September 6, 2017

2.32 am, Cancun, Mexico

A trio of guards points their semi-automatic rifles at the door leading to the stairwell. The order to abandon base had gone out a short minute ago. Their job is to hold back the escapees-turned-invaders while base personnel escapes via the elevator at the other end of the hall. The atmosphere is more than tense as each guard trains their gun at the door.

Suddenly, the door creaks open. The guards fire a rain of lead slugs into the dark doorway. They cease firing. As the smoke clears, they find that their efforts have all been a hail mary. The door is riddled with bullet holes yet there are no bodies to be found.

Suddenly, bullets stream from the lower left side of the door. The guards attempt to retreat yet this move proves fatal. Shade quickly pounces on two fleeing guards, instantly stabbing both in their throats. The final guard gets shot twice in the head by Spectrum.

Now three dead bodies lay bloody on the stone floor. They were expecting the attack yet were simply unable to stop the force of Team Six.

“They never look down.” Aviator says as he gets up from the floor. He had provided the ground fire that forced the guards to withdraw.

“These are HK MR556A1!” Spectrum says as he examines the dead guards’ weapons, “Brand spanking new and far more expensive than the AK47.”

“These men aren’t locals.” Aviator notes, “Probably European.”

By now Shade is standing, having retrieved her pair of knives. She flicks away the blood while scanning the hallway.

“Incinerator.” Shade says.

Shade starts moving to the doors further ahead in the hallway. Aviator and Spectrum follow with their guns at the ready.

The first door on the right is marked “Storage”. Shade peers through the glass panel into the dark room. She discards it for the door on the left, which reads “Incinerator”.

The team takes positions around the door. Aviator is again on the floor, AK47 pointed up. Spectrum is on the other side, gun pointing at the door. Below Spectrum lies Shade who is crunched and ready to pounce with a knife in each hand.

Aviator taps the button to open the door. The door slides open. 5 seconds later and no one steps out. Spectrum and Aviator advance with their guns pointing to opposite sides of the room. A quick sweep reveals no one in the room. Shade steps in behind the duo.

“Clear!” Aviator says.

“Where’s the Chief?” Spectrum asks.

Shade keeps walking to the large glass window in the room. An ongoing display of red flames dances in fury. Shade squints her eyes, focusing on the center of the raging inferno. Her eyes shoot open. She dashes to the side door. Her rapid attempts fail to open it.

“Shade.” Aviator says approaching.

“Fire!” Shade shouts.

Aviator then looks at the center of the flames to see a cage.

“Turn it off, now!” Aviator shouts.

Spectrum glances at the controls. He hits the button labeled power. Spectrum turns to find the flames ceased. A glowing red cage stands in the middle of the room.

“Ya Khuda!” Spectrum shouts.

The ceramic side door is forced open. The control room is suddenly filled with hot dry air.

Shade dashes into the still hot room. Aviator follows despite the smoldering heat. Spectrum stands in shock as he watches Shade kick down the weakened door of the cage. The bars fall apart. A blackened disfigured corpse lies in the middle.

Fire.