The White Wraith

The following is an abridged article from World News, a bi-weekly periodical featuring coverage on current affairs, politics, business, health, science and entertainment. [Article originally published 6 Months Ago.]

RED WOLF: LEADING THE PACK IN TERROR
By Virgil Sorian

A year ago the general public knew little to nothing about Red Wolf, a terrorist organization that once confined their presence to the darkest corners of the world. Operating so deep in the shadows, many intelligence communities even questioned their existence. The agencies that did investigate Red Wolf were so sure the organization posed such an insignificant threat they regarded them as a minor footnote among an ever-growing list of far more dangerous groups.

Today, Red Wolf has emerged as a top-level threat on a global scale. The group ranks high on nearly every country’s ‘Top 10’ terrorist watchlist. The recent bombing of the Marabian embassy in Ankhara, the hijacking of Flight 665 in Taured, and the hostage situation involving President Remdini in Shalimar have all been orchestrated by Red Wolf, and only within the span of two months. This doesn’t include their numerous other attacks in international waters or their various techno-terror tactics, including explosive-laden drone strikes, various acts of cyberterrorism, and wresting control of a telecommunications satellite—forcing it to crash onto a military base in the People’s Republic of Taiseng, killing 89 people and injuring 122 others.

Unlike certain terror groups, Red Wolf’s goals are unclear. Some intelligence agencies have suspected that they follow a diverse set of violent extremist ideologies—not settling on one primary motivation. While early reports categorized the group as having political, socio-cultural, anarchistic, and possibly eco-facist interests, more recent intel suggests the organization is operating under a ‘fringe fluidity’. The ever-growing group has attracted a diverse range of followers, and from over a dozen countries as far reaching as Galvagrad to Karzostan. Several experts in counter-terrorism operations have dubbed this an ideological convergence, where the organization makes its goals so undefined and vague, that it can theoretically operate as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to recruiting. Those who find their way into the group are often individuals who feel disenfranchised, upset at the status quo, believe that societal structure has failed on some level—often on a global scale, and/or have a personal interest in ‘setting the world right’. Despite Red Wolf’s mishmash approach, there is one defining feature that attracts all recruits—an attraction to violence.

Certain intelligence agencies believe Red Wolf may be less fanatical than other notable terrorist organizations, and that their primary interest is accumulating power and large sums of money. Within the last two months, all of Red Wolf’s major terrorist operations have been preceded by financial demands. While many countries maintain that they do not negotiate with terrorists, several have already given in to Red Wolf’s stipulations and were spared retaliatory action.

Four months ago it was suspected Red Wolf had around 10,000 active members. Today, their estimated membership is 300,000 worldwide.

A recent statement from Red Wolf, left on government servers in multiple countries, promises that by year’s end every nation in the world will accept the organization’s demands without question, or they will face “unimaginable disaster.”

The White Wraith. Story by Midnight. Art by Leonel Walbr.