Chapter 91: The Reaper Part 2

Chapter 91: The Reaper Part 2



Meanwhile, back in Ferm, Vincent and his team waited in the town hall for about eighty minutes.

And when that time was reached, Vincent pulled his radio.

"Shadow Actual to Reaper One, do you copy?" Vincent said, his voice calm but firm.

A moment later, the pilot's voice crackled through the radio. "Reaper One here, reading you loud and clear, Shadow Actual."

"Are you flying over the AO?"

"Positive, Shadow Actual. We just arrived on station, commencing overwatch now," the Reaper One pilot confirmed.

"Good," Vincent replied. "Begin thermal and visual sweeps. Report any anomalies or potential threats immediately."

"Roger that, Shadow Actual," the pilot acknowledged. "Commencing thermal and visual sweeps now. We'll keep you updated."

Vincent lowered the radio and looked at his team. "Once the Reaper sweeps the area and finds it clean, we are going to summon the armaments. For the meantime, we will again."

The Reaper drone began its methodical sweep of the area, its sensors scanning every inch of the desolate landscape below. As it circled high above Ferm, the drone's advanced thermal imaging system came to life, painting a vivid picture of the ground beneath. The heat signatures of the M-ATV Oshkosh vehicles were clearly visible, glowing bright against the cooler surroundings.

"Initiating standard sweep pattern," the pilot announced, guiding the drone into a wide, concentric loop around the city.

"Thermal imaging engaged. We're scanning for any heat signatures that shouldn't be there." The sensor operator focused on the screen in front of him, where the thermal imaging feed displayed the area in shades of black and white. The ruins of Ferm appeared as cold, lifeless shapes, the buildings reduced to skeletal frames after the flame dragon's devastation. The drone's infrared sensors were finely tuned, capable of detecting even the slightest variations in temperature.

"Starting with the outer perimeter," the sensor operator said, his fingers moving deftly over the controls to adjust the imaging parameters. "Looking for any movement or hidden heat sources."

distance.

As they approached, Vincent raised his hand, signaling for the team to halt. He scanned the area, his senses sharp, before continuing forward cautiously.

"Reaper One, status update on the heat signature," Vincent requested as they closed in on the warehouse.

"Shadow Actual, the heat signature is moving away from its initial position," the Reaper One pilot reported.

Vincent cursed under his breath. "Copy that, Reaper One. Keep tracking the movement. We're proceeding with extreme caution."

He signaled his team to adjust their approach, making sure they were spread out to cover all angles as they neared the warehouse entrance. As they reached the entrance, Vincent held up a fist, signaling a halt. "Alpha 3, take point. Alpha 4, cover our six. We're moving in."

Alpha 3 nodded, slipping ahead and taking the lead. He carefully pushed the door open, sweeping his weapon across the interior as he entered. The rest of the team followed closely behind, their eyes scanning the dark, cluttered space for any signs of movement.

The warehouse was eerily quiet, the only sounds being the occasional creak of the damaged building and the faint hum of the Reaper drone circling overhead. The interior was a mess of debris, broken crates, everything.

"Reaper One, what's the status on that heat signature?" Vincent whispered into his radio.

"Shadow Actual, the heat signature is still moving, but it's slowing down. Approximately twenty meters ahead, near what looks like a large stack of crates," the pilot reported. Vincent signaled to his team, pointing toward the stack of crates where the target was last seen. They moved forward cautiously, their weapons trained on the suspected location.

As they closed the distance, Vincent could feel the tension in the air thickening. His team was ready for anything, but the unknown nature of the target kept them on edge. Finally, they reached the stack of crates. Vincent signaled for Alpha 3 to move around one side while Alpha 4 covered the other. He himself took the middle, advancing slowly.

"On my count," Vincent whispered, his voice barely audible. "Three... two... one..."

Alpha 3 and Alpha 4 moved in unison, flanking the stack of crates while Vincent stepped

forward, weapon raised.

"Don't move!"