Read Novel Full Chapter 459: Upfront
Chapter 459: Chapter 459: Upfront
SiIvy could have stayed away. They could have let the military fall, let innocent lives perish.
Yet they chose to act. They chose to protect them.
For many, it was a moment of overwhelming relief.
One of them was a woman named Tara.
When she heard that SiIvy Base had intervened, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. She was a high-ranking military captain.
Once, Talia had urged her to leave with her, but Tara had refused.
Her family had served the military for generations, and she believed loyalty mattered above all else.
But what had that loyalty earned her? Food prices had skyrocketed. Citizens were oppressed daily. Even she had suffered endlessly.
’And for what?’
Her jaw tightened, bitterness pooling in her chest. ’I gave everything... and the military gave nothing back.’
’If Father were here... if Grandfather were still alive... would they have allowed me to stay shackled to this uniform? Or would they have told me to leave, to follow the people instead of blind loyalty?’
The more she thought, the heavier her heart became, as if every belief she had upheld was being stripped bare.
As the evacuation zone slowly settled, people collapsing onto the ground in exhaustion, a sudden movement caught her attention.
Her eyes landed on a pair huddled together near the barricades.
Two brothers, filthy and trembling, arms wrapped tightly around each other as if letting go would shatter them completely.
Their sobs were raw and broken, echoing through the dust-filled air.
"We thought we were going to die," one of them kept whispering, his voice cracking over and over again.
Tara watched silently as the other brother nodded, tears streaking down his dirt-smeared face.
"If I had died today," the first one, Gavin, choked out, "I don’t even know how I could face the people who sacrificed everything to keep me alive."
His brother squeezed him harder, unable to speak, only sobbing in agreement.
Something inside Tara shifted.
’They survived because of SiIvy Base,’ she realized slowly.
’Not because of the military.’
Every life standing here, breathing, crying, trembling... they owed it to the selfless service that stepped in when the military had already failed.
Her fingers curled into a tight fist. ’If anyone deserves my loyalty... it’s them.’
Her father’s voice echoed in her memory. ’Be loyal to the people.’
Her grandfather’s followed. ’Be loyal to the faction that protects them.’
This time, that faction was not the military. It was the selfless service.
She didn’t hesitate again.
After submitting her resignation, Tara was stopped at the desk.
"You can’t leave," the officer snapped.
Her head jerked up in disbelief. "What?"
"The military lacks junior officers and captains," the man continued stiffly. "Especially now. We’re preparing for a war against the zombies."
Tara’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
"A war?" Her voice dropped, sharp as steel. "What kind of war are you talking about?"
The registration officer scowled, irritation plain on his face.
"A war against all zombies around the base. Is that so hard to understand?"
Tara’s patience finally snapped.
"That’s exactly what I’m asking!" she shouted. "How is there a war being planned when half the soldiers are starving and the civilians weren’t even informed?"
The officer frowned and waved her off.
"That’s not my department. Go ask whoever’s responsible."
Her fists clenched. Without another word, she turned and marched straight toward the command sector.
’When the Blackthorn family was still here,’ she thought bitterly, ’people lived better. Zombies didn’t swarm the base like this.’
The base hadn’t been perfect, but it hadn’t been on the verge of collapse either. Now, with them gone, everything had fallen apart.
She took a deep breath and knocked once.
"Come in."
The door opened, revealing Frank and several generals gathered around a table, their expressions tense and calculating.
Tara stepped inside, fury simmering beneath her skin.
She remembered clearly... during the chaos, only a handful of generals had truly cared about evacuating civilians. Frank hadn’t been one of them.
"You’re violating military protocol," Frank snapped coldly. "You didn’t even greet your superior."
Tara laughed, the sound sharp and humorless.
"Fuck protocol," she shot back. "I don’t even want to be a soldier anymore."
She narrowed her eyes.
"I’ve been watching you. Why haven’t you issued a single real command for the civilians?"
Frank replied calmly, far too calmly.
"I’m preparing an alternative backup plan."
Her laughter rang louder this time, bitter and mocking.
"For the citizens?" she scoffed. "No. You were preparing an escape plan for your family."
The room went silent.
"I saw you," she continued, voice trembling with restrained rage. "You left your mansion with your wife and son."
Frank frowned sharply. "What exactly are you implying?"
Tara slammed her palm onto the table, the sound echoing through the room. Every general turned toward her. Her entire body shook with fury.
"From the day I dedicated myself to the military, I believed we served the people," she growled.
"But the moment this place fell into your hands, it turned into a complete disaster."
Frank clenched his teeth. "Watch your words. What are you saying?"
Tara smiled coldly.
"I’m saying you’re incompetent. You don’t deserve to lead this base."
The words hit like a blade. She didn’t stop.
"You’re talking about waging a war against zombies when soldiers can barely afford grain. People are dying from hunger. Have you even considered that?"
The room darkened with grim expressions.
"And another thing," Tara continued relentlessly, "you knew the zombies were evolving. You knew attacks were escalating. Yet you never ordered a city-wide evacuation. Why? Because you hoped for a miracle?"
Her eyes burned. "If SiIvy Base hadn’t intervened, everyone here would be dead. Every civilian."
She pointed accusingly.
"The only survivors would’ve been you and your families... because you made backup plans for yourselves, not for the people who bled for this base."
Silence followed, thick and suffocating.
Tara straightened, her voice steady despite the storm inside her.
"I don’t give a shit what you’re scheming anymore. Food. Power. Influence. Population."
She turned toward the door. "None of it matters to me."