to do that one of these days,” Ace told him.

“Command secret,” Dan told her with a smirk. “It took me years to pry it out of the Major. Why would I make it easy for you?”

“Not even for my birthday?”

“If you can avoid Michelle and what she had planned for the rest of the day I’ll give you a quick lesson tomorrow.”

“Cap,” Target spoke up, “I’m getting a reading. Twenty individual energy signatures and they’re coming this way.”

“Bots, it has to be,” Dan muttered. “Try to find a hiding place. Maybe we can catch them by surprise.” They scattered trying to find a hiding spot and still be able to see the path they were on. SP-Shooters drawn they waited and it wasn’t a long wait before they spotted the first Batsuroid. Dan watched as five more followed it. He looked over at Target silently asking where the others were. She shook her head, she was still reading twenty energy signatures.

Boomer pointed at something on their waist that Target recognized right away, a signature multiplier. Before Dan could give the order to fire Rev looked behind him. The next moment he was wrapped in a net with a slight glow to it as he fell to the ground. “They have a stun net!” she announced. Boomer drew his knife and headed for him while the other fired at the Batsuroids. Return fire seemed to come from everywhere.

“Light it up!” Dan ordered. Boomer tossed a flash grenade into the air. The original six were momentarily disabled but they were still held down by the return fire. “Damn it.”

“Hang on Rev,” Boomer said while he tried to cut through the net, “I’m working as fast as I can.” Trying to keep his head down he failed to notice a Batsuroid sneaking up behind him. Ace saw it and took it out. She ran over to provide some better cover. She didn’t see the laser trip wire before her boot went through it. A beam hit her that knocked her out. “Ace!!”, Boomer shouted.

“We’re going to get chewed up if we stay here!” Target said.

Dan was seething on the inside, he knew she was right but he hated making that call. Especially with people down. Still, he had to keep the teams safety in mind. “Fall back!” he ordered. “Make your way back to the Shepard!”

“What about…?”, Boomer started to ask.

“Now!”, he shouted. Target had to drag Boomer out of there. Dan fired back before looking at Ace and Rev laying there. Then he retreated back into the jungle.

“Two have been captured,” one of the Batsuroids said.

“Take them back to base,” said another. “The others will be captured later.”

Dan caught up with Target and Boomer in a small clearing after the Batsuroids stopped firing at them. He couldn’t look at them, but he did pound his fist into a tree in frustration. “How are we going to deal with this one?”, Boomer asked.

“We follow them,” Dan told him, “all the way back to their base.”

“We don’t know what we’re up against,” Target said. “And we’re outnumbered.”

“Never stopped us before,” Boomer quipped.

“And we were never out maneuvered before, not that badly,” she argued. “We need to contact base for some help or go back and pick them up ourselves.”

“We all go home or none of us go home,” Dan said. “That’s how we do things.”

“Cap what are we going to do?”, she asked.

“I have never abandoned anybody to an enemy force and I don’t plan on starting now.” Dan started back into the jungle. “Hurry up, before the trail gets cold.”

“Don’t you love it when he gets that determined look in his eyes?”, Boomer asked as he followed him.

Target headed off with them saying, “This is crazy, but I’d hate to be the other side with Cap in this mood.”

***

Coming to Ace immediately took stock of herself. She was still feeling a little sore where whatever it was hit her. Her feet were tied together and her hands were bound above her head. And whatever she was laying on was the hardest thing she had ever been on. That’s when she noticed the smell, rotten meat. “It’s definitely a birthday I won’t be forgetting.”

“I would be surprised if you did.” She looked around until she saw Rev next to her. “Although awakening to this situation on any day would be memorable. Do you see the Captain or the others from your position?”

“No,” she said straining. “Hopefully they got away, they had us six ways to Sunday out there.” Rev didn’t say anything to that. “You know Cap’s motto Rev, he’s not going to leave us here. Even if he has to go all Rambo on them.”

“I am aware of that Trish,” he finally said. “It never occurred to me that I would be waiting to see he is true to his word.”

“I’m not exactly flipping over the situation myself. But hey, has Cap ever let us down before.”

Before he could answer two of the ugliest aliens she had ever seen walked in. They went over to Rev and started poking him in various places. “Zalmanian good shape. Bring good price.”

“Still say taste quality.” The other one punched him in the face.

Pointing a finger at him he snarled, “No meat no money. Stupid think belly.”

“Stupid Zat,” he mumbled. He flinched when the other one made a fist. “Human meat! Human Meat!”

“Rax lucky,” he grumbled as he turned his attention toward her. He started poking her in the same way he poked Rev.

Needless to say she didn’t take it as stoically as Rev did, “Hey!”

“Lively meat,” Zat said with a snort.

“Meat SPD,” Rax said tapping the badge on her chest.

“Watch the finger asshole.” Rax wrapped a hand around her mouth. She stated smelling and tasting something worse than rotting meat.

“Leave her alone,” Rev said but Rax let her go to backhand him. Then Zat punched Rax in response.

