Found the Military Base

The blizzard raged on, and even with snowmobiles, they couldn't push their speed too high. Any faster and they risked flipping over.

Ethan Cross and Uncle Ray kept their pace at around 25 to 30 mph. It took them over two hours to reach the northwestern wilderness. Once they left the urban ruins behind, all recognizable landmarks disappeared.

Snow piled over ten meters deep had buried everything that once marked the terrain.

Before them stretched a vast white expanse. Uncle Ray pulled the snowmobile to a stop and scanned the area multiple times before pointing to a protruding white hill in the distance."Good thing that bump is still visible. We're almost there—about three miles to go."

Ethan nodded, excitement building in his chest.

Soon, the two arrived at the foot of the hill. Scattered across the frozen ground were the barely visible outlines of long-buried structures.

"It should be somewhere around here," Uncle Ray muttered. "But I'll need a minute to confirm the exact location of the base."

"Let's take our time and look carefully," Ethan replied.

They parked the snowmobiles and began their search on foot.

Most military facilities weren't built tall—just two or three stories max—so troops could mobilize quickly. The base also covered a wide area, which made their search more difficult. Without Uncle Ray as a guide, Ethan figured he'd have spent weeks wandering in circles.

After a while, Uncle Ray's eyes lit up as he spotted a structure in the distance."Found it!"

"You found the base?" Ethan asked, quickly looking over.

Uncle Ray shook his head and pointed to a golden sign on the building."Found the bathhouse!"

Ethan gave him a deadpan stare.

Uncle Ray chuckled. "Relax! Once we find this place, I can figure out exactly where the base is. Trust me."

He went on to explain.This bathhouse was run by one of his old army buddies. Uncle Ray used to visit once or twice a year—partly to catch up, partly to unwind.

"'Inner World Spa & Sauna'... Hah, classy name," Ethan muttered, impressed by the gold lettering. "Your buddy sure had a flair for naming things."

"But why would anyone open a bathhouse way out here near a military base?" he asked curiously.

"You don't get it," Uncle Ray said, smirking. "That's exactly why business is booming here. Life in the military's monotonous as hell. Most of those young soldiers don't have girlfriends. They're full of energy and nowhere to spend it."

"They get their paychecks every month but got nothing to spend it on inside the base. This place? Perfect outlet. Plus, they're strong and disciplined—not the type to cause trouble. The bathhouse loves having them around."

He spoke like a man reminiscing about glory days, his eyes sparkling with memories.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "And the officers? They just let it slide?"

"Officially? No, of course not. But unofficially… they know the guys need an outlet. So they turn a blind eye," Uncle Ray said, pointing at the sign again. "As long as we find this spa, I can figure out where the base is."

He turned north, squinting against the wind, then suddenly pointed."There! See that watchtower?"

Ethan squinted through the swirling snow. A black speck came into focus.

"Yeah, I see it."

"That's it. That's where the base is."

"But the base must be huge," Ethan said. "Finding the base is one thing, but how do we find the weapons depot?"

"I've been in the yard before, when visiting my buddy years ago. I still remember roughly where the depot was," Uncle Ray assured him.

"Then let's go!" Ethan said, his pulse quickening.

With a general location in mind, they could bring in excavation equipment next time to dig it out.

They hopped back on the snowmobiles and sped toward the watchtower.

Soon, Uncle Ray pointed out a section of ground."Right about here… Damn. We're late. Everything's buried under snow."

His tone turned regretful.

"Sorry, Ethan. I might've brought you out here for nothing."

He had hoped, deep down, that maybe the depot hadn't been completely buried.

But looking at the snow-covered field now, that was clearly wishful thinking.

Ethan stared at the ground, committing every visible landmark to memory—an exposed watchtower, the top of the officer building, anything that might help later.

Then he turned to Uncle Ray and smiled."Hey, don't worry about it. You meant well. Who knows—once the snow melts, we'll be able to come back and dig it up."

Uncle Ray nodded sheepishly.

Ethan clapped him on the shoulder. "Let's head back. It's getting late."

They still had a long ride ahead—at least two to three hours—so they couldn't afford to waste more time.

Back at the community compound.

"Fall back! Pull back, now!"

Lee Sherman shouted as he led a group of neighbors out of Building 21—territory controlled by the Wildfangs.

The raid had gone poorly. They'd lost over a dozen people.

It was tough fighting on unfamiliar turf. The Wildfangs were prepared, laying out traps and defenses. The attackers had numbers, but that advantage meant nothing when walking into a deathtrap.

Still, they managed to take out five or six enemies—not a total loss.

But the cold drained everyone fast. By the time they reached the upper floors, most were out of breath and on the verge of collapse. Pressing further would've been suicide.

On the way back, Lee silently counted on his fingers, already imagining how much reward Ethan would give him when he got back.

But not everyone was so optimistic. Some faces were dark with frustration.

"What was the point of that raid? We lost so many people for nothing!"

"Same with that last fight against the Bayview Gang. We lose more than we kill every damn time. If this keeps up, we'll all be wiped out!"

"This is just for Ethan to settle a personal grudge, isn't it? Hell, I nearly got my head chopped off in there!"

"Ethan sends us to fight while he runs off with Uncle Ray. They're the real fighters—why didn't they lead the charge?"

These voices came from older men in the group—lazy when it came to action, but quick to complain.

They'd barely contributed to the fight and were the first to whine about losses.

Given how tough the Wildfangs were and how many people got hurt, the complaints weren't entirely without reason.

Lee, walking up front, heard it all. He stopped, scowled, and barked,"Watch your mouths! Don't talk crap like that!"

"If it weren't for Ethan bringing us food, half of our building would've starved to death by now. Show some damn respect!"