A military transport aircraft slices through dark clouds without navigation lights. Inside, dozens of combat paratroopers sit in silence—no conversation, only restrained breathing and the deep vibration of the engine running through their bones.
Outside, the wind at altitude roars like an unseen beast, striking the body of the aircraft as it continues to pierce through the night.
Operation Taratoga: 5 May 2023.01.00 AM1,500 meters above sea level
The cabin light turns red.
"All crew, pilot speaking." voice from the intercom sounds flat.
"We are one minute out from drop zone"
"Final gear check now. Make it count"
"Anything you lose out there stays out there"
silence for a moment
"Good luck"
The commander at the cabin door does not turn. His eyes are only fixed forward toward the sea of clouds slowly opening below.
Down there, an island slowly reveals itself, covered in thin mist as if it had been deliberately hidden from the world.
The target today is the head of the largest criminal syndicate in the world X.
His organization is responsible for many large-scale demonstrations across several countries. Although their military capability is not significant and cannot cause serious direct damage the same cannot be said about their influence.
This situation has led many countries to launch a joint operation to completely eliminate the syndicate known as "For All ∀ (FALL)".
Most members of FALL are spread across the world with diverse influence and identities. In essence they are ordinary people with significant influence within the military and government of various countries. And they all share one goal which is freedom.
This goes against the objectives of the world rulers and has made them furious. For years they have tried to suppress the development of the organization. Not stopping there they have also made extreme efforts to eliminate their leader known as X.
His origin remains a mystery. The only thing the world knows about X is that he is a man—this conclusion was drawn from voice recordings that appeared several times in encrypted broadcasts of his organization.
He has never appeared in person and only sends his subordinates to spread his influence. With his brilliant strategy and extremely high intelligence no one has been able to stop him.
With his abilities X has managed to gather significant wealth and military assets over the years to support his actions. The organization has even been involved in the politics of a country and can influence their economy with ease.
Over time, realizing the threat he poses, they decided to use governments across the world to completely eradicate this syndicate from the world.
However, unfortunately, the effort did not bear fruit, until eventually an anonymous message stated that X is currently on a remote island in the world, along with other information regarding the island security system.
"All units, listen." voice from the commander sounds heavier than usual
"In the next few minutes, the island security system will be disabled"
A brief silence fills the cabin
"This is our only entry window"
"And to prevent our location from being detected by them…" the voice continues, "we will deploy parachutes at a very low altitude"
The sentence pauses for a fraction of a second
"which means we have no room for error"
The cabin light remains red
Outside the island draws closer—calm, dark, and silent
The rear ramp begins to open
Wind immediately slams in without mercy—tearing through the cabin like it wants to rip everything inside out. The sound of the engine turns into a hollow roar, swallowed by the noise of the outside air
"Last chance to back out, if anyone's got cold feet"
"Too late for that, sir"
a short laugh fills the cabin
"Yeah, yeah… just make sure you dont miss the damn sky"
In an instant, the light turns green
The captain raises his hand giving the signal. Without any additional sound, one by one the paratroopers jump out of the cabin
Their bodies shoot through the violent night wind, falling through the dark sky toward the ever growing island below them
800 meters above sea level
Far above, the aircraft grows smaller, then disappears, swallowed by the darkness of the night
Slowly, the silhouette of the island becomes clearer
"Guys, do you see that…" voice of someone breaks through the radio followed by the sound of wind
On the surface of the island, light begins to appear
Not city lights
But mechanical flashes
Tall towers stand at strategic points, some hidden behind rocks and artificial forests. Radar systems rotate slowly, like eyes that never sleep
Then something terrifying appears
Launchers
Rows of anti air systems stretch across the heart of the island. Large launchers point toward the sky, arranged in a neat formation, as if waiting for a single command to destroy anything that passes above
Along the coast, layered defensive barricades stand firmly, interspersed with massive cannons facing the sea—heavy weapons designed to tear through warships with a single shot
"Whoever owns this island… they weren't expecting visitors. They were expecting a war"
"Or they just really hate visitors"
a short laugh breaks through the radio
"Enough—eyes forward. Focus on the drop"
