The thought settled heavily in his mind while the tactical display continued filling with red.
The fighters were killing thousands.
The artillery was killing thousands more.
Outpost Echo was holding.
The northern front had slowed.
The southern front had not.
Ryan stood beside him with both arms crossed, eyes fixed on the drone feeds.
For once, he said nothing.
That alone told Adrian enough.
Another officer hurried toward the central table.
"Sir, helicopter flight is entering engagement range."
Adrian looked toward the southern feed.
"Show me."
The screen changed.
Thermal imagery from a reconnaissance drone appeared across the main display.
The southern horde stretched across broken roads and abandoned farmland like a black river.
Thousands of fast variants moved near the front.
Behind them came the slower infected.
And behind those came more.
The line did not end.
The operations officer spoke quickly.