“No damage meat!” he snapped. “They wait. Prepare other meat.” When they turned to leave Ace looked at her hands and saw her gloves were still on. Immediately she turned her wrist so she could tap the back of her hand against the table.

Dan was cursing at how heavily booby trapped the jungle was the closer they got to where ever they are. But the trail was getting cold fast, especially since they couldn’t disable a couple of traps and had to work their way around them. Not that disabling them was getting them there any faster. And they still didn’t have a clear idea where this base was. His License started to beep and he quickly checked it. Pulling up a map he saw a tap signal, “That a girl Ace. We have their location, come on.”

***

Rev and Ace both tried not to hear what was going on in the next room. It made them sick to their stomachs that they couldn’t do so. For the fifth time they heard the same thing as before. It might have been a different language each time but it was the same thing, a person begging for their life. Right now they were hearing somebody English try the same. “For God sakes don’t do this! Please I’m begging you! I have a family! No! No! No! No!” As always there was a thunk, a mild crack then silence.

Rev silently prayed to the Great Spirit for the person. Ace looked at the doorway as Rax walked by with a club in his hand, the blunt end dripping a bit with fresh blood, “Noisey meat,” he muttered.

“Now quiet meat,” Zat said as he passed by, a knife in his hand. Ace lowered her head. She was going to give these bastards the fight of her life when they came for her. If they gave her a chance she thought while looking up at her bindings again.

“Is it wrong,” Rev said, “That I am wondering where this Zat person learned his skills with a knife considering how fast things are currently going?”

“No offence Rev but that’s the most disgusting thought I have ever heard you have.”

“My apologies Trish.”

“It’s alright Rev. I’m thinking some weird thoughts too.” Like if she’d feel it after they hit her with that club. She shook her head. “Come on guys,” she said under her breath.

At that moment Dan had the base they were in right in his sights, the only thing holding him back was Target doing one final sweep with her sensor for any more traps. “We’re clear,” she announced.

“So we got a straight shot right into those Batsuroids,” Boomer said. “When do we go Cap?”

“Now,” was all he said as he ran toward the building, with Boomer and Target right behind him, their OpsLicense in their hands. Halfway there he shouted, “Emergency! DekaOps!” They were briefly covered in a red, blue and yellow digital flash and they were wearing their Dekasuits as they continued their charge. “Get us inside!” Dan shouted as Target took a shot at the first Batsuroid they saw.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Boomer told him. The Batsuroids started firing back. They continued at them returning fire. Dan took a shot on the shoulder that knocked him down. Target slid under a couple of shots and was able to take a few of them out. Boomer kept on going, pausing just long enough to toss a shrapnel grenade by them. It took them out but more seemed to take their place.

“Mow them down,” Dan said. He and Target held his their ground and fired away. It was enough of a distraction for Boomer to sneak by them and slap an explosive device on the door. He ran back into hiding with a detonator in his hand. Dan and Target kneeled down and covered their heads. The explosive took out the door and the Batsuroids in front of it. Boomer came out of his spot and fired at the remaining bots before they could react.

“There’s our opening,” Target said as they ran for it.

***

“Stupid meat!” Rax yelled as the explosion rocked the base. “Batsuroids do nothing!”

“Do enough,” Zat said. “Hold off meat long enough.”

“Process other meat?” Zat nodded. Rax grinned and picked up his club, “Human meat first?”

“Sure,” Zat agreed.

“Good, meat noisey. Hurt ears.”

They walked into the room holding Ace and Rev. “Here we go,” she muttered. Zat held her by the arms while the other one undid her bindings. Ace started kicking at him as best she could. Rax held them down while Zat finished with her hands. “Let me go!” she yelled still struggling. They hauled her up and tied her hands behind her back, she fought them as best she could.

“Stop it!” Rev said struggling against his bindings. Hooking her by the arms they dragged her into the other room. She tried to get her feet in front of her to slow them down but they kept kicking her legs back. The room was bare except for a pedestal in the middle of it. Rax pushed her down to her knees in front of it. He tried to push her head down but she fought back. Finally her head was forced down hard and held against it. The pedestal was still slightly sticky against her cheek from the earlier use and she felt the club on the other side of her head. Ace closed her eyes as she felt the club move away.

“No!”, Ace opened her eyes and saw Target shot the club out of his hand. Cap ran in and tackled the other one when he raised his knife. Target kept her D-Shooter pointed at Rax as he held his hand and backed up as Boomer rushed in with Rev right behind him rubbing his wrist and quickly got her free. “You guys all right?”, Target asked.

“I’ve been better,” Ace said as she shakily got back to her feet.

“We should get out of here,” Boomer said.

“Not yet,” Ace told him through gritted teeth. Her License was still in it’s holder so she grabbed it and held it out, “Emergency! DekaOps!” A pink digital flash later and she was in her Dekasuit. Switching the License to Judge she held it before her. Rax ran through them and out the door. Zat was able to get free and follow him out. “You bastards are not getting away!” Ace shouted as she chased after them.

