Chapter 600: [Bonus - ] Muster Ground - The Gates Close.

Chapter 600: [Bonus Chapter] Muster Ground - The Gates Close.

Across the Muster Ground, tension spread everywhere. Soldiers ran through the massive base while fully equipped. Squads moving from one location to another under hurried orders.

Some carried thermal rifles against their chests; others wore protective gear and heavier weapons normally reserved for emergencies.

Nobody seemed to know exactly what was happening. The only thing most soldiers understood was that something was terribly wrong.

The strange vibrations beneath their feet hadn’t stopped, and the higher-ranking officers who normally appeared during an emergency were nowhere to be found.

Instead, fragmented orders came from every direction at once.

Move here.

Secure that area.

Wait for further instructions.

Most of the soldiers had been left completely in the dark. Several soldiers stopped in the road, looking around nervously.

"What is going on?"

"Why are the officers leaving?"

"I don’t know."

"Then why are the generals leaving the base?"

And this was the question that troubled every soldiers in the base.

Because they had all seen it.

Rows of military convoys were speeding through the base in frantic race toward the main exit.

The convoy moved far faster than they ever did within Muster Ground. More importantly, there were armed escorts surrounding them.

Jeeps led the way while heavily armored vehicles followed, protecting the convoy as it rushed toward the gates.

Inside those vehicles weren’t ordinary soldiers. They were high-ranking officers.

Generals.

People who normally stayed within the base’s most secured areas and rarely moved without a solid reason.

Yet here they were, leaving in a hurry, without ceremony. They were simply trying to get out.

For the first time since the Muster Ground had been established, soldiers watched their own leaders rushing to flee the base.

Confusion spread across their faces.

Some stared at the departing convoys with their mouths hanging open.

Others stepped aside as the vehicles roared past.

A few raised a hand to salute out of pure instinct, only for it to freeze mid-air as they watched the convoy vanish into the distance.

"What is happening?" a young soldier asked quietly.

His squadmate shook his head. "No one knows"

"They look scared as if they were fleeing."

The moment those words left his mouth, both soldiers fell silent, unwilling to admit what they’d just witnessed.

At the main gate, the security detail watched the approaching convoys with growing confusion.

They’d been told to maintain security and allow authorized personnel to leave as needed, but no one had explained why nearly every important officer in the base seemed to be racing for the exit at once.

While they were confused, the convoy flashed past through the gate, dissappearing into the distance. Before the tail light of the first convoy could vanished from their sight, another convoy appeared and rush through the gate, chasing after the first one.

And just like that, the sight that many would never forget in their lives appeared before them as they watch one high ranking convoy flee before their eyes.

Just then, another convoy drew closer. Its headlights sweeping across the road as the vehicles accelerated toward the gate.

The guards straightened back at once.

Suddenly the communication device belonging to the captain in charge suddenly rang and the sharp sound cuts through the tension.

Quickly, the captain grabbed it. "Captain speaking."

A voice came through. As he listened, his expression slowly changing, color draining from his face as the order settled in.

"Close the gate and don’t allow anyone to leave."

The Captain’s eyes widened but there was nothing for him to say.

The voice continued. "And if they try to force their way out, open fire."

With that, the line went dead.

The captain lowered the device slowly, staring at it for several seconds, unable to fully process what he’d just heard.

"Captain, what is it?" one of the nearby soldiers asked.

He turned toward his squad with his mouth opened but no words came out.

He glanced at the convoy racing toward them, then back at the device in his hand. The order was clear.

Nobody was allowed to leave.

He took a deep breath, his face hardening. "Close the gate and no one is allowed to leave the base."

"Hmm?"

Every soldier around him froze, staring at their captain in confusion. One glanced toward the massive gate.

Another looked at the convoy still closing in from the distance.

"But Captain..."

The soldier stopped himself the instant he saw the look on his superior’s face. This wasn’t a joke.

Whatever had happened, the order was real.

The squad snapped into motion, some rushing toward the control mechanism, others moving to secure the gate itself.

The massive metal doors began to move, slowly at first, then faster as the heavy machinery groaned and the enormous panels drew closer.

And in that moment, the convoy in the distant was already close to the gate. It was moving faster than the others.

Headlights flashed repeatedly as they raced toward the entrance.

The captain’s eyes widened. "Close the gate now!"

His command echoed across the checkpoint. Quickly, the soldiers shook off their shock as they scrambled to finish the job.

The gate was nearly sealed shut by the time the approaching convoy reached the final stretch of road.

Inside the lead jeep, the driver frowned as he saw the massive gate sinking downward ahead of him.

"What are they doing?" He grabbed his radio at once.

The convoy kept closing the distance and the gate kept closing too. And without hesitation, he pressed the radio.

"General, the exit has been closed."

For a moment, there was nothing and then, a furious voice cut through. "What do you mean the exit has been closed?"

The driver’s face tightened as he glanced at the gate again. It was nearly shut completely.

"The guards are closing it, General."

The voice came back immediately, sharper than before.

"Do everything to open the damn gate. We must leave the base immediately."

Standing on the wall, the captain stared at the convoy while his heart pounded heavily against his chest.

’I hope I did the right thing.’

****

[AN: This Chapter is sponsored by: Scott_Berry_3382]