《Astray》


 Prologue

    ?You heard that?? Bradley raised his arm to signal the others to stop.


    They all crouched and went silent, listening to the forest around them and on the lookout for threats.


    His visor gave him a clear view of his surroundings, and would highlight anything that stood out. It worked better when connected to SATLINK, but they knew they would be cut off from it in the forest. He watched and waited, but nothing unusual appeared in his sight. Sometimes, Mother Nature¡¯s gifts are simply better than even the best technology.


    One moment the six members of Charlie Team were crouched and fully focused, tension palpable in the air. The next, Bradley was tackled from above by something massive. He fell on the ground, prone, hitting his head on a gnarled root. His full-faced tactical helmet dampened the impact to an extreme degree, but did nothing about the jaws trying to rip through the armour around his neck, nor about the weight on his back pinning him down. He felt the enormous pressure blocking his breath, and pain shot out through his whole body as his muscles contracted to resist. His pulse quickened and he felt his eyes bulge as he started to lose consciousness. Bradley tried to turn on his back, to bring his carbine to bear, anything to survive.


    He was powerless, and understood he was about to die.


    Four, suppressed, shots rang out, and the pressure vanished, replaced by a heavy mass that slumped on him. Bradley started to crawl away, then felt four hands grabbing his arms and drag him out. He turned on his back, unlocked the helmet and took it off, taking in as much air as possible. With help from Al, he stood up and leaned on an evergreen, an oak of some sort, one among the many in the surroundings. He tried to keep a cool expression, as stoic as possible, but inside he was still shaking, and the looks from Elisa and Al told him he was not fooling anyone. Bradley turned his green eyes on the mass of bark and moss that had almost ended his life.


    A couple of minutes passed by as he regained his bearings and understood what happened.


    ?So, what is this thing? Ideas, anyone?? He asked, voice raucous and wheezy.


    His M4A2 was aimed at the animal on the ground, index finger resting away from the trigger but ready to pull it at a moment¡¯s notice. It looked dead, but he was not about to take chances with such a beast. Not when it had almost ripped his neck apart.


    ?I don¡¯t know what to say, Brad. Never seen anything similar?, Al replied. The olive-skinned Italian stroked his beard in contemplation, his own rifle pointed at the ground, helmet now hanging from his hip. He was a good ten centimetres smaller than Bradley, but even bodybuilders would envy his shoulders. ?I mean, I¡¯d call it a leopard or a jaguar, but it¡¯s the wrong colour and way too big?.


    He was right. Despite closely resembling one, the animal was much bigger, closer in size to a lion or a tiger; what Bradley had mistaken for moss was its dark green fur, and what had seemed bark at first sight were brown rosettes.


    ?Damn, it must be at least two metres long, not counting the tail¡­ Oh, right! A metre is¡ª?.


    ?I know what a meter is, Al, thanks?, Bradley rolled his eyes as he cut him off, the dripping sarcasm unaffected by the harsh coughs and his strained voice. ?We use the metric system in the U.S. military, in case you forgot?.


    ?Well, you never know?, he smirked.


    Bradley pointed at the animal. ?Since you feel like talking, explain that to me, wiseass. Ever seen a leopard or a lion with six fucking legs?? A fit of coughing attacked him before he could address the crouched figure still intent on examining the strange feline¡¯s corpse. ?Elisa, talk to me. What do you make of it??


    Bradley did not have to see her face to picture the deep frown and icy eyes analysing the animal on the ground. ?Verdammt, Brad, I am a doctor, not a vet. My guess is as good as yours. Apart from what the eye can see, I have no friggin¡¯ clue?. Turning towards him, she carried on: ?It does not seem to have any abnormalities or deformities, nor signs of human modification, as far as I can see, but we also have no records of such animals in this region. An autopsy would certainly tell us more, but it¡¯s not our job. Someone else will take care of it, or maybe not. In any case?, she finished, knocking on her helmet, ?we have the recordings?.


    Standing up, she dusted her knees and addressed a fourth figure who had been silently on the look-out a few metres away, her back to the rest of the team. ?Jas, I¡¯m almost done here. Keep up the lookout, Steve and Tetsuo should be back soon. Meanwhile, Brad, you¡¯ll sit down and let me have a look at your neck?.


    At the mention of her name, Jaspinder turned her head and nodded, staring from behind her visor as Bradley sat down grumbling, before turning back and resuming her watch. She kept scanning their surroundings, her head moving slowly, like a hound smelling for its prey.


    Though unlikely, gunfire was liable to have drawn someone to their position, and Bradley knew it. After all, gunshots were loud. Sure, they had state-of-the-art gear and weapons, but even the best suppressor in the world could not silence a firearm. Not completely. Not even with the latest technological advances in warfare.


    Al must have sent Cooper and Tetsuo on recon while I was out of it.


    Bradley wanted nothing more than to move on and leave the area. However, he knew a moment of levity was a good way to relieve some tension and avoid being too strung up, especially after a dangerous encounter. He had seen even the most expert soldiers fall to fatigue as stress crept up and slowly wore out the mind and dulled the senses. Therefore, he had readily grumbled at Elisa¡¯s orders, even as he followed them ¨C he knew better than to ignore their fiery combat medic¡¯s commands ¨C and he noticed the corners of Jaspinder¡¯s eyes briefly wrinkle in genuine amusement. Behind him, he heard Al snicker, the bastard.


    Moreover, he knew he needed not worry about his team relaxing too much or getting careless in such environment; Jaspinder had already resumed her surveillance and Al had never stopped scanning the trees for possible threats.


    After all, they were Tier One operators. They knew their business.


    While Elisa checked his neck and chest for wounds he knew were not there, Bradley reflected on what happened. He had not expected a friggin¡¯ six-legged leopard to ambush them, and not with that level of stealth. The damn beast had been invisible until he had attacked. If not for his body armour, he would have found himself with a few new holes from where to breathe. The neck guard had done its job, but he could still feel the bite, as his usual deep voice was now raucous and interrupted by dry coughs. His teammates were visibly worried.


    The plan had been simple: enter the forest by boat, reach the enemy camp unseen, infiltrate the compound, capture the HVT, exfiltrate and call a drone strike. Of course, ¡°simple¡± did not mean ¡°easy¡±, otherwise the UNSOC would not have sent a SIG team. That something would go wrong was part of the course, especially in their line of work, but they were trained to adapt and ensure the mission¡¯s success.


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    So, where the hell did that come out from? There are no big cats in Europe, and six-legged leopards are typical of nowhere. Frustration in his thoughts.


    ?Brad, I don¡¯t like this. I suggest we abort while we are still undetected?, Al said.


    ?Not a chance?.


    ?Al is right?, Elisa said. ?What if there are more of these beasts around??


    ?No. We have no idea when we¡¯ll get another shot at capturing Varchenko. No one will break radio silence?.


    ?Brad¡ª?


    ?No. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m uninjured, Elisa. We should carry on. Get ready to move when the others come back?.


    ?Listen, Brad, you¡¯re the master chief, but I¡¯m the medic, and I say that you still need to rest?.


    ?Brad?, Al chimed in before an argument could develop, ?there¡¯s no need to rush. We¡¯re still on schedule and well hidden; the forest is too big and too dense for any surveillance system to have noticed us, you know it, and with our gear we¡¯re invisible even to thermal scanners. Varchenko won¡¯t run away, not this time. Let¡¯s wait for Tetsuo and Steve?.


    Elisa¡¯s firm tone and Al¡¯s sound reasoning convinced the ex-SEAL to rest at least the time to receive first aid. Hopefully, the gunshots had not been heard, but they would have to wait for Steve and Tetsuo to come back to know.


    ***


    Whilst Elisa was finishing her check on Bradley¡¯s neck with evident relief in her eyes, Alessandro put his helmet on and went back to stare at the surrounding trees and listen for any unusual noise. He was looking for threats but could not help the nagging thoughts from emerging: he was ill at ease, unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong with the forest; not just the animals, even the plants, the smell... everything seemed strange. The air itself felt heavier, more oppressive than before, and every time he looked beyond the nearby trees, he felt a prickle down his spine. However, he prided himself in his ability to keep focused and cool-headed even in the worst situations, so he took a deep breath and quickly silenced such paranoid feelings. Letting fear and doubt creep into his heart and mind was a recipe for disaster, he knew it, especially when deep into hostile territory.


    Still, even the birds¡¯ cries are strange, and that beast¡­ Since where are there leopards in Eastern Europe? Perhaps it is an escaped experiment, or a mutation of some sort. Whatever, it¡¯s not the moment to make wild guesses. Best to keep focused.


    Alessandro would have kept pondering for hours, if a familiar voice had not interrupted his musings. ?Charlie Two, this is Charlie Four, coming with Charlie Six from south-west. Over?.


    ?Copy, Four, I see you. Out?, came his immediate reply over their direct comms. A green contour highlighted his companions as friendlies on his visor. If not for that, he would not have noticed the two men appearing from the foliage a few seconds later. Despite having the same gear and training, Alessandro did not have the uncanny ability to blend in with the environment his two companions had, but compensated for it with patience and experience.


    The shortest of the new arrivals waved at him, his right arm holding a light machine gun with apparent ease, the bulge of his muscles evident even with the full body armour on. Despite that, his steps were measured and as silent as they could be; a discerning eye could see it was the fruit of meticulous training. The second man followed at a short distance with an unnaturally silent and graceful gait, perfectly complementing his tall and lean build. In contrast to the first one, his movements felt more like a natural gift. He would have probably been at home walking among the elves of Rivendell, but any similarity between the two ended there, as it was made clear the moment he spoke.


    ?We¡¯re back, mates! Nothing out of the ordinary in the perimeter, no souls in a hundred metres radius, not even a bird or a bloody mozzie. We checked our whole surroundings, moving like ninjas?, he said, his voice relaxed, almost amused. ?Did our dear Bogeyman discover anything on the big cat??


    ?Be quiet, Cooper, I¡¯m working here. For a supposed ¡°ninja¡± you sure make a friggin¡¯ lot of noise?, came the medic¡¯s reply, her hands and eyes doing a final check on Bradley¡¯s neck. ?I¡¯m always baffled by how someone who can move so quietly can speak so much and be so loud. Is this another weird Aussie trait or is it just you? Aren¡¯t snipers trained to be ¡°like ghosts¡± as I recall you saying too many times? And don¡¯t call me ¡°Bogeyman¡±, Steve. For you I am Chief Schwartzman?.


    ?Jawohl, Herr Chief Spezial Warfare Operator Schwartzman! Mein apolozies!? Cooper addressed her by her full rank as he snapped at attention and saluted, speaking in a fake German accent and displaying his trademark smirk. Ignoring the annoyed stare Elisa sent his way, he turned towards him: ?So, chief, what has our Teutonic medic found out??


    With a visible shrug and a heavy sigh, Alessandro relayed to the two fellow operators what they had discovered ¨C that is to say, nothing much ¨C before he felt the need to give some advice to his younger comrade. ?Just so you know, Steve, I wouldn¡¯t annoy Elisa too much if I were you. It¡¯s a bad idea to piss off our medic, trust me?. He chuckled to hide the involuntary shiver, as he recalled the one time he had made her really angry, when he learned that the difference between medicine and poison was really just a matter of dosage. Fortuitously, the following morning everyone knew her new nickname, and no one could deny that ¡°Bogeyman¡± was seriously cool. The fact that the story behind it was definitely not and that it was also a bad pun for a selected few were but details of his small revenge.


    Well, even I am allowed to be petty sometimes, no?


    ?Also, in German you use ¡°Frau¡± to address a woman, not ¡°Herr¡±¡­ but I guess you already knew that. Right, punk? Don¡¯t come crying to me when she poisons your coffee?. He closed his eyes and automatically moved to pinch the bridge of his nose, but then again, his helmet was in the way, so he opted for another sigh instead. Shaking his head, he addressed their machine gunner. ?So, going back to more serious things¡­ Tetsuo, anything else to report? Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary, other strange animals??


    The brawny man did not immediately reply, seemingly pondering the question for a few seconds, then spoke with a clear and soothing voice, not a trace of Japanese accent to be heard. ?I confirm what Charlie Six reported, Chief Rossi, sir. We have not seen nor heard any trace of human activity nearby. No enemy patrols either. It appears we were lucky and no one heard the gunshots. No unordinary animals either, not that we could spot any, actually. It all looks fine. It¡¯s just¡­ my gut keeps telling me that something is wrong?.


    ?Come on, old man?, Steve chimed in, rejoining the conversation, ?it was just a weird-ass overgrown cat, probably some crazy scientist¡¯s escaped experiment and it didn¡¯t even faze our heroic master chief. Don¡¯t let the gloomy atmosphere get to you?. He slapped Tetsuo on the back. ?This forest is dark and depressing, sure, but still quite tame compared to the bush. There you have to be careful of everything! Everything, I tell you, mate. And I don¡¯t mean just the animals, though those can kill you just fine, you need to be wary not to find yourself around some Gympie Gympie. Awesome and terrifying plant, that, fair dinkum! It has these stinging hairs filled with neurotoxin, which is so painful they say it¡¯s like being set on fire and at the same time¡ª?


    ?For the love of... Dundee, shut up for a moment. Where¡¯s your off-switch?? It was Bradley. His voice was still somewhat weak, but he had finally stopped coughing. He was in the process of fastening his neck guard and helmet, while Elisa had just finished putting her backpack back on and was picking up her weapon. Seeing how relaxed she was, the combat medic had clearly given him the all-clear.


    ?We don¡¯t have time for another one of your stories about murderous Australian things?, Brad continued, trying not to strain his voice. ?We¡¯ve already stayed here for too long and we¡¯re still fourteen klicks away from our target. Al, sitrep?.


    ?We¡¯re clear to go, Brad. Nothing nearby?.


    With a nod, he started walking. ?Good. Formation Bravo. Everyone, keep eyes and ears open, especially on the trees, I don¡¯t want another unwelcome surprise. Let¡¯s move?.


    The sudden stream of orders was smoothly followed by the team, each member moving quickly into position like gears of a well-oiled mechanism. The thousands of hours of training and field experience displayed in the seamless transition from relaxed banter to quiet professionalism. Even Steve was now fully focused on their mission; Alessandro had no doubt he already had some witty retorts ready, but they would wait for later.


    Moving as fast as possible without abandoning stealth, Charlie Team proceeded towards their target, six phantoms stalking their prey.

 Chapter 1 – Within a Forest Dark

    The sun was already setting when Bradley and the rest of Charlie team arrived at the target¡¯s coordinates. They had proceeded without further incident; no other animal crossed their path, the dense vegetation gave them cover, and they did not spot any kind of surveillance in their surroundings; all just as planned. They still had not recovered access to SATLINK, which meant no GPS either, but they had been forewarned that it was likely to happen, given the local geography and dense canopy, so they had the map of the region downloaded inside their suit¡¯s drive. In case of electronic warfare or malfunction, each of them carried a manual compass anyway.


    The only problem was¡­ there was nothing in sight. No compound, no sentinels, no razor wire, no cameras, no machine gun nests, no automatic turrets. Only trees as far as the eye could see.


    ?Guys, how did we mess up? Was the intel wrong?? Cooper asked. His eyes scanned the forest with the gaze of a hunter, as if he expected to see their prey suddenly jump out of cover. Nothing moved; all was quiet.


    ?We haven¡¯t messed up, Steve. Intel was solid, and I refuse to even consider that we¡¯ve gone in the wrong direction. We are operators, damn it, not a group of boy scouts at their first trip in the forest?, came Bradley¡¯s frustrated reply, one hand holding his helmet, the other passing through his short chestnut hair.


    ?I agree with Brad?, Al said, ?I could understand one person making a mistake, but all six of us? Not a chance?.


    ?Furthermore, even if all our maps were wrong, we have always been going west?, Kusanagi added, holding his compass for the others to see. It showed clearly that they were facing westward. ?I did an azimuth check every thirty mikes, so I am sure we have not gone astray?.


    ?Yeah, so did I¡­ but we still ain¡¯t got shit here?, Cooper agreed.


    ?Ehm... guys?? Jaspinder said, drawing their attention. ?Is that a mountain range? Was there one, east of where we came from?? Her voice was uncertain and with a hint of worry.


    She was right to be. Everyone would, if they suddenly saw mountains where their map showed only plains, especially considering that the same map put the nearest mountain range almost three hundred kilometres south of their position. They had not noticed it until then because the dense vegetation blocked their view and none of them had thought to look back whence they had come, but now that they were on top of a gentle slope, they could see further west with no obstruction and have a slightly clearer view of the forest in the other directions.


    Bradley did not like what he was seeing.


    ?What the fuck? Did they leave us in the wrong forest? How in hell did they not notice a mountain range? That¡¯s around fifty, maybe sixty klicks from here, and it shouldn¡¯t be there?.


    ?Come on Brad, that¡¯s not possible?.


    ?Then how do you explain this? Either we got lost like some random Sunday hikers, our intelligence agency has been totally duped, or we were brought to the wrong place?.


    ?Oh, come on!? Elisa swore under her breath.


    ?What else is wrong now?? Bradley huffed.


    ?More bad news: GPS is still not working. No response from SATLINK?.


    ?Great... Well, we knew they were going to be unreliable out here, though I¡¯d have welcomed having some eyes in the sky right now?. Bradley closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, keeping silent for a few seconds while he considered the situation. One thing was to be prepared in case something went wrong, another was to fuck up so badly you missed a whole three hectares compound. After quickly punching his frustration back down, he came to a decision. ?Okay, listen up! We¡¯re doing this old school. We¡¯ll search for the compound in the area, radius is five klicks from here. Mark this location on your map and stay in comms range. Charlie Two and Four, you go north. Five and Six, south. Three, you¡¯re with me, we backtrack east. No need to go further west, we can see there¡¯s only trees ahead. We¡¯re still on radio silence, so stick to direct comms in case of emergency. If you have contact, withdraw and don¡¯t engage unless absolutely necessary. We¡¯ll regroup here at twenty-one hundred hours. It will be dark, but we¡¯ll still be on schedule. Any question??


    ?All clear?, a chorus of voices replied.


    ?Good. Let¡¯s move?.


    At Bradley¡¯s order, the team split according to plan and moved without looking back, everyone determined to find their elusive target.


    ***


    Alessandro and Kusanagi were moving slowly, the uneven terrain wet and giving way under their boots, so much that they had to pay more attention to their footing as to not fall or, God forbid, twist an ankle. Darkness had already swallowed the forest but the night sky was clear; the first star had long risen and the whole firmament was now visible: a marvel to behold, a sight only possible in areas devoid of artificial lights for many kilometres. A sailor who knew his job would have been able to sail a ship in the open sea and lead it safely to destination just by means of the constellations. Unfortunately, the two operators could not see the sky, as it was covered by the treetops, nor would they have dared look upwards, given the treacherous nature of the ground and the many low branches. Had they been able to gaze upon the stars, however, they would have found themselves staring at unfamiliar constellations, without Sirius or the Big Dipper to show them the way.


