Chapter 256: Silverpeak MDC - II

The headlights of Bulldog One and Two cut through the darkening road toward Silverpeak.

The contacts Brandon had seen on Radar began appearing as the Guardians rounded the next bend.

A heavy barrier blocked most of the highway ahead. Four armed soldiers stood around the open section, while more positions were visible farther back along both sides of the road.

The lead soldier stepped forward and raised a clenched fist.

Bulldog One stopped well short of the barrier. Bulldog Two halted farther back and slightly to the side, leaving enough distance between them to maneuver if the situation changed.

Neither Guardian pointed its autocannon toward the soldiers ahead.

One of the soldiers at the barrier raised his voice.

"This is First Sergeant John Walkes of the Silverpeak Mountain Defense Command. You’re entering military-protected territory. Identify yourselves!"

Bulldog One’s commander answered from the vehicle.

"Golden Eagle Army, Southern Command. We came from Grefort City."

The soldiers ahead exchanged several looks.

"State your purpose," Walkes continued.

"Establish contact with any surviving authority in Silverpeak. We were ordered to approach peacefully and speak with whoever is in command."

There was a short pause.

"Remain where you are."

Walkes stepped back toward the barrier and spoke into his radio.

Inside Bulldog One, the crew continued watching the surrounding positions. The four soldiers on the road were only the ones making contact. Others remained behind cover along the slopes and farther into the trees.

Bulldog One reported quietly over the channel.

"Contact established. Awaiting verification from their local command."

"Copy, Bulldog One." Brandon replied.

Several minutes passed before the soldier at the barrier approached again.

"You, over there! Who commands your force?"

"Commander Joseph Brandon."

Walkes hesitated.

"What Ashington command do you answer to?"

"Golden Eagle Army Command."

Several of the soldiers looked toward one another.

"What command?"

"Golden Eagle."

Walkes stared at the Guardian.

"Who commands the Golden Eagle Army?"

"Golden Eagle himself."

The soldiers reacted immediately.

The two nearest the road moved behind the barrier while rifles came up from the positions farther along the slopes. More movement appeared behind the roadside cover as the checkpoint shifted into a defensive posture.

"What’s the meaning of this?"

Walkes remained partly behind the barrier.

"I’m going to ask you one more time. Who is your commanding officer?"

"Golden Eagle."

"Name and rank!"

Bulldog One did not answer immediately.

"Southern Command, it seems we might have a problem here."

Brandon frowned. They had given the only answers they could.

The Golden Eagle Army had soldiers, officers, bases and enough equipment to field an army, but none of it belonged to any Ashington command the people ahead could recognize.

If anything, the soldiers blocking the road had more conventional authority behind them than Brandon did.

The soldiers on the road disappeared behind cover while the positions around them became much more active. Nobody fired, but the checkpoint was preparing for the possibility.

A new marker appeared on Brandon’s Radar. This one was green.

It was moving quickly toward the checkpoint from farther inside Silverpeak. Brandon watched it for another second before switching channels.

"Bulldog One, Bulldog Two. Hold position. Do not move."

"Copy."

"We’ve got someone friendly coming in from the south."

"I’m afraid we don’t have much time, Southern Command," Bulldog One replied.

"I don’t know who you people are or what you’re doing this far south, but turn around and head back before this gets worse!"

Walkes shouted from behind the barrier.

The two Guardians remained where they were. Their engines continued idling on the road.

"I’m going to count to—"

"Sarge!"

Walkes turned toward one of the soldiers beside him.

"Command just replied. Hold fire. Do not engage the Golden Eagle Army."

"What?"

"Direct order. Hold the checkpoint and wait."

Walkes stared at him.

"Did you tell them the whole report? Hold fire for what? These guys sound fucking Valerian."

"I know."

"And Command wants us to sit here?"

"They’re sending someone."

Walkes looked back toward the two Guardians.

"Fuck."

He stayed behind the barrier with his rifle ready.

"If those people are Valerian, this checkpoint won’t be the only thing they hit."

"I know, Sarge."

The checkpoint came to a standstill.

The soldiers remained behind cover with their weapons ready, but nobody moved toward the Guardians.

Bulldog One and Two did the same. Neither side had anything else to do except wait.

A few minutes later, another pair of headlights appeared farther down the road. A dark civilian car came around the bend from inside Silverpeak and slowed as it approached the checkpoint.

"Vehicle approaching, Southern Command. Friendly marker is inside."

Brandon watched the green marker move toward Bulldog One and Two. He had no idea who it belonged to yet.

The car stopped several meters behind the checkpoint.

Genevieve Courbet stepped out from the passenger side. She still wore dark SAS field layers beneath the long black coat Brandon’s records showed from the earlier Cell Seven contact.

"Agent Courbet!" Walkes raised his voice from behind the barrier.

"These people say they’re with the Golden Eagle Army. Keep your head down!"

"You don’t have to shout, Sergeant."

Genevieve’s gaze went straight toward the two Guardian APCs.

She remembered those vehicles forcing a path through the horde during Cell Seven’s evacuation. She also remembered the base they came from, and the strange Commander who somehow had all of it under him.

Hans had answered very little that day, then let her people leave without asking for anything in return. She had wondered about him more than once since.

"I know who these people are."

Walkes looked at her.

"You know them?"

Genevieve ignored the question and walked past the barrier. Bulldog One’s commander watched her approach alone.

"Southern Command, do you see this?"

"I do." Brandon narrowed his eyes.

Agent Genevieve Courbet.

Brandon recognized the name immediately. Cell Seven’s acting lead, an SAS agent and a confirmed HELIX recipient with an unusual earth-shifting ability.

More importantly, she had dealt with Hans personally.

"Keep things friendly, Bulldog One."

"Understood."

Genevieve stopped a few meters before the Guardian APC. The soldiers behind her stared as she walked toward it without hesitation.

"So it really is the Golden Eagle Army."

"Agent Courbet. It’s been a while."

"How’s your Commander?"

"The Commander is doing fine, Agent."

"Does he miss me already?"

"That, we cannot answer."

"Typical." Genevieve rolled her eyes. "And he still hasn’t changed that callsign. Did he ever think things through after?"

The Golden Eagle callsign did not bother Genevieve nearly as much as it bothered the soldiers behind her.

She had already met the man using it.

"I can tell Mountain Defense Command that you’re the same people I dealt with in Grefort."

Genevieve glanced toward the checkpoint. "That should stop anyone here from shooting you."

"That’s appreciated."

"Don’t celebrate yet."

Her attention returned to the Guardian.

"Command still wants to speak with your Commander before the rest of your force goes anywhere."

"Understood."

Bulldog One switched channels. "Did you hear that, Southern Command?"

"Loud and clear." Brandon turned to the Radio Operator. "Prep me a convoy."