At the same time.
Two UH-60M special operations transport helicopters, emblazoned with the red and white Umbrella logo, ignored the severe weather and flew rapidly to the east.
The closest Umbrella military Base to Saskatchewan was the Athabasca temporary camp in Alberta.
Following the January 27th incident, the town of Athabasca had been acquired by Umbrella and was being renovated and expanded by the Engineering Team.
The Remover Company, led by Major Mikhail Victor, was stationed there.
In response to Agent Sean Patrick's request for support, the first and second squads of the Remover Company's first platoon were deployed.
The twelve Removers were equipped with AAES individual combat systems.
The mission Commander was Major Mikhail Victor, who personally led the team.
Inside the cabin of the UH-60M;
Six UBCS members, including Victor, were seated inside.
They remained silent.
Some were calibrating their AAES, while others were checking their firearms, ready to clear any obstacles.
Soon, the pilot sitting at the front signaled via headset: "Major, estimated arrival at the target location in thirty seconds."
"Good."
Hearing this, Victor stood up and slid open the right cabin door.
"Whoosh—!" Snow and sleet instantly rushed in.
He looked down.
The view of the target location grew clearer as the helicopter's altitude rapidly decreased.
After reaching the open ground in front of the mine and the dormitory building, the two helicopters hovered.
"Boys, jump!"
"Yes, Major!"
Following Victor's command, the Removers leaped from the cabin one after another without using ropes.
Thud, thud!
The twelve UBCS members utilized their mechanical skeletons to land steadily on the snow.
Whir—whir— The downdraft from the two UH60Ms' rotors whipped up a small storm on the open ground.
"Major, we'll be circling above to conduct a search. Happy hunting. Over."
"Roger."
As the dialogue ended, the UH60Ms rose again, moving away from the ground.
Finally, only the Removers remained on the open ground, organized by squad into two circular defensive lines, alert to their surroundings.
Victor used the Umbrella public channel to contact Sean:
"Agent, this is the UBCS Remover Company. What is your status?
Please respond."
"Bzz... bzz..." But only static came through the comms.
Victor's heart sank; it seemed the field Agents had been wiped out again.
He didn't wait any longer for a reply, gesturing toward the open doors of the dormitory building and commanding: "Squad one, enter and clear.
Squad two, hold position and be ready to provide support."
"Understood!"
Suddenly.
"Bang! Bang!" (Intermittent gunfire)
"Howl—!" (The howl of a containment object.)
"Boom!" (A grenade explosion.)
Before the Removers could move, the sounds of battle erupted from within the dormitory building.
A weak voice from an Agent also came through the communication channel: "Fire... it... fears... ugh..."
Someone was actually still alive?
Victor immediately ordered: "Switch to Armor-piercing incendiary magazines! Squad one, follow me into the building!"
"Yes! Major!"
Victor and five Removers quickly rushed into the lobby on the first floor of the dormitory.
They saw bullet holes and bloodstains everywhere, two containment objects that appeared to have burned to death, and... the remains of an Agent who had been dismembered into pieces.
Because the cold air blowing in from the lobby entrance had extinguished the fire, wisps of black smoke were rising from several spots.
The Support Soldier and the Breacher stepped forward quickly to check and report.
Support Soldier: "Major, the dead Agent's dog tag identifies him as Andy Clermont."
"Bang! Bang!"
The Breacher fired several follow-up shots into the two motionless containment objects and said:
"Major, the two anomalies no longer show any signs of life."
"Good."
Victor didn't let squad one linger and continued to push forward.
As they passed rooms that were still burning, they confirmed there were piles of ash and remains belonging to containment objects inside.
When they reached the stairwell landing, they found two more bodies still on fire.
It was vaguely discernible that an Agent had chosen to detonate incendiary and fragmentation grenades to take the containment object down with him.
The dog tag was severely damaged, making it impossible to confirm the Agent's identity.
The Removers then utilized the defensive capabilities of their AAES to ignore the fire and continue pushing upward.
The platform behind the second-floor stairs.
Breacher: "Survivor Agent and containment object spotted!"
Acting as the point man, the Breacher shouted a warning while moving forward quickly to clear a path for his teammates.
Six Removers formed a fan-shaped formation, aiming forward.
A containment object was crouched over a dying Agent, devouring what little remained of the Agent's right arm.
Despite being pinned to the ground, the Agent had not given up resistance.
He instinctively gripped a knife in his left hand, repeatedly stabbing the containment object's left waist while muttering, "Fire... it... fears..."
"Howl!"
At that moment, the containment object noticed the presence of the six Removers.
In a frog-like leaping motion, it rapidly launched an ambush at the Breacher.
"Bang bang!" Synchronized shooting.
The six Removers used armor-piercing incendiary rounds to blow off the containment object's limbs, teaching it how to'stay put'.
"Howl—howl—" The containment object let out wails of pain and fear.
Victor: "Machine Gunner, Rifleman!
(Pointing at the containment object) You two, package this trash for me!
Support Soldier, check that Agent's injuries and use Bio-foam to stop his bleeding!
The rest of you, sweep the entire building!"
Everyone: "Yes!"
Victor commanded over the comms: "Squad two, search the vicinity for any more anomalies!
The technical department and reinforcements might arrive a bit late, so get to work until then!"
Squad two: "Yes!"
———————
...Over the following time, the Removers, in coordination with the arriving support units and technical department, completely locked down the Blackwood Mountain area.
After a large-scale search, they discovered a tunnel beneath the dormitory building connected to the mine.
Inside the cave were a large number of human remains.
The technical department reconstructed the scattered bones and confirmed they belonged to eleven victims.
Armed personnel also found the remains of four high school students nearby, confirming there were only five containment objects in the Blackwood Mountain area.
The identity of the sole surviving Agent was Adam Gale.
Due to uncertainty regarding how the containment objects transformed humans... the four containment object corpses,
the four high school student corpses,
the two Agent corpses,
Agent Adam Gale,
and the living, 'packaged' containment object were all transported to Containment Center No. 1 under the escort of the Remover Company... The researchers at the containment center were likewise unable to determine the method of infection or transformation.
Therefore, the head of the containment center, Captain Alston Lance, made an exception and had B-049 assist in the analysis.
It was ultimately confirmed that the surviving Agent, Adam Gale, had no possibility of mutation.
Containment Center No. 1 classified this type of containment object as Euclid and established corresponding preventive measures.
This was the first time since the company's founding that Agents alone had killed four Euclid-class containment objects.
The three Agents in the town of Deschambault-Lake proved with their deeds that Agents are not consumables, but the backbone of the company... The content of B-049's assisted analysis is to be unlocked.
-------------------------------
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