    The tried and tested duo did not fear the dark, though, but welcomed it as the reliable ally of many operations, as a simple switch made their visor transform night into day, only the familiar green monochrome indicating the sun had gone to sleep. The two NCOs advanced with firm but light steps, careful not to leave too many traces of their passage. Plants of many kinds they met along the way; wide and thorny bushes that they deftly avoided, trees tall and thin with what Alessandro surmised ¨C the green monochrome did not help ¨C was white or ashen bark, others wide and dark, trunks as thick as four men standing shoulder to shoulder. At times he heard the faint noise of running water, of small streams carrying life within them, or a lone nightingale singing, but he could also swear he smelled the stench of rotting meat and heard cruel laughter among the songs of birds. Now, though, there was no buzzing of insects, no singing birds, no flapping of wings, no rustling of leaves, no water streaming.


    Only silence.


    It was all very strange, very unnatural, and despite his training, experience, and rational mind, it made Alessandro feel cold inside; a gripping, spiteful cold. He shivered.


    That was why, although not one to usually bother with idle talk, the current situation and the stifling atmosphere brought him to speak, if only to break the oppressive silence.


    ?Hey, Tetsuo, you said before that your instinct was telling you something was wrong, right? What about now??


    ?Yes, sir. It is a constant itch at the back of my head, and I cannot shake away this sense of foreboding. I cannot pinpoint what it is, exactly. It is more of a general feeling of wrongness.?.


    With a sigh, Alessandro turned around towards the older man, brown eyes meeting brown eyes. Behind the helmet he looked no different than when they had met the first time, and though it was a matter of genes, Kusanagi¡¯s diligence in sticking to his training regime surely helped. Alessandro admired his friend for it: it was inspiring. ?Well, that¡¯s very reassuring. Now, let¡¯s put aside our ominous gut feelings for a moment: Tetsuo, how long have we known each other??


    ?Uh, well... since 2072, so six years?.


    ?That was a rhetorical question. Anyway, how many times have I told you to drop the ¡°sir¡± and call me by my name? At least when there¡¯s no top brass around?.


    ?I know, Chief Rossi, sir, but unless we are undercover or off-duty, military discipline dictates that I address superior officers using their proper rank?, the Japanese man replied, quiet firmness in his voice. ?I will call you by your given name in informal settings, such as the next time we go out for a drink and I trash you at pool. You still owe me five beers, by the way, sir?.


    ?... You are a damn stickler to the rules, you know that? Relax from time to time. Are they all like you in the JSDF? Also, don¡¯t cheat old man, it¡¯s only three beers?. His comeback was as swift as his tone was amused while he held out his hand to help his fellow SIG to climb over a small crevasse.


    ?You forget the game of darts we had afterwards, sir?, Kusanagi retorted with amusement as he kept scanning their surroundings.


    ?I didn¡¯t forget, I won that game. I told you already: what¡¯s the point of throwing darts in that beautifully smooth movement of yours if you¡¯re going to miss the bullseye anyway? Not everything in life has to be done according to your ky¨±d¨­ principles, Tetsuo?.


    ?Indeed, sir, you won the game?, he replied, ignoring the comment, ?but I should remind you that the bet was that you would beat me with a fifty points margin, and you only won by forty-seven?.


    Alessandro stopped and turned towards Kusanagi, the two of them staring at each other for a couple of seconds.


    ?E che cazzo, couldn¡¯t you be satisfied with an ageless body? Now even the eidetic memory??


    ?I just have good memory, sir?.


    ?Yeah, right. Did you make a deal with the Devil or simply drink from some miraculous mountain spring?? Alessandro asked with a shake of his head, though his face framed a smirk behind the helmet.


    They both allowed themselves the time for a short chuckle, weariness and tension melting away, albeit only a little.


    Laughter quickly died down and the duo resumed walking. The wet terrain soon started giving way to rocky ground, allowing for a faster pace, so it did not take them much longer to reach the five kilometres mark. Once there, however, they were greeted by the same view that had kept them company along the way: trees. Trees and silence.


    With a dejected sigh, they started the walk back.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Steve and Jaspinder were facing an unexpected problem.


    ?Hey, Viper, you never told me the story of your nickname?.


    ?Yeah?, she grunted in pain, ?and there¡¯s a good reason for it?.


    ?I mean, it¡¯s cool, but you don¡¯t strike me much as¡­?


    ?Steve, does this look like the fucking right time to you??


    ***


    They had been moving quite fast, with Steve showing why he was the team¡¯s recon specialist. He led them smoothly on the best path south, finding ways around unforeseen obstacles and through difficult terrain, while still having time to pick some blueberries along the way. All of this before turning his Night Vision System on.


    ?Mmm, achchha! These are great! I didn¡¯t know blueberries could be so sweet. Even the smell is incredible. I¡¯m always amazed at how you know your way around in the wilderness, Steve?, Jaspinder said, stressing the word with a mocking deep tone before popping another blueberry into her mouth, her mouthpiece open. ?I mean, sometimes you remind me of those hunters in old westerns: you crouch down to feel the ground, you check the trees with your hands, you stop from time to time and listen to your surroundings. I bet you even smell and taste the air. You are like the guy from that very old TV-show on survival stuff. You know, the one who ate camel testicles. What was his name again...? Bare Gills, I think? He was an ex-SAS like you?, she continued, pointing at him. She stopped to taste a few more blueberries before resuming her verbal barrage. ?You know, I can totally picture you in front of a camera, eating some insect or another disgusting thing and explaining how it¡¯s a good source of protein and contains enough nutrients to survive for days, while the camera crew eat sandwiches and drink beer in front of you?.


    She was laughing by the end of her speech, evidently amused by her own joke.


    ?And they say I talk a lot¡­? he snorted. ?Would y¡¯all stop sounding so surprised, by the way? I was the best at recon and survival in my troop, you know. Perhaps you should take some refresher course, my dear Jas?. Then he added, as if it were an afterthought: ?And you know I was in the Special Air Service Regiment, come on! I¡¯m not a bloody Brit?.


    His protest fell on deaf ears, however, as Jaspinder kept smiling.


    ?Oooh, ¡°the best¡±, eh? And you were also the most humble, I guess?.


    ?Yeah, whatever¡­ And it¡¯s ¡°the humblest¡±?. Steve froze for a moment, a frown forming on his face. ?Damn, I just pulled a Rossi; I feel dirty now. I swear, he takes pleasure in correcting everyone on everything?.


    Jaspinder hummed noncommittally.


    ?By the way, Jas, did you already finish the berries I gave you? They were at least a dozen. Elisa would tell you to slow down or you¡¯ll get a stomachache?.


    ?Oh, hush! They are too good to pass up, and you¡¯re eating them too. And what would you tell me??


    ?I¡¯d give you another dozen and bet ten dollars that you¡¯d get a stomachache before eating them all?. He laughed.


    ?Ha! You¡¯d lose?.


    Steve looked at the remaining blueberry in his hand. ?Never seen ones this big?, he mumbled. Then he shrugged and popped it into his mouth. ?Come on, I¡¯ll get your money another time. We¡¯re still on a mission. Don¡¯t lose focus?.


    ?Eating these won¡¯t distract me?. She punctuated her statement by effortlessly avoiding a loose stone on the ground while ducking under a low branch, her nonchalance belying her attention to their surroundings, her eyes keeping vigilant, dark irises almost indistinguishable from the pupils. ?And stop being so melodramatic, Steve. Senior Chief Rossi just cares about us. He¡¯s like... yeah, like a bahee, a nosy older brother who has our best interests in mind, and¡­ Oh!?


    She froze.


    ?What is it?? he whispered. His training kicked in: eyes darting around and above, checking for threats, ears straining to listen to every sound, weapon still aimed at the ground but with the safety off.


    ?You didn¡¯t deny your future as host of a survivalist TV-show!? Jaspinder teased, a grin slowly spreading on her face. ?Imagine: ¡°Steve Copper presents Wild Australia ¨C Survival of the Fittest¡±. Sounds great, no? You should pay me royalties when you become rich and famous?.


    ?Oh, shut up¡­? he replied, chuckling, as his body relaxed.


    ***


    Half an hour later, Steve was reflecting on the fact that, indeed, questions about nicknames could wait. He was keeping watch a few metres away from the bush where Jaspinder was¡­ relieving herself. Those berries ¨C he was not sure anymore what they actually were. Definitely not blueberries ¨C had evidently caused unexpected bowel moments in the Indian woman, which became so urgent they had to stop.


    ?Ugh! I take back all I said about you being a good survivalist?, she whimpered, pain evident in her voice. ?And why am I the only one feeling sick? We both ate them and we got the same enhancements?.


    ?First of all, Jas, you ate way more berries than I did. Second, I don¡¯t think this has anything to do with our immune system. You know, I reckon the main reason why I¡¯m fine is that¡ª?


    ?Steve, I swear?, she interrupted with a stifled groan, ?if you say it¡¯s because there is worse stuff in Australia, or some other shit like that, I¡¯ll shoot you?.


    Steve wisely kept silent.


    ***


    Not long afterwards they were again on the move, eyes quietly focused on the path ahead and ears listening to their surroundings. Steve had not forgotten the strange leopard¡¯s ambush, and did not exclude the possibility of another encounter. Furthermore, Jaspinder had reminded him that many felines were nocturnal, and that their superior eyesight allowed them to move unhindered at night. Not to mention their sense of smell. Of course, they had the technology to cover for humans¡¯ natural weaknesses against such predators, but they did not want to take any chance.


    As they kept on the move, he ¡°felt¡± the forest around himself. The soft ground under his feet ¨C as well as some animal¡¯s unfortunately large excrements ¨C the pungent smell of musk and bark, the slight absence of white noise, barely noticeable at first, but increasing the more they proceeded south, until it became way more noticeable, and coming from his left.


    He stopped.


    At first he thought it was only a trick of his mind, but when he focused on it, he noticed that there was something more on his left, beyond the line of old and gnarled oaks, something that made the hair on the back of his neck stand. With a simple hand sign he drew Jaspinder¡¯s attention towards it, but as they started moving in that direction, he saw a small flicker of light pointed briefly at them. He immediately squatted down, Jaspinder following suit.


    An enemy patrol? Did they notice us? Shit, I should have paid more attention.


    The master chief¡¯s orders in case of hostile encounters were to retreat, but he knew they might be already compromised and he did not want to present his back to an unseen enemy without at least checking how many of them they were dealing with. Better to assess the situation and, if necessary, take the enemy out first before withdrawing.


    With his heart pounding loudly in his ears, Steve used practiced hand gestures to share what he had seen with Jaspinder, before carefully laying down his backpack and switching off the safety of his weapon. Then, the two operators stilled as they became one with the forest, their Advanced Tactical Body Armour and their weapons changing colour patterns to match their surroundings. A few seconds later they started walking again, silent and practically invisible except for a slight blur that occurred if they moved too quickly.


    They slowly circled around the bushes next to them, hidden by the most advanced stealth system modern technology could conceive, weapons ready to fire.


    Without warning, many lights flared up on their visors: not blinding per se, but their sheer numbers made it definitely disorienting.


    ?Fuck. Our shadows?, he hissed.


    Certain they had been discovered, Steve cursed himself for such a blunder. However, his reflexes kicked in again and had him prone on the ground in a heartbeat with his rifle aimed at the lights, following Jaspinder¡¯s lead, in an attempt to take down their enemies before being shot at. Better to hit first and hit hard, because having a full body armour was awesome, but getting shot still hurt like hell, especially with higher calibres, and there was always the chance for a lucky shot to hit a weaker part. A bullet to the eye was not Cooper¡¯s idea of fun.


    Despite their quick reaction, the weapons remained silent. The two operators had stopped when they had seen the lights disappear, then appear again a short distance away, no human figure in sight. Turning off their NVS and active camouflage, they stood up in marvel at the scene in front of their eyes.


    The forest had come to life. Hundreds of fireflies were dancing among the trees, their lights blinking in and out of existence at every heartbeat, their motions mesmerising with random but harmonious patterns. A suffused and gentle glow was embracing everything Steve and Jaspinder laid their eyes upon, the tree trunks were canvas of moving shadows, the unevenness of the bark creating unexpected figures.


    Glancing at his side, he saw Jaspinder enraptured by the spectacle of lights and shadows, moving around with a childish glee so pure that made him feel as if everything in the world would be fine as long as everyone would watch these motes of light dancing at night.


    He couldn¡¯t talk for his sister in arms, but he felt that same warm glow in his core, and it made him... serene.


    ?Wow! Are those¡­ fireflies? I have read about them, watched videos, but I had never seen any in real life, until now?, she said, walking towards one, hand stretched in an attempt to touch it.


    ?Really? That¡¯s sad to hear?. He was surprised by her statement, because fireflies had been a constant of his childhood. ?Well, I too haven¡¯t seen one in a long while. When I was a kid I remember running around trying to catch them. I still remember my father¡¯s laugh after he told me they weren¡¯t stars, but I think the last time I saw them was five or six years ago, during a training exercise in Queensland?.


    His voice carried a note of sadness and longing, but inside he felt that joy for childhood memories, a nostalgia for things long lost, so much that he could not stop the urge to smile and the unexpected tear that fell from his eye.


    Seeing the lone firefly flying out of her reach, Jaspinder lowered her arm. ?I know, but growing up in Delhi I never had the chance to see much wildlife. Maybe that¡¯s part of the reason why biology has always fascinated me so much, who knows??


    For what felt like hours they stood there in silence, charmed and with nary a worry in the world. All thoughts of danger and enemies forgotten.


    When he came to, Steve felt refreshed, as if he¡¯d just woken from a long and comfortable slumber, although only ten minutes had actually elapsed. Still, those were ten minutes too long of being unaware of his surroundings in hostile territory.


    What the hell? How could I lose focus for so long in this situation? I¡¯ve been a sitting duck for ten fricking minutes. If Sergeant Truganini knew, she¡¯d beat me to death.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Hearing Jaspinder¡¯s frown and the way she was shaking her head, as if trying to clear her mind, she was likely having similar thoughts. With a renewed focus, their world was again awash with shades of green light as they moved away from the enthralling spectacle, sliding back into darkness.


    As they proceeded, the terrain became less difficult to navigate, the way got clearer by the minute, the trees less numerous than before, and the canopy slowly opened to reveal blotches of starry sky, though the duo was too busy searching to admire it. Together with the changes in scenery came the distant sound of running water. The more they moved south the stronger it became, a roar in the evening silence, and with it grew the sense of anxiety in Steve¡¯s heart, until, much to their disbelief, they stood in front of a stream barring their path, it¡¯s scent refreshing and full of life.


    It was not a so strange sight to find torrents, brooks, or rivers in a forest, especially in one as large as the one they were traversing; after all, rich vegetation is always found where there is water. No, the problem was that their map showed no noticeable stream in a twenty kilometres radius, except for the one to the east, and they clearly recollected not seeing one during the mission briefings. Furthermore, despite not being so big as to be considered a river, it was still too wide to leap over and too deep to wade across, especially given its seemingly strong current. They weren¡¯t yet at the five kilometres mark, but they could not go further south, and there was no sign of any human activity around them. With no other option at hand, Jaspinder and Steve followed the westbound stream for a while, looking for a southward turn or a ford, but to no avail. Then they doubled back and walked along the riverbank eastwards for a while, with the same results. Unable to proceed further, they could only regroup with the others.


    ?Well, shit. Chief Anderson won¡¯t be happy?.


    ?True, but what else can we do, Steve? Come on, look at the bright side: we got to see fireflies! How wonderful is that? Though I still don¡¯t understand how we could just stand there like idiots for so long¡­?


    With a last look at the stream ¨C and a muffled curse on his part ¨C the two of them started the walk back, hoping the others had had better luck.


    ***


    Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Bradley Anderson was a veteran of many operations: he had thwarted terrorist schemes, escorted VIPs in Earth¡¯s hottest zones, eliminated high-value targets, and seen brothers and sisters in arms die in the line of duty. He knew when an operation was not going well, and their current one was not going well at all.


    First, that weird-as-hell mutant leopard-thing almost killing him. Then, they either got lost, were given wrong intel, or brought to the wrong place, and with no GPS or SATLINK they had with no eyes in the sky to check. Mountains did not pop up like candies, though, and they had the whole region¡¯s satellite map loaded into their helmet, so there could be no error there. Indeed, things had been going sideways since the beginning. That they had not reached their target yet and were almost outside of their window of opportunity was just the cherry on top of the disaster cake. It seemed to Bradley that Murphy¡¯s law was trying at full power to make their mission as hard as possible, but he was still determined to do his best to accomplish it, despite the universe actively working against them.


    He had chosen Elisa to come with him because he needed the opinion of someone with a bit more passion and emotion than Alessandro, and the medic was as far from the stereotypical image of Germans as possible, despite looking the part ¨C especially her height and stern gaze. Not that his Italian friend lacked passion, far from that, but he had the tendency to always voice his opinions with cold logic, and to rarely allow emotion to influence his judgement. While a valuable skill in most situations, especially in their line of work, it was not what Bradley needed right at the moment.


    Having likely guessed that he wanted to speak with her, and seeing as he was still keeping quiet, Elisa spoke first. ?Ok, Brad, what is it? Talk to me?, he heard her say as he vaulted over a fallen tree. He did not remember seeing it earlier, but then again, he could not recall every tree and bush they had passed by that day.


    ?Was I that obvious?? he asked back, furrowing his brow.


    ?Well, maybe it was not so evident to the others, perhaps not even Al noticed. For all that he is very perceptive, he can be quite dense sometimes?. A brief pause, as she vaulted over the same fallen tree. ?Thing is, you¡¯d have normally asked him to come with you. He¡¯s your second in command, your best friend, and gives sound advice¡­ even when you don¡¯t ask for it. Now, will you tell me what¡¯s troubling you??


    Minutes passed, and Bradley remained quiet, then another few, and still he kept quiet, the grip tight on his M4, his mind scrambling to find the words to explain himself. Elisa seemed content to patiently wait, only the cracking of fallen leaves under their boots and the occasional cry of a nocturnal bird breaking the silence of the night.


