Sam looked back and saw the young man's face wet with sweat.

This man was none other than Rorschach, a staff officer of the special operations battalion under his jurisdiction, a staff officer who had graduated from a military academy, and was not the same as a person like him who voluntarily enlisted in the army.

It's just that after graduating from the key military academy, he didn't enter the navy, army, air force or navy, which is regarded as a "more formal" existence, and the reason why Sam still doesn't know why.

And at this moment, after hearing his words, Sam frowned.

"Lieutenant General Kelman??"

This deputy chief of staff of the National Guard, who has always been regarded as the confidant of Holt, the commander-in-chief of the National Guard, has a bit of a disagreement with the current chief of staff, Maxim, and is one of the few powerful people standing above the hundreds of thousands of people in the National Guard.

Although at such a moment when the front line was gradually "approaching" itself, such an act of retreating to the headquarters of the Guards seemed completely insulated from the word "heroic". But Sam subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, at least so that he would not have to watch the invincible enemy get closer and closer, and he could only wait desperately for that final moment to come.

"Okay, I'll go over right away."

"Sir, Lieutenant General Kelman is waiting for you in office 517 on the fifth floor - the elevator can't be used now, so you can only take the stairs."

Sam nodded to Rorschach.

"Rorschach, you will take my place for the time being."

Sam took a deep breath and took a step towards the upper floor.

Although he wanted to avoid showing an evasive posture, when he turned around and ran upstairs, the agile and rapid movements inevitably showed a little embarrassment.

Watching Sam run towards the top of the building, Rorschach's eyes showed a faint gleam.

Then, he turned his head to look at the hundred or so battalion members who had been left behind by Sam and had retreated here with Sam in the rout just now, coughed lightly at them, who were still a little dazed, and said aloud:

"Ladies and gentlemen...... From now on, because Chief Sam is back to his life, I will be in command from the front......"

……

In the Pentagon, in his office on the fifth floor, Holt, the current commander-in-chief of the National Guard, was wearing a military uniform and smoking a cigar, looking out the glass window at the "tower" that was gradually approaching here, and sighed to Deputy Chief of Staff Kelman.

The silvery metal sentinels poured into the streets and homes like swarms, causing incessant screams.

Ever since the mechanical enemies appeared in the warning area, the screams had barely stopped. This kind of scene that seems to have only happened in science fiction movies at the end of the twentieth century takes place in reality, which seems so absurd and nonsensical, but it is so cold and vivid.

At first, the rumble of the ammunition explosion and the gunfire of bullets were not heard, and even standing in this office, Holt saw through the glass window that a shell had landed outside a house just across the street from the Defense Department building, and the air and smoke were rolled up.

However, as time passed, the sound of explosions and gunshots became less and less, and only the approaching "towers" outside the building, the faint vibration of their tracks crushing against the ground continued.

However, this is not good news for Holt, but pure bad news.

This only shows that those mechanical beings who seem to have their own intelligence are on the verge of taking full control of the situation in the city - controlling the order and power of the city with the headquarters of the US military.

Moreover, those enemies are almost innocent of those who do not deliberately attack them.

According to the information that Holt has gathered from his subordinates, ordinary humans will have nothing to lose and will not suffer any harm as long as they accept their so-called "standard citizenship certification" and are willing to lay down their arms and submit to their rule. It's 10,000 times more upright than the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Therefore, as time goes by, more and more people obey their orders, and it is conceivable that they will abandon their weapons and return to order.

But...... In that case, is it really necessary to allow such a group of mechanical beings to rule over mankind and dominate the United States of America?

For a moment, Holt only felt a little tightness in his chest.

In order to expel the stasis in his chest, he exhaled lightly and said to Kelman:

"Why hasn't Camp Sam come yet?"

Kelman also looked haggard, with his neckline wide open, sweat on his forehead as the electrical system failed and there was no air conditioning. But at this time, when he heard Holt's question, he still subconsciously agreed:

"I've asked Major Rorschach from the Special Operations Battalion to call him, he should be there right away."

Speaking of which, Kelman emphasized one more sentence.

"I signed his award at the time – he's coming."

Holt nodded, but was unimpressed.

It's hard to say how much of a small favor like this can play at a critical moment, especially at this awkward time.

- After all, no one would have thought that as the commander-in-chief of the US National Guard, who is above hundreds of thousands of people, at such a time, he would need the help of a special operations battalion commander with only a hundred people left.

However...... This is an indisputable fact.

Sam himself was in the game, and he was forced to fight and retreat by the "towers" and "type one outpost", until he retreated to the Pentagon. But other units other than him, both armored and air forces, have lost their combat capability and have collapsed.

Moreover, his special operations battalion was very fortunate to have dodged several waves of big blows, and finally returned here with more than 60% of its strength.

So, at this time, if Holt wants to realize his thoughts, he can only entrust him with help.

Of course. He can also come forward in person and use his authority as the supreme leader of the National Guard to unite all the stragglers, but - a large rabble is not as useful as a small number of formed troops, and more importantly, what he wants to do, once it is clearly stated...... It will only evaporate one's own authority.

Especially at a time when this means of communication is almost completely ineffective, the authority of the individual is even more crucial.

Thinking of this, there was a knock on the door outside the office.

Holt turned around and saw a young soldier about thirty years old walking in with a tense face, and when he saw Holt behind Kelman, a slight waver appeared in his tense face, probably because he didn't expect to see anyone other than Kelman—and Holt's highest-ranking boss.

"Hello, Lieutenant Colonel Sam......"

Kelman coughed lightly, as if he wanted to say hello, but Holt had already stood up and interrupted him, and he was categorical and resolute:

"Lieutenant Colonel Sam – I am now assigning you and your Special Operations Battalion as security forces escorting the command to Washington in my capacity as commander-in-chief of the National Guard – can you do that?"

(End of chapter)