Chapter 254 Job Well Done?
Ten o'clock in the evening, October 26th, 2023.
Richard stood at the New Clark City airport, his gaze fixed on the descending helicopters from Aparri. The powerful rotor wash stirred the air, creating a gusty atmosphere as they approached the ground. As each helicopter touched down, their doors swung open, revealing the passengers within.
Exhausted locals from the Babuyan Islands, some clutching their belongings, others supporting each other, began to step off. The weariness from their ordeal was evident in their movements, a mixture of relief and lingering fear in their eyes. Soldiers and emergency responders quickly moved in, guiding and escorting the evacuees away from the landing zone.
The soldiers handed out blankets to the displaced islanders. The temperature at the airport was noticeably colder, a stark contrast to the warmth of the islands they had left behind. The evacuees wrapped themselves in the blankets, some huddling together for warmth, others sitting in quiet contemplation.
Richard observed the scene and it gave him a sense of fulfillment. It was fulfilling to the point that he is considering conducting a series of rescue operations in the faraway islands.
But as he was contemplating that, Richard remembered one of the bitter memories during the early days of the apocalypse. He had to point a gun at a student who simply wanted to be rescued. The guilt ached in his heart like it was being pierced with each recollection of that moment.
He wondered what they were doing right now. There was little chance they'd be alive, as when they were running towards the rooftop, zombies were already chasing them. It was only a matter of time before the door that separated the group of students from the zombies would give in.
Shaking off the haunting thoughts, Richard refocused on the present. The world had changed drastically since then, and so had he. He had grown from a survivor to a leader, responsible for not just his own safety but that of many others.
The evacuation efforts at the airport continued smoothly. Medical teams were on standby, providing immediate care to those in need. Food and water were distributed, and temporary shelter arrangements were organized. Then the sound of an object breaking a sound barrier boomed above.
Richard's gaze flickered to the source of the sound, and there he saw Graves in the Titan's Guard Mark II suit. He followed his movement with his eyes and soon after, Graves landed in front of him.
Graves deactivated the suit, revealing himself to Richard.
"Good evening sir. How long have you been standing there?" Graves asked.
"For a while," Richard answered, smiling.
"It's bad that we couldn't do our combat test. To think that Lin Feng would make a move in that time…truly unexpected," Graves continued, his expression turning serious.
Richard nodded in agreement. "Yes, but what matters is that we handled it. The evacuation is a success, and the threat from Gryphalos and the Abyssal Leviathan are neutralized."
Graves glanced around, observing the ongoing operations. "It's impressive to see how efficiently everything's being managed. Oh if you want numbers, we have rescued about ten thousand locals, about twenty percent of them are being transported here. It's going to be a long night," Graves added, looking over the bustling activity at the airport.
Richard appreciated the update. "How about the casualties?"
"Well, in the Poseidon, only two survived, the rest died. As for the LPD-2, three hundred are dead, and some are missing. Rest assured, we are still doing search and rescue operations for the missing personnel," Graves reported.
"That is sad to hear," Richard said somberly. "Lin Feng…that goddamn son of a bitch can literally summon monsters that are straight out of fiction huh?"
"Well who knows, maybe he may have something up his sleeves, like more monstrous than the last?"
"That is to be expected. Anyways, do you want to grab a drink? I want to relax," Richard offered.
"Would your girlfriend approve of that? Speaking of her, where is she?"
"She's still doing work and said that she'll return by herself in our unit. It's not like she is going anywhere right? Come on, I have Mark waiting for us at the command center. He's set up a small area where we can unwind for a bit," Richard gestured towards the direction of the command center.
Graves nodded in agreement, "Sounds good. A drink sounds perfect after today's chaos."
Reaching the command center, they found Mark waiting with a few drinks set up on a makeshift table. The atmosphere in the room was more relaxed than earlier, with staff members engaged in quiet conversations, some discussing the day's events, others just enjoying a much-needed break.
"Here's to a job well done," Richard raised his glass in a toast.
"Cheers to that," Graves and Mark joined in, clinking their glasses together.
"But it's not really a job well done. As you know, there are a lot of casualties," Mark reminded.
"Yeah, I know," Richard sighed, setting his glass down. "But we did what we could under the circumstances. We saved thousands of lives today. That counts for something."
They drank the night away, the coldness of the beer going down their throats. A drink after a stressful day is truly a rewarding experience. Then they drank, and drank, and drank until it was twelve o'clock midnight. Their voices are getting rousey, boisterous, and even noisy.
Sara, who had been waiting for Richard to return to their unit, decided to pay him a visit to the command center. And there inside the command center, she saw her boyfriend, utterly drunk. She shook her head in disbelief as she approached the group.
"Looks like someone had a bit too much to drink," she remarked with a playful smile as she stood beside Richard.
Richard turned to her, his eyes slightly unfocused, but a grin spread across his face when he saw her. "Sara! You're here!" he exclaimed. "Do you want to join us?"
"No, I came here to pick you up. So get on your feet right now, we are sleeping," Sara said sternly.
"But—I still have more bottles to drink," Richard said.
"Richard?" Sara's eyes narrowed as if she was giving him a look that brooked no argument.
Richard quickly realized that further protest would be unwise. He slowly pushed himself up from the chair, swaying slightly as he did. "Alright, alright, I'm coming," he muttered.
Graves and Mark exchanged amused glances as they watched Sara lead Richard out of the command center. It was clear that she was the one in charge in this situation.
"You gentlemen should do the same," Sara advised.
"Yes ma'am."
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