00060 --- The Little Prince in the Ossuary----=
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#Trap (5), Camp Roberts
Captain Capston chuckled lightly.
"Trying to persuade me like that, huh? I'm a bit disappointed. If there's something that absolutely needs to be done, I can accept personal losses. That's my real duty. Regulations shouldn't be more important than duty, right?"
"I'm sorry."
When Gyeo-ul apologized frankly, the captain shook his head.
"No need to apologize. Thanks to you, I got a promotion. So, I could also be demoted because of you, right? It's not a personal favor for gain. It's just about caring for people."
After saying this, he returned to the topic he initially brought up.
"What I said was difficult is the ammunition issue. You seem to only think about mobilizing troops, but you need enough ammunition to be in a battle-ready state. The ammunition managed by the company itself is not that much. If your assumption that the 「Trickster」 has infiltrated is correct, the subsequent attack will not be small in scale, would it?"
"I hadn't ignored that point..."
Gyeo-ul thought that simply having the necessary personnel awake would provide some level of preparation.
"If the captive does something, they'll wait for dawn when security is weak. At that time, the biggest enemy would not be the mutants but chaos itself. If we're prepared in advance, at least we can avoid chaos. Additional ammunition...we have to secure it at that time."
"It seems like you're saying that some sacrifices are inevitable depending on the situation."
"This is the realistic limit. We can't really start a rebellion."
"Well, there might be a way."
After pondering for a while, the captain called all company officers through the internal line.
The assembly took quite a bit of time. It was Christmas Eve. One of the platoon leaders who was in the civilian district arrived 30 minutes after the initial call.
There's not much time. Gyeo-ul repeatedly checked the time. No one knew when something might happen. It was best if nothing happened, but preparations were made under the premise that something would occur.
Everyone's expressions were not good. Even in a state of emergency, there's a desire for a minimum amount of personal time that should be respected. The Christmas week is the largest holiday in America, so calls outside of working hours were unwelcome.
"Oh... Seeing this guy here means there's another rough event."
This was Jeffrey's lament. He sighed deeply and grumbled after seeing Gyeo-ul. Well, wasn't he the one who returned from a battle while others were playing?
Of course, this also applied to Gyeo-ul, which is why Jeffrey's lament did not continue for long.
The captain requested Gyeo-ul to speak. It was the third time explaining the situation today. Gyeo-ul felt a little weary.
"... For these reasons, I hope we maintain a high alert throughout tonight. It's not a big deal. If no attack comes, it's just a matter of waiting for a night. I would appreciate your help."
Sergeant Lieberman nodded.
"I thought the lieutenant's behavior was a bit unusual earlier. So, you were having such concerns. Honestly, it seems a bit excessive..."
Was that opposition? But no.
"If it weren't for the lieutenant, our platoon would have lost many in the hospital. While others were careless or mistaken, the lieutenant made the right decision on his own. I will trust you this time as well."
"Thank you, Sergeant."
Generally, the noncommissioned officers expressed their support easily. In contrast to the Korean military, where noncommissioned officers start from a sergeant, the U. S. military's NCOs rise from the rank of trainee. As a thoroughly merit-based group, their mentality was highly pragmatic.
In practice, soldiers and NCOs often clashed with the higher command over communication issues. It was these people's role to lament that the higher-ups didn't understand the field. Perhaps that's why they more readily understood Gyeo-ul.
The senior NCO, Master Sergeant Pierce, also sided with Gyeo-ul.
"Sun Tzu once said, a true leader leads by example rather than force. A good soldier's intuition is quite reliable. We cannot ignore the opinion of the young lieutenant, especially considering past achievements."
Sun Tzu? Oh, Soncha. Gyeo-ul, who was momentarily confused, felt a bit troubled. Sun Tzu probably didn't mean "example" in that sense. Still, there was no need to dampen the sergeant major's mood.
'He seems proud to have memorized a cool saying...'
The sergeant major maintained a stern expression, but a subtle emotion was evident. This was an observation from Gyeo-ul, who had a knack for reading people.
Anyone has a desire to appear cool. No matter how serious the person may be.