    ?Look, this may sound very silly and¡­ very stupid, but hear me out?, he finally said, stopping in his tracks. ?I¡¯ve been having this strange sensation for a while, a bad sensation. Just before we were attacked by that leopard-thing?, his hand unconsciously moved to touch his neck, ?the forest started feeling weird: the trees were suddenly more menacing, the air became more oppressive, the lay of the land was different from what we saw during the briefings, and¡­? his breath was growing ragged, ?and that fucking impossible animal should not have been there trying to bite my head off!? he concluded in anger, with a stifled voice and out of breath.


    Bradley noticed his field of vision shrinking, while his lungs desperately gasped for air. Before he knew it, he had thrown weapon and helmet to the ground and was trying to take deep breaths, but to no avail. He could feel his heartbeat in his ears, loud and fast, as his hands began to tremble, the muscles outside of his control, while cold shivers ran down his back. His mind, however, was clear; he was perfectly aware of what was happening to him ¨C and he also knew that it was not the moment for a panic attack ¨C but there was nothing he could do except waiting. Confusion, exasperation, anger, and irrational fear were not so easy to rein in once the leash had been loosened.


    He tried to control it, but his fear was stronger; he knew he would be overwhelmed, and that added fuel to the flame of panic. This was unusual as he had always been fine during deployment; the worries he had when at home would be relegated to a small corner of his mind, buried under training and the purpose of his mission. The two times he had had an attack while at home, there had been Rebecca there to help him overcome it, but his wife was not with him now.


    ?Brad. Brad, calm down, I¡¯m here?, he heard Elisa say.


    She was hugging him, her hand caressing his nape while her cheek rested upon the side of his head. He had not noticed her taking off her helmet. With closed eyes, he focused on her calm and reassuring voice, trying to relax in her warm and comforting embrace.


    ?Breathe. Take deep breaths. Like that. Good. I¡¯m here with you, don¡¯t worry. Everything is all right?.


    They stayed that way for a while. How long, Bradley couldn¡¯t say; a few seconds, perhaps a minute, maybe more. When he finally stopped trembling, he gently separated from her.


    ?Thank you?, he whispered.


    ?I hope Becky won¡¯t mind me hugging you?, Elisa allowed herself a joke before turning serious again. ?Now, listen. You were suddenly attacked, and if not for your armour, you¡¯d be dead now. It¡¯s normal to feel scared, wary, angry, and even a bit paranoid after the adrenaline wears off. It¡¯s not the first time your life is in danger, and you suffered worse injuries in the past, so you know what I¡¯m saying is true?.


    ?I know, Elisa, I know¡­? Bradley took a deep breath, his body under control again, ?but this is not it. It¡¯s different. I know fear, I¡¯ve become very intimate with it, though, as you can see, at times it¡¯s stronger than I am?.


    His words were said with the conviction one derives from speaking the truth, for he knew that fear was survival instinct; to him, recognising and accepting fear without succumbing to it was what made you stronger and kept you alive. Only fools thought themselves without fear, and that lead to recklessness, a one-way ticket to the grave as far as operators were concerned.


    ?No, Elisa, this is not fear. It is a pit in my stomach telling me something is very wrong around us. It¡¯s the constant prickle on the back of my neck. It¡¯s a voice in my head screaming ¡°You should not be here¡±. It¡¯s a warning?.


    ?Okay, okay. I get why you wanted to talk with me and not with Al?.


    The two of them were now standing face to face and he could see she was considering what to say.


    With a sigh, she continued. ?I would normally consider it simple post-stress paranoia, but to tell you the truth, ever since the encounter with that jaguar, leopard, whatever you want to call it, I too have been way more nervous and worried than usual. I keep getting goosebumps for no apparent reason, even now, and I feel like¡­ like a child lost in the woods?.


    There they stood, silent and in contemplation in the darkness of the night, seeking an answer to a question they did not know, the wind softly howling at them in the unwelcoming forest. At last, they resumed walking, their steps still strong but less determined than before, their minds focused but ill at ease, until they reached the five kilometres mark. As feared, they had not found any trace of their target along the way. Without uttering a sound, they turned around and headed back west, hoping that the others had had better luck. Time was running short.


    ***


    Cooper and Khalid were the first to arrive, followed shortly by Al and Tetsuo. A few minutes later, Elisa and Bradley joined them. Looking at his teammates¡¯ body language, Bradley understood that things had not gone how he had hoped, but he still asked a situation report from both groups. Their window of opportunity expired at twenty-two hundred, so they had less than one hour to find the compound in the middle of a dense forest ¨C with no information besides what they started with, which had proved to be wrong, and no UAV or satellite overview ¨C and proceed to the next phase of the mission.


    Bradley slowly evaluated their options given the situation, looked at his team, then took a decision, albeit with reluctance. ?Okay, everyone. Listen up! We¡¯ll break radio-silence and contact Edge to request info and directions. Just be warned that, until the rest of our days, we¡¯ll be ¡°the team who got lost¡± and they everyone will be sure to keep reminding us, especially Miller?.


    Everyone groaned at the mention of their intelligence officer. For how reliable he was, his penchant for jokes, especially dad jokes, had annoyed every one of them at least once.


    ?Sure, Miller will have a field day with it, but I think it¡¯s better to be the ¡°team who got lost¡± than the ¡°team who got lost and ran in circles until the target escaped¡±?, said Rossi.


    With a nod, Bradley radioed base. ?Edge, this is Charlie One. Silence lifted. Swigert, Swigert, Swigert! Over?.


    He expected the familiar voice of their commanding officer to reply, but static was the only answer he received.


    Again, Bradley radioed base, a tinge of worry in his voice. ?Edge, Charlie One. I say again: Swigert, Swigert, Swigert! Acknowledge, over?.


    Again, no reply.


    Cursing, Bradley told everyone to try their radios, but none of them received any response from the base. It was at that moment that they all started to seriously worry.


    ?Fuck! What¡¯s happening? Nothing is working, all our info was wrong, no response from Edge¡­? growled Bradley.


    ?Schei?e. Was it a trap? Were they compromised? And why didn¡¯t they warn us?? Elisa asked out loud to no one in particular.


    ?Orders, master chief?? Even the normally unflappable Kusanagi was visibly concerned.


    Without a second thought, Bradley started heading eastwards. ?Abort mission. We¡¯re going back. Double time. Let¡¯s move?.


    And with that, Charlie Team started their trek back. Any concern for unexplainable fears, scary shadows, and general uneasiness was swept away by the worry for the very plausible threat they were facing. They moved fast, as fast as they could on the treacherous terrain, their bodies fuelled by adrenaline and the desire to rescue their comrades. They did not stop to rest, even when their legs started to ache and their lungs to burn. When too tired, they slowed down for a few minutes before resuming their pace. They did so again and again, the surrounding forest only a green blur in their minds.


    It was still night when they reached the riverbank where they had disembarked the previous morning.


    Or, at least, that¡¯s where the river should have been according to their map. Instead of the deep waters, an unbroken sea of green greeted them, extending as far as the eye could see. Without missing a beat, Bradley carried on, leading the team for hours, and stopping only when the sun was already high in the sky. They had gone a good twenty kilometres further east, but it was painfully obvious that there was no river to be found. Cooper even climbed to a treetop in order to try to get a better view of the surroundings, but all he could see were trees and the mountain range, now even closer.


    Exhausted and confused, they all sat down to rest and drink some water, steam rising from their bodies when they took their helmets off to try and cool down a bit. Passing a hand through his wet hair, Bradley watched Elisa and Alessandro drying up some sweat from their faces, and realized how tired he was. He looked at his hand, eyes fixed on the few hairs entangled in his fingers, but his mind was elsewhere, pondering how to solve their current predicament. For the first time in a while, no clear answer came to him. He was stuck, uncertainty and lack of information his biggest enemies. Awakening from his internal musings, he spared a glance at Kusanagi¡¯s sweaty head glinting in the sun. The balding man had decided years before to keep a complete clean-shaven look, which, coupled with his kind face, respectful demeanour, and Asian traits, made him look like a stereotypical eastern monk. With a robe on, he could easily pass for one.


    Well, that¡¯s how we managed to infiltrate that Chinese terrorist group last year, Bradley thought, the hint of a smile appearing on his face at the amusing memory of Tetsuo firing his machine gun while dressed as a pacifist monk. The smile only lasted for the blink of an eye, though, snuffed out like a candle flame in the wind. It was not the moment to reminisce. They had to understand what was happening and quickly come up with a plan of action.


    While everyone was trying to get some rest, Al used this chance and approached Bradley, who was enjoying the bit of wind blowing on his face. ?Brad, we cannot continue like this?, he said between deep breaths, ?We¡¯re all tired but we¡¯ll still follow if you keep on going, and right now that¡¯s a problem?. Taking a sip of water, he carried on. ?They are all too focused on going to the rescue, and that restricts their situational awareness. They aren¡¯t paying enough attention to our surroundings. You too, Brad. You¡¯re too anxious, and this isn¡¯t like you. If we meet enemies in this condition, we might suffer casualties. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with this mission, what happened to Edge, or why the river isn¡¯t here anymore, but we can¡¯t blindly rush ahead. Remember where we are. Without more info, this is a sure way to die?.


    ?You¡¯re right¡­? Bradley said, scratching his left eyebrow. ?I lost my cool, sorry. It¡¯s this whole operation... It went to hell from the start, and I¡¯ve kept getting this bad feeling, this small voice in the back of my head telling me that we should not be here. I know it doesn¡¯t make any sense, but Elisa confirmed that she¡¯s been feeling something similar, so I can¡¯t just dismiss it as adrenaline wearing off or paranoia?.


    Bradley still had his eyes closed and did not see the look on Alessandro¡¯s face, so what his second in command said next really took him by surprise. ?Actually, Brad, add me to your little club as well. I¡¯ve felt a sense of... ¡°wrongness¡±, for lack of a better word, ever since that leopard ambushed us?.


    ?Wait, you too? Are you serious?? His eyes snapped open and he stared at his friend, trying to understand if he was pulling his leg.


    ?Yes, I am. Things like the air being difficult to breathe, the trees looming, and, I don¡¯t know, a general sense of oppression. Like you I had thought it was just the adrenaline and shadows playing tricks on my mind, but Tetsuo felt it as well, although he accepted the thing as if it was normal. Our Monk trusts his gut more than his common sense?.


    ?Okay, four of us having the same weird sensations is definitely not a coincidence, but nothing has actually happened?. Then, he stood up and started pacing around. ?We haven¡¯t been ambushed by one of the guerrillas nor led into a trap; we haven¡¯t encountered anyone at all! Fuck, I don¡¯t get what¡¯s happening?.


    ?None of us do, Brad, but we need to keep a cool head about it. I know you¡¯ll lead us home, as always, but it seems we are on our own right now, so we have to stop for a moment and decide what to do?.


    ?Should we trust our map?? Bradley asked, sceptical. ?Until now it¡¯s not exactly been accurate¡­?


    ?It is accurate, Brad, but we don¡¯t know if we actually are where we should. Still, it¡¯s the only one we have?, Al replied while his eyes focused on something Bradley could not see. ?I¡¯m checking it right now, but the landmarks are all wrong. If it makes you feel better, I can use the paper one. They should be identical, though?.


    ?Wait, I¡¯ll do it. You use the digital one and I¡¯ll double check?.


    He took a paper map off one of his pockets and walked towards the others. ?Okay, everyone, brainstorming time. Come closer?.


    Elisa, Steve, Jaspinder, and Tetsuo all stopped what they were doing and joined his, forming a rough circle around a rock upon which Bradley laid out his map.


    ?So, we are here?, Bradley started, circling a point on the map with a marker, ?and we are on our own. Since our extract points are unreachable and most likely burned, we will move towards the nearest non-hostile location, which is¡­ Al??


    ?Well, Viskuli is the closest, but it¡¯s too small and anything on this side of the border is a no-go anyway. Bia?owie?a is definitely unfriendly, Hajnowka is a ghost town. These three don¡¯t exist anymore. This one too. We have no intel on these?, he murmured to himself. A couple second later, his voice was back to normal: ?So, the closest is a small town forty-three klicks west-south-west from here, called Kleslez... Klescels... God! What¡¯s with these names? Anyway, it¡¯s a town called Kleszczele, pardon my pronunciation?.


    Bradley found it on his paper map and proceeded to mark it. At least they had confirmed that there were no differences between their digital and physical ones. ?Well, it¡¯s forty-three klicks in a straight line, but I guess our trek will probably be around fifty. ETA should be two days, but let¡¯s consider three to four to count for some delay. Based on the situation over there, we will decide on how to proceed. All clear??


    His question was given a chorus of affirmative replies.


    ?Good. Jas, you and Cooper told us you found an unmarked stream south-west, right? Where, exactly??


    Jaspinder opened her digital map and sent the stream¡¯s coordinates to everyone else, then proceeded to draw its location on the paper one as well. Nodding in thanks, Bradley folded his map and put it away. Then he asked the team a brief report on individual ammunition and especially food supplies.


    ?Look, I know we are all at full load except for Elisa and Al, but the situation has worsened: we missed Collins, we can¡¯t reach Aldrin, and we sure as hell won¡¯t be able to get to Armstrong, since we can¡¯t even find that damn compound, so we have to change plans. Furthermore, our escape routes and extraction points are burned, our info is spotty at best and we can¡¯t really trust our map. So, before we continue, I quickly need to know what we have. Tetsuo??


    ?Sir, I have full ammo for the M33 and for the .45, as well as a full complement of grenades and mines. MRE for two days only?. His voice was steady and clear, his body relaxed and his back ramrod straight.


    Without waiting for a prompt, the still crouching Cooper added his own list. ?Full mags here, chief. For the HK, the SR110, and the .45, and I still have all the grenades. And, well, more or less two days of MRE for me as well?.


    Standing up from where she had been sitting, Jaspinder waited for Bradley to look at her before speaking: ?Chief, I¡¯ve got full ammo as well and all my explosives. Just like Steve, I still have two days of MRE?.


    ?Counting the two shots I fired, I¡¯m left with two hundred and thirty-eight rounds, Brad. I¡¯m still at full for my Beretta and I¡¯ve got all the grenades?. After checking his pockets once again, Rossi continued: ?Yeah, I have MRE for about two days. Four if I ration it?.


    ?Same here, Brad?, Elisa said while cracking her neck. ?Ammo and food just like Al. I didn¡¯t even need to use my first aid kit on you. That poor cat should have found another prey, you¡¯re clearly hard to digest?.


    She was the last to speak and Bradley nodded, ignoring her quip, satisfied by what he had heard. Their ammo and supply situation was good, excellent even. Not surprising since they were geared up just as they were at the beginning of the operation and only Al and Elisa had fired some shots. Bradley himself was at full capacity, the safety of his M4 having yet to be turned off.


    Their only problem was food. Two days of MRE could be stretched into four if rationed, like Alessandro had said, but if it took them more time to get back to civilisation, they would have to hunt or forage for nuts, berries, whatever they could find; silver lining, they were in a forest, so there was bound to be food around. He just hoped the animals were not all six-legged mutated freaks. Water, instead, was not an issue, as they could refill their hydration packs at the stream Cooper and Jaspinder had found. Plus, they were bound to find other sources along the way. In case things got bad, they knew other methods to obtain water.


    In any case, Bradley was of the opinion that they had rested enough. He barked his orders and Charlie Team moved out.


    ***


    As the sun was starting to set, Special Warfare Operator 2<sup>nd</sup> Class Steve Cooper watched in silence the rushing water in front of him and the veritable sea of trees on the other side that they would need to reach the following day. The forest surrounding him was different from the places he grew up, but not too unfamiliar, since pine trees and oaks were relatively common in Australia too, despite not being endemic. The scenery reminded him of the operation that had earned him his second chevron when he was still in the Special Air Service Regiment, though at the time he was in the company of soldiers, not sailors, unlike now.


    Diverting his eyes from the verdant nature in front of him, he turned to look at his teammates. They were all sitting down and chewing on some MRE, except for him and Kusanagi who had taken first watch. For the umpteenth time he asked himself how he had managed to end up in a team of sailors, and for the umpteenth time the reply was that it had not really been his choice and that, ultimately, it did not matter. He had thought he would get into Bravo, since it was the SIG team comprised of army operators coming from Delta Force, the SAS, and similar special forces. However, it had been out of his hand. Each team leader selected one recruit among the successful candidates, and Bravo had chosen his SASR mate while Anderson and Rossi had picked him for Charlie. At the time, he had been annoyed and had believed he would not have fit among navy guys, although he had known from the beginning that there was a chance of ending up with the sailors. The only reason the SASR had two candidates, after all, was because the Australian Navy did not have a Tier One spec ops organization.


    He had learned quickly how stupid a notion that had been. After all, the UNSOC was an organization made of operators coming from different countries and different special forces, so being an army guy or a navy guy was pretty inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. They were all professionals with similar training and experience, and it had only taken a few months of together and completing their first mission to start calling them ¡°brothers¡± and ¡°sisters¡±. He now knew that they were the best of the best, and he was proud to be one of them.


    Still, Cooper thought, I¡¯m glad we¡¯re not using navy ranks. At least ¡°special warfare operator¡± is cool. No offense, mates, but ¡°petty officer¡± sounds too bloody ridiculous...


    Not that he would ever say it out loud. He liked to stay alive and healthy, after all.


    A couple hours later, Rossi relieved him, and Cooper went to sit down and eat something. Taking his helmet off with a huff, he gently leaned both his H&K and sniper rifle against the tree trunk he was sitting on and took a MRE from his backpack, even though he was not very hungry. Despite his lack of appetite, he forced himself to eat and drink before going to sleep. They had gone almost forty-eight hours without much rest, and they needed to be at the top of their game, so food, drink, and sleep were necessary. After finishing his brief meal, Cooper glanced one last time at the turbulent stream of water in front of them. Seeing that all was quiet, he sat down on the ground, placed weapons and helmet next to him, and leaned on a tree, closing his eyes. Not a minute later, he was already asleep.


    The sky was bright and clear the following morning. Cooper woke up with the warmth of the sun on his face and pain in his lower back. Sleeping against a tree had never been his idea of a good rest, but it was enough in their situation, and he wasn¡¯t one to complain anyway, unless he wanted to be annoying on purpose. After a quick breakfast, they set forth at a brisk pace; Bradley having decided to follow the current in search of a place where to cross to the other side. As they headed west, the stream ran down swift and strong, widening, curving, sometimes thinning, but never enough to allow them safe passage. For hours they kept walking on muddy ground and rocks made slippery by water; the sun passed its zenith and still they kept going. It was early afternoon when the stream turned southwards, allowing them to proceed without the need to traverse it. It was the first good news since the beginning of the operation, and everyone allowed themselves a brief smile. As the hours passed, the ground started sloping down, but the stream current slowed, allowing the group to see small schools of fish swimming placidly. On a closer look, their scales ranged from icy silver to sparkling orange, and from burning red to dazzling yellow, which made for a spectacular rainbow of colours and reflections whenever sunlight hit them.


