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GENERAL STRAIT BURIED his cousin Nate two days ago. It had been a difficult day, made worse by what appeared to be a stalled case. His contact at the FBI was no further along than the team he hired to look into matters. How could multiple stonings take place in this country without leaving any clues? Impossible.

Obviously not. The stonings had been going on for months and the FBI didn’t have one solid lead. It made no sense. Sitting in his home office, he used a burner phone to place a call to Gil Schmidt, the trainer he bought on for the Olympus Project.

“Do you have anyone who can hunt down a serial killer?”

“Yes. What do you need?”

The General explained what he knew, advised him on the FBI’s involvement but didn’t mention the other team he hired. That was a private card he would hold close.

“Sounds like more than one person, maybe a group,” Schmidt said.

“I’d been thinking along those lines, myself. No way one person could commit the same type of crime in several states by themselves, the deaths have been too clean. So far the FBI has found no mistakes.”

“They’re good. But my guys are better. Send me what you have and I’ll send two of my best hunters to handle it.”

“Try to stop whoever this is. I want them to hang publicly for what they’ve done.”

“Any vets been killed?”

“Not yet,” the General said.

“Not ever. We’ll nail the bastard,” Schmidt said.

Feeling better that he would fulfill his promise to his cousin, the General relaxed. “Sounds like things are going well with the program. You’ve resettled on the Compte?” He had approved the group’s request to access a training facility in the US Virgin Island.

“Yes. Three days. Training has been good. They’re learning to use their enhancements better and soon it should become second nature to them.”

“Do not allow them to fraternize with the natives.”

“Understood. When we’re ready and in control, we’ll return stateside to the base.”

The General would need to introduce the concept of enhanced human soldiers to the Joint Chiefs as a replacement for La Patron’s Knights.

Most of the Joint Chief would accept the new team. Admiral Blue and General Williams might give him a hard time. But once they saw what these men could do, it would change their minds. At least he hoped it would.

The General cleared his throat. “Before you return, prepare a presentation for high ranking members of the military. Make sure it’s damn good, no mess-ups. We need them to approve additional funding to build that corps. To get beyond the fact of injecting soldiers who flat-lined with a serum that enhances them to become more than human, I’ve got to show the benefits outweigh the methodology.”

“Yes, Sir. We’ll be ready.”

“Two weeks.”

“Done. Just the ones we’re training now, not anyone who comes in after today,” he said.

That was fair. “Got a lot coming in?” the General asked.

“One or two a month survive the shot and remain sane.”

“What happens to the ones who aren’t sane?” the General asked.

“They’re put down.”

“Which is the end result of what would’ve happened if they hadn’t been given the serum,” the General said thinking that’s the line he’d give the others.

“Exactly.”

“Tidy. No loose ends,” the General said.

“None, Sir. My team’s got this under control. We’ll be ready in two weeks.”

“Counting on it. Let me know when you get more information on the serial killer,” the General said.

“Yes, Sir.” Schmidt disconnected,