Chapter 31: Schemes

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Schemes Stephen left the briefing room, his boots striking the floor in quick, measured steps. He didn’t head straight for his office. First, there was something more crucial to handle. His squad needed to be ready, truly ready, not just for another standard sweep, but for the unknown horror Ivy had warned him of. He strode into the preparation hall, where his soldiers were gathered, some cleaning their weapons, others checking supplies. The moment they saw him enter, the room straightened, as if his mere presence had commanded discipline. Stephen’s sharp eyes swept over them. "Listen up," he began, voice firm, no room for argument. "We’re not treating this like our usual runs. I want extra gear loaded. Double ammunition. Reinforce your vests, shield pads, anything that will buy you more time if things go south. No excuses." The room paused. A murmur of surprise rippled through the soldiers. They had done this sort of mission countless times in the past two months. It was dangerous, yes, but manageable. Always manageable. One of the soldiers stepped forward, Corporal Harris, a man who had served under Stephen for years and knew his ways better than most. His brows drew together in puzzlement. "Sir?" Harris’s voice was respectful but laced with confusion. "Begging your pardon, but... isn’t this overkill? We’ve handled these suburban clears before. As long as we take out the mindless ones, the survivors are easy to extract. We’ve done it plenty, sir." Stephen’s jaw tightened, his eyes darkening as he turned to face Harris fully. He didn’t raise his voice; he didn’t need to. "This isn’t the same as before," Stephen said quietly, but his words carried through the room. "This time, we might be facing a mutated snake. A big one." The hall fell deathly silent. You could’ve heard a pin drop. The soldiers exchanged glances, their earlier confidence shifting into unease. Harris stared at him, searching his face for any sign of jest or uncertainty, but found none. "Sir... are you sure?" Stephen’s gaze didn’t waver. "I’m sure. From the signs and from the warning I received, this is the only conclusion I can draw." His mind flashed briefly to Ivy’s solemn warning. "If that thing’s out there," Stephen continued, "we can’t afford to go in unprepared. You know I wouldn’t ask this if it weren’t necessary." Harris nodded slowly, the weight of his general’s certainty sinking in. "Understood, sir. If you say so, we’ll be ready. We trust your judgment." Others nodded. Once Stephen left, some of the soldiers snorted, "God, why is the General so gullible? What mutated snake? Have you heard of such a thing before?" This Ronan, he was Frank’s nephew and a spoiled brat. While getting admitted, he flaunted, saying he would join Frank’s team. However, his luck was truly worse. He had accidentally offended one of the top officers, and that was how he had ended up in Stephen’s team. Feeling aggrieved, Ronan influenced some of the soldiers and built his influence. His minions started to chime in, "Exactly, General has become old and doesn’t understand right from wrong! I will not listen to his words!" Parker, who had golden brown and deep brown eyes, chimed in. "Right! Leader Ronan, don’t worry, we won’t listen to the General and only follow you!" Mark’s light caramel curly hair bounced slightly due to the excitement in his voice. Ronan, satisfied, vanity boosted by his minion, puffed his chest. ................ Stephen paced in his room. He knew that his preparation wasn’t enough. Maybe he was being paranoid, or maybe Frank’s smugness had alerted him, but Stephen kept on thinking that the things were much more complex than they seemed. His head started to ache, followed by a wave of weakness. Having no choice, Stephen sat in the chair and massaged his temple. After hesitating, he decided to take the help of his nephew. He took out his phone and dialed Silas’s number. Once the call was connected, Stephen uttered, "Ivy... Ivy may truly have the power to predict the future." ................. Silas’s eyes narrowed, hearing his uncle’s words. He was 99% sure of his theory, but now... the last 1% confirmation was received from his Uncle. "Uncle, did you drag Frank with you?" He asked. Unlike his parents and his younger brother, Silas was well-versed in schemes. He had entered the business world at the age of 14 and built his empire without any support from his parents or relatives. Every small coincidence is always related to a grand scheme. "No," Stephen replied in a hoarse voice. "I didn’t get the chance. Frank was quick to take action." A glint flashed in Silas’s eyes, "Uncle, wear extra safety gear. If you know about the spies in Frank’s team, kill them or ask someone to keep an eye on them. The best situation would be if you leave them." "Do you suspect.. Frank is behind everything?" Stephen asked with a narrowed gaze. "No... It’s more like Frank knows something we don’t," Silas answered. "My team and I will assist you in the mission." "But you..." Stephen tried to reject the offer; however, Silass interrupted him, "Uncle, now is not the time to think about avoiding suspicion. If you die... the entire Blackthorn family will lose one of the strongest pillars." Stephen’s eyes widened in surprise. Though Silas didn’t say the word outright, he understood that maybe someone was taking advantage of the arrival of zombies to wipe out the entire Blackthorn family. His mouth opened for a long time before he uttered in a small voice, "Thank Ivy for her help... If I survive this time... She will become the savior of my family." "Hm." Silas nodded and hung up. ................. At the same time, Ivy stared at the family of four surrounding her, and her eyes gleamed. "Ivy, you need to learn discipline. Hence, we are going to leave you in Patrick’s care for the next seven days." Magnus’s authoritative voice echoed in the living room. Isla even pretended to sob and say, "Ivy, I feel my heart aching for you. But Patrick has served in the military for a few years...."