Frozen Flame of Dawn - Chapter 139

Chapter 139: Chapter 66: Gears in Motion_2
Then a soft beep chirped from the console mounted beside Aiden. He didn’t flinch—just reached forward and tapped the green-lit button. The speaker crackled before a voice filtered through, a little garbled by road hum but recognizable.

“Sir,” came the young recruit’s voice over the speaker, a little fuzzy with static. He was the one driving their RV, and though his voice trembled slightly, it carried the crisp professionalism of someone trying hard to do everything right. “We’re about to cross the last marker of the cleared zone. Another three to four kilometers over the ridge, and we’ll be past the last transmitter.”

Aiden clipped in his low voice. “Understood.”

He reached for the comm console, as his fingers adjusting the frequency with ease. The hum of static sharpened briefly, then settled into a crisp silence as he synced with the main convoy broadcast line. One final flick of the dial, and he leaned back slightly, eyes scanning the overhead map as he began speaking.

“This is Captain Aiden,” he said, “We are approaching the edge of the safe zone. All units—adjust to strategic pacing protocol now.”

His voice, calm and deliberate, carried clean through every transport vehicle, every squad comm, and every armored truck in the convoy. In response, brief affirmations filtered back through the system—some crisp, others slightly muddled by terrain interference—but all acknowledging the command.

Across the dozens of vehicles in the convoy—massive transports, armored carriers, tactical buggies, and converted civilian trucks—his voice rang through every internal speaker. Soldiers, workers, and squad leaders froze just briefly to listen, eyes flicking to their vice-captains for the follow-up.

He gave a pause to let it sink in, but didn’t wait long.

“Assault and Defense unit—deploy as discussed. Divide and arrange your in formation—200 assault and 100 defense personnel each forming our front and rear vanguards, and flanking both sides. Full box formation around the convoy and maintain constant lateral spacing while make sure no gaps.”

The radio erupted with confirmations. “Copy that, Captain.”

“Left flank mobilizing now.”

“Rear formation confirmed.”

Aiden exhaled slowly and closed the comm line, as he turned in his seat to face the others seated behind him.

Looking at Tommy and Liam who were already upright, ears still partially tuned into their personal earpieces.

“Make your move,” Aiden said, giving them both a nod. “Coordinate with your vice-captains. Make sure this done neatly and fast without any issue.”

Liam gave a sharp nod, already pulling up his comm tab and muttering instructions into it.

Tommy grumbled something unintelligible under his breath—probably about wanting a quiet morning—and rolled his shoulders before switching over to his squad channel to give instructions.

From the window, Aiden could already see the movement taking shape. The convoy’s outer vehicles began sliding into their designated lanes like gears falling into place. The effect was immediate—what had looked like a long line of moving vehicles now became something closer to a mobile fortress.

Aiden then turned his attention next to Mira and Yvonne, who had been quietly observing the outer display feed and tracking squad movement through the convoy’s digital overlay.

“For auxiliary and support,” he said, “start shifting your people inward. Create a mobile perimeter around all non-combatant vehicles and make sure the construction teams, drivers, electrical engineers—stay close to center lane as they slow their pace while keeping all supply trucks boxed in.”

“As for Barrier team within support division,” Aiden called out looking at Yvonne, “Tell them to make mobile perimeter and move with the civilian core. If anything breaches this line, their job is to isolate, reinforce, and neutralize before it reaches the center.”

After few minutes Mira and Yvonne gave message to their vice-captains, outside, the trucks responded like clockwork. Slower construction transports adjusted their positions. Engineers and builders shifted into tighter convoys in the middle of the formation. Technicians with survey gear peered out from side windows, tension laced in their movements.

As the orders echoed down the chain, the RV shook slightly beneath them—not from any threat, but from the synchronized shift of the armored column. The recon force began to morph from a long procession into a coordinated living fortress.

From above—had there been any drones flying overhead—they would’ve seen the neat maneuver. Like chess pieces sliding into place, the squads fanned out, assault units forging ahead and to the sides, defense units reinforcing behind and flanking each corridor.

