Chapter 196 Let’s Get Moving

Chapter 196 Let's Get Moving

October 13th, ten o'clock in the morning, near the Clark International Airport

There is a residential building near the Clark International Airport where it served as the temporary command center until the construction of the command center that would be built in the center of New Clark City is finished. But it didn't only act as the command center for Blackwatch but as a residence for Richard.

In one of its luxurious bedrooms, Richard was sleeping soundly on the bed, until he felt a gentle tug on his shoulder.

"Richard...Richard...wake up...it's already ten o'clock in the morning."

Richard stirred, blinking his eyes open to find Sara leaning over him with a concerned look. The soft morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow in the room. He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep.

"Ten o'clock already?" he mumbled, his voice groggy. He sat up, running a hand through his hair. His head throbbed with pain due to the lack of sleep.

"Are there any urgent matters that require my attention?" Richard asked, glancing at Sara who was dressed in a pink silk nightgown, her hair falling loosely around her shoulders. noVε(LB/1n

"No, nothing urgent right now," Sara replied, her tone reassuring. "You just needed to be up for your meeting at one. But you still have some time."

Richard nodded, feeling the weight of exhaustion pull at him. He leaned back against the pillows, his eyes fluttering shut.

"Maybe just five more minutes..." he murmured, the prospect of a little more sleep too tempting to resist.

Sara watched him for a moment, a playful smile forming on her lips. She reached out, gently tugging at his arm.

"Nope, no going back to sleep now. You may end up sleeping till the afternoon!"

Richard opened one eye, peering at her with a mock frown. "You're a tough taskmaster, you know that?"

Sara laughed, her eyes sparkling with affection. "Someone has to be, especially with you working all hours. Come on, get up. I'll make breakfast while you get ready. How does that sound?"

Richard let out a groan but smiled at her determination. He sat up again, this time with more resolve. "Sounds like a plan. Thanks, babe."

He stood up, stretching his back and feeling the stiffness from sleeping too long. As he made his way to the bathroom, Sara called out from the kitchen. "I'm making your favorite- well-done egg and bacon. Don't take too long!"

Richard chuckled, appreciating her effort to take care of him. "I won't be long. You're the best, you know that?"

In the bathroom, Richard quickly freshened up, splashing cold water on his face to wake up fully. He dressed in a military uniform knowing the day ahead would be long in the command center.

As he joined Sara in the kitchen, the aroma of breakfast filled the air. They sat down to eat in silence, and as they were doing that, Richard looked at her and broke the silence.

"Sara...you were there when I told my little sister about my important secret. I hope you don't mind her words about her thinking that the summoned person is not a real person."

"Does it bother you?" Sara asked, looking up from her plate with a thoughtful expression.

"No..." Richard answered without much of a thought.

"Then it doesn't bother me too, does that make you feel better?" Sara spoke softly.

"Yeah..." Richard paused for a moment, pushing his food around his plate. "But, babe, do you think it was the right decision to tell Lisa about the system? I mean, she's always been curious, and I trust her, but I can't help but wonder if it was too much for her to handle."

Sara reached across the table, placing her hand over his. "Richard, you know your sister better than anyone else. If you felt it was time to tell her, then it probably was. Secrets can be a heavy burden, especially ones like this. Sharing it with Lisa might bring you closer and help her understand the weight of what you're dealing with."

He looked into her eyes, finding comfort in her words. "I just hope she can handle the truth without feeling overwhelmed or scared. This system, well...it's...you know what, let's forget about it."

Sara giggled. "Yeah...let's finish up our breakfast and head to the command center. I'm sure there'd be a pile of paperwork that you need to sift through."

Richard smiled ruefully at Sara's remark about the paperwork. "You know me too well," he said, finishing his breakfast. "But before that, I have to check in with Lisa. I want to make sure she's coping okay after last night's revelation."

***

Three hours later...in the command center meeting room.

Mark, Graves, and Sara were seated in their respective seats around the long table, waiting for Richard to arrive.

Seconds later. Richard arrived in the meeting room.

"Sorry for being late, I literally have to talk to the Chief of Staffs of the Army, the Air Force, and the Logistics. And speaking to my little sister who I just told my secret to."

Richard took his seat at the head of the table and steepled his finger. "Fortunately, she took it very well. I don't have to be worried about my secret leaking to the civilians and the men working under Maria Santos. Now, let's move on to the matter at hand. The operation to send a team to South Korea."

"I have been waiting for this sir...I can't wait to pound that progenitor's face..."

"Well...unfortunately for you Graves, you won't be leading a team on the ground, you are to coordinate them. And there's no way you'd be able to pound that man's face after surviving a direct hit from W-sixty."

"Wait coordinate?"

"That's right...I'm planning on sending a squad that would face the progenitor. We need to know more about his combat capability. Now we know his defensive capability is strong enough to withstand a low-yield nuke but what about his attack pattern? Like what are his abilities or magic?"

"So kind of like a suicide squad?" Mark noted.

"It's our only way of assessing our enemy, and probably his minions," Richard replied solemnly.

"I have no objections to this operation," Sara said, agreeing to Richard's plan.

"So who will be my team?" Graves asked.

"Ten men, half of them are super soldiers and the rest are special forces equipped with Titan's Guard."

"Hoh..." Graves mused, the idea was interesting to him. "So if I were to coordinate and command them, I'd have to be in South Korea. How?"

Richard glanced at Sara, beckoning her to share the details. Sara nodded and began.

"Deploy via C-17 Globemaster to the airspace above Seoul, South Korea. Upon reaching the drop zone, execute a high-altitude parachute insertion. Your primary objective: navigate to the progenitor's last confirmed coordinates. Once boots on the ground, transition to reconnaissance and engage in a tactical search-and-destroy operation."

Graves hummed. "Okay...I'm down."