rainforest
Under the cover of thick clouds and darkness, the transport plane glided like a ghost, its engine noise barely audible, before finally landing on a makeshift runway in the border region that had been abandoned for many years and was almost completely swallowed by vines. As soon as the hatch opened, hot, humid, and sticky air rushed in, a stark contrast to the dry cold of Siberia.
The Ghost Squad members filed out quickly, their figures disappearing in the blink of an eye into the boundless, seemingly all-consuming dark green rainforest beside the runway. The impact of the environmental shift was multifaceted. The extreme cold and desolation of Siberia were completely replaced by the sultry heat, humidity, and clamor of the tropical rainforest.
The air was thick with a complex stench, a mixture of rotting plants, fertile soil, and the scent of some unknown flower, almost suffocating. The chirping, hissing, and flapping wings of various insects created a ceaseless, unsettling cacophony in the background. Towering trees blocked out the sun, dimming the light and reducing visibility to almost nothing. Vines coiled like giant pythons, and underfoot lay slippery moss and tangled tree roots.
Led by Ghost, the squad infiltrated the target area along a pre-planned secret route. Keegan and Hesh took turns leading the way, their rifles hacking at the vines and bushes in their path with a dull thud, each step incredibly difficult. They not only had to clear a path, but also had to be constantly vigilant against potential patrols, traps, or the deadly dangers of the rainforest itself—venomous snakes, poisonous insects, or seemingly solid but actually hollow swamps.
Konig covered the rear, meticulously erasing any trace the team left behind. Elaine was protected in the middle of the team; the high temperature and humidity made her sweat profusely, her combat uniform quickly becoming soaked and clinging tightly to her body, and her physical exertion was far greater than ever before. She gritted her teeth and persevered, trying her best to keep up with the team's pace. Her teammates had tried to reduce her load as much as possible, but she still needed to carry portable equipment to record as much terrain and environmental data as possible.
Keegan would occasionally glance back, his eyes quickly sweeping over her behind his goggles to check on her condition. Sometimes he would silently hand her his water bottle, gesturing for her to rehydrate. Even beneath his heavy combat camouflage, his eyes still held a steady concern. After several days of arduous trekking, the team finally reached the outskirts of their target area—a chaotic town called "Santa Maria," situated on the banks of a murky river.
The town arose from the rampant mining and illegal logging industries in the surrounding area. The buildings were haphazard, the streets were muddy, and it was filled with people of all skin colors and languages: local residents, dust-covered miners, rugged loggers, shrewd businessmen, and some local armed men with weapons at their waists and wary expressions. The air was thick with the smells of alcohol, tobacco, sweat, and rotting food.
As planned, Ghost, Keegan, and Hesh will establish a covert forward base in the rainforest outside the town, responsible for remote surveillance, intelligence support, and armed assistance. Elaine, on the other hand, will need to infiltrate this chaotic town alone, operating under the identity of "Independent Energy Advisor Elaine Shaw."
On the eve of their separation, a heavy atmosphere hung in the air inside a narrow cave hidden beneath a steep cliff by the river. The air was thick with the smells of earth and the fishy tang of the river. Keegan made a final check on Elaine's disguised identification, communication devices, and that crucial emergency beacon disguised as an old-fashioned pocket watch. His movements were meticulous.
“Remember the contact window and all backup plans.” His voice was deep, with his usual calm, but he spoke a little slower than usual, each word clearly audible. “If anything feels wrong, whether it’s intuition or any clue you notice, don’t hesitate, don’t take any chances, evacuate immediately and send a signal. We will arrive at any designated location in town within an hour.”
He particularly emphasized "intuition" and "don't hesitate," which was to impart valuable experience for survival behind enemy lines in the simplest language—in a crisis-ridden environment, overly rational analysis can sometimes lead to missed opportunities, and trusting one's instincts is often the key to survival.
Elaine nodded, took a deep breath of the humid, stuffy air, and tried to appear calm and confident: "I understand. I know what to do."
Keegan looked at her, paused for two seconds, his gaze behind his goggles calm and collected. His deep, steady voice added a few words of pre-battle advice, like an experienced mentor instructing a recruit on survival skills: “The situation in town is complex, and people are unpredictable. Trust is a luxury there. Listen more, speak less, and especially don’t easily reveal your true purpose. Observe the details—are the locals looking at you with curiosity or wariness, are the vendors treating you with enthusiasm or indifference, are there people repeatedly appearing near you seemingly unintentionally? These subtle signs often provide an earlier warning than any written intelligence.”
