Clear Water, Hidden Danger

Chapter 42 – The Unlikely Alliance

Blackhawk Drive was empty when Neal rounded the corner — empty in the kind of way that made people grip weapons tighter. The sun hit the pavement in long gold streaks. Dust lifted behind the semi’s slow crawl.

Then she saw them.

Two red Fire Engines parked nose-to-nose across the intersection at 25th and Blackhawk. Perfectly positioned. Not blocking, not threatening.

Waiting.

Eighteen firefighters stood in a razor-straight line in front of the trucks. Navy blue slacks. Navy blue shirts. Station 4 patches on their sleeves. Helmets tucked under arms. Boots polished like they still believed inspection day mattered.

Three of them were women. All of them looked like they hadn’t slept in a week.

But every single one stood shoulder to shoulder with their chests up and their eyes forward.

And all eighteen were saluting.

Neal slowed the semi to a crawl.

Hawk’s voice crackled in her ear:
“You seeing that?”

“Yeah,” Neal said, staring through the windshield. “I’m seeing it.”

One firefighter stepped out from the center of the line — broad-shouldered, mid-40s, weathered face, eyes sharp enough to cut glass. Captain’s bars on his collar.

He didn’t wave.
Didn’t shout.
Didn’t posture.

He just held the salute.

Behind Neal, both MCUs rolled in slow, engines humming low, crews inside staring through windows in disbelief.

The Captain dropped his arm finally and stepped forward just enough for his voice to carry.

“Clear Water convoy,” he said. “Station 4 reporting for duty.”

No theatrics.
No radio call.
No offer.
Just a statement — simple and solid.

Neal leaned out the window.

“You sure about that?” she asked. “You heard what he’s dragging up the road.”

“We heard everything,” the Captain said. “And we know what’s coming. We’re not stupid. There’s only one group out here making moves that actually change something.”

He nodded once toward the direction RJ had gone, where the distant echo of the Zerker swarm still pulsed like a heartbeat.

“We want in.”

Neal exhaled slowly, thumb hovering over her comms.

“This is Neal to Johnson,” she said. “We’ve… got a situation.”

Your voice came back steady:

“Define situation.”

“Station 4. Full crew. They’re standing on Blackhawk saluting the convoy.”

A beat of silence.
Then your voice, flat but decisive:

“If they want to join… they join.”

Hawk muttered, “Jesus, RJ.”

Neal smirked despite herself.

“Yes sir,” she said. “Understood.”

She climbed down from the cab as the Captain approached.

“Fall in behind MCU Two,” Neal said. “You stay tight, you stay clear. He’ll keep the path open. You see anything on the sides, call it in.”

The Captain nodded once.

“We’ll follow your lead.”

The firefighters moved with crisp precision — loading into Engines, buckling in, engines rumbling alive.

Eighteen strangers.
Zero hesitation.
A whole firehouse joining a convoy they never expected to see in their lifetime.

Neal climbed back into the semi and keyed the mic.

“Convoy rolling. Station 4 is with us.”

The Engines fell in line behind the MCUs.

Blackhawk Drive trembled under the weight of a convoy built out of desperation, hope — and the first unexpected alliance of the apocalypse.

The kind of alliance that turns into legend.

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ANONYMOUS FIELD LOG — ENTRY ALPHA
CLASSIFIED — PROJECT ECHO CLEARANCE REQUIRED:
Convoy encountered auxiliary responder unit (Station 4) at Blackhawk Drive. Eighteen personnel presented formal salute and requested integration without coercion. Command authorized immediate inclusion. Firehouse assets displayed discipline and high cohesion, falling into formation behind MCU Two. No internal conflict observed among CWP personnel; morale elevation noted. Anchor remained ahead maintaining Phase III displacement. New alliance assessed as structurally beneficial; additional manpower will enhance load management and defensive capability.
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ANONYMOUS FIELD LOG — ENTRY BRAVO
CLASSIFIED — PROJECT ECHO CLEARANCE REQUIRED:
NLC personnel completed rapid consolidation of assets pending CWP pickup. Facility preparing for final abandonment. Intercepted transmissions confirm new allied firehouse unit joining convoy. Internal sentiment within NLC mixed; some personnel view alliance as stabilizing factor, others express concern over Anchor-centric strategies. Phase III clusters continue full pursuit of Anchor vector with no deviation. Operational cover intact; relocation preparations ongoing.