Clear Water, Hidden Danger

Chapter 41 – Wake the City

I told Neal to hold the convoy back one to two miles while Hawk and I pushed the pull ahead. The Zerker wall behind us had grown so thick it looked like the street itself was moving.

We reached the top of 25th Street, the road sloping down toward the NLC gate. I keyed the mic.

“Neal, hold position until my call.”

“Copy,” she replied.

The NLC gate was already cracked open when we rolled up. Someone inside had been watching the cameras, because the instant they saw us approach, the door unlatched with a long metal groan.

Major Jackson stepped out alone.

Hawk killed the engine. The Zerkers slowed behind us, tightening into a formation that should not exist. They stopped just outside my thirty foot radius and stood there, breathing in sync, every head angled forward.

Jackson stared past me at the horde like he had stepped into the wrong universe.

I got out and walked forward until I stood about fifteen feet from him. Hawk stood at my right. Zerkers filled the street behind me in a solid wall that reached back out of sight.

Jackson kept his distance. Forty five feet from the nearest Zerker. Safe. For now.

He spoke first.

“Your transmission last night. You meant every word.”

“I don’t waste oxygen,” I said.

He nodded once. His eyes never left the field behind me. He watched the way they edged forward until the invisible line stopped them. Watched the way they pressed their hands into air they could not cross. Watched the way some of them crouched like sprinters waiting for a gunshot.

None of them moved past the barrier.

Not one.

Jackson swallowed hard. That was the only sign he was still human.

“You towing all of them?” he asked quietly.

“Every one within range.”

“And they follow?” he asked. “No attack. No break. No… frenzy.”

“They follow,” I said.

He exhaled like he was letting go of everything he thought he understood about the world.

I cut straight to it.

“You made a decision. I need it now.”

He hesitated. There was weight behind it. Not fear. Calculation.

Finally he nodded.

“We are coming.”

I did not respond right away. I wanted the conviction to settle, for him to hear himself say it. When he did not take it back, I stepped one inch closer.

“All right. You wait here. When the semi truck arrives, you fall in behind her and the two MCUs.”

He blinked slowly. “Behind the convoy.”

“Correct.”

“And you will be… where?”

“Still a mile or two ahead dragging the city behind me. You stay in the clear pocket behind Neal. You will be one hundred percent safe if you stay exactly where I tell you.”

Behind me, one of the Zerkers slammed into the boundary and ricocheted backward like it had hit a steel wall. Jackson flinched even though it was more than thirty feet away.

I lifted the mic.

“Johnson to Neal.”

“This is Neal.”

“NLC is joining. They will fall in behind MCU One and MCU Two.”

“Copy,” she said. “Convoy will form up and receive them.”

I lowered the mic.

“Welcome to the team, Major.”

Jackson nodded. There was no pride in it. Just acceptance. And a very clear understanding of what he had just committed to.

He stepped back toward the gate. His people were already inside moving fast, grabbing bags, pushing carts, prepping what they could bring.

I walked back to the truck. Hawk climbed in after me.

“You good?” he asked.

“Good enough.”

He started the engine.

The horde behind us adjusted immediately, like a single organism preparing to move.

I keyed the mic one last time.

“Neal. On my mark.”

“Standing by,” she said.

I pressed my foot to the gas.

“Mark.”

The Zerkers surged when I moved. The convoy rolled when Neal moved. And the entire northern corridor of the city began to wake up as we pushed toward Bellevue.

The day had started.

And the city was about to feel it.

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ANONYMOUS FIELD LOG — ENTRY ALPHA
CLASSIFIED — PROJECT ECHO CLEARANCE REQUIRED:
Anchor executed controlled approach to NLC perimeter. Phase III population exhibited full cohesion response, forming an organized wall at thirty foot boundary with zero breach attempts. NLC command (Major Jackson) confirmed alignment with convoy and accepted Anchor’s operational authority without contest. Environmental stressors high; regional Phase III movement now mapped as direct consequence of Anchor displacement. CWP convoy held contingency distance as ordered. Anchor initiated forward pull toward Bellevue; horde behavior consistent and predictable. Continued observation essential; sublevel resonance remains active beneath Anchor’s field.
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ANONYMOUS FIELD LOG — ENTRY BRAVO
CLASSIFIED — PROJECT ECHO CLEARANCE REQUIRED:
NLC evacuation triggered following Anchor arrival. Staff mobilized rapidly, morale mixed but compliance near-total. Major Jackson verified decision to integrate with CWP convoy. Observation: significant psychological impact upon witnessing Phase III halted by Anchor’s boundary; multiple personnel exhibited shock-still reaction. Internal chatter quiet, focused on rapid pack-out. Resonance telemetry confirmed hundreds of Phase III tracking Anchor’s forward-vector movement. Facility now in full relocation phase pending convoy pickup. Infiltration cover preserved; transition to mobile observation underway.