As it became like this, the remaining three platoon leaders and other senior soldiers deliberated on their positions, excluding Jeffrey. Master Sergeant Pierce silently glared at them, which put pressure on them. In terms of rarity alone, a sergeant major ranked higher than a lieutenant colonel in the U. S. military.
Second Platoon Leader, Lieutenant McCoy, sighed.
"It can't be helped. It would seem insincere if I withdrew alone... Let's do it. If nothing happens, it's just a matter of missing a night's sleep, right? And Lieutenant did say there wouldn't be risk unless an incident occurred... It bothers me too, to be honest."
That marked a turning point, and the rest raised their hands in agreement. Third Platoon Leader, Lieutenant Sullivan, scratched his head.
"They're showing 'Home Alone' on TV right now..."
"......"
Do Americans also spend Christmas with Kevin?
Well, after all, it's the show's home turf.
Lastly, the fire support platoon leader agreed.
"Now that I've heard all this, I can't rest easy either. I'll keep worrying and feeling uneasy, won't I? I'll stay up since I can't sleep anyway. I'll join you."
With consensus reached, Lieutenant Capston drew everyone's attention.
"The issue is ammunition. No matter how thorough our other preparations are, they could fall short without ammunition. Do you have any way to pull out ammo without going through the control room?"
The question was practically directed at Master Sergeant Pierce. The sergeant nodded.
"I'll try."
"How?"
"Let's just say we're releasing ammo in advance for tomorrow's shooting training. Among the personnel, it's... perhaps an undesirable practice from your perspective, Lieutenant, but it's quite common among us. Well, these days, given the emergency, ammunition issuance is quite frequent. Things done often tend to become lax."
By 'us', the sergeant meant the ranks of NCOs.
There was some logic to his idea. Just like how Gyeo-ul had recently engaged in battle, ammunition was being used at all times in this emergency state.
Leftover ammo from operations is not meticulously collected, and they request and receive the necessary amounts, with each company managing surplus ammo separately. Strict procedures are impossible to follow, unlike in peacetime.
Instead, they keep a careful check on firearms, as a leakage to refugees could lead to concerns of riots.
"Will that excuse work? Shooting training on Christmas? Who would believe we're taking it out in advance?"
When the lieutenant showed a skeptical response, the sergeant smiled gently.
"You're quite famous for being rigid, Lieutenant, so if we talk behind your back, saying it's because the company commander is needlessly being annoying, they will join in complaining and end up believing it. I apologize in advance for any words spoken then."
"......"
Captain Capston rubbed his temples.
Still, though he spoke easily, it wouldn't be an easy task. Only someone with Master Sergeant-level experience and connections could attempt it.
The master sergeant shifted the conversation to Gyeo-ul.
"Young lieutenant, you'll have to help too."
"Huh? Me?"
"It's because the ammunition depot guard is from Able Company. The kids there like you a lot, so it'll be more manageable if you come along."
He seemed to have a keen grasp of the soldiers' attitudes. Gyeo-ul recalled the words of Corporal Amy, who was guarding the checkpoint in the Chinese residential district.
"Be careful. If you get bitten by a mad dog, our entire company might go crazy too."
'Depending on the person, just explaining things as they are might make them willing to help.'
Gyeo-ul nodded calmly.
"Yes, that makes sense. Understood."
With little time left, once everyone's positions were determined, the discussion progressed at a very fast pace. The senior soldiers rushed out to gather the troops. The remaining leaders began to outline a plan.
"Because we know nothing about the enemy's plan, it seems best to leave our planning mostly to contingency measures, except for key elements. For now, we should be satisfied with assigning positions to occupy or patrol in case of an emergency."
"Don't worry. Once the fighting starts, the first thing to go is the operation plan."
When they drew routes on the map and considered the reactions, they concluded that they could deploy some initial forces within three minutes, regardless of the starting direction of the situation.
"What do you want to do with your troops?"
The captain asked Gyeo-ul, while offering his opinion.
"Considering they have little combat experience, I don't think exposing them in front would be advisable. How about preparing them to calm the refugee zone if necessary?"