“They’re ready in formation and very squad’s online and connect while sensors are syncing.” Yvonne who was monitoring the drones looked at Aiden and said. “I have also reposition two runners team to scout to push slightly ahead and give us three-minute sight-lines past the brush before we get there.”

Aiden nodded. “Okay.”

Sophie, who had mostly been silent until now, looked up at Aiden.”Should we inform the base?” she asked, her tone calm but firm. “We’re nearly at the edge of the safe zone. A few minutes more, and we’ll cross the safe zone.”

“Yes,” Aiden gave her a short nod while saying. “Let them know we’ve stabilized formation and will be slowing down after the safe zone. Also inform the technician lead—they’ll need to prep for extending the transmitter line from that point.”

“Got it,” Sophie said, already dialing into the console beside her.

As she worked, Aiden leaned reminded her. “And one more thing—check in with the guy Elias sent. The one responsible for establishing wired line and connection. Tell him to check whether we are track with one of the last node. I want to be sure we’re still on course before they start embedding the next wire stretch.”

Sophie paused just long enough to shoot him a half-smile. “Sure.”

Aiden gave her a look that landed somewhere between amused and unbothered while he waited for her response.

Sophie, who just finished taking over the comms, lifted her head. “We’re on track,” she confirmed. “The marker Elias’s team laid last week—it’s just ahead. We should see it pop up any minute now.”

“Good,” Aiden said and leaned back, his shoulder pressing lightly against the cushion on the sofa in the RV. He let his eyes shut—not to sleep, but to meditate. Most of the prep was done, now the hardest part now was staying sharp… and hoping that luck held.

*****

They’d been on the move for over two-three hours since crossing the edge of their known territory, and so far, the journey had been—eerily—uneventful no beast in sight, not even the howl of something distant. They’d passed through one small village, but it was completely stripped clean with no bodies or supplies. Their was blood here and there showing sign of fight but not of massacre.

Which, in Aiden’s mind, was worse than finding bones.

Because if the place had been cleaned out, someone—or something—had done it deliberately. Which meant there were other people nearby. Or worse, something organized enough to collect.

In a low chime in the RV where few are meditating Yvonne who just received a message through her comms and the newly established network.

“Aiden,” Yvonne called, with a firm voice this time.

He opened his eyes at once, already upright and alert. “Talk to me.”

“The forward recon team just checked in. They spotted movement—group of mutated beasts heading our direction.”

“How many?”

“They estimate under twenty… but the terrain’s not ideal so they are not sure so it could be more.”

Aiden didn’t hesitate. “Patch me through to Asher.”

Yvonne adjusted the console and handed him the mic.

“Asher,” Aiden said, his tone low and clipped. “I want your squad and every sensory-type on our side working together. Tell me if any beasts are only approaching from the front, or other side. I want full spatial awareness, north to west, five clicks each direction.”

“On it,” came the reply, his voice already layered with urgency.

Tommy, who had been slouched nearby—half listening, half pretending to nap—straightened. “So what’s the play? We engaging?”

Yvonne echoed the question, brow furrowed slightly. “We can reposition some of the defense line and intercept. Take care of them before they get too close.”

Aiden paused, as he shook his head, voice quieter now.

“No,” he said. “Let’s wait.”

Tommy raised a brow. “Wait?”

“They’re not a large group and if their no sign of flanking, so we don’t inform them,” he said, his voice low but sure. “I want to see how our squads react without warning. Let’s find out if they actually follow their formation and command structure… when something hits out of nowhere or sudden encounter.”

He looked at them both, his tone steady but weighty. “Better we test them now—while we’ve got numbers and stability—than later, when we’re stretched thin and can’t afford a single misstep.”

Tommy raised an eyebrow, as his lips twitched. He wanted to say something, but thought over it for few second and gave a short nod while staying quiet.

Liam, just emerging from his silent meditation with eyes still a little distant, gave a slow, thoughtful nod.