He paused, then continued, his tone flat yet weighty, “If you encounter questioning, maintain your scholarly persona. A touch of doubt and tension is more authentic than excessive composure. In case… in case things get out of control and you need to escape, remember, go where there are many people, where the alleys are complex, create chaos, use the environment for cover, and absolutely do not run in a straight line to become a sitting duck. We will be watching this place.” His words were concise and practical, devoid of any sentimentality, yet like an invisible suit of armor, providing Elaine with the most practical guidance and psychological support for the unknown dangers she was about to face alone.
“I’ve memorized it all.” Elaine nodded nervously and solemnly, engraving every word in her mind. Keegan’s calmness and professionalism dispelled some of the unease and anxiety in her heart.
The following morning, Elaine packed her bags, put on a sun hat and a pair of non-prescription glasses, and set off alone through the muddy roads into the town of Santa Maria. She successfully checked into a slightly run-down but clean hotel and quickly made contact with a small local environmental NGO through pre-arranged contact information, posing as a researcher interested in a rainforest sustainable energy project.
Her professional background, sincere attitude, and proper demeanor quickly won the favor and trust of the NGO leader. Through participating in their activities and limited exchanges with the locals, Elaine learned that the "Tree of Life" company did indeed have a sizable medical station and a small research center there, nominally providing medical services and tropical disease research to the impoverished community, and had even earned the gratitude of some villagers.
However, beneath the seemingly harmonious facade, she also vaguely heard some unsettling rumors: about non-medical vehicles mysteriously entering and leaving the medical station late at night, and about some villagers who had participated in their "special health check program" later either mysteriously disappeared or contracted strange diseases, but these rumors were often quickly suppressed by the powerful people in the area.
The turning point came a few days later at a community health campaign event organized by an NGO. Elaine unexpectedly met a key figure—a local nurse who had worked at the Tree of Life medical station but was later dismissed for unknown reasons.
The nurse appeared tense, her eyes filled with fear. Through Elaine's subtle yet sincere approach, she finally managed to subtly reveal some information in a relatively safe corner: there was something "unusual" in the medical station's basement; people dressed differently from doctors, with a cold and aloof demeanor, frequently entered and exited, and they seemed to show an "unusual interest" in collecting blood samples from certain local indigenous tribes. This information strikingly coincided with the terrifying speculation that the "purification protocol" might target specific genetic markers!
However, this encounter seemed to have touched a nerve. That evening, when Elaine returned to her hotel room, her trained awareness alerted her to subtle signs that the room had been meticulously ransacked—despite the other person's efforts to restore it, some tiny, barely noticeable traces she had deliberately left on certain items were gone: perhaps a hair, a speck of dirt, or even pollen that had been unintentionally introduced…
A chilling sense of crisis instantly crept up her spine. Without panicking, she immediately used a coded message via encrypted device to send an emergency signal to Keegan in the rainforest: "Something's amiss, you may be exposed."
Less than an hour after the signal was sent, a few short, muffled thuds suddenly broke the usual cacophony outside the hotel window, like heavy objects falling to the ground, before being quickly swallowed up by the noise of the night market. Then, everything seemed to return to calm, but this calm had an eerie quality.
Elaine gripped the cold pocket watch tightly in her hand, her heart pounding in her chest. A few minutes later, a faint, almost imperceptible knock sounded at the door, a rhythm of three long knocks followed by two short ones—the agreed-upon safety signal.
She breathed a sigh of relief, steadied herself, and gently opened the door. Keegan's figure, like a cheetah blending into the shadows, swiftly and silently slipped into the room, gently closing the door behind him with fluid yet vigilant movements. He was still wearing his dark combat uniform, suitable for nighttime operations, with night vision goggles and a mask on his face, and his body carried the dampness of the rainforest and a faint, deliberately suppressed scent of blood.
He quickly scanned the entire room to confirm it was safe. "The two people keeping watch in the hallway and downstairs are gone. We can't stay here any longer, evacuate immediately." He spoke rapidly, his voice low, carrying an undeniable decisiveness.
“But the clue provided by that nurse…” Elaine said urgently in a low voice.
“The clues are important, and confirming the medical station is crucial. But your safety is the top priority.” Keegan interrupted her, his tone firm and leaving no room for negotiation. “Ghost is reassessing the situation and formulating a plan based on new intelligence. Now, come with me, immediately.” His decisiveness and professionalism were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing Elaine’s wishful thinking and bringing her to her senses.
She quickly and silently packed up the most important items and documents. Keegan took her wrist, his grip firm yet measured, and led her silently through the piles of garbage and shadows in the back alley of the hotel, skillfully avoiding all light and possible surveillance points, quickly blending into the dark, deep, and treacherous rainforest on the edge of town.
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