    While admiring for a brief moment such mesmerising spectacle of nature, Cooper overheard Chief Schwartzman and Kusanagi chat. Apparently, they were talking about his son.


    ?¡ªand Reiji¡¯s birthday is next Friday, right??, she was asking. Then she looked around and put a finger on her mouth before continuing: ?Still planning on going to Italy??


    ?Aye, ma¡¯am. Hikaru has always wanted to see the Genoa Aquarium and recently Reiji is quite enthusiastic, if not obsessed, about ancient Rome, so we¡¯re killing two birds with one stone. We only have the weekend though, so we¡¯ll only visit, well, Genoa and Rome?, he chuckled.


    ?That sounds like a nice plan. Give them a hug for me, will you??


    ?Sure, ma¡¯am?, he replied, ever the polite man. ?But please, not a word with Senior Chief Rossi or he¡¯ll start telling me all the places I should visit, which monuments to see, where to eat, what food is the best and so on. I know he does it out of kindness, but...?


    ?But you just want to have a nice and relaxing family trip?, she concluded his sentence, chuckling, ?and I know quite well how annoying and persistent Alessandro can be?.


    ?Thank you, ma¡¯am. I can¡¯t wait to¡ª?


    ?One, this is Two. I have visual contact, over?. Rossi¡¯s calm voice suddenly sprang to life over their comms, as if summoned by their talk, muting any conversation. They all crouched down, weapons at the ready.


    Cooper made eye contact with the master chief, who gestured for him to join Chief Rossi; he had taken point and was some twenty metres ahead of the team.


    Still crouching, he proceeded slowly onwards. Seeing the senior chief sprawled on the grass and watching down the hillside, Steve too dropped to the ground, crawled to the edge, and looked down through the optics of his HK517.


    What he saw left him confused. ?Bloody hell! Is that a spear? And chainmail? Are you kidding me? Shooting a movie here? Are they nuts?? he whispered to Rossi through bared teeth, disbelief evident in his voice.


    ?Ease up, Steve. Too many questions. Look, I know as much as you do. I haven¡¯t seen cameras or crews but stay sharp and keep an eye on the sky. The trees hide us well, but there are probably drones filming, and the last thing we want is to be recorded in some third-rate movie?.


    With a silent nod, Steve went back to watch the people at the bottom of the slope, while Rossi reported back to the rest of the team. What seemed to be a platoon was proceeding in single file, taking with them at least a dozen people in chains, covered in dirt and full of bruises. He could tell they were supposed to be soldiers because they were all moving with purpose and wearing similar armour and weapons. Thing is, they were of the wrong kind. Most of them wore chainmail, except for what seemed to be full plate for five soldiers on horseback, with lances and swords as their weapons of choice. It definitely made for an impressive sight, albeit a bit confusing in the latter half of the 21<sup>st </sup>century.


    All in all, Steve could not deny that it was entertaining to watch. He could appreciate the actors¡¯ dedication and the quality of the costume design, but they came completely out of nowhere, in a region which was not exactly renowned for its safety, and where firearms were cheap and aplenty.


    Immersed in his thoughts, he kept watching the moving procession, wondering what kind of crazy bastard the director was and how to find out the movie title.


    He was so going to watch it once it was released.

 Chapter 2 – The Prisoners

    Special Warfare Operator 1<sup>st</sup> Class Tetsuo Kusanagi was not a man easily surprised. He had seen his fair share of action and had an ample baggage of life experience in a variety of situations, most of which had actually occurred before pursuing a military career. However, when Senior Chief Rossi and SO2 Cooper reported on the team¡¯s comms that a few hundred metres from them there was a moving column of men in mail armour, carrying swords and spears, Tetsuo could not help but be taken aback and cock an eyebrow.


    Certainly, as Charlie Six had mentioned, those were actors, most likely crazy or desperate people, since no sane person would shoot a movie in such a dangerous location, lest they find themselves dead or worse, but Tetsuo did not care much about that; if they wanted to gamble with their lives, it was their choice.


    No, what made him grind his teeth was the mention of the likely presence of cameras and aerial drones. It was an additional and unwanted risk in an already complicated situation, and he had half a mind to shoot the annoying things down if he got the chance, hopefully scaring those foolish people away as well. It was only a fleeting thought, though; attracting attention was the last thing they wanted at the moment, so he refocused on his surroundings, as they had had enough surprises in the last two days. He would soon be told their next course of action anyway, so there was no need to overthink the issue. Tetsuo was pretty sure that Senior Chief Rossi was currently discussing the matter with Master Chief Anderson to decide what to do.


    They did not have to wait much before hearing the SOCM¡¯s voice on the team¡¯s channel. ?Okay, we¡¯ll follow these idiots at a distance. We don¡¯t know if they¡¯re hostiles, in league with the locals, or a neutral party, so we are avoiding any contact. They are not exactly moving stealthily, so we can follow their trail quite easily. Charlie Two and Six will periodically check on them. Everyone else: stick to the cover of the trees and no loud noises. Be wary of drones. Any questions??


    ?Chief, what should we do if they notice us?? SO1 Khalid asked.


    ?Move behind cover, activate the cuttlefish and notify the rest of the team?, he replied. ?We¡¯ll see from there. Anything else??


    No more questions followed.


    ?Very well. Let¡¯s move?.


    ***


    They had been shadowing the group for around three hours when it happened.


    Tetsuo and the others were hidden in wait while SOCS Rossi checked on their quarry, live reporting what he saw.


    ?One of the ¡°prisoners¡± just broke out of his chains and punched one of the ¡°soldiers¡±. Hmm, nice uppercut. He grabbed his sword. Took three arrows to the chest. Now is on the ground, over?.


    Almost a minute passed by before the master chief asked for more information. ?Copy that, Charlie Two, anything else? Over?.


    ?Roger. The rest of the ¡°prisoners¡± are screaming and the man who had his sword taken is getting an alpha-charlie by one of the horsemen. I can¡¯t get the words, but the shouting reminds me of my drill sergeant back in basics. The actor seems to know what he¡¯s doing, and... Stand by?.


    Five seconds passed, then another five, and then five more. After a full minute of radio silence, the Senior Chief resumed his report. ?They¡¯re moving again. The archers took back their arrows and the ¡°prisoners¡± have been silenced the hard way. The ¡°dead¡± extra is still on the ground, over?.


    ?Good copy. Anything else? Over?.


    SOCS Rossi replied after exactly three seconds. ?Negative. I must say, though, that the scene was intense. Good action, raw emotion, and no forced dialogue: all very realistic. Very unexpected?. After a brief pause, he continued. ?I suggest we wait for the group to move at least a mike away and for the guy on the ground to get up and join the filming crew. We¡¯ll lose some time but this way it¡¯s safer and we¡¯ll know where the rest of them is, over?.


    ?Good copy, Charlie Two. Keep the lookout and inform us if things change, over?, Master Chief Anderson said.


    ?Wilco. Out?. The short reply ended the transmission.


    The next twenty or so minutes passed very slowly. Everyone was sitting down, leaning on a tree or a rock and resting for what was possible; Chief Schwartzman even managed to fall asleep, but Tetsuo found himself enjoying the varied and upbeat chirping of some unknown bird nestled on a nearby tree. He closed his eyes to better listen to its song.


    After ten more minutes, he was starting to wonder why it was taking so long, when Chief Rossi reported back in.


    ?One, this is Two, over?.


    ?Go ahead, Two, over?.


    ?The extra is still on the ground. The rest of the actors are long gone but he¡¯s not moving. How do we proceed? Over?.


    ?Copy. Have you checked for hidden cameras or people? Over?.


    ?Affirmative. Seems all clear, over?.


    ?I don¡¯t like it. Are you positive the man hasn¡¯t moved? Over?.


    ?Affirmative. Permission to go down and check, over?.


    ?Roger. Stand by, Charlie Two?.


    Tetsuo watched as the master chief took off his helmet after the exchange, in order to massage his eyebrow, closing his eyes in silent pondering. He had clearly decided to take some time to think about it. Then, he heard his name being called. Not over the comms, but directly: ?Tetsuo, you¡¯ll go down there with Al and keep guard while he checks the body?.


    ?Aye, sir?, he replied, then started to move towards Senior Chief Rossi¡¯s position.


    ?Charlie Two, Charlie One, over?, he heard on the team¡¯s channel a moment later.


    ?Good copy, One. Go ahead, over?.


    ?Four is coming your way to help. Proceed with caution and be quick. We¡¯ll provide overwatch, over?.


    ?Wilco, out?.


    Once in position, the younger man gave a simple nod in his direction and started walking down the slope, sticking to cover and trying to blend in with the vegetation, Kusanagi following a few steps behind. Luckily, the whole area was filled with trees and there were shadows aplenty, but they would be in danger the moment they stepped into the open, since the trail received far more sunlight and provided way less cover than its surroundings. It was risky, but his superior officers had decided that the situation was definitely unusual and required direct investigation, and Tetsuo agreed. Furthermore, the body on the ground was looking more and more like a corpse to his eyes.


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    ?Tetsuo, full stealth. We go, three mikes and we¡¯re back behind cover. All clear??


    ?Aye, sir. All clear?.


    ?Okay. Let¡¯s go?.


    The air was still as they stood in place while their active camouflage activated. Tetsuo could hear his own heartbeat, such was the silence around them. When they began to walk down the slope, each muffled step of their boots on the soft soil felt like a loud crack and the few pebbles that rolled down along their path were as deafening thunder to his ears. A drop of sweat ran down his back as he kept all his senses on their surroundings, his LMG ready to fire. He knew they were practically invisible, but he still expected to hear the crack of gunshots at any moment. Senior Chief Rossi led with a sure step, stopping twice to check for heat signatures around them, and they managed to reach the body quickly and without incident; however, the thirty seconds it took them to cover the short distance had felt like hours to Kusanagi.


    None too soon, the silence was broken by the senior chief, his voice confirming Tetsuo¡¯s suspicion: ?Charlie One, this is Two. This man is dead. Over?.


    A heavy silence followed those words. Not because the man was deceased; after all, he was a complete stranger and their team was well acquainted with death. No, Tetsuo was almost certain that everyone was at a loss for words because of the circumstances of the man¡¯s death. Either they had witnessed the most deranged film-making in history or they had stumbled upon a murder masked as a movie scene.


    It probably would not be too hard to exchange props with real arrows, especially with the complicity of more than one person, but how could no one notice the man was actually wounded and bleeding to death? How many of them were in the know about the murder? The whole filming crew almost surely, since they left the corpse down here to rot. Maybe someone will come back later to dispose of it¡­


    His internal musings were interrupted when Senior Chief Rossi spoke again, replying to a query from the master chief. ?Copy. Clothes are just rags. No shoes, no personal belongings. Nothing of note except for the brown-grey skin and the teeth: it¡¯s not dirt as we thought, though the guy could have used a bath, but body paint of something similar. The teeth look like a cat¡¯s: the canines are so long they touch the opposite lips. I know it¡¯s all fake, but it¡¯s still quite convincing. Break?.


    Tetsuo kept scanning their surroundings for potential threats, but could not resist shooting a glance at the body. It was crumpled on the ground, with arms open and one leg bent under the other and three gaping chest wounds. The canines were visible in the open mouth, and were as long as the Senior Chief had stated, stained red with the man¡¯s own blood, just like his shirt and the ground, where it had pooled and was greedily absorbed.


    ?Well, can¡¯t deny they have a great makeup artist¡­? SOCS Rossi continued. ?No ID or any other document, but that was to be expected. Anyway, I¡¯m taking a couple photos and we¡¯ll be out of here. Charlie Two, out?.


    A minute later, the two operators were again under the cover of the trees, their armour back to the normal forest camouflage pattern. Tetsuo was more than relieved to be hidden again. An irrational thought, because they had been, by all standards, invisible to the naked eye as well as to thermal scanners, but his instincts always screamed at him when he had to stay exposed.


    Shortly after, the duo rejoined the team for a much-needed briefing.


    ?Wow! That¡¯s cool?, SO2 Cooper said, watching the picture on the camera screen. ?I mean, apart from being dead, he totally looks the part?.


    ?True, except for the ¡°being dead¡± part. What was he supposed to be, though?? SO1 Khalid asked, as she leaned upon Chief Schwartzman shoulder to have a better look at the photo. ?Some kind of fantasy creature, sure, but what? An orc I¡¯d say, but... ok, no tusks but those are optional. Still, shouldn¡¯t he be more ugly? With scars, a creased nose, stuff like that??


    ?Don¡¯t ask me, you know I don¡¯t like that kind of fantasy stuff. Troll, orc, elf, goblin... it¡¯s nonsense all the same?.


    SO1 Khalid jerked back and watched her in askance. ?How could you even think to confuse an elf with an orc? Or with a goblin? That¡¯s like comparing ice cream with avocado. Even if you don¡¯t like the genre, how can you not know something like this just by internet osmosis, Elisa??


    ?I can. This is just an average Joe sprayed with grey body paint, how could you think of him as fantasy monster??


    ?Orcs are not monsters, they are a race. Also, what do you mean by ¡°average¡±? The guy¡¯s built like a tank! His muscles have muscles?.


    ?Yeah, ok, he¡¯s a dead average Joe with a bodybuilder physique and fake teeth. I doubt they choose him for his acting skills, anyway. So, Brad, how do we proceed from here??


    ?Okay, listen up! This doesn¡¯t really change our plans. We¡¯ll keep following that group as long as they move south and until we reach our destination. Now we simply know that some, if not all of them, are accomplices to murder and should be considered hostiles until proven otherwise, so let¡¯s keep avoiding contact. Any objections??


    Seeing that no one had anything to add, Master Chief Anderson spoke again: ?Very well. They shouldn¡¯t have gone too far; we can still track them easily enough. Al, Steve, lead the way?.


    Without the need for further words, the team got in motion, everyone falling into their marching order. Kusanagi gave a last look at the cold body lying on the trail and offered a silent prayer. He was not averse to killing, especially those whom he thought deserved it, but he believed that the dead were owed respect: whatever wrong a person had done in life, it no longer had any meaning after their departure.


    I don¡¯t know who you were or why you were killed, but know I am sorry for leaving you lying on the ground without proper burial. May you rest in peace.


    ***


    As the master chief had anticipated, it did not take much to catch up. That group was not exactly moving silently and the noise of the rushing water was not enough to cover the sound of more than forty people marching and talking, or the neighs of horses. Along the way the terrain started flattening, and Charlie Team slowly lost the advantage of high ground, but there was nothing they could do about it. The most important thing was to remain hidden, and the vegetation still offered plenty of cover.


    The march of the unknowing prey and the silent hunters continued without hitch for the remainder of the day, until sunset decreed they stop for the night: one group loudly talking and eating warm food cooked over a campfire, the other resting in the shadows a couple hundred metres from their quarry, nary a sound made, except for the chewing of cold MRE and the occasional sip of water. They were close to the stream bank but still hidden by the tree line.


    Despite her tired body and mind, sleep was eluding Jaspinder. She had been assigned third watch but felt strangely restless. She was lying on the ground, but it was not the damp and uncomfortable soil that was keeping her awake, although the occasional pebble boring into her back did not help, nor was it the enticing smell of roasted meat that had been wafting towards them for the last two hours. No, thoughts and questions about the last two days were swirling around in her head like a wild vortex, and the more she tried to dismiss her worries and convince herself to sleep, the more complex her thoughts became, keeping her mind awake. That is how she heard Anderson¡¯s musings, and she was glad to have something to distract herself with.


    ?Strange¡­? his words, carried by the wind, were barely more than a whisper, ?I can see all the stars in the sky, but I can¡¯t find the Big Dipper, nor any other constellation I know?.


    ?Maybe you¡¯re not looking in the right direction, chief?? she heard Cooper chime in.


    By chance or on purpose, Chief Anderson snorted at those words: ?I¡¯m not an astronomer, Steve, but I know enough to at least be able to find my way following the stars. As a sailor, knowing where to find the North Star is the bare minimum, that¡¯s why I find it strange. What about you? Does our dear Dundee, master of the wilderness, recognise any constellation??


    ?Uhm¡­ nope. Can¡¯t say I do, chief?.


    She could feel him shrugging through his words. Knowing Steve, he probably did not care about the issue.


    Chief Anderson went back to stargazing and Cooper to whatever he had been doing earlier, creating a lull in the conversation.


    That¡¯s when she heard the screams.


    To others they would probably sound no different from any other scream. Maybe they would cause some mild worry and a raised eyebrow, but Jaspinder¡¯s eyes snapped open and her jaw clenched as she recognized the pain and despair in them, while the memory of a face filled with terror, of eyes pleading for help, flashed into her tired mind with terrible clarity. It was a scene from the past, an episode of her life that had scarred her and forged her path, but that she had also buried deep into the recesses of her memory, in the attempt to forget it.

 Chapter 3 – Scars

    The crisp sound of hurried steps on the sidewalk had been the first sign that something was wrong.


    Then came the scream; a scream so heart-wrenching that Jaspinder had shivered at the sound, for she had instinctually felt the primal fear it was emanating.


    She stopped in her tracks, putting her smartphone back into her purse ¨C Anjali could wait a minute or two for a reply ¨C and looked around with worry, only to see the usual evening crowd. Her mother was already tugging at her arm when she noticed the girl, her blue dress beautiful and tantalizing without being vulgar. She was struggling to get away from three men.


    For a moment, their eyes met, and she immediately felt she had seen the girl before, although she could not pinpoint exactly where. It was hard not to remember such a gorgeous girl, but that beauty, those deep and captivating eyes, did nothing to mask the abject terror on her face. As time seemingly slowed down, a teenage Jaspinder realized what was happening, and a dark pit of despair suddenly appeared inside herself.


    She recalled the yelp of pain and the grimace on that lovely face, a face whose smile had surely made many hearts flutter, as one of the men grabbed her long chestnut hair and pulled.


    She remembered with impossible clarity the hot tears running down the girl¡¯s cheeks as she thrashed around in vain, two arms locking her in place and one hand covering her mouth before a punch knocked the breath out of her lungs, her screaming attempts cut short, more tears falling from her eyes.


    An incoherent scream had then filled Jaspinder¡¯s ears, one she had not immediately recognized as her own. She recalled her mad scrambling to get to the girl, her mother¡¯s iron grip on her arm, her own weakness, her inability to free herself and go out to help.


    ?It¡¯s too dangerous?, her mother had said, her stern voice laden with worry, her hold unyielding even as she clawed at her.


