Chapter 50
Before Alexa, five AMS operatives stood in full gear, watching her with quiet anticipation. They were handpicked for their versatility – two Class 3s, two Class 4s, and one support-type Class 2. Experienced, but not overqualified. This was Lexa’s team.
She activated the mission screen on her wrist device. A holo-map of Red Zone B1 flickered to life, showing the ruined remains of All Days High School.
“We’ve got a situation,” she began. “A man was spotted breaching Red Zone B1 at Agro Province. No ID. No registry. And he moved through the perimeter without triggering alarms. Possibly UMS p>
A Class 3 Operative, Dax, stepped forward. “Are we ordered to capture him p>
“Secondary objective,” Lexa replied without pause. “Our priority is the safety of any survivors inside the zone p>
A younger Class 4 specialist, Mira, hesitated. “What if it’s a trap? What if this guy’s dangerous p>
“We still get civilians out first,” Lexa said firmly. “We protect the people. That’s always first p>
Silence fell across the group for a beat before they nodded, some visibly reassured by her conviction.
Lexa turned back to the projection. “There’s been strange activity in that area, communications dropped, thermal readings spiked, then disappeared. We’ll go in light and quiet. No backup unless we signal it p>
She pointed to each in turn:
“Dax and Lior, you’re my left and right flank p>
“Karyle, you’ll handle overwatch and recon sweeps p>
“Mira – med and comms. Keep us connected.” ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ.net
“Zeke, you’re with me on breach and front line p>
She stepped back, eyes sweeping her team.
“We don’t know who this guy is. But we do know people are in danger. Keep your heads clear and your weapons low unless I say otherwise p>
The team responded in unison, “Yes, ma’am p>
Lexa gave one last look at the blinking map. “We move out in five. Let’s bring survivors to safety p>
The transport vehicle rumbled steadily down the cracked highway, its reinforced wheels grinding over broken pavement and scorched soil. Inside, Lexa sat near the front, staring out the small side window as they passed rows of abandoned neighborhoods and overgrown streets.
They had already passed two Red Zones, each marked by collapsed barricades and faded warning signs. No AMSO unit had been assigned to those areas yet. There were no rescue teams.
Lexa’s jaw tightened as she spotted a burnt playground in the distance, its swings still swaying in the wind. So many places… and so few of them left to protect it all.
Behind her, the rest of her team sat in silence, conserving energy, checking gear, or quietly watching the scenery. Dax leaned over, whispering just enough for her to hear. “Another unassigned zone p>
Lexa nodded. “Third one this week p>
Kara, seated across from them, muttered, “We don’t have enough AMS to cover everything. Not even half.” Lexa didn’t respond at first. Her eyes were locked on a shattered grocery store, its windows painted red with dried blood.
“Too many are still out there,” she said quietly. “Waiting for help that might never come p>
“That mysterious man who keeps breaching red zones though… I heard from one of the operators in the control room that this is already the second time,” Karyle said, lowering her voice. “The first incident happened days ago in H3, the residential housing sector. He saved forty-three survivors! But you have to keep this a secret, alright? I’m only telling you guys because I trust you p>
“And who exactly told you that, Gyle?” Mira asked, raising an eyebrow. “Are you planning to date him just because he’s giving you classified details p>
Lexa said nothing, quietly listening as the others bantered. These five were her closest friends. Mira, Karyle, and Zeke had been with her during the chaos at Metro Doctors Hospital. That mission had bonded them tightly. As for the fraternal twins, Lior and Dax, she met them during AMSO training through Mira, who turned out to be their cousin.
“Gyle’s just helpful,” Karyle defended with a shrug. “Besides, I like the guy even without the insider information p>
“I still don’t get why he’s not part of AMSO,” Zeke said, frowning. “Why go solo when he could be working with us p>
“Didn’t you hear what the Commander said earlier?” Mira replied. “He might be a UMS p>
“To be honest, I feel bad for the UMS,” Zeke admitted. “It’s not like they’re all bad people. Now they’re in hiding, scared of us, because we’ve been ordered to hunt them down. Can’t the lab just invent something to stop them from turning into monsters p>
Lexa let out a quiet sigh. She understood the campaign against the UMS, but she never made it her priority. Her focus was always on saving survivors. That was also why she preferred working with a smaller, hand-picked team, the very AMS standing here now. They all shared the same belief: protect the innocent first, no matter what.
“Even if he is UMS… he saved lives, and he did it alone. That counts for something,” Zeke said. “But the government’s scared of the UMS because they can mutate into Meteorborns, especially in critical condition or right after death. You can’t just send them out on rescue missions. Their lives would constantly be at risk, and instead of helping, they might end up hurting the very people they’re supposed to save p>
“That’s true,” Mira agreed with a soft sigh. “And in that sense, we can’t really blame the government. They’ve probably weighed the pros and cons already. Their focus is on restoring peace and order to the country p>
“Still, hunting down UMS even before they turn into monsters… it just feels like too much,” Karyle said, her voice low but firm.
Lexa couldn’t agree more.
Mira glanced at her and smiled. “That’s exactly why I always want to join missions under Commander Lexa. She prioritizes saving survivors over chasing UMS p>
“But our mission this time is to capture that man,” Dax reminded them. “It’s different now. Before, Commander Lexa would just report that there were no UMS in the area, even if we encountered one. But this time, it’s a direct order from the Supreme Commander to capture that man p>
“So… are we really going to capture him or not?” Karyle asked, curiosity lacing her voice. “I mean, he did break protocol by sneaking into the red zones without authorization p>