"Mike ODonahue?"
William opened his mouth slightly and repeated the name.
This name...
It sounded so familiar, like he had heard it somewhere before, and many times at that.
"Yes, Boss."
The Communications Officer on the other end of the headset, upon hearing William's muttering, replied:
"According to Article 25 of the athabasca agreement, when a city with a population of over 500,000 is attacked by an anomalous phenomenon, the nearest military Commander to the area will respond immediately."
"And the highest-ranking officer near New York is none other than Lieutenant General Mike ODonahue, who is stationed on the outskirts of Princeton."
"Alright, I understand." William nodded slightly.
Looking through the porthole at the glowing red Manhattan, he narrowed his eyes and added another order:
"Notify Minos, and have Major Kent escort Cortana and the Spartan team to Long Island as soon as possible. As soon as possible."
"Yes, Boss." The Communications Officer fell silent, as if relaying William's order.
A few seconds later, he said, "Boss, Major Kent has received the order."
"Very good."
William frowned, rubbing his chin as he pondered if there was anything else to add, then said calmly:
"Troy, prepare to provide logistical support for Long Island. There may be a tough battle ahead."
"Yes."
"Hmm." After giving all the instructions, William cut off the connection with Troy.
He then leaned back in his seat, vaguely listening to the roar of the helicopter engines and the pilots' reports to the ground.
He let his mind go blank for a moment.
A tough battle?
It wasn't as simple as just a "tough battle."
Elizabeth Green had turned 40,000 people into her 'children' in an instant, and had those infected attack and spread the virus wantonly.
William remembered that when they had just evacuated, they were already facing something like a 'horde of corpses.'
The Empire 25 cinema was two kilometers away from the infection source area, which was relatively close, so seeing a horde of corpses was normal.
Coupled with the rapid response of the Marine Corps in sealing off Manhattan in time, the possibility of the infected leaking to the surrounding areas was minimized.
Carefully screening Long Island, Union, and the Bronx.
Whether there were infected in these three areas surrounding Manhattan could be controlled, even with just the manpower and resources of the Police.
But what about Manhattan?
What to do?
Should they send troops into the city to fight, to kill every infected person and eradicate every strain of the virus?
It was almost impossible.
In the game, Elizabeth Green's ending was to be devoured by the protagonist, Alex Mercer.
This didn't mean she was weak.
In fact, the Mercer controlled by the player was the virus itself, codenamed 'Blacklight,' and this virus originated from Elizabeth Green.
Just as she said in her own words: "I am your mother."
Theoretically, Elizabeth Green was far stronger than Mercer, but...
'Alex is a beast.'
William only had this thought in his mind.
'I hope Halsey has a way to solve this.'
Holding this thought, William cast his gaze toward Halsey, who was mimicking his chin-rubbing gesture and lost in thought.
If even she couldn't handle it...
Then they would really have to resort to a nuclear solution.
William believed that if it reached an uncontrollable point, the US Government might launch a nuclear bomb before their Umbrella Hector-class hydrogen bomb could even be deployed.
"Boss." The crew member sitting next to him, holding his headset with his left hand, reminded him:
"We are about to arrive at the temporary Base on Long Island!"
"Alright."
Hearing this, William waved his hand to indicate he understood, then turned his head to look down through the porthole.
He saw that Kennedy Airport, originally for civilian use, was now filled with various United States military transport aircraft on the runways, and helicopters were waiting to take off or land in front of the hangars.
There were also large numbers of Marine Corps in light gray uniforms, either patrolling in hummers or transporting various supplies into the hangars.
It seemed they were turning this place into a temporary military fortress.
From the moment the virus broke out, he bypassed the President and the Department of Defense to mobilize his own Soldiers and rush to New York from the Princeton military Base thirty kilometers away.
While sealing off Manhattan, he was also able to dispatch armed helicopters to escort his transport fleet.
It was clear that Lieutenant General Mike ODonahue's issue wasn't just about having strong resolve...
It was very likely that he was someone aligned with the Russell Family.
After all, William had learned from Andre that his grandfather, named Silas Russell, was a figure who practically controlled everything in the 70s and 80s of the last century.
At that time, Silas used the Russell Family's wealth and influence to help many young people who were in desperate straits but possessed exceptional abilities.
And based on the fields they excelled in, he gave them the greatest support, either by sending them to the military for training or to prestigious universities for their studies.
Like Andre.
As a highly skilled and extremely loyal spy, he was specially kept by Silas by his side, serving as both a bodyguard and a detective.
Thinking of this.
William shuddered.
Because those young people had long since become political figures and generals in various countries, holding the lifeblood of their nations in their hands.
The Russell Family's influence and wealth were definitely not something his eccentric father could squander away.
It was as if...
It was as if his grandfather had done it on purpose.
'Holy crap...'
William couldn't help but exclaim "holy crap" in his heart.
If this was true, then his grandfather was practically a god.
Otherwise, how could the athabasca agreement have been drafted and signed so smoothly, and even include a willing agreement to let Umbrella build large military Bases all over the World?
He had previously been wondering how to deal with various countries after the Project Heading for Dawn was launched.
Now looking at it...
It was terrifying to think about.
I guess Grandpa is still Grandpa, huh?
"Da—da—~"
Just at this moment, the UH-60 Black Hawk fuselage went through some jolts and buffering, successfully landing at Kennedy Airport.
Seeing this.
William stopped dwelling on his grandfather, instead taking off his headset, crouching down to stand up, and reaching out to gently pat Halsey, who was still in a daze.
He smiled and said, "Alright, it's time to go."
After speaking, he pulled open the sliding door and stepped out first, then turned around to help her down.
"Hm? Hm... oh."
Halsey, who had been successfully "rebooted," did not have her usual radiance, but instead looked tired and powerless.
Seeing his lover become like this.
William quickly helped her take off her headset, supported her as she left the cabin, and walked quickly away from the area where the helicopter was kicking up a vortex of wind.
Arriving under a jet bridge, William asked her worriedly, "Catherine, what... is wrong?"
"I'm fine."
Halsey closed her eyes and sighed, "It's just...
Whenever I think about the uniqueness of that Zero patient, my head starts to throb. I'm afraid... I'm afraid that we won't be able to find containment measures."
William was stunned for a moment, then raised his hand to knead her cheeks, encouraging her:
"Getting discouraged right off the bat isn't your style. Alright, cheer up. We have a Lieutenant General to meet in a moment."
Halsey gave a forced smile, clasped William's hand as he caressed her, and promised softly:
"Mm-hmm."
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