Meanwhile.
Two UH-60M specialized transport helicopters bearing the Red and White Umbrella logo flew eastward at high speed, ignoring the harsh weather.
The closest umbrella military base to Saskatchewan was the Athabasca temporary camp in Alberta Province.
Ever since the incident on January 27, the town of Athabasca had been acquired by Umbrella and assigned to an Engineering Team for renovation and expansion.
The Remover Company led by Major Mikhail Victor was stationed there.
To respond to Agent Sean Patrick's support request, 1st and 2nd Squads of the Remover Company's 1st Platoon were deployed.
Twelve Removers were equipped with AAES Individual Combat Systems.
The operation commander this time was personally led by Major Mikhail Victor.
Inside the cabin of the UH-60M;
Six UBCS operatives, including Victor, sat inside.
They maintained silence.
Some were tuning their AAES, while others were checking their firearms, preparing to clear any obstacles.
Soon, the pilot sitting at the front used the headset communication to signal, "Major, estimated time of arrival at the target location is thirty seconds."
"Good."
At these words, Victor stood up and pulled open the sliding cabin door on the right.
"Whoosh—!" Snow pellets surged in instantly.
Looking downward.
The visibility of the target location grew clearer, and the helicopter's altitude rapidly decreased.
Arriving above the open ground in front of the mine shaft and the dormitory building, the two helicopters hovered.
"Brats, all of you, jump!"
"Understood, Major!"
Following Victor's command, a group of Removers leaped out of the cabin one after another without using rappelling ropes.
"Stomp, stomp!"
Twelve UBCS operatives utilized their Mechanical Skeletons to land steadily on the snow.
"Swish, swish—" The wind vortexes kicked up by the two UH-60Ms stirred up a small storm in the open clearing.
"Major, we will circle above for reconnaissance. Have a good hunt, over."
"Got it."
With the conversation ending, the UH-60Ms gained altitude again and moved away from the ground.
Finally, only the Removers, organized into squad-level formations in two circular lines guarding their surroundings, remained in the open clearing.
Victor used Umbrella's public channel to contact Sean, saying:
"Agent, this is the UBCS Remover Company. What is your situation?
Respond if you copy."
"Static... static..." Only static came through the communication.
Victor's heart sank. It seemed the deployed agents had been wiped out once again.
Without waiting for a reply, he gestured toward the open doors of the dormitory building and ordered, "1st Squad, enter and clear.
2nd Squad remain on standby, ready to provide support at any time."
"Copy!"
Suddenly.
"Bang! Bang!" (Intermittent gunfire.)
"Aroo—!" (The howl of a Containment Object.)
"Boom!" (A grenade explosion.)
Before the Removers could move, the sounds of combat came from inside the dormitory building.
The communication channel also carried a certain agent's feeble voice: "Fire... it... fears... ugh..."
Was someone actually still alive?
Victor hastily ordered, "Switch to armor-piercing incendiary magazines, 1st Squad follow me into the building!"
"Yes, Major!"
Victor and five Removers quickly rushed into the lobby on the first floor of the dormitory building.
They only saw bullet holes and bloodstains everywhere, two Containment Objects that looked like they had been burned to death, and...
The remains of an agent who had been dismembered into pieces.
The combustion had stopped due to the cold air blowing in from the lobby entrance, and wisps of black smoke drifted from multiple spots.
The support specialist and the pointman stepped forward to inspect and report.
Support specialist: "Major, the dog tags of the deceased agent identify him as Andy Clement."
"Bang! Bang!"
The pointman fired several shots into the two motionless Containment Objects and said:
"Major, the two anomalies no longer have signs of life."
"Good."
Victor did not let 1st Squad linger for long and continued to push forward.
Passing a room that was still burning with flames, he confirmed there was a pile of ash and residue belonging to a Containment Object inside.
When they reached the stair landing, they found two more bodies that were still burning.
Vaguely discernable was the fact that an agent had chosen to detonate incendiary rounds and grenades, perishing together with the Containment Object.
The dog tags were severely damaged, making it impossible to confirm the agent's identity.
Subsequently, the Removers utilized the defensive capabilities of the AAES to continue pushing upward, ignoring the heat.
The platform behind the second-floor stairs.
Pointman: "There's a surviving agent, as well as a Containment Object!"
While shouting to alert the others, the pointman acting as the vanguard moved forward rapidly to provide positions for the teammates behind him.
The six Removers formed a fan-shaped formation aiming forward.
A Containment Object was kneeling and crouching atop the dying agent, gnawing on the agent's remaining right arm.
Although the agent was pinned to the ground, he had not given up resistance.
He instinctively gripped a dagger with his left hand, repeatedly stabbing the left waist of the Containment Object while muttering, "Fire... it... fears..."
"Aroo!"
At this moment, that Containment Object also noticed the presence of the six Removers.
It launched a surprise attack on the pointman rapidly in a manner akin to a frog's leap.
"Bang, bang!" Synchronized gunfire.
The six Removers used armor-piercing incendiary rounds to shoot off the Containment Object's limbs, teaching it what it meant to 'stay put'.
"Aroo—aroo—" The Containment Object let out wails of pain and fear.
Victor: "Gunner, rifleman!
(Pointing at the Containment Object) You two pack up this trash for me!
Support specialist, check that agent's injuries, use bio-foam to stop his bleeding!
Everyone else, check the entire building!"
Everyone: "Yes!"
Victor commanded via communication: "2nd Squad search the vicinity, see if there are any more anomalies!
The technical department and reinforcements might arrive a bit later, so do a good job working until then!"
2nd Squad members: "Yes!"
In the time that followed, the Removers, cooperating with the arriving reinforcement troops and technical department, completely cordoned off the Blackwood Mountain area.
After a large-scale search, a cave connecting to the mine pit was discovered in the basement of the dormitory building.
There were a large number of human skeletal remains inside the cave.
The technical department pieced together the scattered skeletal remains, confirming them to be eleven victims.
Armed personnel then discovered the skeletal remains of four high school students nearby, confirming that there were only five Containment Objects within the Blackwood Mountain area.
The identity of the sole surviving agent was Adam Gale.
Due to uncertainty regarding the Containment Objects' method of transforming humans...
Four Containment Object corpses,
Four high school student corpses,
Two agent corpses,
Agent Adam Gale,
And the surviving 'packaged' Containment Object were all escorted by the Remover Company toward Containment Center One.
The researchers at the Containment Center were likewise unable to determine their method of infection or human transformation.
Therefore, the head of the Containment Center, Captain Auston Lance, made an exception and had Designation 049 assist with the analysis.
It was finally confirmed that surviving agent Adam Gale had no possibility of mutation.
Containment Center One classified this type of Containment Object as Euclid and put corresponding preventive measures in place.
This was the first time since the company's establishment that agents alone had killed four Euclid Containment Objects.
The three agents from the town of Deschambault Lake proved with their deeds that agents were not consumables, but the backbone of the company.
The content of Designation 049 assisting with the analysis is pending unlock.