"I agree. That's a good idea."
As mentioned earlier, chaos could be the greatest enemy. Given the population density of the refugee zone, if people fall into panic, there could be substantial fatalities from trampling alone.
Moreover, if the refugee group tries to escape blindly, it could spell disaster with the defensive line being crushed from behind.
Two squads from the 「Gyeo-ul Alliance」 alone wouldn't be enough for such a task.
"Though the possibility of encountering the enemy is low, it's by no means an easy mission."
Gyeo-ul understood his concern.
"There are soldiers who originally maintained the checkpoint. It would be beneficial if we could give them a heads-up. For now, I'll preemptively warn the refugees within the extent of my influence."
"That's more important than the ammunition. Go ahead. We'll manage the rest."
Then, Master Sergeant Pierce interjected.
"After you finish your task, young lieutenant, please come to the ammunition depot."
"Understood. I'll hurry."
It was 30 minutes until midnight. As Gyeo-ul hurried along, soldiers at the checkpoint looked at him with puzzled expressions.
The large tent he left hours ago still buzzed with noise. Many didn't notice when Gyeo-ul entered. However, Yun-cheol recognized him immediately, approaching with a rather welcoming expression.
"You're back. I don't know what happened, but thank you for your hard work."
Gyeo-ul shook his head.
"It's not over yet."
"What?"
"Deputy Jang, please gather all the alliance leaders, including Yura and Jin-seok."
Yun-cheol, reading the urgency in Gyeo-ul's tone, appeared a bit flustered. It was the first time seeing Gyeo-ul so hurried. Still, he quickly nodded and called the people. The lively atmosphere immediately quieted down upon witnessing this.
The gathered faces were mostly unfamiliar, the result of Yun-cheol interpreting the range of "leaders" rather liberally. It wasn't a bad choice.
Gyeo-ul concisely conveyed the situation. Min Wan-gi coughed several times with a solemn face, while Yun-cheol's expression hardened.
"Uh, little leader. So...you're saying there might be an attack at dawn?"
"That's right. It's not certain, but I think there's a need to be cautious. Yura and Jin-seok, go to the barracks immediately. Arm yourselves and wait in the training yard. After collecting ammunition, you'll be joined by suitable personnel from Charlie Company to do your utmost to calm the refugee zone if anything happens."
Given Yura and Jin-seok's lack of independent situational assessment skills, receiving support from an NCO in Charlie Company was essential. Gyeo-ul then turned his gaze to Yun-cheol and Min Wan-gi.
"And deputies..."
Even before he could say anything more, Min Wan-gi nodded.
"It's alright. Leave it to us. Ahem. The captain cannot handle everything alone. Isn't this precisely why Deputy Jang and I were appointed?"
"..."
With a natural smile, Gyeo-ul agreed.
"I understand. I trust you both."
Now the young officer dashed towards the ammunition depot, arriving even before Master Sergeant Pierce. The sergeant arriving later gave Gyeo-ul a somewhat surprised look.
"I didn't think the tasks I assigned were that simple. You're back sooner than I expected."
"I have decent folks helping me."
"Heh."
The sergeant chuckled briefly and led the way for Gyeo-ul.
The soldiers guarding the ammo post were familiar faces indeed. There was one person especially well-known. Staff Sergeant Matthew Cohen. He seemed a bit surprised to see Gyeo-ul.
---------------------------= Author's Note ---------------------------=
1. This novel is supposed to be updated 3-5 times a week... so why are folks already saying it's on the verge of quitting?
Huh? Daily updates? The author doesn't know about that.
2. The GPS base mentioned in Episode 58 is not actually a GPS base. It was just a soldier's uninformed statement.
It's a hint for future development, but it's not time to use it yet.
Here are the coordinates of the facility:
35.735365, -120.753806
For anyone who reveals the identity of this facility, the author will provide a small gift.
Not enough clues?
Don't worry. The author started from the same point during the research phase. It was merely found while browsing the map, pondering "What is this?" before digging deeper.
Hahaha. Will the correct answer emerge? Looking forward to it.