The Order - Prologue. Prologue

Syria - 1992

So, it’s finally come down ‘ta this. The doc said it would, but I hoped he was wrong.

With a heavy sigh, Captain Dutcher continued his thought: Hell, who am I kiddin,’ he’s never wrong. At least I don’t have ‘ta face it alone. I couldn’t do this without Alan.

Captain Bruce Dutcher glanced back at his Team, his best friends and Brothers, waiting on the helicopter. Pride washed over him as he looked at them, and pain over what they were about to go through. It was a shame events had come to where they were, forcing them to give up their lives and disappear.

Ruefully shaking his head, he thought: The price of being too successful.

He began preparing his Team for the inevitability months ago, but now the moment was upon them they felt apprehensive about what path their lives would take and how they would live. But they were soldiers, Navy SEALS, the best in the world, and would survive. Each of them had the utmost confidence in the doctor, however starting new lives away from the military and everything they knew was… well, daunting, to say the least. At least none of them had any family to grieve when everyone thought them dead.

Bruce pushed aside his concerns to focus on the present, needing to feel and appear confident to his men. They trusted him and the doctor, and Bruce knew they would follow him. Their loyalty ran deep, and he loved them for it.

Shouting over the noise of the rotors Bruce said, “Doc, we’re ready! Let’s get this show on the road!”

“Very good, my boy! You all know what to do!”

“Doc, are you sure you’ll be okay on your own!? I’d feel better if you came with me and Lt. Whetherson!”

“Rest assured Bruce; I will be fine! I think the phrase you would use is, ‘This is not my first rodeo!’”

The doctor wore an uncharacteristic grin with his words, which was a rarity for him. He was a very positive man, but rarely smiled. As Bruce and the other’s got closer to the doctor after working with him for a few years, they worried about him. Occasionally, when he let his guard down, a deep thread of sadness surfaced.

The doctor held up a small device, a trigger switch he devised for that very moment. His thumb toggled the switch, and as Bruce watched the light turn on, he knew there was no turning back. Every bit of electronic information regarding each of them vanished with the flick of that button, and the doctor assured him hardcopy paper trails would disappear as well. Bruce had no idea how the doctor could manage that, but he was sure it would happen. Oddly enough, he felt relieved; there could be no more doubts, and moving forward was now the only option.

Bruce knew better than to argue, so he reached out and shook the doctor’s hand, saying, “See you in a few months, Sir!”

Turning and ducking his head, Bruce trotted back to the waiting helicopter. He hopped on board the Sikorsky MH-53 and gave the pilot a thumbs up for takeoff. As large as the craft was, it still bounced slightly from his weight. Bruce would miss the helicopter; it had been modified and designated for their use, and held many memories of the past few years of his life. It had a distinct smell to his enhanced olfactory perceptions; a mix of fuel, salt water, used equipment, and even the musky scent of their sweat from years of running missions. It was oddly comforting, and he was sorry the craft had to be another casualty in securing their safety.

Flipping on his Commlink, Bruce said, “Alright ladies, this is it. Switch to channel 5.”

The contemplative looks staring back at him told him everyone was having the same thoughts, and an unusual quiet fell among them. Typically, there would be laughter and shit talking amidst their usual banter.

With everyone on the secure channel, encrypted by one of the doctor’s devices, Bruce reviewed the plan one final time. As with any mission, each man had his role down pat and repeated it verbatim. If they were nervous, none of them showed it, and now the mission was underway he saw the same relief on their handsome faces; the fact that there was no turning back gave them a sense of freedom and direction. Jim’s usual mischievous grin was back, and he winked, letting Bruce know everything was going to be alright. One of them patted his shoulder as he often did to them, expressing their comfort and support.

The wind picked up, and the flight grew bumpy. As the ten men headed out to sea the sky darkened, with scattered lightning periodically lighting up the thick clouds. Bruce wasn’t sure why the thought occurred to him, but he realized stormy weather always seemed to accompany crucial times in their lives. He wasn’t a superstitious man and let the thought go, but with his enhanced perceptions, he felt the thunder inside him and sensed there was more going on than he could comprehend.

Snapping back to the present Bruce asked, “Keith, are you good to go on the pilot?”

“Yes sir, Cap.”

“Alright, everybody! Suit up!”

In pairs, the men helped their partners get into their scuba gear. Alan already had his and Bruce’s equipment prepped and was changed and waiting for him.

Alan couldn’t help but admire Bruce’s physique as he stripped off his flight suit. His body was perfect from head to toe, deeply tanned and heavily muscled. The genetic alterations induced in Bruce and the rest of the team transformed all of them into perfect physical specimens. On top of that, Bruce always seemed so graceful and confident, like a statue in motion radiating a natural charisma, but at the same time, he was one of the humblest men Alan ever met. Ruggedly handsome, his physical traits along with his personality made him perfect to Alan.

After joining the Program, Bruce, along with James, Keith, Paul, and Don, were far stronger than ordinary men, with their bone and muscle density slightly over four times that of a typical fit adult male. All of them weighed in excess of 400 lbs. and were solid muscle, however, entirely proportioned to their height along with a low body-fat ratio, looking more like Greek statues or bulked up fitness models with their frames covered in thick, lean muscle.

The changes also encompassed augmented physical abilities, including agility, speed, dexterity, and balance, as well as enhanced senses. Alan, Gary, Jim, Dan, and Fred didn’t have the increased muscle and bone density of their counterparts, but the doctor enhanced their minds as well as their bodies, so they were smarter and more intuitive. They became Empathic, allowing them to sense and induce emotional responses in ordinary humans. Between the Mental and physical attributes of the men, they were the most formidable SEAL Team that ever existed, which is why they were also one of the most highly kept secrets in the US Government. Project Glass Hand was a name only a handful of government officials even heard of, off the books and above Top Secret.