    When Jaspinder had turned her gaze back to the girl, she had seen her prone figure on the ground, her clothes half-torn and strewn around, as those men had not even bothered trying to hide what they had been about to do. Her mother had started pulling her away, towards home, to keep her from watching. She had not made it easy for her.


    A moment of silence, an unnatural stillness, had enveloped them all, seemingly stretching without end, before that haunting scream had pierced the night and Jaspinder¡¯s soul with it. Nothing in the world could have muffled such a cry. Even her stoic mother could not hide the shock and fear it caused in her.


    Again, and again, those men had raped her. Sobs and cries had slowly replaced the girl¡¯s screams, her unanswered pleas for help and mercy weaker every passing minute, until she had gone silent. Jaspinder could not see the girl¡¯s eyes, not anymore, but she was certain she would have found no trace of hope left in them.


    Jaspinder recalled her father¡¯s slap as he told her to stop her ¡°disgraceful behaviour¡±, his annoyance at having to call the police because he was sure ¡°someone else¡± had already done it, his emphasis on the ¡°provocative attire¡± of the girl, and his mumbling words about ¡°bad parenting¡±. She remembered staring as the young girl was being ravaged, grinding her teeth, her nails digging into her palms as she kept fighting while her mother pulled her away, the feeling of helplessness gnawing at her as her anger mounted.


    Most of all, she remembered the indifference.


    Indifference to the soul-wrenching cries that the whole street, the whole neighbourhood had surely heard, that her parents had reluctantly heard, that Jaspinder had painfully heard. Those cries had plagued her nightmares for years following that night. Yet, among all that had heard, not one had acted.


    She remembered wrestling herself from her mother¡¯s grip and running towards the girl the moment the trio had run away; the cowards had had enough gall to gang up on a lone girl, but had fled at the first police siren. She had kneeled next to her, staring wordlessly at the bluish bruises marring her half-naked body, at her beautiful face swollen and bloodied, smelling the stench of sweat and bodily fluids. Overwhelmed, Jaspinder had started crying. She had cried like never before, her own mind a maelstrom of rage, pity, and despair. The girl¡¯s empty stare was fixed on the sky, her moving chest the only indication she was alive. Unsure of what to do, she had grasped her hand, holding it until the arrival of the paramedics.


    What had happened afterwards was all a blur. The arrival of the police, the ambulance sprinting away to take the girl to the hospital, her mother bringing her back into their house, her father¡¯s look and words of reproach. She perfectly remembered the onlookers, though; laughing, taking photos, posing for selfies. Barely anyone had shown respect or decency. At least thirty people had been there, out on the street, but they had done nothing when the girl had needed help. Some had even taken out their phones to film the rape.


    They called it ¡°bystander effect¡±.


    She called them ¡°pieces of shit¡±.


    ***


    Jaspinder did not think twice before getting up, shouldering her weapon and going to her superior officer.


    ?Chief! We need to move, now!?


    Startled by her tone and vehemence, all thoughts of stars forgotten, Chief Anderson immediately chastised her. ?Lower your voice Jaspinder, damn it! And move where??


    ?We have to go and save those women. Don¡¯t you hear their screams? Those bastards are raping them!?


    ?Wait, what? Jas, are you sure?? Cooper asked. ?I mean, they¡¯re a bunch a-holes murderers, but a mass rape? Come on, perhaps they¡¯re shooting a scene, no? They can¡¯t get away with it the same way they did with the murder?.


    ?For fuck¡¯s sake, Steve! Do you still think they¡¯re shooting a movie? That¡¯s bullshit and you know it?. Jaspinder bared her teeth. ?I would recognise that kind of scream anywhere. That¡¯s pain and anguish there, real ones; it¡¯s not the wail of some third-rate actress. We must go and kill those bastards! Those women are suffering while we waste time here?.


    Her bloodlust was palpable, and seeing the usually easy-going Indian woman so angry, Cooper and Anderson shared a perplexed glance.


    ?We¡¯re not going anywhere yet, Jaspinder?, Chief Anderson said. ?First, we need recon to check what¡¯s really going on, and then we¡¯ll decide on our course of action. Don¡¯t you agree, Al??


    Rossi stifled a yawn. ?I do, Brad. I¡¯ll take Steve and go check the situation?.


    Spinning on her heels, Jaspinder realised that the rest of the team was awake and had joined them. Behind Rossi, who was already heading in the direction of the screams, Elisa was rubbing her eyes and Kusanagi was busy creaking his neck. Tunnel vision had made her lose her situational awareness, and she was trained not to let that happen.


    ?Well, I hope it¡¯s worth the loss of sleep?, Rossi audibly mumbled. ?Come on, Cooper, let¡¯s go?.


    ***


    The waiting was the worst part. It always was, but doing so while hearing those cries was among the hardest things Jaspinder had ever done. It was almost maddening. She kept pacing around, sitting down, standing up, checking her weapons again and again to make sure they were loaded, with the safety on but ready to fire.


    Twenty, unending, minutes later, she heard Rossi¡¯s voice on the comms.


    ?Charlie One, this is Two, do you copy? Over?.


    ?Good copy, Charlie Two. What¡¯s the situation? Over?.


    ?Roger that. I see seven tents, the ¡°prisoners¡± are chained to some metal pegs planted into the ground. Two tangos watch them. I count four visible sentries and two hidden ones, possibly more. Two women have been dragged out of a tent and put back in chains. Another woman and a man have been brought to another tent. I can hear screams from it. The others in chains were shouting in anger but they got beaten up. This is way too weird and fucked up... I don¡¯t like it. How do we proceed? Over?.


    ?Copy. Retreat for now and regroup with us. Over?.


    ?Wilco. Charlie Two, out?.


    A few minutes later, with the two men back with them, Anderson addressed the team. ?So, we have an apparent case of a group of civilians in medieval armour murdering and raping another group of civilians who have most likely been taken captive?.


    After a beat, he continued: ?Not the most deranged thing I¡¯ve seen, but definitely in the top five. I believe we can definitely dismiss a movie being shot here, it¡¯s just not a realistic option anymore, unless we¡¯re seeing the work of the sickest and stealthiest assholes in the industry?. Taking a short pause to look at each of his teammates, his eyes rested on Jaspinder for a moment longer than the rest. ?However, as much as I¡¯d like to rid the world of their presence, I don¡¯t think revealing ourselves would be our best course of action right now?.


    His words were met with silence. Flabbergasted and with anger mounting each passing moment, Jaspinder voiced her thoughts: ?What the hell, chief?! What¡¯s there to be scared of? We have superior training and better weapons; they won¡¯t even know what hit them until they¡¯re all dead?.


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    ?Heh, I agree with Jas?, Steve added with a nod and a feral grin. ?Let¡¯s fuck those bastards up. It won¡¯t be hard?.


    ?Yeah, sure, let¡¯s fuck¡¯em up?, came Rossi¡¯s sudden reply, dripping with sarcasm. ?Let¡¯s go gun blazing, Commando-style, maybe stick some cool one-liner here and there while we mow them down like weeds on a field. Surely no one will hear the gunshots, nor will we encounter counter-fire or risk being filmed by surveillance drones. Just because we haven¡¯t seen them, it doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t have firearms?.


    Cooper looked as if he had just been slapped hard. He was left with mouth agape, clearly taken aback by Rossi¡¯s tone, while Jaspinder stared daggers at the senior officer, clenching her jaw. Anderson silently listened to the exchange, whereas Elisa and Kusanagi both creased their brow, perplexed.


    ?Look, you seem to be forgetting where we are and what we are doing here?, Rossi continued, his words a punch to the gut, his tone icy. ?We can¡¯t be seen, I thought this was clear. The situation is already bad as it is, and compromising ourselves and our mission for some random civilians is an unacceptable risk. You already know all this!? he said, emphasising his words with pointed gestures.


    ?Yeah, but¡ª?


    ?Didn¡¯t you think for a second that it could be a trap? That there might be troops waiting for us? We¡¯re not invincible. If we get pinned down there are no reinforcements, no evacs, no eyes in the sky to guide us to safety, no helo to come get our asses out of the fire?, he said, staring at the two younger team members. Then, he took a heavy sigh and continued in a warmer tone, though far too condescending for Jaspinder¡¯s taste: ?We must use caution, now more than ever. We are SIGs, not some Rambo wannabes; we have our rules of engagement and we didn¡¯t come here to play white knights. We¡¯re not Galahad! Are we just going to decide who the bad and the good guys are? Are they all rapists or guilty by association? You want to play judge, jury, and executioner? You are professionals, act like it. We don¡¯t even know why those people are captives?.


    ?O-ok, chief, I get your point but we can¡¯t just ignore it, come on!? Steve replied, a bit uncertain. ?We can¡¯t just sit still and do nothing?, he concluded with more strength in his voice.


    ?Maybe that¡¯s exactly what we should do, Steve. Even if we saved those so-called ¡°prisoners¡±, what then? Will we send them on their way with no food or water? What guarantees do we have they won¡¯t alert the first armed group they meet of our presence? Should we take them with us, and to hell with secrecy?? Rossi¡¯s retort again froze Steve in his tracks, but it made Jaspinder¡¯s anger flare up even more, her eyes were burning coals staring a hole in the Italian¡¯s face.


    ?Master chief?, Rossi continued, the formal addressing of their team leader a sign of his seriousness, ?I think we should keep following this armed group, observe the situation, and gather more intel first. Any direct action right now would only add more danger to our operation. I don¡¯t want to increase the risk to the lives of anyone here?.


    Chief Anderson had quietly listened to the discussion with nary a sign of emotion on his face, just a momentary furrow of his eyebrows that could be easily missed if one did not pay attention. He had always been a good poker player, after all, but it irked Jaspinder that she could not get a read on his intentions. Still, she was sure he would have dismissed Rossi¡¯s point of view as the bullshit it was and agreed with her, quickly leading them into battle. That was why his next words felt so shocking, letting a sense of betrayal settle into her chest as rage began to cloud her mind.


    ?Fuck¡­ I don¡¯t like it but Al is right?, Anderson said. ?Listen, we don¡¯t have enough intel and our situation is way too uncertain already. I don¡¯t like letting this thing play out without intervening, but I won¡¯t drag any of you into more danger unless strictly necessary. Plus, we are short on time; our priority is to reach the town, re-establish communications with command, and understand what happened to Edge. Right now, everything else... is just a distraction?, he finished without much conviction.


    Jaspinder, however, did not notice his dejected tone or his frustrated look, nor did she flinch at Rossi¡¯s unusual coldness. Her jaw was locked shut, almost hurting, her field of vision had narrowed, her heartbeat loud into her ears, and she knew something was about to erupt from her, she could feel it. All it needed was a final, small, push.


    They too are cowards and bigots, just like mom and dad. I should have known, she thought with disgust, wondering how she could have ever admired them. Then, for a fleeting moment a tiny, murderous thought crossed her mind: Maybe another hole to give oxygen to their brain will make them see reason! She tightened her grip on the weapon, unconsciously releasing the safety.


    The moment passed, though, and as clarity started coming back to her, Jaspinder felt bloodlust and horror in equal measure at what her anger-laden brain had suggested. Then, she managed to regain focus, tunnel vision fading, the buzzing in her ears subsiding, and noticed Rossi staring at her with his index finger near the rifle¡¯s trigger. He too, had turned the safety off.


    ?¡ªinder! Jaspinder! Calm down. Lower your voice?, she heard Elisa say. Jaspinder had not realized she had been speaking, but she could see the effects of her words in Rossi¡¯s body language and in Elisa¡¯s voice. Though her face was hidden behind the helmet, Elisa¡¯s tone was clearly full of worry, but she could not understand why.


    Not a second later came the senior chief¡¯s dry order: ?Special Warfare Operator Khalid, lay down your weapons. Now?.


    The tone was cold, devoid of emotion. He had not spoken loudly, yet he still managed to make Jaspinder freeze in her tracks, the flames of her righteous fury quenched the moment she met his glare, a shiver ran down her spine, instinct telling her to run away. Her scathing reply died in her throat as she realized that Rossi was deadly serious and would have shot her the moment she made a wrong movement.


    Before things could degenerate, though, Master Chief Anderson intervened, breaking the tension and physically interposing between the two.


    ?Easy, Al. Jaspinder, put down your weapons and go take a walk?, he said.


    ?But¡­ we have to act! I have to go! Those bastards must die! And¡­ and we can¡¯t¡ª?


    ?Khalid! Go. Take. A. Walk. Now!? Chief Anderson ordered again. His voice was firm and resolute, but no trace of anger could be found in it. His was the tone of a leader who expected his orders to be followed, and Jaspinder had self-control left to comply, though her body was still filled with nervous rage. She put the safety back on the M4 and removed the ammo from her weapons; with her hands trembling in anger, she then threw them to the ground. She was about to storm off, but an angry impulse changed her mind at the last second.


    Twirling round to stare at them, ?You know what? Fuck you! Fuck the both of you!? Jaspinder quietly shouted, face flushed and eyes bloodshot. ?You can be all stars and spangles, talk about freedom, and duty, and shit. And you! You can be all logical and cold and whatever the fuck you want, but you both are callous bastards and y-?.


    ?Hey, hey! Jas, chill. You¡¯re exaggerating?, Cooper intervened, trying to mediate.


    ?No, I¡¯m not, Steve. Shut up!? Her livid retort caught him by surprise, and she took the change to carry on, her voice a mix of fury and desperation. ?I trust you all with my life, but you know jack shit. None of you have any idea of the fear of walking alone in the streets, of not being able to come back home one day because a couple assholes might decide they are going to beat you up and rape you; pieces of shit who consider women inferior beings only good for one thing?.


    This time, it was Elisa¡¯s turn to intervene, unable to keep silent anymore. ?Jaspinder, what the hell are you talking about? Why are you so angry?? she asked, putting a hand on the other woman¡¯s shoulder. ?This is not like you. What happened??


    ?What happened, you ask?? she growled, shrugging away the hand. ?It happens that I don¡¯t want to see another person destroyed in body and mind, to know she took her life because no one had bothered to be there when she needed help. Not if I can do something about it?, she said, word almost overlapping each other in her improvised speech. ?I don¡¯t care who those people are, what they did, and what the consequences will be. No one deserves that! There¡¯s a difference between doing what¡¯s safe and doing what¡¯s right!?


    Then, without leaving them time for a comeback, Jaspinder stormed out towards the nearby stream, veins pulsing and eyes wet, the relaxing sound of running water guiding her steps.


    When she arrived at the stream, she took off her helmet and threw it on the ground ¨C the green hue of the NVS giving way to the actual darkness of the night, the light of the stars barely enough to see where she was ¨C then, she kneeled down and splashed her face. Once, twice, thrice, and more, cooling down her burning anger and washing away her tears.


    Face still dripping with water, she cupped her hands into the stream, brought them to her lips and slowly drank. The water was cold and refreshing, just like drinking from a mountain spring, and it surprised her to discover just how thirsty she was.


    Standing up, she passed a wet hand on her hair, redid her ponytail and picked up her helmet. After confirming it was not damaged, she put it back on and her world was awash with green once again. Only then did she notice Kusanagi silently standing at a respectful but still close enough distance, and so surprised she was that she abruptly jerked back. After her initial reaction, she understood that Chief Anderson had sent him to keep an eye on her, most certainly to make sure she did not do anything stupid, like going on a solo attack. Given that Tetsuo was their close combat expert and physically much stronger than herself, he was the best choice in order to quickly grapple and incapacitate her, were she to try and act in a way that would endanger the team.


    She was good friends with Tetsuo: he was a kind and polite man, an excellent operator, and a great comrade you could count on, but Jaspinder was dead certain that he would have knocked her out without a second thought if he decided she presented a risk to the team¡¯s safety.


    But I still have my knife, and he won¡¯t expect me to use it. I have the element of surprise, she thought, as a smile appeared on her face, so different from her usual one it would have sickened anyone who knew her, had they seen it. A clean kill, then I will take his weapon and kill those rapist motherfuckers as well. And if the others try to stop me¡­ well, they can try¡­


    For the second time that evening, Jaspinder froze in disbelief at her train of thought, unable to understand how she could even consider killing a friend in cold blood, a person who had always had her back, and who literally saved her life more than once. A man who was more of a brother than her actual one.


    Something was wrong with her and she did not know what, but she clearly understood that her anger and frustration only fueled such thoughts, so she sat down on a nearby rock ¨C once again taking off her helmet ¨C and wrapped her hands around her head, taking deep breaths to try and calm her nerves. She had never taken a liking to yoga, meditation, qi-gong or other mystical mumbo-jumbo, despite everyone ¨C especially her mother ¨C extolling their benefits.


    ¡°Breathe, Jaspinder, breathe. Balance your prana¡±. That¡¯s what you¡¯d say now, right, mom? Shitty advice, as always. Your only kind of advice¡­ Still better than dad, though it doesn¡¯t take much.


    Right, what about you, dad? I guess you¡¯d say something like ¡°See? I told you it¡¯s not for you. Women are too emotional to be good soldiers. When will you understand? You should have studied engineering like your sister and married a good Indian man with a good job¡±.


    Well, fuck you too.


    Still sitting on her impromptu chair, she stopped her train of thought from spiraling down into unwanted memories, and she started focusing on the sound of water instead. She had always found it comforting. Closing her eyes, she listened in silence to the rushing stream, relaxing her breathing, drowning out all other sounds as the evening breeze caressed her face. Even the screams now felt muffled and distant.


    After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and felt as if a veil had lifted from her mind, willingly ignoring that what she had just done was, by all definitions, just another form of meditation.


    ?Sorry for making you worry, Tetsuo. Let¡¯s go back?.

 Chapter 4 - Trust

    ?What the hell was all of that about?! Were you going to shoot her?!?


    ?Look, you heard her words. I was being cautious, and killing before being killed is a good strategy to survive?.


    ?Verdammt noch mal! She¡¯s our comrade, we¡¯re family. Last week she was playing football with your son in your garden. You don¡¯t shoot each other! You shoot the bad guys to protect each other?.


    ?Yeah, tell her, not me?.


    ?Oh, I will, don¡¯t worry, Al. But not before you tell me why you had to be such an ass. What the hell was that condescending tone, huh? We¡¯re not children; have some respect and discuss things like the adult you are?.


    ?We had an adult conversation, Elisa. I pointed out the flaws and risks to our lives in their improvised plan, to make them understand why acting rashly would be a stupid idea?.


    ?You could¡¯ve done it without being a prick, and you know it?.


    ?Easy there, guys?, Bradley said. ?True, Al was too blunt and a tad too much condescending, but his argument is valid. Jas was clearly distressed and not thinking straight, but this does not excuse her behavior?.


