Chapter 258: Silverpeak MDC - IV
Polls led them inside.
The building looked more like an active military headquarters than anything ceremonial. Lights remained on throughout the ground floor, while soldiers moved between several rooms carrying folders, radios and equipment.
Maps covered parts of the walls. Some showed Silverpeak’s roads and valleys, while others were marked with handwritten notes around blocked routes, occupied areas and military positions.
The place was worn from months of use, but almost every wall and table carried something useful.
They went through two corridors before stopping in front of a set of double doors.
Polls knocked three times.
"Captain Polls. Commander Brandon from Grefort is here."
A voice answered from inside.
"Bring him in."
Polls opened the door and stepped aside for Brandon.
Inside, a long table occupied most of the room.
Two MDC officers sat near one end.
The older man in the center wore a colonel’s insignia. His hair had already begun turning gray around the sides, while the tired look around his eyes matched much of what Brandon had seen throughout Silverpeak.
A Major sat beside him with a thicker build and a much sharper expression. Unlike the Colonel, he made no effort to hide that he was already studying Brandon from head to toe.
Four representatives occupied the opposite side.
Their uniforms were cleaner than most of the MDC personnel Brandon had seen outside, although they still showed signs of long use. A different military insignia marked their shoulders and chest.
The man nearest the center looked to be the senior member of the group. He sat straight with both hands resting on the table, while the woman beside him watched Brandon with a much less welcoming expression.
Two civilian representatives sat closer to the front. One was an older man in a worn coat, with several folders spread in front of him. The woman beside him looked just as exhausted, although she continued reading through a page even after the door opened.
Three others sat together farther back. Their clothes were more practical than formal, with work jackets, identification cards and several technical documents stacked between them.
Their conversation stopped as Brandon entered.
Polls stepped farther into the room.
"Commander Joseph Brandon, Golden Eagle Army. Southern Command."
Several eyes settled on Brandon.
"He’s the commander of the force that came from the north?"
The senior representative looked toward Colonel Voroltz.
"Colonel, you’re seriously allowing them into this meeting?"
The woman beside him leaned forward.
"We still haven’t established who they answer to."
Colonel Voroltz raised one hand.
"We’ve already gone through this."
He gestured toward Genevieve as she entered behind Brandon.
"Agent Courbet has dealt with their forces personally. She gave me enough reason to hear them out."
The officer looked toward Genevieve.
"And we’re supposed to treat an SAS agent’s personal judgment as military authentication?"
Genevieve stopped beside the wall.
"No." Her eyes shifted toward him. "You’re supposed to treat it as firsthand intelligence."
The man gave a quiet snort.
"That doesn’t make them legitimate in any sense. Colonel, if you continue with this, a lot of things will be compromised."
"I will be the judge of that, captain."
The woman from the right turned back toward Voroltz.
"Colonel, we’re discussing Silverpeak’s security, strategic infrastructure and access to the western corridor. You’re bringing an unaffiliated army into that discussion."
"That is why we should let them speak first. They’ve shown enough discipline to get this far. Now, can we let this gentleman speak?"
Before Voroltz could continue, the officer beside the woman spoke.
"Then our concern remains the same. If this Golden Eagle Army answers to no recognized Ashington command, what exactly are they?"
The Major beside Voroltz finally spoke.
"They’re sitting outside with armored vehicles while you’re sitting here asking that question."
His voice hardened.
"I suggest we hear their answer before deciding what they are."
The officer looked toward him.
"Our government did not send us here to legitimize private armies."
"And the Mountain Defense Command did not invite you here to decide who we’re allowed to speak with."
The Major started to rise.
Voroltz raised his hand again.
"Major."
The Major stopped and settled back into his seat. Voroltz then looked toward Brandon.
"Commander Brandon."
Brandon met his gaze.
"You’ve already caused enough arguments before taking a seat."
A few people around the table shifted slightly. Voroltz gestured toward the empty chair.
"Sit down and tell us what the Golden Eagle Army is."
