Free Web NovelChapter 660: Chapter 670: Not A Hero (Part 10)
Several minutes later, another soldier approached the waiting civilians holding a tablet.
"Assignments will be called individually. When you hear your name, approach the designation table."
People straightened slightly.
Names started being called one after another.
Armbands changed hands.
Some people looked relieved afterward.
Others looked disappointed.
Then—
"Johnny McLain."
Pyro stepped forward calmly.
The conversation between him and the assignment officer stayed brief. When he returned, a blue armband wrapped around his upper arm.
"Scouting," he said simply. "Forward recon."
Ash looked mildly impressed despite herself.
Scouting teams entered sectors first.
Which also meant they usually found the infected first.
Don gave a single nod.
Nothing more.
Then—
"Ashlynn Pierce."
Ash’s shoulders squared immediately before she walked toward the assignment table.
Don watched her posture stiffen midway through the discussion. She gestured once toward the tablet in visible disagreement while the officer responded without much interest.
Ash eventually accepted the armband anyway before returning.
"Scouting," she muttered flatly. "Same as him."
Don had expected that.
Pyromancy made her useful offensively whether she liked it or not.
But Ash kept going.
"This isn’t what I signed up for though. I checked different—"
"Don Bright."
Don stepped away from them and approached the assignment table.
The officer there—a woman in her forties with lieutenant insignia near her collar—looked down at her tablet first before speaking.
"Rescue operations."
She handed him a yellow armband.
"You’ll assist extraction teams in cleared residential sectors. Debris movement. Civilian transport. Support operations."
Don wrapped the armband around his bicep loosely.
Rescue.
Not combat.
Not scouting.
Supposedly safer.
Though after tonight, the word safe felt almost insulting.
He returned to the others.
Ash immediately frowned at his armband.
"Rescue? That’s—I mean that’s fine, but why the hell did I get scouting? I didn’t apply for scouting."
"Different abilities," Don answered calmly. "Different credentials. They assign based on usefulness."
Ash opened her mouth again.
"Don’t make a scene." Don added.
Her mouth closed immediately afterward.
The irritation stayed visible across her face, but she crossed her arms instead of arguing further.
Pyro watched the exchange beside them with quiet amusement lingering around the edges of his expression.
A few more names passed before another officer approached.
Tall woman. Gray close-cropped hair. Captain insignia.
"Rescue unit. Follow me."
Don moved first alongside the rest of the assigned civilians and soldiers gathering near her.
Pyro gave him a short nod before separating toward the opposite side of the hangar.
Ash hesitated for half a second—
Then followed Don instead.
Don glanced back at her.
"Your group’s that way."
"They said wait for deployment grouping," she replied immediately. "Not all the scouts are assembled yet."
Don looked at her for another second before facing forward again.
No argument.
The captain led them out of the hangar and deeper through the compound. Floodlights washed over pathways between tents while generators rumbled constantly nearby.
The briefing tent they entered was significantly larger than the medical tents from earlier.
Rows of folding chairs filled the center facing a portable display screen mounted at the front.
Large maps of Santos City covered portions of the tent walls alongside operational markings and handwritten notes.
Several soldiers already sat inside wearing varying stages of combat gear and exhaustion.
Most looked like they hadn’t slept in a long time.
Don took a seat near the middle.
Ash dropped into the chair beside him with the same lingering frown still hanging around her face.
The civilians filling the remaining seats looked noticeably quieter now than they had back in the hangar.
Reality was settling in.
The captain waited until everyone sat before stepping toward the front.
The display screen flickered alive behind her.
"Listen up."
Her voice carried naturally through the tent.
"I’m Captain Renwick. During this operation, you answer to me or whichever squad leaders I assign. Understood?"
Acknowledgments followed unevenly across the room.
Don simply watched.
Renwick’s gaze lingered briefly across the civilian section before returning toward the map display.
"Some of you already know the basics. For everyone else—we’re bringing civilian support into phase-two operations."
She sounded less than thrilled about it.
"You stay with your assigned squads. You follow instructions. You stay behind designated lines unless ordered otherwise."
Her eyes hardened slightly.
"And you do not do anything stupid."
A few soldiers exchanged looks.
Others stared straight ahead.
Some weren’t even trying to hide their skepticism about civilians joining operations.
The civilians noticed it too.
Nobody commented.
Renwick tapped the display.
The map zoomed inward toward a residential district in northeastern Santos City.
"Sector Seven. Mostly residential. Single-family housing and low-rise apartments. Pre-outbreak population estimated around twelve thousand."
Colored markers appeared across the map.
"Current status—partial evacuation. Multiple survivor pockets confirmed. Infected presence moderate but not overwhelming." frёeωebɳovel.com
The display updated again with highlighted buildings and extraction routes.
"Scouting teams already passed through several hours ago. They identified three major survivor clusters alongside smaller civilian holdouts."
Renwick pointed toward the civilian side of the room.
"Your role is extraction support. You clear debris. Carry injured civilians. Assist transport loading. You do not engage infected unless necessary. You do not wander away from your squad."
Her stare hardened further.
"And you do not play hero."
Don listened quietly.
Simple mission.
Which meant absolutely nothing anymore.
Tonight had already taught him how quickly simple operations collapsed into disasters.
Renwick continued assigning teams afterward, pairing civilians with military personnel one squad at a time.
Eventually—
"Squad Seven-Alpha."
Don looked up.
"Primary extraction at the church on Maple. Approximately fifteen civilians confirmed sheltering in basement storage. Extract and transport."
No questions followed.
Nobody wanted to be the civilian asking obvious things in a room full of exhausted soldiers.
Renwick eventually shut off the display.
"You have thirty-five minutes before deployment. Use the armory if you need equipment. Use the latrines now instead of later. Follow your squad leaders."
Her gaze swept the room one last time.
"And try not to get yourselves killed on your first day."
Chairs scraped against the floor as people stood.
Conversations started immediately afterward. Squad introductions. Equipment checks. Quiet swearing.
Don rose from his seat.
Ash stood beside him. But he didn’t say anything.
Thirty-five minutes.
Then back into Santos City.
Back into the dark.
Back into the place that had nearly killed him already.
He walked toward the tent exit without looking back.