    ?No, it doesn¡¯t, but it doesn¡¯t excuse his either. And don¡¯t think you get to sit this out, Brad: why in hell did you support his idea??


    After Jaspinder¡¯s outburst, Elisa had started discussing with the rest of the team, in a bid to refute Bradley¡¯s and Alessandro¡¯s observations. Military doctrine actually encouraged discussing plans beforehand and not just blindly obeying orders, allowing to object if you thought they were wrong of harmful; even more so in the context of special operations. However, doctrine had nothing to do with why she was verbally lashing at them. She would have done so regardless, because those two hardheads needed some sense knocked into them from time to time.


    ?Ok, look, maybe I was too callous?, Alessandro said, ?but Jas needed to understand that she had to fucking calm down and use her brain. Being overly emotional doesn¡¯t help make good decisions, and she knows it, but she looked like she had forgotten, so I had to wake her up and remind her. I didn¡¯t mean to be condescending, though. I¡¯m sorry, Steve?.


    ?No drama, chief, ¡¯tis all good?.


    ?Mein Gott, at least you admit you went overboard, but it¡¯s not like you to be this cold, Al?, Elisa said with a sigh. ?I get your point, I really do. Your logic is sound and you don¡¯t want to add more danger and risk to an already fucked up situation, but you¡¯re also a stubborn, uncompromising mule who doesn¡¯t see that Jaspinder is right. I¡¯m not excusing her, Brad?, she added, forestalling any protest, ?she was totally out of line. She deserves an alpha charlie and a month of boring and tiring tasks to remind her about self-control, but helping those people is the right thing to do?.


    Steve chose that moment to contribute in support of Elisa¡¯s stance. ?That¡¯s true, chief. You¡¯ve been awfully cold and scary this evening. I understand your worries, but there was no need to be so harsh on Jas. Bloody hell, it really looked like you were about to shoot her¡­ Yeah, she lost it a bit there, that¡¯s true, but I still think that we should act. Don¡¯t you agree, Chief Anderson??


    ?Yeah, yeah. All right, perhaps I was a bit too cold and blunt earlier, but, look, you know I prefer to make things clear. I¡¯m more worried than anything else, guys?, Alessandro replied, acknowledging his friends¡¯ small reproach, thought he did apologise for his words. ?From a strategic, tactical, and logical point of view, our best course of actions is to wait. Once again, I say we follow them, gather intel, and then decide what to do. However, the final decision is yours, Brad?.


    Elisa watched Bradley close his eyes, tilt his head and scratch his left eyebrow the way he did when he was deep in thought. She was not sure he was even aware of this tic of his, but she knew him too well not to notice.


    With a sigh, he straightened up, looked at them for a few seconds and finally spoke. ?Very well. Al, I agree with you, and I don¡¯t want to put anyone here at risk. We¡¯re no knights of the Round Table, that¡¯s true, but we can¡¯t just be bystanders¡­? Green met blue, as Brad stared at her; neither blinked. ?Elisa, call Tetsuo and Jaspinder back, and wipe that smug grin away from your face?.


    ?Aye aye, sir?. Elisa grinned even more. She was glad to have made Bradley change his mind. With a little, very little help from Steve as well, she had to admit.


    While she opened the comms with a direct channel to Tetsuo and Jaspinder, she saw Alessandro nodding at Bradley with what could have been a look of approval¡­ or maybe not. Regardless, she knew he would execute his orders flawlessly, unless he completely disagreed with them.


    ?Charlie Four, this is Three. Do you copy? Come back with Five asap, over?.


    ?Good copy, Charlie Three. Already ahead of you. Charlie Four, out?.


    Just then, her visor highlighted two silhouettes among the trees, roughly thirty metres away and approaching.


    Looking again like her usual self, Jaspinder strode with a confident gait, followed at a short distance by Tetsuo. An awkward silence descended on the group once she rejoined them: Steve shuffled nervously, Tetsuo kept watch on their surroundings ¨C only in part due to his sense of duty, she suspected ¨C and Al was just standing there, arms crossed, expression unreadable. In contrast, Jas stood at ease opposite of Bradley; everyone was waiting for either of them to speak, and the silence slowly became deafening.


    She beat him to the punch.


    ?Sir! I apologise. My behaviour was unacceptable and I won¡¯t make excuses. I¡¯ll accept any punishment, but I really hope you change your mind about the rescue?.


    ?Don¡¯t say stuff like ¡°I¡¯ll accept any punishment¡± lightly, Khalid?, Brad admonished her. ?It must be proportionate to the misbehavior, never forget it. Rest assured: you will receive an appropriate one?.


    ?Roger, sir?.


    ?Also, you should apologise to everyone, not just me. What you did was stupid and dangerous; make sure it doesn¡¯t happen again?.


    ?Yes, sir?. Then, she turned to the rest of the Charlie Team: ?Everyone, I¡¯m sorry for what I did and said earlier. I was being irrational and aggressive. I hope you can forgive me?.


    ?Yeah, you¡¯ve been quite unkind earlier, Jas, and you know I¡¯m a very sensitive soul?, Steve chimed in and out a hand on her shoulder. ?But I¡¯m also extremely generous, so I¡¯ll forgive you for five bagels?.


    ?What?? Jaspinder asked, her voice deeply confused.


    ?You¡¯re right, not enough! Let¡¯s make it ten?.


    ?Oh hush, idiot?, she chuckled.


    ?There goes all the seriousness...? Elisa said and shook her head. Bradley let out a small laugh, even as he too shook his head.


    ?How I forgive someone is my own business, chief. But you wouldn¡¯t understand because you are German?, Steve replied, his face completely serious.


    ?... and? Be careful what you say, Cooper?. She narrowed her eyes.


    ?Well, everyone knows Germans are as sensitive and emotional as a curbstone?, he said, before grinning like a kid and hiding behind Bradley.


    The latter did not move. He just closed his eyes, sighed and quietly spoke out loud: ?God, I¡¯m surrounded by children...?


    Nothing to say, Cooper was good at defusing tense situations, and the whole skit earned him a chuckle from everyone.


    Well, except for Rossi.


    Since Jaspinder had come back, Alessandro¡¯s eyes had not left her. Even at the moment, despite the helmet covering his face, Elisa could see his stare bore a hole in the younger operator''s head. On the other hand, her friend had avoided addressing him or even glancing in his direction, and if she had noticed it, he had too. The good thing was that none of the anger and bloodlust she had felt from Jaspinder during the confrontation was there anymore: not in her voice, nor in her body language. It had been jarring to say the least, and disconcerting, but she recalled her conversation with Bradley and her own strange worries, and a hypothesis started forming in her mind, but they would have to discuss it later on. At the moment, she was glad the tension was mostly gone, replaced with a clear objective. Keeping them focused was the best way not to let them think about Edge and their own situation.


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    Her inner musings were interrupted when Bradley started speaking in his ¡°master chief¡± voice. ?Anyway, Jaspinder, Tetsuo, we are going to save those people. Not tonight, though, nor tomorrow?, a hand raised to stop any objection. ?Hear me out. First we observe, gather more information, we rest, and strategize. We can¡¯t improvise, we need a clear plan of action. It will be dangerous, with too many unknown variables, and we don¡¯t know what the consequences will be, but it¡¯s the right thing to do and so we¡¯ll do it?.


    As Jaspinder started to thank him with a smile and tears in her eyes, Bradley stopped her. ?Don¡¯t thank me, we¡¯re doing it for them, not for you. Don¡¯t think your apology was enough: it was only the bare minimum. I didn¡¯t like your tone, Khalid, and I definitely did not appreciate your outburst and threats. Whatever past emotions and experience this evoked in you, you were completely out of line. We¡¯ll have a serious talk about it when we get home, rest assured. For now, let¡¯s focus on saving those people?.


    Harsh but fair. That was the Bradley Anderson Elisa knew, and he did not disappoint. She was sure he¡¯d give Jas a good ass-chewing and make her train until she¡¯d spit blood, but that was a thought for another time. They had a rescue to prepare.


    ***


    ?God, I¡¯m surrounded by children...?, Brad exclaimed, and Alessandro could not help but disagree.


    No, they¡¯re not kids. They¡¯re operators, fucking spec ops! ¡°The Few, The Fearless¡±, ¡°Who Dares Wins¡± and all that jazz, he thought, annoyed, but they still don¡¯t get the dangers of playing white knight. Or they don¡¯t care. In any case, they should know better. I won¡¯t always be there to nudge them on the correct path... and the others are too permissive. He shifted his weight on the left leg: his right knee still irked him from time to time, and he did not want to overload it. Inflamed tendons. That¡¯s what I get for not listening to Elisa and trying to beat Captain America at the fitness test. How the hell do you manage to improve your personal best ten years later, Brad? You¡¯re thirty-four, damn it.


    I forgot what I was thinking about...


    ?Anyway, Jaspinder, Tetsuo, we are going to save those people. Not tonight, though, nor tomorrow?.


    Oh, right. Too permissive. Well, Elisa knows what she¡¯s doing and she usually beats idiocy blue whenever she smells any, but Steve and Jaspinder sway her way too easily; Tetsuo has a way with words but is too diplomatic and compromise-prone when no one¡¯s shooting at us; as for Brad... he¡¯s the best leader we could have, but he has a soft spot for his juniors. I know he¡¯s a teddy bear deep inside, so that leaves me to be the strict and rational one.


    Even during his internal musing, Alessandro¡¯s eyes never left Jaspinder, ready to intervene if she were to lose control again. He did not agree with Bradley¡¯s decision to act so soon without enough intel, but he trusted him and his leadership. He was of the same mind, however, that Jaspinder¡¯s behaviour could not be dismissed and forgiven with a simple apology; it was ¡°the bare minimum¡±, as Bradley had just said. Though she looked sincere, Alessandro had been fooled enough in the past by good liars ¨C some could even cry on command ¨C so he maintained a healthy dose of scepticism. Plus, she had yet to look at him since she calmed down, and he could not decide if it was due to shame or to hide her intentions.


    Let¡¯s wait and see. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time a good friend turned out to be a selfish asshole, but I hope this is not the case.


    ?Listen, Jaspinder, I said we¡¯ll help them, but we can¡¯t do it right now. You know we must first do some recon to check for sentries, shifts, camp layout and our targets¡¯ location. Most of all, we too need to rest?.


    ?I agree with Brad?, Alessandro finally spoke. ?I¡¯m going to take first watch on the targets, and I suggest Elisa and Tetsuo for the second and third?.


    If they were going to play white knights, at least he¡¯d make sure they played well; and no way he was letting Jaspinder alone on watch on the targets.


    ?Okay, listen up! Elisa, Cooper, you are on second watch. Tetsuo and Khalid will take third. I¡¯ll take first watch with Al. Now go get some rest?, Bradley ordered, and the rest of the team moved quickly. Sleep is never a guarantee in the military, but a tired soldier is bound to make mistakes, so everyone in Charlie Team had learned to quickly fall asleep anywhere at any time if given the chance.


    Once the others were deep in Hypnos¡¯ realm, Alessandro decided to talk.


    ?Brad, I don¡¯t agree with our current course of action?.


    ?I know?.


    ?But I trust you, so I¡¯ll do my best?.


    ?You always do?.


    ?Buttering me up won¡¯t make me change my mind, punk?.


    ?Heh, it was worth a try. So what did you want to talk about??


    ?Our plan of action. We¡¯ll move at night since we have the tactical advantage. We can¡¯t act tomorrow, and I¡¯d say we observe their movements, guard shifts and so on for two more days afterwards, so... we start the operation in four days?.


    ?Three days. We observe tomorrow and the day after, then we proceed the following night?.


    ?That¡¯s rushed, Brad?.


    ?Maybe, but we¡¯re not talking about infiltrating Fort Knox, and three days is the most I will tolerate. Oh, and let¡¯s keep an eye on Jas and Steve; we¡¯ll surely hear those screams again, and I don¡¯t want anyone to get too hot-headed?.


    ?Roger that, Brad. Let¡¯s get to work, then. We have a rescue to prepare?.


    ***


    Three days later.


    ?Ok guys, let¡¯s go over it one last time?.


    As Bradley started speaking, his deep voice enveloped the team, his serious tone eliciting utmost focus from every operator.


    The six of them were standing around a tree stump, one of their maps laid out on top of it, face down. Unable to update their digital ones via SATLINK, they resorted to use a pencil, courtesy of Elisa, to hand draw on the blank paper a rough schematic of the surrounding area and of their targets¡¯ encampment.


    ?We begin at Zero One Thirty. It¡¯s an optimal moment since it¡¯s just halfway through their second watch. Unless they decide to change schedule compared to the last two nights. Elisa and I will approach from the riverbank?, Bradley said, pointing at the lines representing the nearby mass of flowing water, ?while Tetsuo and Jaspinder will move on the opposite side, using the trees as cover. Al, Steve, you¡¯ll provide overwatch from this cluster of rocks?, again, the pencil in his hand moved to point out the different spots.


    ?Ok. That¡¯s the only decent vantage point around. Not the best but we should be able to see everything that goes on?, Rossi considered.


    ?Good. Once in position, the four of us on the ground will activate the ACS, then we¡¯ll execute at Zero Two Hundred at my command. Al, Steve, you¡¯ll take care of the two hidden guards, while the rest of us deal with the remaining four. We take down the primary targets, go in, free the hostages, retreat with them along the riverbank, find a ford or another way to cross the river, and then proceed eastwards through the forest until we find a safe location?.


    He stopped to look at his team and saw focus and determination on their faces. He nodded, satisfied.


    ?Again, stealth and speed are the key here. You all know the Cuttlefish has a short time limit, so use it wisely. No shooting unless necessary. Stick to the plan and be quick. I don¡¯t want a confrontation with more than thirty hostiles and I sure as hell don¡¯t plan to jeopardize the hostages¡¯ safety. We won¡¯t take any chances, even if we have superior firepower and the element of surprise. Questions??


    ?Sorry to bring this up again, Brad, but do we really need to shoot all the sentries?? Alessandro asked, ?I mean... I understand it¡¯s safer this way, but wouldn¡¯t it be better to subdue them without killing? We trained a lot for hostage rescue situations, and I¡¯m sure we can pull it off?.


    ?I¡¯m with Chief Rossi here, sir. You said ¡°the less shooting, the better¡± so why not go full ninjas and take the hostages away from under their nose?? Cooper added with a smile.


    Scratching the stubble on his cheek, Bradley grimaced and replied, ?Guys, we¡¯ve already discussed about this... It¡¯s not a matter of being able to pull it off. I¡¯m quite confident in our capability to do so, but you know as well as I do that offing any sentinel is the most practical thing to do in order to avoid alarms. Sure, there¡¯s always the risk of the shots being heard, but capturing them carries other risks: it takes more time, we can¡¯t carry them with us nor can we leave someone to keep an eye on them?.


    ?Master chief, if I may, how about a compromise?? Kusanagi cut in. ?While I believe everyone here agrees that killing them is by far the most practical and easy solution, we can suppress, bind, and gag those we can capture without anyone noticing, and take out those we deem it¡¯s too risky to peacefully subdue. If the bound guards free themselves or are discovered, our overwatch team will take care of them. What do you think??


    ?Ha! Only you would call it ¡°peacefully subdue¡±, old man, but I like your idea, even though you leave the dirty job to us?, Cooper snorted as he crossed his arms.


    ?Quiet, Cooper, I need to think?, Bradley interrupted, before falling silent, a frown on his face, eyes boring holes in the map.


    ?Uh-oh, he¡¯s brooding. Not a good sign?, Steve whispered to Jaspinder, only to flinch when Rossi smacked him on the back of the head.


    ?I¡¯d just like to add one more thing, Brad?, Elisa took that chance to speak, addressing the whole team. ?I am all for shooting those bastards from afar and then some, but I guess we¡¯re probably going to get very close and personal with some of them at some point. Still, since the hostiles are quite¡­ unusual this time around, and very much willing to commit murder in cold blood, as we¡¯ve seen, I think we should avoid close combat as much as possible, or at least, avoid getting hit. I know it¡¯s common sense, but some of us forget about it sometimes?.


    She sent a meaningful look at Kusanagi and Bradley, who replied with a peaceful smile and a completely innocent expression respectively.


    Clicking her tongue, she continued. ?Anyway, I¡¯m not too worried about cuts or stabs. Whether their weapons are sharp or not, blunt force trauma is no joke, and our body armour can only absorb so much?.


    ?Come on, Elisa?, Steve interrupted her, ?we have super-cool body armour, we¡¯re better equipped than Batman! Okay, ATBA is the most boring name ever because the blokes in the R&D love their acronyms a bit too much, but they could empty an AK-47 on us and we¡¯d be fine. I don¡¯t see how some wooden sticks could¡ª?


    The look Elisa sent him made his next words die in his throat.


    ?As I was saying, I don¡¯t need to remind you how dangerous concussions and internal bleeding can be, especially without a medevac to carry your sorry asses away. So, again, don¡¯t get hit?.


    ?Agreed?, Bradley said, coming out from his pondering. ?We¡¯ll do as Tetsuo suggested, and Elisa makes a good point as well. If ¡°peacefully subduing¡± doesn¡¯t work, kill with extreme prejudice. Now, let¡¯s move!?


    At his order, everyone began preparing their gear, taking from their backpacks only what they needed for the rescue, and moved with purpose like a tried and tested machine, as no further discussion was needed. This little ¡°operation¡± had begun, and he trusted his team to do its job. They would take those people to safety and try not to leave too much of a blood trail behind them. Although, where ¡°safety¡± was, exactly, was anybody¡¯s guess¡­

 Chapter 5 – Shadows in the night

    ?Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing?.


    Alessandro was talking to no one. Murmuring to himself was a habit he had developed to fight boredom and to keep focus during missions, although he saw Cooper turn his head and cock an eyebrow at him. He probably overheard him, and it was not strange for Steve to throw him a sceptical look every now and then; heck, it would have been stranger if he had not. It was not the first time he displayed his perplexity at Rossi¡¯s random quotations.


    Furthermore, the Australian was the only other person around at the moment: the two of them were laying down on a rock formation, probably granite, roughly ten metres off the ground. A vantage point from where to see their target and provide overwatch to the rest of the team.


    Being higher up would be better, and I¡¯d like a more defensible location... and satellite feed, and an armed drone, maybe two. Yeah, wishful thinking. Have to make do with what we have, Alessandro thought. At least we can see most of the enemy camp.


