Bucky saw the remaining troops from squads three, four, and six gathered in area three. Squads seven and one were sent outside with awakened heroes who, after the fight, did not contact them in return. Bucky assumed they were attacked by wanderers too.
He had to work with the forces he had left, diminished and lacking morale. The two other squads left to make contact with area six.
Looking at the lieutenant coming back from the infirmary, the captains of the three squads were relieved. Being helpless against invaders, they needed order and someone to rely on.
Arriving in the middle of the dome-like field, the three captains approached him. Bucky saw the relief in their eyes and felt guilty for how selfish he had been. His soldiers were fighting while he was moping away near the hospital bed. His men died while he did nothing.
"We apologize for our incompetence," the three said in unison.
Even though they knew the fight was beyond their scope, the captains still believed that it was their fault for not being able to cull the enemy without the help of their superiors.
"No. Don't be." Bucky replied, coming inside the site. "Even I couldn't do what you've done, honestly, it's my fault for leaving you guys to fight while I…"
Bucky stopped himself before continuing, "This is not the time to make excuses," he said, his eyes closed. "Take me to the soldiers, I have something to announce."
In area three, the place where the soldiers assembled, the atmosphere was tense. The low hum of machinery reverberated through the silence. No one spoke a word since the last team died near the hatch. Area two was, even now, burning through uncontrollable fire. No one knew what to do until they received the word of Bucky's arrival.
Soldiers, clad in their crisp, camouflaged green and black uniforms, stood in perfect formation within a large briefing room. The air was thick with anticipation with the faint scent of metal and oil.
Bucky took his place in front of them. Looking through their eyes, he felt they needed help. Just like him. Someone to lead.
The soldiers' faces were stern, their eyes forward, yet betraying a flicker of fear. They had been summoned here some time ago. From their various posts and positions across the base, they were brought to let them know of the situation.
Bucky broke the silence first.
"I will not start with false hope and lies," Bucky said, his eyes determined to follow through to the end. "Everything you heard and experienced so far… is true. We are losing."
Like a nail hit in the coffin, the lieutenant betrayed the hope that soldiers clung on to. Their morale was already low.
"I won't promise we will stop losing after this. Defeat is inevitable in our path…"
With each of his words, he made his men realize how ugly and cruel reality can be. It's not something you accept easily. No one admits their incompetence readily. Everyone always looks for the next person, someone else to blame. But not him.
"But is that the end? NO!"
His words echoed in their ears, each time louder than his previous words, "Will one defeat or more stop us from fighting for our cause? To fight for what we believe in? For our loved ones in this base?
Because I won't… just know that I will go to area four and die if I have to for what I signed up for…
Now tell me! Will you stop fighting just because there is a greater chance of defeat than success? Like cowards? Did you forget your oath the day you joined?"
"No, sir…" one of them said.
"NO, SIR!!!" the others said in unison.
"So what should we do?" Bucky toned down his voice to let his statement settle in silence, his heavy words echoing in the heads of his soldiers. "Do we cower and hide here? Expecting loss and losing without a clash?
Or do we fight?" he said.
"WE FIGHT!!!" everyone said in unison. After this, the morale was so high that the soldiers would fight even the army of devils for him.
'Good…' He thought inwardly.
***
Robert took the lead in the expedition as he made way for the team. Thirteen elite soldiers, like him, followed suit. He did not consider himself a leading figure but beggars can't be choosers. He was the best, aside from those left alive, capable of leading men into an expedition.
The cave leading out of area six took them longer to cross than he expected. It was due to the weight of the machinery they carried. Regardless of how trained they are and how advanced the technology was, the weapons, along with the armor suit they wore, were heavy and not easy to lift for ordinary humans.
It was a good thing they were trained to lift heavy guns to be carried in battlefields, but it still did not make it easy for them to move faster. Especially Robert who, on top of his VX sniper rifle, was equipped with metallic gloves and boots. Whatever Stalin did to make them, praising their usefulness in battle, did not make them lighter to lift.
They were nearing the end of the cave as the view of a metallic door eight feet high came into sight.
'Any minute now…' Robert thought, a tense face he hid inside the mask, a bead of sweat sliding down his cheek. 'He must be following us if he wants to get outside.'
***
"What? It's a trap?" Salmon said, astonished.
"Yes, but keep it quiet. When Robert was taken to Stalin's lab, I knew something was different. So I asked Stalin when he came out. You know what he said… 'That Robert is shrewd,'
I knew the look in his eyes when he became the leader of the expedition. I can tell he wasn't just planning to make contact with the lieutenants, he was planning revenge secretly with everyone's approval. With this expedition, he is baiting the criminal who was still hiding in area six."
'Oh, no,' Salmon rushed outside his lab. 'If Zeff finds out he is being baited, he won't take it well. He's not as forgiving as Kai. It won't end well if it comes to a fight to the death. Not now that he knows the launching codes to atomic bombs inside the base.'
Half an hour ago, when the meeting of the expedition was still taking place, in the data center Zeff had Salmon do something. Something that he will regret for the rest of his life.
"How do I come into your plan to escape?" Salmon asked Zeff, who was looking around the room.
"Does this place have a backup power for computers?" Zeff asked, ignoring Salmon.
"It's a data center, what do you think? It's on that table."
"Good. Then, hack the military records for me."
"Do what?"
"You know, the job you did for me in the past. Hack into the system and fetch me the launching codes for those bombs."
"…" Salmon was hesitant to do so. He kept quiet as if he did not understand what this man was talking about.
"I know you can do it. Don't pretend to be a fool and don't even try to lie. You're not very good at that." Zeff turned back, glaring at his friend.
For a moment, Salmon thought about giving him the wrong codes and escaping the spike dangling over his head easily but brushed away the idea immediately.
Salmon knew once this man gets interested in something, nothing stopped him. And he knew it was better to give him the right codes rather than lie to him and be hunted tomorrow. He never lets those who betray him have a good life. And the next time they meet, Salmon knew he wouldn't spare him if he gave him the wrong codes.
"Fine," Salmon actually managed to say out loud.
"I knew it, I can always count on you." Zeff smiled, trying to hide his disgust he felt every time he needed the help of others to move forward. He hated working with those weaker than him, but more than once in his time in Spades he came to regret that choice.
He had to accept he can't do everything at once. That's how he came to view the benefits of having others work for him. In his past, Zeff considered his teammates as pawns. Something disposable he can always replace.
And how can he not use the pawn who, more than once, proved his usefulness to him? Now that he was stuck in a dire situation and in a weaker state after expending his energy in a fight against Leo?
Zeff made full use of Salmon's knowledge in MB 35 and got his codes fifteen minutes later.
'I need to stop Zeff before Robert gets engaged in a fight with him,' Salmon thought, rushing towards the entrance.
===
If you find any mistakes in the chapter please let me know in the comments below, so, I can fix them as soon as possible.