Bag and Tag

Colonel Winters stood in the clearing as he ran a finger over the necklaces his wife had given him. She told him it would protect him. He had hoped so because tonight was one of his riskier missions. But risk was not unfamilar to the colonel. Of the senior officers he had undertaken twice as many field missions. This had the beneficial side effect of gaining the respect of the troops in his command. Something he would need tonight.

Before joining Valkyrie he was an Army scientist, bio weapons and germ warfare. Before that Rangers. And before that a humble beginning as a field medic. Many attributed Katsuya Winters rise to the fact that his father was a general. But Katsuya never took on a field assignment he didn’t think he truly earned. Nor was his father one to lend a helping hand.

Five feral howls let Katsuya know that tonight’s quarry had arrived. He imagined they were not happy that he had decided to unearth the medicine stick surveillance had seen the pack burry. Four teams were in place. Situated around the park, with Joker squadron the closest to him.

The Jokers were the best. Lead by a grizzled marine, Lt Gomez, Katsuya was certain that if the wolves were able to breach the perimeter and get past the other three teams that the Jokers would end the engagement long before a single dog got into the clearing.

An eiry silence fell upon Katsuya as he waited, for something, anything to happen. This was perhaps the hardest part. Before any engagement, the waiting for your prey to move into position. A well planed ambush required patience of course, but when you were ambushing creatures whose abilities defied the laws of science themselves there was always a certain amount of uneasiness.

The sound of automatic gun fire cut through the silence like a light bulb bursting. It was all to brief before it picked up again. It came from the east, where Charlie squad was. The rookies.

“Falling back to Foxtrot, bullets ineffective against ……”

There was static on the com line.

“Damn rookies” came Lt Gomez grizzled voice. “All unites double check and make sure you have those silver bullets you were issued before deployment.

“Delta and Tango sweep in towards the east. They will soon be moving in on the colonel.” Gomez barked the orders.

Winters was not worried though. He knew that Joker squad would stop the pack from reaching his location. And even if the unthinkable happened and they took down the Jokers he had confidence that his wife’s gift to him would keep him safe long enough for Delta and Tango squads to pull in.

There was a shimmer in the night air. Almost like the haze one sees on a hot road and asphalt. And then the pack was there. Snarling and in a near frenzy as they stared at the medicince stick in Katusya’s hand.

Intelligence never mentioned these creatures could teleport Winters thought to himself as lifted his side arm.

“Fuck! the colonel” Joker squads sergeant buzzed in on the com.

“Move! Move! Move!” Gomez ordered as the Jokers made a mad dash from the tree line and towards the clearing, automatic weapons firing.

But it was too late, or was it. The alpha of the pack, or what Winters surmised was the pack alpha swung a huge clawed fist at him, slicing flesh from his stomach. The pain was like nothing he had ever felt before. But as swift as it had happened it healed. Colonel Katsuya Winters was still standing. Which was more than what he could say about the pack alpha.

Winters raised his pistol and pulled the trigger, a clean head shot. The bullets he was caring were new. Designed to be field tested soon, but Winters had that kind of clearance. An explosive silver nitrate meant to pierce the flesh and explode inside the body. Lab boys thought it would leave a mess and well they were right.

The others in the pack howled in pain as Joker squad closed in, switching from automatic weapons to a newly designed net gun meant to capture a werewolf for live study. The nets themselves were made of fine silver like thread. As they netted their prey they brought to bear amped up tasers to stun them into submission. People would likely have a fit if they knew how much all this equipment cost.

“Are you alright sir?” Gomez asked as he moved to Katuysa’s side.

“Better than him” Winters said coldly as he nudged the dead were wolf with his boot. “Bag and tag the rest lieutenant”

“Yes sir!” Gomez said and turned to face the newly arrived Delta and Tango squads converged on their position. “You heard the colonel, get this critters caged and on the trucks”

Winters turned and moved out of the clearing, one dead and four live ones, plenty of material to research with. He’d of course have to thank the good Mrs. Winters for providing him with a little bit extra protection that night and he imagined she would be thrilled to add a medicine stick to her conspiracy.

Speaking of which, he was now late for dinner.