    Most importantly, they had their rescue targets in sight. In fact, after the second day of observation, they had convened that those people could only be hostages or abduction victims, definitely discarding the whole ¡°shooting a movie¡± hypothesis. Unless, of course, they were looking at the lowest scum of the movie industry¡­


    As he and Cooper waited for their teammates to get in position, Alessandro could not help but ponder once again on his own stance on the whole plan. He knew his reasoning had been sound: to keep their distance and observe the situation was the safest and most beneficial course of action for the team, given the situation. His logical mind and cool-headedness had always served him well, as demonstrated in many a stressful situation where his judgment had been needed, earning him respect and recognition from commanding officers and teammates alike; he had acted with the same mindset this time too, prioritizing the safety of the team and wary of not adding further danger to their already tenuous situation.


    Despite everything, though, despite reassuring himself that he had acted in the best way for the team, he was still feeling uneasy and off-put. After thinking about it for a few minutes, he understood why: he had disregarded the simple tenet his parents had taught him as a kid, one that had guided him for as long as he could remember.


    He did not recall exactly the occasion; he only knew he had been very selfish and someone got hurt, but his parents had not shouted in anger or slapped him. He had been scolded, of course, but they had made sure he understood why what he had done was wrong.


    ?Alessandro, come here for a moment. We¡¯re not angry, not anymore, we just want you to understand something?, his mother had said, kneeling down and beckoning him to come. Using his full name usually meant they were serious and wanted him to pay attention. ?Today you made a mistake. We all make mistakes sometimes. When you realise that, what should you do??


    Ashamed, but glad his parents were not angry any longer, he had looked his mother in the eyes and had replied: ?I should apologise...?


    ?Good. Now, there is another thing you should always try to do, something you should have done today but you didn¡¯t, and that¡¯s what you should endeavour to do from now on. If you see someone in need, help them, if you can?.


    ?Why?? he had asked with the curiosity and innocence typical of children.


    ?Because you would want someone to give you a hand when you need help, no??


    He had nodded.


    ?And, most of all, because it¡¯s the right thing to do?, had been his father¡¯s words, a smile shining on his face, mirrored by his mother.


    Coincidentally, it was by following that same principle that he had met his dear Sofia.


    The thought of his wife made him smile, a smile that widened as his thoughts naturally moved towards their children. However, Alessandro¡¯s expression quickly turned serious as his musings brought him back to the argument with Jaspinder. She had been uncharacteristically aggressive and obstinate, in a way that he had never seen before. It was clear as day she had been distressed and not quite herself, though he could only speculate regarding the reason; however, he had not acted like his usual self either, at least given the reaction of his teammates. They knew it was normal for him to be very composed and rational; in fact, it was one of his distinctive traits. But after the confrontation with Jaspinder and Brad¡¯s decision, he had seen the disapproval in Elisa¡¯s eyes and the hurt in Steve¡¯s own. With a bit of self-reflection he had discovered that nagging sensation, that sweet, soft voice whispering merciless words and indifference into his mind.


    Let them die, the voice had said. So cold and lifeless. As if ice shards where piercing his brain, enveloped by frozen mist.


    Why care about strangers? a lifeless snicker, full of glee at the suffering of those people. Put them out of their misery and be done with it.


    How dare she talk to you this way?! Shoot this arrogant bitch! The angry shout almost blasting through his eardrums while the cold fire of hate flared in his eyes.


    Such had been the thoughts coursing through Alessandro¡¯s mind two nights prior. They had been especially strong during the confrontation with Jaspinder, but after calming down he saw how unnatural they were. He recognized them as bearing the same feeling of wrongness that had been plaguing him for days, ever since the encounter with that strange green leopard.


    Only, this time it had been stronger, much stronger.


    That his thoughts could be so subtly and deeply influenced worried him, even more since the culprit was unknown, and he resolved to talk about it with the others. It was an issue for another day, though: he had a more pressing matter to worry about at the present moment. He could see Elisa, Bradley, Tetsuo, and Jaspinder approaching their targets, as well as the sentries moving around and going about their business. Thanks to his NVS, everyone¡¯s movements were clear as day despite the darkness of the night; the technology helping even further by highlighting known allies with a monochrome contour and every other humanoid with an icon on top of their head. It had felt strange at the beginning, when the feature had just been introduced, but Alessandro was now used to it, and he recognized the merits and advantages of the idea. Still, at times it still made him feel as if he were playing a VR-game.


    He slowly inhaled, then exhaled. One, two, three times, clearing his mind. They were about to take lives in cold blood, and he had to mentally prepare. He did not enjoy killing ¨C only a sociopath would ¨C but it was his job, he had agreed to do it, and he was going to do it well.


    ?After we take down the guards, remember to switch to thermal from time to time. We need to keep an eye inside the tents as well?, he quietly told Cooper.


    ?Roger, sir. Steady aim?.


    ?Steady aim, Steve?.


    I wonder... Who made the mistake this time, mom? Alessandro thought, as the two marksmen resumed their silent wait.


    ***


    He was slowly approaching the enemy camp, Elisa on his tail, although to call it a ¡°camp¡± was an overstatement. It was nothing more than a jumble of tents raised with no apparent order, with the biggest one in the middle, big enough to be considered a small pavilion. The hostages had been grouped up close to two tents near the riverbank, chained together and with their arms restrained.


    It was a moonless night. The sky was painted with a mesmerising sea of stars, enough to make anyone gaze at it in wonder and get lost in its beauty; plus, the moving stream would have been the perfect ASMR sound to relax to.


    Proceeding into the shallow waters, Bradley and Elisa moved fairly unimpeded. The stream had long since become large enough to be considered a river, and its strong current was perfect to cover the noise of their advance and the sound of gunfire, although that same current threatened their footing more than expected.


    A few minutes later, Bradley was crouching down, observing the two men standing guard on their side of the camp. The absence of moonlight and their armour¡¯s Active Camouflage System ¨C a.k.a. Cuttlefish ¨C made him and Elisa practically invisible and allowed them to proceed unnoticed, just two more shadows blending into the night. Two small braziers burned nearby, shedding a dim light in a small area of five to six metres; they were close enough to the guards to provide a scant illumination, but not too close as to blind them to their surroundings. Both guards were carrying their weapons and armour with seasoned familiarity, and appeared wary of their surroundings in a way more reminiscent of trained soldiers than actors; another sign confirming that this was not a troupe filming a movie, although none of Charlie Team had yet another plausible answer to why these people were armed and dressed in such ways. The situation kept getting stranger, and Bradley cursed once again their inability to access SATLINK and receive more information.


    Suddenly, a third icon appeared on his visor. It highlighted the sentinel they already knew was hidden in the shadow of a nearby tent, his presence readily revealed by the green monochrome of their NVS and the IFF software.


    It was a smart idea, but we can still see you, Bradley thought, before gesturing at Elisa to target the guard further away from them and to be on standby. They were close enough now.


    He checked the time on his watch. It was Zero Two Hundred Hours, and all that came from the tents were silence and the occasional heavy snoring. The bastards had already had their fun that night, and while it had been a real test of patience to wait and listen to those screams and cries again, they had agreed this was the best time to hit them.


    ?This is Charlie One. Everyone, sitrep, over?, Bradley quietly asked on the team comms.


    ?This is Two. Target in sight, over?, Rossi calmly replied. It was always reassuring knowing his buddy was watching over them.


    ?This is Three. I¡¯m in position, over?, Elisa confirmed, and he could see her taking aim out of the corner of his eye.


    ?This is Four. In position, over?, whispered Tetsuo. He knew the kind and polite man would be efficient and deadly that night.


    ?This is Five. I¡¯m ready, over?, Jaspinder said, her poorly hidden eagerness transpiring even through the radio.


    ?This is Six. On target, over?, came Cooper¡¯s confirmation. When serious, the chatty Australian became a man of few words, and Bradley could tell he was very serious now.


    For a heartbeat, time seemed to slow to a crawl. Bradley took aim, slowly inhaled and exhaled, his breath even, his awareness high, and his mind sharp. He briefly took stock of his target, noticing once more the attentive eyes scanning the surroundings, the soldierly posture, and the huge scar on his left cheek, which gave him an aggressive countenance. Then, the moment passed, and at his command the war machine that was Charlie Team acted with clockwork precision.


    ?Execute?, Bradley said, before firing at his target. A single tap to the head, and the man crumpled onto the ground, eyes unseeing, followed immediately by his nearby companion and the one hiding in the shadows. Bradley moved closer to where the downed man was laying, brain matter strewn to his right side and blood pooling under the body, greedily absorbed by the cold earth. He stood outside the reach of the brazier¡¯s light and scanned his surroundings to see if anyone had been alerted, careful to remain hidden.


    Ten, tense, seconds later, his voice broke the silence: ?This is One, riverbank secured, over?.


    As he received confirmation from the rest of the team that all targets were down, he and Elisa hid the two corpses and proceeded towards the hostages, mirrored by Tetsuo and Jaspinder on the other side of the camp.


    ?One, this is Two. Two hostiles twenty metres at your twelve, over?, Rossi relayed.


    ?Roger that. Stand by, Charlie Two?, Bradley whispered back. Then he peeked behind the tent he was walking close to. ?I see them. Charlie Four, do you copy? Over?.


    ?Copy. Peaceful subdual? Over?.


    ?Roger. Let¡¯s do this quietly. One, out?.


    As they approached, they spotted two men in mail armour keeping watch on the hostages, one was seated on a log next to a campfire, spear resting against his shoulder, helmet on the ground, staring into the flames, while the other was slowly walking along the line of sleeping people in chains, shield and spear in hand, his back to the other guard. Bradley could see the outline of Tetsuo and Jaspinder hidden in wait: the first was securing his machine gun while the second kept her rifle aimed at the guard. He motioned at Elisa before securing his weapon as well and adjusting his gloves as he approached the seated soldier.


    With swift and practiced motions, Bradley put his right arm around the man¡¯s neck, left hand pressing the head down, tightening the choke, whilst Elisa grabbed the falling spear before it clattered to the ground. He could almost smell his panic at the sudden attack, and he definitely felt the man¡¯s desperate struggle to find purchase on the arm cutting off the blood flow to his brain, to grab and open the hands choking him; a futile attempt. In desperation, the man took out the knife attached to his belt and tried first to stab, then to slash at Bradley¡¯s arm, but to no avail; the sharp blade was unable to even damage the reinforced body armour, sliding on it only to wound the guard himself in the process. As he was being dragged away, helpless and prevented from regaining his footing, the tearful soldier made one last conscious effort to get free, aiming directly at the body of his aggressor. One of his wild stabs managed to hit Bradley¡¯s leg, but the weak attempt simply glanced off the armour, doing absolutely nothing to change the situation. Unable to utter a sound, the man¡¯s movements progressively slowed down until, a few seconds later, consciousness left him.


    Bradley did not wait for the guard to fall unconscious before dragging him further into the shadows, as far away from the campfire as necessary, as Elisa took the man¡¯s weapons so as not to leave any trace. They rapidly bound, blindfolded, and gagged him as he regained consciousness, just in time to see the other guard turn around and start to head back. After a few steps, he was grabbed from behind by what appeared to be the environment itself in the blurry shape of a human, and was dragged away in the darkness, eyes filled with terror.


    Damn, Tetsuo, that was straight out of a horror movie. You really were wasted in the diplomatic corps, Bradley thought, impressed yet again by his friend¡¯s uncanny stealth despite having just done the same. A skill made even more effective by their state-of-the-art technology.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Disengaging the active camouflage before reaching the time limit, Bradley took a good look at the hostages and heard Elisa curse in her native language. He did not hear the exact words ¨C her voice was too low ¨C but they were not difficult to imagine; it was probably akin to what was passing through his own mind.


    He could not see them as well as he would in daylight, but the green monochrome of his NVS still showed the very poor condition of the men and women they were about to free. Some were bloodied and battered, mostly the men: ten, he counted, all bare-chested and pretty well built it appeared, even the three older ones, which were surely well past their fifties. The women seemed to be in better condition, physically at least, but it was still abundantly evident they had suffered much abuse, with clothes reduced to torn rags and a vacant stare which made Bradley¡¯s heart ache. Only a few raised their head at their approach, trying to look as defiant and unafraid as possible.


    It was disheartening.


    Strangely, not one of the hostages uttered a word when they saw them, despite the four SIGs appearing out of thin air for all intent and purposes. It was as if they were waiting, though he had no idea what for; perhaps for a sign that Bradley and the others were not there to kill them, or maybe for them to do exactly that and end their torment.


    Shaking his head, he gestured at Tetsuo and Jaspinder to approach. Time was of essence, so they acted swiftly, moving as planned. With few, clear gestures, he told Tetsuo to stand guard outside of the closest tent, hidden, whereas Jaspinder moved without any prompt and started to cut the chains with her bolt cutters, and damn if it was noisy. None of the two captured guards seemed to have the keys to the locks, and even if they had, there was no time to find the matching pairs; in another situation he might have chosen to dedicate some time to the search, especially because each time a chain or a lock was cut, Bradley expected to hear movement and see armed people swarm out of the tents. While Jaspinder continued with her work, Elisa and Bradley quietly tried to lead the reluctant hostages towards the riverbank. However, despite their height and imposing physiques, the frightened men and women huddled together the moment they were freed, all keeping a hunched posture but for a few of them; some were wide-eyed and trembling, others assuming a defensive stance and baring their teeth, but again, no words were spoken, no sound was made.


    Bradley felt their stares bore into him, the look on their faces a mix of fear and awe, as if Charlie Team was a group of aliens or demons from Hell. As the seconds ticked, seeing that none of the hostages appeared willing to cooperate, frustration began seeping in, and Bradley started to huff and growl in displeasure. Their mistrust was more than understandable, but unhelpful at the moment. They had to move, and fast, but those people were not keen to follow, and the unexpected language barrier did not help: apparently, not one of them understood English or any other language the three operators knew. That, or they were just ignoring their words.


    The situation was at an impasse, with the clock ticking and Bradley uncertain of how to make them move. Minutes passed by as he, Elisa, and Jaspinder tried to communicate that they needed to head towards the river, even using clear and simple hand gestures, but to no avail. Frustration mounting, Bradley was even considering to resort to his weapon as a threat to make them move ¨C though unsure of how effective it would have been in such situation ¨C until one of the older men spoke. It was barely more than a whisper, but in the nocturnal air his serene and imposing voice was surprisingly clear, its tone one that spoke of a man familiar with giving orders and seeing them obeyed. What he told his fellow hostages, Bradley could not say, since he uttered only a few words and the language was unknown to him. It vaguely reminded him of the way members of the Swedish SOG spoke that one time they had had a joint training when he was still a SEAL, but he had no idea if it was the same language nor did he really care; he would leave it to Tetsuo to investigate when they had the time. The important thing was that the man¡¯s words had made the rest of the hostages finally get off their asses and start moving.


    And still in silence to boot.


    Thus, from one moment to the next, the group began following their directions without question. An unexpected development, so much that Jaspinder and Elisa exchanged a surprised glance before looking at Bradley, but he was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, so he gave the order to start leading them away, while he and Tetsuo would bring up the rear. However, it was slow going, and every second they were out in the open, Bradley feared they would be discovered.


    With time appearing to move at a snail¡¯s pace, inside his helmet Bradley felt a solitary drop of sweat start its long trip down his forehead, past the left eyebrow, slowing down to caress the stubble on his cheek, before ending its impromptu voyage on his chin, a lifetime later. All the while, his eyes kept scanning their vicinity as his ears waited for the noise of a flap opening and the inevitable shout that would wake up the whole camp.


    A minute later, his fear almost became reality.


    ?Charlie Four, this is Six, I see movement in the tent next to your position, over?.


    Kusanagi swiftly crouched to the side of the tent¡¯s entrance.


    ?One hostile coming towards the entrance?, Cooper continued, ?He¡¯s about to exit¡­ now?.


    As the unsuspecting man let the tent flap close behind him, Tetsuo sprang into action, a panther pouncing on its prey. A few moments later, he was dragging and concealing the limp body out of sight, binding and gagging the man so he could not alert others once awake.


    As he looked at the unlucky bastard being cleanly taken care of, Bradley was glad they had not have to resort to their knives until then. He did not know how the others felt about it, but the thought of killing with a knife always sent cold shivers down his spine. He still remembered the brief struggle of every person whose life he had taken with his KA-BAR. If he concentrated, he could still feel them frantically scratching at the gloved hand covering their mouth, while blood seeped from their mortal wound; the tears in their eyes as they fought to stay alive, unable to utter a sound as they died helpless and in silence. There was something visceral, primal, in killing with a blade, something that firearms fortunately, or unfortunately, lacked; where shooting someone could almost be desensitizing, to Bradley stabbing felt too personal, morbid in the way it made a person aware of the life they were ending.


    ?Good copy, Charlie Six, thank you. Charlie Four, out?. Tetsuo¡¯s whisper broke Bradley¡¯s short but untimely introspection, as the stocky Japanese resumed his watch.


    Not a moment later, another tent flapped open, revealing two men, one yawning as the other quietly spoke to him, who were heading in their direction. They were a bit further inside the camp but still close enough to easily see the hostages and their guards, or the lack thereof. Having briefly lost his situational awareness, Bradley turned too slowly at the noise, and despite training kicking in as he reflexively aimed his M4 at the duo, he realized he would not be fast enough to silence both men before they raised the alarm. For a moment, time slowed to a crawl, and in that split second where their gazes met, he saw realization dawning on their faces.


    Then, their heads abruptly jerked to the side as a shower of gore erupted from their skulls, painting their immediate surroundings in grey matter, bone fragments, skin, and blood. The two men collapsed to the ground, their end so quick and unexpected they had not even realized it had happened.


    ?You¡¯re welcome?, Cooper¡¯s smug voice resounded over the team¡¯s channel a moment later.


    After a couple seconds, Rossi confirmed the kill with his usual calm and poise. ?This is Two, two tangos down, over?.


    ?Copy. Nice shot. One, out?.


    The immediate danger had passed, but Bradley knew they had been lucky and chided himself for his distraction. It was only a matter of time before someone else would wake up to obey the call of nature or for any other reason, and they would be discovered. They needed to hurry up, but all the hostages were injured to a degree, and some had to be carried or helped walk. What captured his attention, though, was one woman¡¯s behaviour. Tall and raven-haired, she was looking back at the tents unlike everyone else who was focused on the way ahead. She wore a downright terrified expression, and her hands kept moving around, gripping first each other, then her ruined tunic and back. Bradley felt yet again a knot at his stomach: he quickly counted the men and women, then contacted Rossi.


    ?Two, this is One, how many hostages did you count during your reconnaissance? Over?.


    ?Copy, One. I counted ten males and six females, over?, Rossi replied.


    ?Fuck!? Bradley said, forgetting proper radio protocol, ?One woman is missing. See if you can spot her and keep me updated. We¡¯ll search as well. Charlie Four, take the rear. One, out?.


