Story 517: The Silent Forest

The forest stood still, its skeletal trees clawing at the pale moonlight like silent sentinels. The air was thick with dread, every step the ZETU team took muffled by the damp, decaying ground. Captain Marcus “Iron Will” Kane held up his fist, signaling the squad to halt. In the distance, the faint rustling of leaves hinted at movement—but it was too deliberate, too calculating to be the mere wind.

“We’re being stalked,” whispered Detective Lila “Huntress” Navarro, her sharp eyes scanning the darkness. Her breath misted in the cold air as her fingers brushed the grip of her twin pistols.

“Riley, find a vantage point,” Kane ordered.

Officer Riley “Quick Shot” Bennett silently climbed the gnarled remains of a nearby tree, her sniper rifle slung over her back. She perched on a sturdy branch and peered through her scope, sweeping the forest for signs of movement.

“Captain,” Riley murmured into her comms. “We’ve got incoming. A lot of them. Coming from every direction.”