Clear Water, Hidden Danger

Chapter 50 – The Morning Surprise

The plant woke slow.

Not lazy.
Just sore.
Bodies that had been running on fumes for days finally got one night where nothing lunged out of the dark, nothing collapsed, nothing screamed through the radios.

People drifted into the break area rubbing their eyes, dragging boots, clutching steaming mugs like they were holding the last warmth on earth. The room filled with the soft scrape of chairs and the muffled resignation of people who thought they had a day off.

Neal dropped into her seat with a grunt.
Wolf leaned back far enough to crack his spine.
Santiago’s head literally hit the table for a second before he caught himself.
Even IBF looked half-dead, and firefighters were supposed to like mornings.

Then I stepped in.

The collective groan was instant.

Neal muttered,
“Oh great… his face says ‘idea.’”

Santiago didn’t lift his head.
“Of course he has an idea. Of course.”

Even Wolf squinted like staring at me too long might activate more work.

I didn’t say a word.

Not yet.

I grabbed the handheld radio off the hook, clicked it on, and brought it to my mouth.

Every drowsy eye in the room lifted.
Every coffee mug froze midair.
People leaned in even though they pretended not to.

“Clear Water to NLC. Major Jackson, do you copy?”

Static.

Groans turned into suspicion.

Then Jackson’s voice crackled through:

“…Go ahead.”

I kept my eyes on the room while I answered.

“Road is clear from CWP to Towne Center Drive. Blackhawk corridor is clean. We’re mobilizing this morning.”

People straightened.
Wolf blinked twice.
Neal sat up like I’d slapped her awake.

Jackson asked,
“For what purpose?”

I let the suspense hang for half a beat.

Then:

“We’re going shopping.”

Half the room froze.

The other half needed the words to process.
Santiago actually lifted his head.
IBF exchanged looks like they weren’t sure they heard correctly.
Even Cruz poked her head around the corner with a raised eyebrow.

Jackson exhaled through the speaker — not annoyed, not confused, just accepting that this was now happening.

“Understood. You’ll receive full NLC support.”

“Copy,” I said. “Advise your people to prep loading crews. Western Grocer run.”

I hung the radio back on the cradle.

Silence.

Neal was the first to speak.

“Wait… like… actually shopping?”

“Food,” I said. “All of it. Everything not bolted down.”

Wolf let out a low whistle.
“Thought we had a day off.”

“You do,” I said. “This is the day off.”

Santiago snorted.
“Only you would call a grocery raid a vacation.”

IBF started grinning behind their exhaustion.
Medeles cracked his knuckles, already imagining pushing carts full of supplies through a dead quiet store.

Then I continued:

“We’re taking the kids.”

Every adult in the room stopped breathing for a moment.

Cruz stepped forward, voice soft but certain.
“They haven’t been outside the fence in months.”

“Exactly,” I said. “We keep them inside the convoy. No running around. No wandering. They just see the sky from somewhere that isn’t CWP.”

Neal nodded slowly.

“Yeah,” she said. “They need that.”

I scanned the room.

“No Zerkers between here and Towne Center. No movement. No bodies. We take the MCU, the semi, IBF apparatus, and a five-vehicle escort. Clear in, clear out.”

Wolf raised a hand.

“So one question,” he said. “Who breaks the news to the kids?”

I didn’t answer.

Because in the doorway, the kids had already peeked in, eyes wide, listening.

Gabriel whispered,
“Did he just say… shopping?”

Cami whispered back,
“I heard it. I heard it with my own ears.”

Marie stepped fully into the room, hands on her hips like she’d just solved a crime.

“When are we leaving?”

Everyone laughed for the first time in days.

And the mission — the strangest, calmest, most human one we’d had in a long while — officially began.

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ANONYMOUS FIELD LOG — ENTRY ALPHA
CLASSIFIED — PROJECT ECHO CLEARANCE REQUIRED:
CWP internal comms confirmed Anchor initiated a non-hazardous outbound mobilization designated “Western Grocer Run.” Roadway sweep from CWP to Towne Center reported clear: no Phase-III movement, no ambient resonance spikes, no corridor breaches. IBF apparatus, convoy escort vehicles, and MCU assets prepped for controlled civilian exposure (children included) under full perimeter discipline. Plant morale elevated; operational posture low-threat. Zero anomalies detected within Anchor’s radius. Monitoring continues.

========================================
ANONYMOUS FIELD LOG — ENTRY BRAVO
CLASSIFIED — PROJECT ECHO CLEARANCE REQUIRED:
NLC received open-band advisory from Anchor confirming clear transit path along Blackhawk and Towne Center corridor. No Phase-III movement observed on clinic perimeter sensors; no structural resonance detected in sublevels. NLC personnel preparing static support only; no deployment requested. Civilian chatter from returning groups indicates renewed stability at CWP following UNMC run. Clinic remains sealed pending further joint-mission scheduling.