25

BROCK

“So we’re looking at a week to ten days,” Reid sighs, cracking his knuckles in front of him and leaning back in his chair. “Meaning we should’ve already sent the first half of the squad down there.”

The five of us squad leaders are gathered in the conference room at the complex, and the tension in here is so thick that it’s almost suffocating.

“So let’s send them in the morning,” Theo suggests. “We already split ‘em up, told them to be ready at a moment’s notice…”

“We’re gonna have to,” Gray agrees.

A grim silence settles over us, because this right here, this moment, is when it becomes real. We’re sending off our warriors, knowing full well the real cost of war. That some of them won’t be coming back.

It’s a reality that, fortunately, our squad has never had to face until now. As the leaders, all five of us feel responsible for the squad members, so the thought of taking casualties is a h