FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I stepped out of the jet and stumbled as my body adjusted to walking. I looked around. We had touched down at an allied air force base. The airfurs here wore khaki uniforms with parkas over them against the cold. The tarmac was lit by large spotlights which were occasionally obscured by snow flurries.

We were lead to a large building set between two hangars. I walked through the door and was hit in the face by a wave of heat. We were met by a white tiger. He was tall and broad and spoke with a heavy accent.

"Welcome to Goodnow airfield. My name is Ivan. I am the commander of this facility."

"Nice to meet you sir."

"No sir, just Ivan."

"Nice to meet you Ivan."

"I have been instructed by your government not to ask your names. Soon one of your Army vehicles will be here to pick you up. Feel free to make yourselves comfortable while you wait. I only ask that you stay out of my people's way."

"Thank you Ivan, we won't interrupt your operation."

Ivan left us and I took a seat in a wooden chair. Jessica poured herself a cup of coffee to warm up. I was starting to feel nervous. This wasn't going to be one of Dr. Hall's training missions. We would be up against armed men and if we failed people would lose their lives.

"You okay?"

"Ya, just nervous."

"Me too."

"Hey, they're here."

I got up and walked to the window to see a truck pull up out front. I checked the ID of the driver and then followed the others into the back. Rather than being filled with boxes, there was only one row for show, and then a series of seats. I sat on one of them. Tank slid the door shut. I hit the metal barrier between us and the driver. He started off down the road. I lost track of time as we bumped along in the back of the truck. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the truck stopped. I heard two bangs from the other side of the wall. I rolled the door open and slid out of the back.

The truck rumbled off into a small town once we were out. I looked at the buildings. It was small enough to find the location easily, but big enough to get lost in.

"Trestan, eyes on."

"Roger that."

He spread his wings and propelled himself upward. I waited with my team in the brush by the side of the road.

"What do you got for me?"

"Do you see the two story building on the east side of town?"

I scanned the skyline and spotted it.

"Ya."

"That's the one."

"Thanks, keep us updated."

I motioned to my team and we climbed to the road. The sun was beginning to rise as we made our way through town. We were supposedly wearing garments that would be common around here, but I decided that we should stick to back roads and alleys just to be certain. We got to the building shortly after entering town.

It had two entrances on ground level, both guarded by thuggish looking wolves. I crept around to the far side of the structure where there was a second two story building adjacent to it.

"Trestan, what do you see?"

"Two doors, both guarded inside and out. Thermal picks up multiple warm bodies on the ground floor and about four on the top floor. There are two on the roof."

I turned to the squad. "What do you think guys?"

"I say we climb the back side of the next building, and approach from above. It's worked in the past."

"Agreed."

We moved around, a block away from our target and approached from the south. I clambered up the stone wall of the second building and lay prone below the parapet. I was joined by the rest of the squad. I looked across to the Rebel holdout. There was a stag on one side and a mountain lion on the other. They were covering the two main approaches with mid range sniper rifles and neither had spotted us.

I signaled to Teague and Jessica. Simultaneously they sprung up, sprinted, leaped across the gap, and knocked out the two rebels before they could react. Tank and I followed them.

"Looking good so far guys. I'm not seeing any unusual movement inside yet."

"Thanks. Jessica, can you check to see what they have for surveillance?"

She pulled out her data pad and stretched it across the roof. She studied it for a moment.

"They have a wireless internet connection, just a sec, I'm in. There are cameras covering the entrance and the room where the hostages are being held. I'm picking up electric locks on the main doors and one interior door, but nothing else."

"Trestan, top floor, what do you see?"

"Four warm bodies, one at a window on each corner. There also appears to be a cold blood on the north side. I suggest you take them out at the same time."

I positioned myself above one of the windows and waited for my squad mates to do the same.

"Jessica, on my mark, destroy the network, on the second mark, we go in. Trestan, can you hit the fifth window?"

"Piece of cake."