Brandon pulled the chair back and sat down.
His eyes swept the table, taking in the clean insignias of the Ashington representatives, the grim posture of the Mountain Defense Command, and the exhausted civilian administrators buried under their dossiers.
"We’re an army operating out of Grefort."
The senior representative frowned.
"We need credentials and authority, Commander Brandon. Not your rhetorics."
Brandon looked toward him, then shifted to the colonel.
"Are they from the installation farther south?"
Voroltz narrowed his eyes, stealing a glance toward Genevieve. "Did you tell Commander Brandon here about our other guests?"
Genevieve yawned. "Of course not, Colonel. Commander Brandon has his own sources."
"Then I won’t make it long. Commander Brandon, Captain Jason Hawkes, head of the southern delegation. Dr. Anna Snitzch, one of their research specialists. And—"
"Colonel, let’s skip the pleasantries," Captain Hawkes interrupted. "This man hasn’t shown us a single credential or proof of authority since he entered the room."
"Very well then, if that is what Captain Hawkes wants." Voroltz stepped back from the conversation. "Commander Brandon, please."
"I can’t give you what you want."
The room fell silent.
"The Golden Eagle Army does not answer to any surviving Ashington ministry, regional command or military headquarters. We answer to our Commander."
Anna leaned forward.
"So you admit you’re an unauthorized armed force."
"By your definition? Yes."
The Major beside Voroltz glanced toward Brandon, while several of the civilian representatives exchanged looks.
Brandon continued, resting his arms on the table.
"That does not change what we are capable of doing."
"Regardless of your capabilities, Commander, that doesn’t make you a government. Can we be clear on that?"
Hawkes interrupted again.
"Who ever said it did? I’m not here to convince you that we have some legal document we don’t have."
He looked toward Colonel Voroltz.
"I’m here because the Golden Eagle Army was ordered to establish contact with surviving forces in Silverpeak and determine if cooperation is possible."
Voroltz studied him.
"And if it is not?"
"Then my forces will stay outside your territory and I’ll report that back to Command. Perhaps we’ll head toward Skinshank, or take that northwest road with the destination crossed out."
The woman narrowed her eyes.
"You expect us to believe an army with that much equipment came all this way just to ask permission?"
Brandon looked toward her.
"No."
The answer came immediately.
"I already told you why we’re here. We want to know whether cooperation with Silverpeak is possible."
He leaned back slightly.
"If you tell us to leave, we’ll leave and continue elsewhere. If someone decides to fire on us instead, that’s a different matter."
The woman crossed her arms.
"Do you really think you can simply walk away from Silverpeak?"
"Yes."
Hawkes scoffed.
"Colonel, you seriously believe whatever comes out of this man’s mouth?"
Before Voroltz could answer, Brandon’s communicator came alive.
"BACV One to Southern Command. Do you copy?"
Brandon touched the receiver. "Go ahead."
"Large infected movement detected deeper inside the city. Multiple groups are converging toward your sector."
Brandon’s expression changed as he brought up the Radar map.
Red markers were moving through several streets farther inside Silverpeak, gathering into one larger mass as they moved toward the occupied area.
But something else caught his attention. A small cluster of gray markers remained close to the edge of the infected movement.
They were too close to the advancing horde.
"Commander Brandon? Is something the matter?" Voroltz was already watching him.
"We have a problem." Brandon looked up from the map. "My men have picked up a large infected group moving toward this sector."
Hawkes stood up. "The central sectors were quiet when we came through. What changed?"
Anna remained seated. Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the folder in front of her before loosening again.
"Captain Hawkes, I will not repeat myself. Remain professional, or I will have you removed from this room."
Voroltz turned toward the Major beside him. "Major, get someone to verify Commander Brandon’s claim."
Before anyone could move, the door opened abruptly. Two soldiers hurried inside, both short of breath.
"Colonel Voroltz! Fourth Recon Squad just reported in. A large horde is moving toward us!"