Ch 23 : Reunion _3

"We'll join too!"

The others echoed, urging Evelon to let them join. Their eyes burned with a fierce determination, as if they were heading into a war they were resolved to win.

Hearing their passionate offers, Evelon felt a surge of hope. "Of course! The more hands we have, the faster we can end this crisis," he said with a happy expression, welcoming them to his research team.

"Alright, everyone, rest first. We'll discuss this in more detail later…"

KNOCK!~ KNOCK!

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door, drawing everyone's attention. Evelon got up from the table and opened it.

"What is it, soldier?!" he asked.

"Dr. Shelby, Commander Jonathan Carter has arrived," the soldier informed him, holding a handkerchief over his nose.

Evelon found it odd that the soldier was covering his nose and wondered if the foul smell was coming from his own body.

"Alright, lead the way,"

He said, brushing aside thoughts about the smell and following the soldier with a serious expression.

Commander Jonathan Carter had been missing since yesterday morning, his phone unreachable for a full 24 hours.

The other team members had started to fear that Carter might have been infected. In the chaos, no search party could be organized, as the military was overwhelmed, both at the borders and here at headquarters.

As they walked, the soldier pulled out another handkerchief and handed it to Evelon.

"What's this for?" Evelon asked, confused.

"You'll understand when you see the commander, Dr. Shelby," the soldier replied.

The soldier's strange behavior heightened Evelon's concern. He began to worry that something had happened to Carter.

A Moments later...

The soldier led Evelon outside the headquarters. Evelon couldn't understand why they were meeting Carter outside—his mind raced with the thought that they might be showing him a dead body.

But there was no corpse on the ground. Instead, he saw three exhausted figures, their bodies covered in filthy black and yellow mud, reeking of an unbearable stench.

Evelon quickly understood why the soldier had given him the handkerchief and pressed it to his nose.

"Soldier, are they infected?"

Evelon asked, looking at the three figures in confusion, unsure whether they were infected or just normal humans.

"No, Dr. Shelby. The man standing in the middle is Commander Jonathan Carter,"

The soldier clarified, pointing to Carter while keeping his nose covered with the handkerchief. He seemed unable to stay any longer but remained on duty, keeping watch outside.

"What ?!..... " Evelon couldn't believe the soldier's words at first. He stared closely at the man in the middle for a few seconds and confirmed— " That's really him !! "

It was indeed Jonathan Carter and It looked like they were in the middle of a heated argument.

"Fucking hell!" Carter roared furiously at Kimot.

"You said you knew the sewer route perfectly, and you had us wandering in that damn sewer all night!"

"What?! When did I say I knew the sewer's layout? All I said was there's a sewer in the alley!" Kimot shot back, equally angry.

After surviving a harrowing night together, the usual senior-junior hierarchy between them had dissolved, and they argued like friends caught in a heated dispute.

"You mentioned that the sewer route would lead us out of the city!" Carter accused.

"Yeah, I said that, but I never claimed I knew the paths inside the sewer!" Kimot shot back.

The two were at each other's throats, their argument escalating. Marcus, who had been listening to their bickering for the past hour, grew irritated by their shouting.

"Will you two shut up for a minute?!" Marcus yelled, raising his voice over both of them.

"What?! Captain, I'm not at fault here! He's the one constantly blaming me for not finding the right path!" Kimot turned to Marcus, venting his frustration at the accusations.

"Mr. Carter, enough teasing him," Marcus said calmly, looking at Carter. He knew Carter was only provoking Kimot to lighten the mood with his accusations.

"What?! He's just messing with me?!" Kimot stared at Carter, feeling like a fool.

"Ah, Marcus, why'd you interrupt so soon? He was just getting fired up!" Carter said with a slight smirk, speaking in a relaxed tone.

Ever since they entered the sewer, Kimot had been visibly terrified. Carter had tried hard to boost his courage, but nothing worked. Then he had an idea: Rile Kimot up to bring out his natural anger. From that moment, Carter kept accusing Kimot of getting them lost, hoping to spark a reaction.

The accusations worked—Kimot's face turned red with rage, and he started responding to Carter with fury. Marcus hadn't intervened earlier because he saw it was necessary, but now, sensing Kimot had overcome his fear, he stepped in to stop Carter.

"You've been messing with me this whole time?!"

Kimot grew even more furious, feeling like Carter had made a fool of him, treating him like a child despite being only a few years younger.

"Yeah—" Carter was enjoying Kimot's exasperated expression. He hadn't noticed it himself, but teasing Kimot had helped him forget his own fear and frustration.

"You fuc—?!" Kimot started to curse, but was cut off.

"Ah !! , Mr. Carter, it's good to see you laughing in such high spirits and seeing you in such a filthy state"

Dr. Evelon Shelby interrupted, stepping in front of Carter with a handkerchief still pressed to his nose.

"Oh, Mr. Shelby, it's good to see you too, even in this worn-out state," Carter replied, and the two began playfully ribbing each other.

"Salute, Commander!" The soldier who had accompanied Shelby saluted Carter, his face slightly contorted from the foul smell.

"And who are these two with you?" Shelby asked, glancing at Marcus and Kimot.

"They're my friends," Carter said without hesitation, introducing them as such.

Carter's words shocked all four of them. Shelby and the soldier knew how stern Carter was when on duty—hardly the type to make friends. Marcus and Kimot were equally shocked that the commander considered them friends.

Seeing the shocked reactions of the four, Jonathan was puzzled. He wondered what he had said to cause such a strong response.

"So, Mr. Carter, have you heard about President Jameson—" Shelby's tone shifted to serious as he brought up the president.

Before Evelon could continue, Carter interrupted him with a grave expression. "Yes, I know!"

"How are you so calm about it?!"

Shelby asked, his voice laced with urgency.

The death of the country's president was no small matter, especially during the chaos caused by the virus.

The news had been kept secret from the public, known only to a select few. Carter had already told Marcus and Kimot about it while they were on the streets.

"We'll discuss this in the meeting room,"

Carter said, heading toward the washroom. Marcus and Kimot followed close behind.