The doctor designed each couple to be dependent on one another, one representing the Body and one the Mind, and whether it was the doctor or nature taking its course, the couples fell in love with one another shortly after meeting and training together. All of them were gay, which the doctor said was necessary from a genetic standpoint for optimal effectiveness of the procedure, but regardless, they formed intense emotional bonds and fell deeply in love with their partners after the initial changes.

Once everyone had their gear prepped and ready, Bruce gave the pilot a new set of coordinates for their drop.

“Alright guys, let’s execute this like any other mission. If anyone has any questions or doubts, this is your last chance ‘ta bring ‘em up.”

No one said a word, and he didn’t expect them too.

The pilot took them below radar cover, and an hour later they were hovering at the given coordinates. His voice came over the Commlink, “Here we are, Captain. We’re in the middle of nowhere, but this is the spot.”

“Roger that.”

Bruce nodded to Keith who moved forward, pulling out a special syringe prepared by the doctor. The unsuspecting pilot was caught off guard when Keith reached around and pulled off his flight helmet and oxygen tube, putting him in a chokehold. He panicked, especially at the sting of the needle entering his neck, flailing his arms and legs as much as he could in the tight confines of the cockpit. Much stronger than the pilot, Keith easily held him until the serum took effect.

The pilot quickly calmed down, and Keith let him go. With a face void of emotion, he put the helicopter on autopilot and put on a wetsuit Alan had prepped for him. While the pilot changed, Bruce went to the back of the aircraft and lowered the rear panel. The water below looked cold and dark, almost black, and he heard the crashing of the waves along with the thunder and lightning in the sky.

“Schrader! Shogren! You’re up! Let’s go!”

Bruce dropped the inflatable raft for the pilot to use once they got him down. The doctor said a submarine would be nearby to pick up the distress beacon, and Bruce had never known the doctor to be wrong, so he felt confident the pilot would be alright.

James and Dan pinched their noses and held their regulators when they jumped, crossing their legs as they dropped. Bruce watched them splash down and saw James bob up first, giving him a thumbs up as soon as he cleared his mask.

Don and Jim were next, followed by Paul and Gary, and then Keith and Fred. While the others were jumping Alan made his way to the cockpit, connecting another of the doctor’s devices to the navigation system of the helicopter. He flipped the switch, and the light started flickering, letting Alan know it was transmitting data.

Alan moved back and shouted to Bruce, “It’s plugged in and working! We have three minutes! Let’s get him down!”

The pilot had drop training and knew what to do, even if he wasn’t in control of himself Mentally. The serum controlled his actions and would also prevent him from remembering any of what was currently going on.

The pilot jumped, and Jim and Don got him situated safely onboard the inflated raft. Jim climbed in with him, double checking to make sure he was secure and wouldn’t fall out unless the raft capsized.

Bruce and Alan looked at one another and smiled. They had come so far together, neither could imagine a life apart. Placing a hand on Bruce’s big shoulder, Alan squeezed firmly, putting the feelings running through him into the gesture. With his touch, Alan’s emotions pushed into Bruce, causing his breath to catch in his big chest, and Alan had the same response from Bruce’s reaction.

Bruce chuckled and swiped at his eyes, saying, “You fucker.”

Alan said, “Well, Bruce, this is it. I’m glad it’s you and me.”

“Me too, Alan. As long as we’re together, we’ll make it work.”

Alan steeled himself against the dark, frigid waters he was about to plunge into. He envied Bruce’s warmer body temperature, but not his extra mass with the swim they were about to make. Even with the higher oxygen content in Bruce’s body to help with buoyancy, it would be a long swim.

Bruce said, “On three… One… Two…”

The little kid grin Bruce sometimes got appeared as he pushed Alan off the platform one count too soon. He heard the beginning of “You fuckkerrrrrrrrr!!!” before the wind ripped Alan’s shout away even from Bruce’s exceptional hearing. Bruce chuckled to himself and jumped after his best friend and lover.

When Bruce surfaced and cleared his mask, the others were gathered and waiting, hanging on the edge of the raft containing the unconscious pilot. A few seconds later the helicopter started to move and gain altitude. They watched until it was almost out of sight and then saw the ball of fire as it exploded, plummeting into the depths of the Mediterranean.

Just as the ball of fire impacted the water, lightning ripped across the sky along with heavy rain. Jim reached into the raft, activating the S.O.S. beacon and said, “Sleep tight, fella. Hopefully, that submarine is close.”

The raft drifted away, helped by a solid push from Keith and Don.

The ten men formed a circle, arms out and around each other’s shoulders while their sturdy legs kept them treading water.

Bruce looked at them and said, “Be careful, guys. We’ll see each other back in the states in a few months. Stick ‘ta the plan, and everythin’ll be fine.”

Grinning, right before he put his regulator back in his mouth, he said, “Remember, for a bunch of fuck-ups, you’re still the best.”

The rest of the men, including Alan, grinned back, flipping him off. With that gesture, they started swimming in pairs at slightly different angles, each heading towards the shore and leaving their old lives behind.

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The doctor arranged for papers and money to get them out of Syria and back to the United States, and three months later the men began arriving in pairs at predetermined rendezvous points. By the time they reached Atlanta, after taking a very scenic tour of the U.S. to ensure no one from the Government saw through their ‘accident’ and tried to trace them, the doctor had houses, vehicles, and new identities for them complete with background stories and family histories. He also acquired a facility for a new Laboratory and had the building modified according to his needs. It was apparent he had been planning the changes for some time.

Sitting in the new Lab, Bruce and Alan looked over their new identities. Bruce’s name was now Ken Habersham, and Alan’s was Brad Wilson.

The doctor had taken care of everything, and they started their new lives together.