"Now we have to wait for the airspace to clear," Ryan said, looking up at the sky and seeing the fighter jets of the North Korean Air Force to disperse. They had unloaded a lot of ammunition and missiles on the worm, so it’s likely that they’ll have to go back to their base to rearm and refuel.
"Sentinel Eye, how is the sky up there?" Adrian asked.
"Cold Reach One, Sentinel Eye," the AWACS replied after a brief pause. "Airspace is still active. Multiple fast movers in your sector, heading north. No imdiate hostile vectors toward your position, but the sky is not clear yet."
Ryan exhaled slowly, eyes still tracking the distant jets as they pulled away in formation.
"They’re pulling out," he said. "At least the first wave is."
Adrian didn’t relax. His gaze stayed fixed upward, watching the shrinking silhouettes of the aircraft as they disappeared behind the smoke hanging over the city.
"How long?" he asked.
A short crackle ca through the comms.
"Estimating partial window in three to five minutes," Sentinel Eye answered. "Full clearance uncertain. Additional sorties may re-enter the area."
"I see thank you, do inform us when the sky is clear so I can summon a black hawk," Adrian said.
"Copy, Cold Reach One," Sentinel Eye replied. "We will call it the mont a safe window is available."
Adrian lowered his hand from his earpiece and looked back at Ryan.
"Three to five minutes," he said.
Ryan nodded once, scanning the sky again.
"We make it count," he replied.
He looked over the railing again and saw the dead worm. "To think that kind of monster exists in this world now. aning there could be sothing worse than that."
"That’s true sir. We don’t really know how many anomalies such as that worm exist in the world right now. One thing for sure is that they can be defeated with an expenditure of missiles and ammunition, which is sothing we have."
Adrian chuckled. "It’s the reason why I have the system to combat these threats. A while back, when she said that this virus could have been engineered...I am thinking there is an organization out there wanting to exterminate the human race. Kind of like in the Bible where plagues were sent to wipe people out. Or the great flood."
"That’s not faith anymore," he said after a second. "That’s design."
Adrian gave a small nod.
"Exactly."
"Cold Reach One, Sentinel Eye."
Both n snapped back to focus.
"Go ahead," Adrian replied.
"Airspace update," the AWACS continued. "Majority of fast movers have exited your imdiate sector. No new inbound contacts detected within a twenty-kiloter radius. You have a temporary clear window."
Ryan straightened.
"That’s it," he said.
Adrian didn’t hesitate.
"Move."
Ryan turned imdiately, reaching to his earpiece.
"All units, move up! Now! We are going out."
anwhile, Adrian summoned two black hawk helicopters from his inventory and two identical choppers materialized from a magic circle with crews.
"Start the engine imdiately, we are heading out."
"Yes sir!"
At the sa ti, the shadow team and the crews of the Globemaster, and Seo were now climbing up the stairs, making their way up to the rooftop.
"Sir where are we going?" Ryan asked.
"We need a remote airport," Adrian replied and then reached out to Sentinel Eye. "Sentinel Eye, look for a remote airport near our position."
"Cold Reach One, Sentinel Eye," the AWACS replied almost imdiately. "Scanning... standby."
Ryan moved to the side of the nearest Black Hawk, watching the stairwell door as footsteps rushed up from below.
"Make it quick," he said. "We don’t have long."
The rotors were already spinning up, blades cutting through the air faster with each second. The engines whined as power built, the sound echoing across the rooftop.
The door burst open.
Shadow Team ca through first, weapons up out of habit, quickly spreading before recognizing the situation. Behind them, the Globemaster crew followed, and finally Seo-yeon, slightly out of breath but keeping pace.
Her eyes landed on the helicopters.
She froze.
"...You weren’t joking," she said under her breath.
"No ti," Ryan cut in. "Board now!"
The team moved imdiately, guiding her toward the nearest chopper. No hesitation, no wasted motion. They had done this too many tis to question it now.
"Cold Reach One," Sentinel Eye ca back. "We have a potential site. Approximately twelve kiloters southeast of your current position. Designation: Seoul Auxiliary Airstrip Delta-Seven."
Adrian turned slightly.
"Status?"
"Runway intact," the AWACS continued. "Minimal structural damage. Surrounding area shows low to moderate thermal signatures. No large clusters detected. Area appears partially abandoned."
Ryan nodded.
"That works."
Adrian didn’t look away.
"Any military presence?" he asked.
"Negative on confird active units," Sentinel Eye replied. "However, intermittent signals detected earlier. Possible prior occupation."
"aning unknown," Ryan muttered.
Adrian made the call.
"We take it."
"Copy."
The last of the team climbed aboard. Doors slamd shut one after another.
"Clear!" one of the crew chiefs shouted.
"Lift!" Adrian ordered.
The pilots didn’t hesitate.
Engines roared.
The Black Hawks rose off the rooftop, dust and debris exploding outward beneath them as they climbed into the air. Then, the helicopter banked to where their landing zone was.
The helicopters leveled out just above the skyline, banking southeast as the pilots pushed speed.
"Keep it low," Ryan said over the intercom. "We don’t stay exposed longer than we have to."
"Copy," the pilot replied.
The Black Hawks dipped, dropping below the height of the taller buildings. Concrete towers rushed past on either side as they threaded through the city, using the structures as cover.
Adrian kept his eyes forward, one hand gripping the fra.
"Sentinel Eye, confirm route is still clean."
"Cold Reach One, route to Delta-Seven remains viable," the AWACS answered. "No aerial contacts in your imdiate corridor. Ground activity minimal along your projected path."
"That’s good enough," Ryan said.
Below them, the streets blurred into motion—abandoned cars, scattered debris, and small clusters of infected moving aimlessly. Nothing large. Nothing organized.
For now.
"Two minutes out," the pilot called.
Adrian leaned slightly, catching sight of open space ahead.
The buildings began to thin and the airstrip ca into view.
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