29

REID

Now that our Denver allies are here, it’s like someone pressed the fast-forward button. Time is moving way too fast; every minute that passes, we’re marching closer and closer to war. Most of the time, I like being a leader. I’m good at it. In war time, though, it’s the toughest position to be in. I’m constantly second-guessing every choice, every decision. When lives hang in the balance, every angle has to be examined. Even one life lost is too great a cost.

Casualties are a cruel inevitability of war. No matter how meticulously we plan our battle strategy, it’s simply impossible to protect everyone. Soldiers will fall, and with each one, a little part of me will die, too. The bonds in our squad and our packs run deep. Each individual loss is crippling to the whole.

There are so many frustrating ‘unknowns’ when it comes to developing battle strategy, all of which have t