Hector's astonishment could be met by three different people in the room. After confirming the arrival of 000 at the unit camp, the majority were forced to exit upon strict instructions.
'This is it. ' Kalvec, along with two other officers, stared at Hector as to proceed giving orders. This was an opportunity for him to step up his game and win the title of Major, but it wasn't as easy as it sounded.
True, they were adult men, armed and trained. Anyone could see that a hundred of them could easily overpower a small teenage girl. But would they change their thought after seeing the unexpected explosion of one of the unit's cars?
Hector was there; he had seen it, and so did the five people with him. Kalvec was too stunned even to speak, and just stared at the huge screen.
"What a girl", said Major Garfield. A man in his thirties with a harsh red beard. True, he was a Major and the most powerful in this room, but a part of him told him that he should let Hector handle this situation.
"Major, please don't encourage this", said Sergeant Ford. A man with soft-spoken eyes and white skin was cautious and irritated at the same time. "This is much bigger than expected".
"Aw, come on, she's a kid. That's got to be the most expressive thing you've ever seen, and besides, the Colonel did inform us that she was a special case".
"That was what we were told", said another person.
Klavec turned around to see someone he really didn't want to.
"Monarc!" cried Garfeild. He moved forward to give him a pat on his shoulder. "My, how long has it been, my boy? You look like you haven't slept for ages".
"If it concerns you, why don't you take half of my workload?" Monarc replied, as if it might sound like a joke, but no. It didn't. He moved forward, purposely ignoring Kalvec, and stood face-to-face in front of the screen.
"What the hell are you doing?" asked Kalvec in his aggressive tone.
"My job".
Hector, amazed by Monarc's appearance, knew exactly what he was thinking. He turned around to face the men with him.
"This may seem like a joke to you, but believe it or not, we are dealing with a devil. This girl is a sixteen-year-old high schooler who, for no good reason, is labeled as dangerous. Capturing her won't be easy, and it would definitely not work, so for now, we need to take extreme measures".
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The ash and smoke filled the nostrils of the soldiers as they ran past the exploded vehicle. Their senses were still shocked by a certain someone, and that someone was now their target.
Orette ran as a free bird. If it were a normal person, he would be sweating with anxiety about getting captured. But this was 000, she ran past the other vehicles and increased her speed by every second. She lurched over the fence and headed straight to the woods.
"Shit!" murmured one of the soldiers, "She's becoming difficult sir".
One of the unit members stepped forward, urging everyone to regroup according to their designated unit numbers. A sense of urgency filled the air as Units 1 to 4 branched off towards the north, their footsteps quickening with determination.
Meanwhile, Units 5 to 8 veered east, their hearts racing with anticipation, while Units 11 to 13 headed west, their eyes scanning the landscape for any signs of activity. Unit 9, however, remained steadfast at the base, waiting for further instructions.
Twenty tense minutes slipped by, marked only by the occasional rustle of leaves and distant animal calls. Frustration simmered in the air as Units 5 and 8, unable to shake their unease, decided to reach out to Unit 1 for updates on their search. Yet, thirty additional minutes dragged on without any meaningful communication or discoveries.
Finally, a consensus emerged among Units 1 to 4—a vote to abandon their search and return to the safety of the base camp. They sensed that time was slipping away and that it was best to let Unit 9 take the lead in this daunting operation. The atmosphere was thick with disappointment, but the weight of practicality prevailed, as each member prepared to retrace their steps through the encroaching dusk.
Unit 9, patiently waiting on the base camp for Units to arrive, got a call from the headquarters.
"This is Captain Zolain of unit 9", said Zolain as he picked up the small phone.
"This is Sergeant Hector from H.Q. Zolain, I want you to inform Units 1 to 4 to remain at their post. I repeat, inform Units 1 to 4 to remain at their post".
Zolain, who was reluctant to ask any further questions, ended his thoughts and replied, "As you wish, sir".
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"Now, could you explain why the hell you did that?", commanded Kalvec as he furiously glared at Monarc.
The other officers were also confused and demanded the same thing. Monarc, intensity stares at the screens projecting different locations: The base, its entrance, and a few parts of the forest that include the swamp, the river site, the plain pathway with bushes, and the narrow trees.
"Have you ever thought that maybe this girl is running in circles?" assumed Monarc.
Everyone stayed still. For a minute, they thought, 'Why haven't I thought of this before?'.
"So you're saying she doesn't know what she is doing or where she is going", said Hector as he broke the silence.
"That's absurd", argued Kalvec, "I mean, why run if you don't know where you're going?".
Major Garfeild stepped up and said, "You know, there are few people who run for fun. But judging by this situation." He gestures towards the screen, "It seems as if a prisoner has a jail break and is enjoying his freedom".
"So what does this all connect to?", questioned Sergeant Ford.
"It means she doesn't know where she's headed", answered Hector. "This just gives us the opportunity to make our work easier".
Hector calls again, but this time he calls the unit 5 Captain Harlord.
"This is the captain of Unit 5, Harlord speaking".
"Harlord, this is Sergeant Hector from H.Q., right now, place your men according to the given coordinates. Inform units 6 and 7 to reach the river site, and unit 8 to merge with unit 1".