Altitude continues dropping very fast
300 meters above sea level
Thin mist covering the island begins to split as they pass through it. In an instant, the entire landscape is revealed—more clearly, closer, and far more threatening than it looked from above
Radar dishes, large circular plates, rotate slowly sweeping the sky without pause. Indicator lights blink coldly, like eyes that never truly rest
Between the launchers, patrol routes are visible. Vehicles move in orderly patterns, disciplined without gaps. There is no chaos. No negligence
"Altitude one hundred fifty," voice of the captain returns
One by one, hands move to the ropes
The wind grows wilder, striking their bodies from all directions, pulling, twisting, trying to break formation
"One hundred"
There is no room left for hesitation
"Now"
In one synchronized motion—the parachutes open
01.42 AM
"Check position"
The radio voice sounds faint, almost drowned by the rushing wind
"Alpha, safe""Bravo, safe""Charlie, overwatch on high point"
The captain slightly raises his head toward a hill, then lowers it again
In front of them, a modern mansion stands in the middle of a vast area—two floors with wing structures extending left and right. Concrete walls combined with dark glass panels, some covered by curtains from inside
The front yard is open, cut by a circular driveway leading to the main entrance. On the left side, a large garage is visible, while the back is more enclosed, bordering a garden and reflective pool
A tall fence surrounds the entire area, with cameras at several corners and dim garden lights
"Charlie, report"
"Four guards outside. Two at the main gate, one patrolling the yard, and one on the second floor balcony. There is one active camera at the west corner, one above the front door"
The captain nods slightly
"Multi-entry. Fast. Stay silent"
Alpha moves to the right side of the fence using the shadow of the trees in the garden. Bravo moves left following the fence line toward the darker rear area
"Patrol approaching Alpha. Five meters"
Signal hand
Two operators move forward
The guard only has time to turn
Pfft. Pfft.
Two suppressed shots. The guard falls into the grass without a sound
"Alpha, one down"
"Gate, two still static" reports Charlie
"Bravo position"
"At the back. One guard near the kitchen service door"
The captain holds his breath for a fraction of a second
"Simultaneous execution"
Two short shots from the front
One from the back
The gate guards collapse almost at the same time, their bodies falling near the entrance post. At the rear, another one drops beside the service door
"External clear"
The captain moves immediately
"Go in"
Alpha opens the gate slightly, then infiltrates the front yard, staying low and fast. They sweep the open area toward the main door
"Charlie, balcony"
"Target still in position"
One operator steps forward slightly, aiming upward
Pfft
The balcony guard flinches, then falls into the shadow behind the glass railing
"Clear"
In front of the main door, the access panel is integrated into the wall
The operator works immediately
Several seconds
Click
"Front entry"
"Bravo enter rear"
Two routes. One time
The interior of the vast mansion was shrouded in pitch-black darkness; only the faint outlines of furniture and pillars were visible through the shadows. No natural light penetrated the space, and every corner of the room felt like an impenetrable void.
In that darkness, the operators activated their night vision, and the world instantly transformed into a cold, pale green—every hidden detail now began to reveal itself in a faint glow.
A tall foyer with a large curved staircase leading to the second floor.
"Front area clear"
From the back, footsteps are heard
A guard exits the kitchen, holding a SIG Sauer P320 in his hand. The weapon is already half raised
Pfft. Pfft.
He falls before he can aim
"Back contact. One down"
The captain steps into the center of the foyer
"Sector split. Alpha downstairs. Bravo upstairs"
"Copy"
Their movement is fast but controlled
Room by room, they clear
Living room clearDining room clearSmall office clear
On the second floor, Bravo moves through a long corridor with several bedroom doors
One door opens
Empty
Next door
A woman appears panicked
"Hold"
She is taken down in one swift motion, her arm twisted behind her back before she can resist. Handcuffs are already locked in seconds
The woman struggles, her body tensing, trying to break free. Her shoulders move wildly, her heels hit the marble floor softly. A muffled sound escapes her mouth as one operator presses her head down
The resistance does not last long. Their grip is too strong, too trained. Within seconds, her movement weakens, her breathing heavy, her body still trembling but no longer able to fight
"Non-combatant"
"Continue"
At the end of the corridor, a different door appears
Its surface looks rough, without ornaments like the other doors in the mansion
"Contact final door"
Below, the captain immediately moves upstairs
Within seconds, the entire team gathers in front of the door
Silence
No sound from inside
One operator steps forward quickly, checking
"Locked"
The captain nods. Two people take position on the sides of the door
"Ready"
Weapons aimed
"Open"