Chapter 207 Tension in the Control Room (2)

Chapter 207: Chapter 207 Tension in the Control Room (2)

Rowan lowered the receiver slowly after giving the order, but his hand remained close to the radio, as if a part of him still wanted to snatch the command back before it could spread through the western line.

The command station did not wait for his doubt. The moment the redeployment order went out, the officers around the table returned to motion. One radio operator leaned closer to his headset and repeated the message toward the northern wall, while another marked the movement of the reserve platoons on the map with a trembling hand.

Runners hurried away from the shelter, disappearing into the smoke-filled path along the wall, and the sounds of battle pressed in from every direction, gunfire from the north, explosions from the east, the sharp rotating hum of the laser weapons above them.

Margaret watched all of it with a calm expression, though the slight lift at the corner of her lips betrayed the satisfaction she was trying to hide.

Within minutes, the first reports arrived.

"Northern wall confirms reinforcement received," a radio operator announced, pressing one side of his headset closer to his ear. "They are pushing the monsters back from the second barricade."

Another voice crackled through a different radio before the operator turned quickly. "Eastern wall reports the heavy machine gun crews have arrived. Their ammunition line has stabilized."

A few officers released the breath they had been holding. Someone near the back muttered a low thank God before quickly straightening as if afraid Margaret might hear him.

Margaret heard him, but she did not correct him. She only looked at Rowan.

"You see?" she said, her tone soft but carrying clearly over the noise. "The moment resources were sent where they were needed, the pressure eased."

Rowan did not respond immediately. His gaze remained on the western sector of the map, where the markers representing the withdrawn reserve platoons had already been moved away from the barricade. The space looked thinner now, too thin for his liking, though anyone else looking at it would probably see a reasonable adjustment.

"Captain?" Margaret called again.

Rowan finally lifted his head. "I heard the reports."

"And?"

"And I am glad the north and east are holding."

Margaret’s smile deepened slightly. "That sounds almost painful for you to admit."

Rowan looked at her calmly. "I don’t care who is right, Commander. I care whether the fortress survives."

His answer should have pleased her, but it did not. It carried that same steady composure that made her feel as though he was tolerating her instead of obeying her. The officers around them continued working, yet Margaret could feel their attention drifting between her and Rowan. They were waiting, judging, measuring every word like the fortress had suddenly become two battlefields instead of one.

She looked toward the northern wall, where the reinforcements had already begun making a visible difference. The soldiers there were firing with renewed force, and the monsters that had nearly reached the second barricade were being pushed back under the combined fire of rifles, grenades, and the newly repositioned machine gun teams.

"Leadership requires knowing when to move," Margaret said after a moment. "Not simply standing still because danger might be hiding somewhere."

Rowan’s fingers tightened around the edge of the table, but his voice remained even. "Movement is useful when the ground under your feet is known."

Margaret tilted her head slightly. "And when it is not?"

"Then a careless step breaks your neck."

One of the younger officers lowered his gaze quickly, pretending to be busy with the map. Margaret noticed it, and the faint warmth of victory in her chest cooled.

Before she could speak, another transmission came in.

"Western command reporting," the operator said. "Enemy activity continues to decrease. No major movement observed near the barricade."

Margaret slowly turned her eyes back to Rowan. "Another confirmation."

Rowan stepped closer to the map and pointed at the western ridge without looking at her. "Ask them if they can see beyond the hills."

The operator hesitated, glancing toward Margaret.

Margaret waved her hand lightly. "Ask."

The radio operator pressed the transmit button. "Western command, central command requests visual confirmation beyond the western ridge."

Static crackled for a few seconds before a voice came through. "Negative. Ridge blocks the far slope. We can see the crest, but we cannot see what lies behind it."

Rowan’s expression darkened slightly, not because the answer surprised him, but because it confirmed exactly what had made him uneasy.

Margaret folded her arms. "We already knew that."

"Yes," Rowan said quietly. "And we moved the reserve anyway."

The words landed heavily across the command station. A runner slowed near the entrance, then quickly continued when Rowan’s gaze brushed past him.

Margaret’s face remained calm, but her eyes hardened. "Be careful, Captain. Concern is one thing. Regret is another."

"I don’t regret obeying the chain of command," Rowan replied. "I regret that the chain of command is being tested during a siege."

Margaret took a step closer to him. "You think I am testing it?"

Rowan did not reply. He could already smell her desperation from control, even a blind person could see it.

Below the wall, another explosion tore through the battlefield, and the command shelter shook slightly. Dust fell from the edge of the reinforced canopy and scattered across the map. An officer reached forward to position one of the markers before it rolled away.

The northern radio crackled again. "Northern wall reporting. Enemy pressure dropping. We’ve recovered the lost barricade."

A cheer rose from somewhere outside the shelter, tired and rough but genuine. The sound spread along the wall like a small flame catching dry grass. Soldiers who had been fighting for hours shouted hoarsely, not from joy exactly, but from the simple relief of realizing they were still alive.

Margaret’s eyes brightened.She turned toward Rowan, and this time she did not bother hiding her satisfaction. "See, we have recovered the barricade."

Rowan said nothing.

"You were wrong," she said softly.

His jaw tightened, but he still did not answer.

Margaret leaned slightly closer, her voice lowering just enough that only the officers around the table could hear. "You have experience, Captain, I will not deny that. But experience can become fear when a person has survived too many battles. Tonight, this fortress needed action, and I acted."

Rowan finally looked at her. "Then I hope your action ends here."

Margaret’s smile faded. "Meaning?"

"Meaning the north and east have received support. Do not strip the west further."

The warning came too calmly, and that made it harder for Margaret to dismiss. For a moment she looked toward the western side again, where the line remained quiet under the flashing sweep of the laser weapons. The remaining platoons had spread out to cover the gaps left by the withdrawn reserve, and although the formation was thinner, it had not broken.

A quiet thought moved through her mind. ’He still does not want to admit it.’

Her fingers brushed lightly against the edge of the table. Rowan had been obeyed by everyone all night. His every command had been accepted without question, and now that one of her decisions had proven useful, he was still clinging to doubt as if surrendering it would cost him more than the battle.

Another officer hurried in, his face smeared with ash. "Commander, the eastern sector is requesting permission to hold the transferred machine gun crews until further notice. They say returning them now would risk losing the pressure they gained."

Margaret did not look at Rowan this time. "Approved."

The officer nodded immediately, but his eyes flickered toward Rowan out of habit.

Margaret’s voice sharpened. "Did I sound uncertain?"

The officer stiffened. "No, Commander." He saluted quickly before hurrying away.

Rowan watched the exchange without speaking.

Margaret turned back to him. "You see, Captain? Even habits can change."

Before Rowan could respond, the western radio crackled again.