| abstract
| - Lt. Pierce: (clears his throat, his chair creaks as he shifts in it.) Who did you say you work for? Coordinator: You may not know it, but we work for the same people. Before we get underway, would you like some coffee? Lt. Pierce: Yes, actually I'd love some. (There is a sound as a door opens and two coffee mugs are placed on a metal table.) Lt. Peirce: Thank you. Coordinator: Let's get started, first state your name and rank for the record. Lt. Pierce: Allen Pierce, Lieutenant. Coordinator: Now, to the best of your ability describe the last mission you were on. Lt. Pierce: (sighs heavily, takes a swig from his coffee) Let's see, for some reason I've been having memory issues ya know, course you do. Anyway, about two months ago I was contacted at Fort Bragg by an Army INSCOMM Colonel named Mathison I think. Anyway he just told me to report to some place called... Christ, I don't remember. Hallow something? Mountain maybe, or was it... Coordinator: It's quite alright, people suffering from your condition often have blackouts. Heavy memory loss. Please go on. Lt. Pierce: Alright, I reported as ordered to the place. I was surprised by how few uniforms there were... Coordinator: I'm sorry, uniforms? Lt. Pierce: I'm sorry you're civilian, other soldiers. Well technically there were some airmen, marines, and I saw a few sailors. Anyway there were only about thirty of us. One other officer, the rest were enlisted men. We were briefed by these nondescript feds. Coordinator: Please, elaborate on these, "nondescript feds." Lt. Peirce: Uhh, looked like G-Men. Most were in their thirties or forties. Suits, ties, khakis. Never said what agency they worked for. When I asked one he just said he worked for "an organization," and it was above my pay grade. We all ended up at the conclusion they were some black ops outfit from the CIA or something. Anyway, they told us our target was the Tall Man. None of us knew what that meant. They informed us he was extremely dangerous and that he wasn't something we'd faced before. Then we were drilled on our new SOP. Coordinator: New SOP? Lt. Pierce: Standard Operating Procedure. The enlisted men were split into fire teams of three. The other officer and I were given written copies of the SOP. Teams were to split up, when one made contact they were not to engage. They were to radio at least one other team to support, then to follow the Tall Man and await further orders. If the Tall man attacked one of the fire teams they were given permission to return fire. Procedure required that a "constant concentration of fire be maintained on the subject." Which meant fire teams synced recharges. Essentially one Operator is firing, the other holds fire until his buddy needs a recharge than takes over. Coordinator: How much time did you spend preparing? Lt. Pierce: Christ, everything's so fuzzy. Two, maybe three weeks. Then we got a call. We were grabbed and were flown to... Fuck what's wrong with me? Iowa, I remember it was in Iowa. One of the Operators said his family owned a farm in the state. But I don't remember the exact town. Coordinator: That's alright, what happened next? Lt. Pierce: We held off, the Organization Agents or whoever they were. They went into town and started asking questions, they came back and ordered us to set up at a designated staging area. There was this park, more like a forest with a trail that they called a park. We closed it off and set up right outside. All fire team leaders were given maps of the AO. We set up a sophisticated communications network, we even had live feeds from helmet and gun cameras. These guys pulled out all the stops. It was about 1830 when the teams entered the woods. That's 6:30 PM in civilian time. Coordinator: I know 24 hour time. Lt. Pierce: Okay sorry. So the fire teams entered the forest, uhh nothing happened for the first several hours. I was watching the monitors, and uhh it was quiet. Until about 2245. Hotel Actual went on the COM and said shut the fuck up. Which was weird because no one was talking. I contacted him and asked who was talking. He said he was getting over the radio, whispering. I told him I had nothing on any of the feeds and no one had been talking. We figured it was a glitch. At 2300 he contacted me directly and said the whispering had gotten louder and more distinct. I told him it couldn't be coming from the COM network and asked if anyone in his team had the same problem. None of them did, neither did anyone in any other of the fire teams. But then at 2315, fire team Hotel's helmet cams went dark. Coordinator: Went dark? Lt. Pierce: Camera feeds went to static. So did their radios. I tried to contact them, got nothing. I contact the nearest two fire teams, Charlie and Delta had them go check on Hotel. I watched their camera feeds as they entered the area where Hotel had been posted. There was nothing there, no weapons, no helmets, no signs of a fight. Three soldiers just gone. Then suddenly, Charlie and Delta's Cams went to static. I tried to tell them to get out of there but I couldn't get through. This time I could hear it, not just over the COMs but coming from the woods. Weapons fire, then screaming. Somehow one of them, I think it was an Operator from Charlie, got through to me via his COM. He started screaming, "contact, contact we have engaged the Tall Man, heavy casualties requesting assistance." Then it went silent. I contacted everyone and told them regroup the Agent with me, the Organization guy tried to stop me but I knew there was something they weren't telling us. I wasn't going to play this game anymore. The Fire Teams regrouped in this clearing and dug in. I thought good, now that son of bitch has to fight on our terms. I heard someone yell contact then all of the Cameras went to static. There was shooting, every soldier out there must have gone through at least a full magazine. Then screaming, so much damn screaming, I just sat there, frozen in fear. Coordinator: How did the Tall Man kill thirty well trained Operators at once? Lt. Pierce: I don't know, but he was coming for us next. I just knew (he begins to sweat) heh, it's kinda hot in here, don't you think? Anyway I grabbed my weapon and charged it, then I saw him. Standing there at the edge of the treeline, just staring. No he had no face, he couldn't stare, could he? I don't know, his arms or tentacles, fuck. The other officer blew his own brains out. I didn't notice at the time but the agents had backed off toward their vehicles. I started firing at it, there was this horrible noise, I dropped my weapon. It was coming inside my skull. Then it reached toward me, how it moved that fast I don't know. I blacked out after that. Coordinator: What do you remember after that? Lt. Pierce: Nothing, wait, no, just flashes. I don't now. I woke up in a medical helicopter. They gave me a sedative, then I woke up here, in this medical facility. Lately it's been hard to keep track of time, I don't know what day it is or how long I've been here exactly. Coordinator: Thank you, you've been very helpful. (He stands up). Lt. Pierce: Before you leave, I need to ask you something. Coordinator: Yes? Lt. Pierce: Did you know? Coordinator: Did they know what? Lt. Pierce: I know who you are and who you work for. You're not used to debriefing soldiers so I know you don't work for the DoD in any official capacity. I can't see very well in this room but I bet that name tag isn't for any military hospital. I think I know who you people are, you work for the same people who sent me and those other poor bastards on that mission. And that's fine, I don't care who you work for, I just want to know. Did you people know what was going to happen to us? And if you did, why? Why did you send us out there knowing we didn't stand a chance? Coordinator: I see, I'm afraid your exposure to the Tall Man has effected your grip on reality. I am an employee of the Department of Defense and this is an official military hospital. Your mission was to find and track the Tall Man, but you failed and the Tall Man killed your men. That's all that happened here. Lt. Pierce: Fine, you want to play that way. (There is a scratching sound as he stands up suddenly.) Coordinator: No, what are you doing, get away! (He is suddenly cut off, the door is flung open as two security guards enter. There are more sounds of fighting, a loud thud then the sound of running.) Guard: Shit, he got my gun. I need assistance! (The recorder turns off) To: General Oswald From: Unknown Subject: Lt. Pierce One of your surviving soldiers broke out of the facility as planned. He will now undoubtedly try to find out what happened to him. While he was here we planted a tracker under his skin, he will inevitably encounter the Tall Man again. Whether or not we can capture the Tall Man, this is an excellent opportunity for all of us. I eagerly anticipate further cooperation between our two departments. Regards D.
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