"Alright, on my signal. Trestan, go!"

I looked at my watch and ticked off seconds. "Mark... mark."

I swung myself through the window below me and wrapped my legs around the rebel who was standing it. I brought her to the ground silently and delivered a quick chop to a pressure point, feeling bone crack beneath the force. The dog immediately passed out from shock. I looked up and clicked my com once. I got four positive responses.

"Move around to the east side, check your corners. We don't need any surprises."

I moved silently though the hallway I was in. I only passed one door, which I checked before moving on. Soon I regrouped with the others at the top of a staircase. They nodded in greeting.

"Hand signals from here out. We move quickly and quietly. Remember, only kill if you absolutely have to."

We slipped through the house, removing any threats we came across. Soon there were no less than ten unconscious bodies lying in rooms on the ground floor, but no sign of the prisoners. I approached a door and signaled Trestan. He examined the door and held up eight fingers. That meant he was picking up eight heat signatures without FOF tags. I had to assume that some of them were the captives.

I examined the door. I motioned to Tank. He approached the entrance and looped a chord around the handle. We prepared to take the room. At my mark, Tank pulled the cable in a practiced motion, turning the latch and opening the door.

As I burst into the room. My trained eyes took in the situation all at once. There were three rebels guarding six bound captives with automatic rifles. I used my momentum to carry me across the room to hit the furthest enemy, a panther. I tacked him and knocked him out in one smooth motion. I turned to see that Teague and Jessica had eliminated their targets in a similar manner.

Tank and Trestan stayed outside to cover the door. I turned and got up to start uniting the hostages. I noticed movement out the corner of my eye but didn't have time to react. I heard the metallic click of a hammer being pulled back and felt cold metal against my head. The attacker shouted something in a foreign language. I saw the other two pull out their weapons and point them at my assailant. He yelled again, this time I could understand him.

"Put down the guns and do as I say or I blow his head off!"

I motioned to the other two to lower their weapons. I closed my eyes and took a slow, steadying breath. Then, with lightning reflexes, I grabbed the wrist holding the gun and twisted it, slamming the weapon into the rebels face. I heard bones break but didn't stop. I brought my knee into his groin, bringing him to the ground and knocked him out with a cross body elbow to his temple. Looking down, I saw a black clad snow leopard.

"Betraying your own kind? Tisk, tisk."

I pulled out my own gun and scanned the room. No one else to be found. We all holstered our weapons and returned to untying the hostages. One of them started to talk loudly but Jessica quickly silenced them. I switched my com to the command freq.

"Mountain, this is Red One."

"Go ahead Red One."

"Cargo secure and awaiting pickup."

"Roger that, your ride will be there in two minutes. Challenge is radio, return is thunder. Mountain out."

I switched back to the squad com. "Alright, let's move out."

We secured the captives and made our way through the rest of the structure. The only difficult part would be getting them out. Tank removed the inside door guard. We waited for thirty seconds, and then I heard a truck rumble to a stop outside. There was a voice over my earpiece.

"Red team, your ride is outside."

Tank flung the door open. I slammed my fist into the back of the wolf's head. I then finished him off after he hit the ground. The squad ran past me, ushering the civilians between them. I heard Jessica shout radio, and someone return with thunder. I waited until Tank had left the house and then followed, covering the door with my sidearm. I reached the truck and felt Teague pull me in. Tank slid the hatch shut and the driver sped off, spinning the tires before they caught and we were out of there.

We rode back in silence. The former prisoners sat shivering on one side of the truck. We were brought back to Goodnow field. A chopper was waiting to pick up the civilians. We were instructed to board the jet and head back to Center Seventeen.

Whereas the trip out had been subdued and serious, on the way back we talked excitedly about the mission. We had successfully completed our first real assignment. My arms shook as the excess adrenaline in my blood was used up. Before, I had been nervous and full of what-ifs. Now my usual confidence was restored, and would never waver again.