“After her,” Dan told the rest of them.

They found Ace fighting both of the by a pool of yellow liquid with some steam coming off of it. Zat broke away and grabbed some kind of stick off the wall. Dan had his D-Rod in his hand as he cut him off. Ace could hear every cry of help and beg for life as she pounded on Rax. Suddenly he grabbed her by the ankle and threw her into the others. “We gotcha Ace,” Boomer said as they caught her.

“Let me go and get him!”, she ordered. Target noticed Dan was having a hard time with Zat and went to help him. Zat got through Dan’s guard and jabbed him in the gut with the stick. There was a huge flash were it connected and Dan went flying back into Target. Rax and Zat grabbed both of them and threw them into the pool. Both of them started laughing as it started bubbling.

“Acid,” Zat said. “Melt anything, even Dekametal.” Through the bubbles there were a couple of flashes. A black armored hand emerged from the pool and grabbed the edge. Zat and Rax backed away to avoid the splatter, the floor sizziling where it made contact. Having activating EXO mode Dan hauled himself up with Target right behind him. The armor was still sizzling a bit and their License looked extremely damaged in the slots.

Rev quickly looked around as Dan stood up holding his gut. He was still slightly bent over. Rev found a hose and quickly twisted the wheel by it, then he sprayed the foam that came out of it all over them. Ace and Boomer held both the cannibals at bay while he did so. Suddenly their License sparked violently and the Dekametal faded away as Dan dropped to his knees still holding his gut.

“Neutralizing foam,” Rev explained as he stopped spraying them. “It made sense that they would have some nearby in case of an emergency.”

“It’s not going to matter anymore,” Ace said darkly. “Target orders!” It took way too long for the red X to shine, “Eliminate target.” Boomer joined her as they locked their License into their D-Shots. With a little too much pleasure she said, “Strikeout!” After they were deleted Ace dropped to her knees and started shaking and couldn’t stop, the adrenaline wearing off and her mind finally processing what almost happened to her.

Boomer was right by her side, “Ace you’re going to be alright.”

“Cap,” she forced out. “How are Cap and Target?”

“They hit the Captain with, for lack of a better term, a cattle prod,” Rev said. He was shaking a little himself “His suit protected him but it still did some damage. It doesn’t appear that the acid penetrated their suit that I can see. They were fortunate there.”

Ace could still hear the scream but she knew she had a job to do. “Get him back to the Shepard. Rev can give them a better examination there. B… Boomer check out this pace to see if there are any other survivors.”

“You got it Ace,” he said. “What are you going to be doing?”

She couldn’t hold it back anymore, taking off her helmet she rushed out of the room, “I’m going to throw up.”

***

The next day Ace walked into the med bay. Dan was still lying on a bed, bandaged around the waist. Michelle was sitting next to him. Ace didn’t want to interrupt them but she had to talk to him, “Michelle can I talk to Cap alone?”

“Sure Ace,” she said. “I’ll be back later to check on you,” she told him before kissing him on the forehead and leaving. Ace took the chair she vacated and sat there in silence for a bit. Finally she said, “How are you doing Cap?”

“Rev said I’ll be back on duty in a couple of days. So tell the others to enjoy the mini-vacation while they can,” he chuckled a bit. She joined in with a weak version. “Although some sick part of me wants to head to their planet and find out what exactly passes for cattle up there. How are you holding up?”

“Not as good as I thought apparently,” she admitted. “The Major wants me and Rev to see some shrink, I think his name is Peterson.”

“Jeff Peterson?” She nodded. “I’ve seen him, he’s pretty good.”

“You’ve seen psychiatrist?”

“The Major sent me to see him after my first assignment. When I told you I nearly got half my unit killed I didn’t mention I was almost part of that half. Peterson helped me get through it. He made me see him again after we lost D.E. and I almost executed the bastard.”

“I still hear them Cap,” she told him. “The ones we heard being killed. I can’t shut them out.

“I can’t tell you you’ll stop hearing them Ace,” he said placing a hand on her shoulder, “because I was hearing those gunshots for weeks afterwards. I still hear them in my dreams sometimes. Something like that doesn’t go away. Who knows, maybe you’re a little stronger than I am in that aspect.”

“I’m guessing he’ll want us to go to some sort of support group?”

“Well if you want you can tell him you’re already in one, being lead by one of his former patients.

“How do you do it Cap?”, she said softly. “I saw you were down and knew I had to take over, but I couldn’t keep it together, not like I’ve seen you out there. I lost my lunch before I even made it to the door.”

“I’ll let you in on a command secret, we’re still human. We just got to go through a lot of shit to get a really tough skin. But honestly, if I was in your place I’d probably be throwing up too. Some things you should never get used to. Remember that if nothing else.”

Ace wanted to feel better after hearing that but it didn’t really help. She sat there for a long time talking to him. She knew he was right but she didn’t think those screams would ever quiet down completely. One day at a time was going to be hell.