Desert Arrival

"Yeah, not dead yet." Xavier replied, his voice dry and raspy unlike before. Chains rattled with droplets of water falling down from pipes, in front of me is a small window. With a bright but small light shining down.

"I guess were the only ones still alive here, the others are still unconscious." The voice added. Xavier's vision moved violently, he was trying to get out of his chains. After trying to rip apart from the chains, Xavier gave up breathing heavily. My vision went down as Xavier spent his energy struggling to get out of his restraints.

Xavier raised his head up, just as he did, the door opened with an ear piercing screech, emerging from beyond the gate, a face that I can remember from the early days I joined the team. Wildfire, a face I can remember, with the noticeable scar on his eye. In his hand, a stick different from the cattle prod he had before. It was similar in shape to a baton we use here, but the top had purple linings, giving a small purple glow around the top. As he entered, two escorting guards followed him inside as well, holding rifles.

"This thing is so much better than the shitty stick i had before." Wildfire spoke.

"Fucking hell, here I thought I could no longer have to worry about parabellum and other goddamn mercs but here I am, looking at a huntsman. You know, i trapped some huntsmen before, but those little shits escaped, but I am confident that you won't be as lucky as they were." Wildfire thrusted the baton into Xavier's stomach letting out an inhuman and pain ridden scream as he did.

"Well i think he's out for the count." Wildfire laughed, so did his 2 escorts. I couldn't see through Xavier's eyes anymore, he passed out.

"Now you," I can hear Wildfire walk to the mercenary on the other side of the divider, "Since your buddy over there is passed out. Where-" An explosion went off in the distance, somewhere outside, outside the window.

"What the hell? Are we being attacked?" Wildfire asked at his 2 escorts. Another insurgent rushes inside the room.

"Sir, one of our vehicles just blew up, most likely maintenance issues, i apologize." The insurgent notified to Wildfire.

"Get that fire put out now,"

"Yes si-" explosions interrupted the insurgent speaking.

"What the FUCK!?" The insurgent shouted, frantic footsteps soon followed.

"God this outpost is just a powder keg ready to blow. We shouldn't have partnered with this group" Wildfire ranted. All I can do is just hear, hopefully Xavier isn't dead yet. Footsteps got louder and louder, till they stopped close by.

"Sir, the vehicle that blew up is letting off a lot of smoke, and it's only getting bigger with a nearby oil canister blew up along with a box of ammunition." An insurgent spoke. Wildfire let out a groan of anger after the insurgent spoke.

"Put out the fire now." Wildfire demanded.

"Yes sir"

I slam back into my seat throwing my whole back into the door, not knowing that i was out of the vision. They said there's smoke near the base they reside in. Maybe we can see it from the staging point we will be deployed to.

"Alright, were here." A male voice shouted, it's one of the people of the ship.

"We were ordered to await till you return, hopefully you will execute the recovery mission without issue." The man added.

Getting through the straps we carried our weapons down the descending ramp. Stepping on the sand, in front of us, the camp where we will begin our recovery operation from. The camp had only 4 guards roaming around, checking on their equipment, looking at the desert for any hostiles, and one of them manning the radio. Constantly speaking into it.

"You must be the recovery team parabellum sent," The soldier on the radio greeted us.

"Unfortunately we can't help you in any way. But we were told to give any info to you if we find any, since we also have a recon team searching for a retreating insurgent militia, a recon team notified us of an explosion not far from their path, I can show you the location of the recon team when they heard the explosion." The radio soldier pulls out a tablet, one showing the map of the desert.

"Around here" Tapping on the button once, the radio soldier marked the location.

"Can I see?" Marcel asked, holding his tablet as well. The two talked for a bit, looking down at their tablets multiple times.

"There, hopefully this won't count as helping since this is just info attained from the recon report. Good luck on the mission." The soldier returned to listening on the radio, continuing his chatter on it.

"Alright it's gonna be a half an hour trip." Marcel told the team.

"Anyone brought water?" Alina asked us, none of us responded staying silent.

"Well damn, we gotta do this mission quick. Hope you all drank alot of water beforehand."

Sebastian walked out of the covered camp, into the hot sand away from the covering. Even if i cant feel the heat on my feet it still pierced through my clothing.

We began our trek of 30 minutes, Marcel walked alongside of Sebastian, carrying his tablet all the way to our destination.

"Stay on guard guys." Sebastian advised to us, the desert was nothing but flat plains of sand with some small hills. Seems like fights here will be fought long to mid range, pulling out my marksman rifle, i guarded the group. Looking far at the sand hills if anyone is hiding, waiting for the right time to ambush us.

I couldn't even feel my breath, the warmth of my breath being dominated by the constant beam of heat from the sun, throughout my upper body to my legs, the heat penetrated my armor. As we walk, sweat began, as i perspire from the desert.

"Shit, this place is cooking us inside out." Lennox complained, his hand above his head. Trying to block the heat of the sun.

"We have to endure it Lennox, this mission is a recovery mission for our captured brothers and sisters. Anyways, Damon did you sleep? If so got any visions?" Sebastian asked me.

"I saw through Xavier, and I saw him. I saw Wildfire."

"Wait Wildfire?" Sebastian questioned me with uncertainty in his voice.

"Yeah, I couldn't see anything for some time after starting the vision. Because Wildfire, shocked Xavier into unconsciousness, he was in a room, with chains rattling and water dripping down from pipes. The only way i could see outside, was a small window with bright light going through it, couldn't see much from the small window. Then Wildfire came in, he shocked Xavier with a device similar to the tool he used before, but it seems like this one is far stronger. And I'm pretty sure he mentioned us, because he talked about mercs escaping a boat."

"Huh, interesting. Let's see if that fucker is still there, and hope that none of the captured mercs are dead when we arrive."

"Guys were just 17 minutes away." Marcel notified us.

With every passing second and minute, i feel more and more tired from the heat exhausting my body, but regardless of the heat. I need to continue moving, I grip my rifle harder than before. Assuring myself to not let it go and to keep moving while looking around for any possibly enemy.

Around me only impending death and the coarse sand ruled the lands. No sound and no enemies in sight. Maybe the desert is doing our job for us, killing anything that passes through without mercy, and without end.

Minutes passed, unsure how long it has been. But I continue moving forward regardless, feeling the heat take it's toll on me. Even my team is feeling the overwhelming heat of the sun, some of us getting progressively slower or weaker. But with the virus and it's traits, we continue forward with endurance.

"4 minutes now guys. Were close. Be more careful now." Marcel advised.

"Once we get there, find the highest point. So we can see any sign of human presence around the area."

After a long journey in the blazing heat, we reached our destination. Just more flatlands, where the jeep went through.

"We can use that sand hill." Stephen pointed at a hill close by. One bigger than any other hill in sight.

"Stephen, Lennox. You two head up the hill. See if there's any sign of human presence." Stephen with his sniper rifle in hand went up the top, Lennox following alongside him.

We all sit on the ground, resting from the journey. I sit on the hot desert sand, uncomfortable but better than just standing. I rest my legs, waiting till Lennox and Stephen finish looking around the area.

"I wonder if they're gonna still be alive when we get there." Nora contemplated.

"Of course they will be, huntsmen are strong. And the huntsmen were gonna rescue are no exception." Thalia replied.