    After closing the communication, he moved with purpose up the line towards the woman who was still staring back at the tents. When he reached her, she tensed up and stepped back, despite being as tall as Bradley and quite muscular herself, while the other hostages around her stopped in their tracks and moved closer in a protective circle, eyeing him warily. Since words had proven useless until then, Bradley tried using hand signs to ask where the missing female was, but be it reluctance, fear, mistrust, or a simple lack of understanding, he was given no useful reply. Frantic, he asked again and again, even in words, despite knowing the futility of it. They had no time to waste, and he could not risk everyone¡¯s safety for one person, but he was furious that something stupid like the inability to understand each other would doom a life. Frustrated, he backed off and had Jaspinder make the line of people move again.


    As he walked back towards the rear, Cooper¡¯s voice cracked in the comms, bringing unexpected good news. ?Charlie One, this is Six. Second tent to your left. I count six heat signatures, and one seems to be smaller and stronger than the others, possibly female, over?.


    Bradley touched Elisa¡¯s shoulder and gestured her to follow. ?Good copy Charlie Six, moving in to check and rescue. Provide overwatch. One, out?.


    While Tetsuo and Jaspinder kept escorting the hostages away from the camp, he and Elisa quietly moved towards the tent mentioned by Cooper. After a quick check with thermal that those inside were not moving around, Elisa slowly opened the flap and he entered first, carbine aimed at the sleeping figures while he scanned the interior of the tent.


    It was old, made of what seemed to be wool, though the fabric was worn-out; overall, quite basic and utilitarian. Bradley could not make out the colours, given that all he was seeing was in shades of green, but he surely felt the pungent smell of musk and sweat assaulting his nostrils without warning upon entering, so much that he almost gagged. He refrained from activating the air filtering though: it was bad but not toxic. The only objects present, apart from the naked men lying on straw mats and blankets, were clothes, weapons, armour, and backpacks, strewn around the edges of the tent with only a resemblance of order.


    Then, a couple of seconds later, Bradley saw her.


    A teenage girl, perhaps sixteen or seventeen years old, naked, bruised and clearly abused, lying on a mat. She was curled up, trembling, silently crying, a sight that made Bradley¡¯s blood boil in anger; he felt it rush to his head as he observed the five men sleeping soundly and without a care despite the horrors they had inflicted on the young girl.


    Behind the visor, his eyes were hard and unforgiving.


    As he moved towards the girl, he secured his weapon and held out his left hand in a reassuring gesture, the universal sign for ¡°I mean you no harm¡±, while pressing his right index to his mouth. She noticed him and, contrary to his expectations, he saw resignation and fear on her face; slowly, she turned on her back, flinching slightly at the movement and holding her right side. Before he could move, reassure her they had come to help, she stared at him with dead eyes for a seemingly endless moment.


    Then, she diverted her gaze and spread her legs.


    That was the last straw. His calming left hand became a trembling fist, his jaw clenched shut. With bloodshot eyes, Bradley unsheathed his knife, turning away from the girl... but not before seeing new emotions in her eyes: relief and liberation.


    It was not because she thought he was going to kill her rapists, however. No, he had seen that same expression in the past... on people who hoped he would kill them.


    Unable to control himself any longer, in wordless rage he started murdering the monsters in the tent. Yes, monsters. In his mind they were only monsters in human flesh, because he could not picture them as human beings anymore, nor would he call them beasts, as that would have been an insult to beasts. With ice in his veins and fire behind his eyes, he methodically slit the throats of every one of the five, holding them still, a hand on their mouths, as they awoke and struggled in vain to retain their lives, their tears mixing with their blood.


    He took pleasure in their suffering and felt joy at their fear. The coppery smell of blood was invigorating.


    After all were dead, however, he did not stop, he could not stop; it was not enough to have killed them, to have made them suffer, not nearly enough. He had to make an example out of them.


    As he acted, bloodstains accumulated on his armour, while his mind kept superimposing his daughters¡¯ features upon the face of the girl. He could not help but see Lorraine and Kate crying, battered and abused, hoping for the sweet release of death just like her; and every time he did, despite a part of him shouting to himself that his daughters were fine, the blaze in his brain burned even hotter, washing him in pain and fury. The fire was so fierce he could not think of anything, only of murder, destruction, pain: his rage was unquenchable. He vaguely felt something cracking inside of him, but he did not care. All that was important was to maim, to kill, to bring his wrath upon the world.


    Until a strong impact on his back pushed him forward and made him fall to the ground.


    Snarling, knife at the ready, he turned to see who had attacked him, who was the fool that wanted to die screaming¡­ only to find Elisa, her helmet open to show a familiar stern look, this time full of worry as well. Her pistol was now in her right hand, safety off and muzzle pointed at the ground, while she hugged the girl with the other arm, holding her close in a futile attempt to shield her from the show of carnage. However, the girl had seen him, what he had done, and could not peel her eyes away. When he met her stare, he saw pure terror, a fear so primal it made his heart ache, knowing he was the cause of it.


    That look extinguished the blaze in his mind with the power of a tsunami.


    Feeling as if he had just been thrown into an icy lake, his tunnel vision receded, his fury was all but forgotten, and his clenched muscled relaxed. Thus, Bradley took again stock of his surroundings.


    The tent now looked like a butcher shop, an amateur butcher who did not care about the mess he made. All five men were dead, fresh blood staining their bodies and the straw mats, but two had not simply been killed: they had been slaughtered like pigs. Their eyes had been carved out, their noses sliced, multiple stab wounds marred their faces, and their genitals had been cut off and put into their mouths. One of them was disfigured almost beyond recognition.


    Bradley looked at his hands and could see they were covered in blood. His knife was coated in it, dripping red to the ground.


    Horrified and shocked, he spoke in a trembling voice, a voice devoid of his usual authority, with bile rising in his throat. In that moment he was not Charlie One, the leader of a SIG team, he was only Bradley Anderson, a simple human being feeling dazed and confused.


    ?How¡­ Elisa, what happened? Why was I¡­ How long¡­??


    ?They¡¯re dead, Brad. They have been dead for minutes. I thought you were giving them a swift end, something I¡¯d have done myself. I didn¡¯t notice what you were really doing, though, otherwise I¡¯d have kicked you sooner. I was just a tad focused on the abused and scared girl we came to rescue?, she hissed with barely restrained anger, sarcasm dripping like venom from her mouth. ?What the fuck were you doing? Verdammt noch mal, you¡¯re a professional, not a psycho, get a grip. What the fuck is happening to everyone??


    Still confused and almost shell-shocked, Bradley tentatively replied, the pain in his voice as clear as day. ?I¡­ don¡¯t know, Elisa. I only remember rage and pain. She was¡­ she was there, she looked at me, and then I was just... angry. I kept thinking about Kate and Lorraine, and I-I don¡¯t know. I just feel so exhausted right now?.


    ?Get out, Brad?, Elisa whispered. ?Get out of the tent, take a breath of fresh air, and stay far away from the girl. She¡¯s terrified of you. Hell, I was afraid of you. She¡¯s already scarred, mentally and physically, and the last thing we need is stressing her further. We need to avoid stressing all of them more than they already are. Come on, let¡¯s hurry up and get away from here?.


    ?Y-yeah¡­ you¡¯re right. We need to move?, Bradley replied, shaking his head as if to clear it, ?We have¡­ we have to get back to the others and leave. We¡¯re behind schedule?.


    At that, he left the tent, his thoughts whirring in his head, while Elisa led the girl outside, holding her close. If he hadn¡¯t been so stunned, Bradley might have noticed that her grip on the weapon was tight, too tight for comfort, and that her hand was trembling.


    They quickly made their way back to the rest of the group with no further interruptions. All the while, Bradley kept thinking about the extreme rage he had felt, the angry shouts in his mind telling him to kill and maim, that primal sea of fury overwhelming him, fuelled by something outside of his control.


    He did not understand, and he hated it. For all he knew he had inhaled some hallucinogen, a spore of some kind or maybe an odourless gas. Hell, they could all have been infected, thinking back to his team¡¯s behaviour in the previous days. Whatever the cause, he could be a danger to his comrades, even indirectly, since his combat readiness and situational awareness were clearly suffering because of his state of mind.


    It¡¯s unacceptable! When we reach a safe place, I¡¯ll have the whole team sit down and we¡¯ll discuss the issue until we find a solution.


    While he was lost in thought, they regrouped with the others. Khalid had kept the line on the move, and the rescued hostages were diligently walking in single file at a good pace.


    Elisa gave the frightened girl to the woman who had been looking for her. It was undeniable they were family, given their resemblance, though she could have been either her mother or older sister with how young she looked. The way she cried and caressed the girl¡¯s head while hugging her made Bradley inclined to opt for the first option.


    The moment passed and they silently went back to walking, following after Jaspinder as she led them towards Rossi and Cooper.


    A few, tense minutes later, as Bradley recovered his backpack and passed the rocky formation the two marksmen had been hiding upon, Cooper got up, secured his gear, and tapped Rossi¡¯s shoulder, the signal he was the last man behind. The Italian waited a couple seconds before following. One last look towards the camp, then he quietly slunk into the forest, merging with the shadows.

 Chapter 6 – Worries

    They quickly left the camp and the dead behind, heading south, the same direction the ¡°soldiers¡± had been going towards. With some luck, any pursuers would try going back north first, unless they had a competent commander who would send scouts in both directions. Thus, with a little less than two hours before the next guard change, the plan was to put as much distance as possible between them and those madmen dressed in armour in order to make them lose their tracks. Easy enough, had it been Charlie Team alone, but with sixteen additional people, weary and injured in one way or another, it became much harder to do. The terrain did not help either: while the trees and the shrubbery offered plenty of cover, the absence of a road and the need to avoid any beaten track slowed the group down, forcing them to move on muddy ground or on uneven and loose terrain. A few times they had to make detours due to fallen trees, crevices, boulders and similar obstacles, whereas in other moments they had to carefully climb uphill on rocky terrain made slippery by the night¡¯s humidity. Strangely enough, Bradley observed, the darkness didn¡¯t seem to bother their charges too much, with only a few slips and tumbles along the way. In the silence of the night, however, every noise became as loud as thunder and every time he bit down on the curses that wanted to escape his mouth, waiting with apprehension to see if people came after them.


    Despite everything, we should still have a good head start. One hour at least, I hope. But there¡¯s a good chance someone has already discovered what we did, Bradley mused in silence and took a sip from his hydration pack. He was having everyone maintain a borderline exhausting pace, and that tended to make people thirsty, which was one of the reasons they were keeping close enough to the river to hear the rumbling of its waters. The other was to not lose directions, since they could not trust their maps. Once we find a place where it¡¯s safe to cross, we¡¯ll slow down a bit. It will be good to prepare some makeshift canteens for them¡­ We¡¯ll have to move away from the river sooner or later, and we might not find another source of freshwater for miles.


    Their march continued throughout the night and Bradley kept them on the move for the whole next day, with only a few short breaks before they finally stopped to rest for the night. A couple of times, when he had ordered to resume their trek, tension had arisen between the two groups, but it had not gone any further than silent posturing and passive-aggressive resistance, most likely caused by a mix of adrenaline, lack of proper rest, accumulated stress, and problematic communication.


    Indeed, communication was proving to be very complicated, to the point it would have been more accurate to talk about non-existent communication.


    ?I think I¡¯ll try talking to a few rocks and trees along the way tomorrow. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a more interesting conversation than with these guys?, Cooper¡¯s slightly sarcastic remark cut the silence. He was surely counting on the fact the others could not understand him.


    Probably.


    It was a small blessing that the day ended without any accident. Once they found a clearing where to sleep, many simply let themselves fall to the ground, clearly exhausted and trying to catch their breath. A few managed to be more dignified and sat down to rest, but it was clear that everyone needed a break, even the six SIGs. Hopefully, all that walking had gained them a few hours on their pursuers; sure, as far as they could tell, they had not been followed, but nobody dared lower their guard. It was too soon to relax, and it was only a few days earlier that Bradley got really close and personal with the jaws of a six-legged predator.


    Before falling into Morpheus embrace, they found the energy to make trips to the river in small groups and the team shared what little MRE they had left, but no one slept with a full belly that night.


    At sunrise, Bradley urged them all on the move again as quickly as possible, despite the ragged conditions of the men and women they had rescued and the creeping weariness of his team.


    ?We need to put as much distance as possible between us and those people?, he simply told them before moving on, no discussion allowed.


    To that end they kept following the course of the river until, mid-afternoon, they found a small bend. To everyone¡¯s surprise there stood an honest to goodness beaver dam. A fairly big one, even, wide enough that three people could comfortably cross it at the same time. All in the team except Bradley ¨C the only one who had actually seen a beaver dam before ¨C expressed their awe at the meticulously built construction, but the only beaver in sight did not stop around to thank them for their compliments, quickly diving into the water where it swam back to safety. Al and Khalid commented on how big and cute it was ¨C none of them having ever seen one before ¨C followed by Cooper loudly pondering if such rodents were a common sight in the area. As for the others, they were simply glad for the lucky discovery. Though not offering the most secure footing, the mass of rocks, mud, and tree branches gave them a viable way to safely cross the river and move eastwards, away from the beaten track and possible pursuers.


    Whether due to thoroughness or excess of zeal, Bradley took that chance to task Alessandro and Steve to cover the group¡¯s tracks and to create false ones leading further south along the river and then into the forest in order to deceive anyone following them. It took them a little more than an hour to do it, backtrack, and rejoin the group on the other side of the river. Luckily, the built-in transmitter in their body armour allowed them to know the relative general direction of each team member in real time, though within a maximum distance of around four kilometres. Given that they went only one kilometre further south, there was basically no way for the sniper duo to lose track of the rest of the group.


    ***


    The group had been heading east for a while. They followed the river but kept a safe distance from it, always staying behind the cover of the trees, and despite moving at a fairly slow pace they had covered quite some ground. Not that the scenery reflected it: the forest offered only trees, trees, and more trees, with nary an animal in sight. Only the rare chirp from a bird reminded everyone the forest was alive around them.


    Elisa was acting as rear guard, so it fell to her to keep an eye out for anything or anyone approaching from behind, but calling her watch ¡°uneventful¡± would be an euphemism. As much as she liked being surrounded by nature, she had grown bored of the unending sea of green and brown, a sea that never seemed to dry up. Fatigue ¨C both mental and physical ¨C was also starting to catch up; thus, the sight of Rossi and Cooper leisurely walking onwards to rejoin the group was a welcome interruption of the monotony and a source of genuine relief, such that she greeted Alessandro and Steve with a warm smile... getting absolutely no reaction out of them. After a moment of confusion, she remembered that almost all of her face was hidden by the helmet, prompting her to scoff at herself and shake her head, opting instead to wave at the duo.


    ?Charlie One, this is Two, we¡¯re back. Nothing to report, over?, she heard over the team¡¯s comms.


    ?Copy, Two. Hope you guys had a nice stroll. Go join Charlie Three at the rear. One, out?.


    Elisa waited for Cooper and Rossi to come close enough she did not have to shout, before addressing them. ?You heard the boss. So, there¡¯s really nothing to report, boys? No crazy bastards running after us??


    ?Nice to see you too, Bogeyman. You know, you should open your helmet when we talk. For all we know, you could be sticking your tongue out at us, in the true spirit of Mel Brooks?.


    ?...?


    ?Al, I have no idea what to make of what you just said. We all have the mouthpiece closed. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s another one of your random references but I¡¯m too tired to care right now. Again, are you sure no one¡¯s tailing us?? Elisa asked, a little bit of annoyance in her voice.


    Alessandro shook his head and mumbled something about pearls before replying.


    ?Yes, I am. There¡¯s no sign of anyone following us?. They resumed walking. ?That doesn¡¯t mean no one is on our tracks, though. I¡¯d prefer to put as much distance as possible between us and those madmen, before relaxing?.


    ?I agree. In any case, that¡¯s good news?, she sighed. ?Yes, good news...?


    Her reply did not hold much conviction, and as they approached the line of men and women walking in silence, her mind was distracted by the haggard and weary faces, by the vacant stares, the heavy breathing, and the grumbling bellies.


    ?Look, Al... You must talk to Brad. I agree that we should keep going, but take a look around. These people are exhausted, weak, hungry, and hurt. We don¡¯t know the extent of the abuse they endured. I don¡¯t think they can keep this pace for much longer and¡ª?


    ?I know. I can see it?, Al quietly interrupted her, ?but we can¡¯t stop. Not yet anyway?.


    ?You too? Al, they won¡¯t be able to go on without proper rest, especially in their condition. I also need some time to give them all at least a preliminary check-up and dress their wounds. The ones I can, at least...? Her voice fell down to a murmur before picking up again, more intense this time. ?I¡¯ve seen that kind of expressions before. I know that look of fear, and distrust, and hate, and... and I know they need their family, friends, and probably a psychotherapist more than a medic?.


    She kicked a pebble.


    ?But they¡¯re stuck with me?. She closed her eyes, a dejected sigh escaping her lips.


    ?And I say that¡¯s a good thing?, Alessandro chided her, careful as he stepped beyond a thick, overgrown root, his words filled with confidence. ?Don¡¯t beat yourself up for no reason, we saved these people. Hell, we¡¯re probably the best thing that happened to them since they were taken prisoners?.


    He followed his short encouragement speech with a pat on her shoulder. It was surely meant to be comforting, but Al had still a long way to go in that department.


    ?The chief is right!? Cooper cut in, ?Don¡¯t be so gloomy and pessimistic, it won¡¯t help them. I mean, I get that gloom and doom is part of the Bogeyman ethos, but when you¡¯re Chief Schwartzman you should cheer up. Grandpa Bob always said that a smile is the best medicine?.


    A groan escaped Elisa¡¯s lips. ?Thanks for making it look like I suffer from split personality, how nice of you, Steve?.


    ?Always happy to help, chief?.


    ?Wait?, Al chimed in, ?wasn¡¯t Bob the one who was scratched by a koala and almost lost an arm to sepsis because he refused to go to the doctor??


    ?Well, yeah... Have I told you about him, chief?? Cooper replied as he scratched the back of his head. Or he would have, had he not been wearing a helmet.


    He settled for a shrug.


    ?You mentioned him once or twice...? Alessandro¡¯s voice was laced with sarcasm. ?Anyway, we were talking about having a short rest?.


    Slowing down to keep a bit further away from to the subjects of their discussion, Elisa stepped closer to Alessandro and lowered her voice. She did not necessarily need to, because as far as she knew, they did not understand English, but better safe than sorry. ?Yes, and I¡¯m also worried because of their prolonged silence. It¡¯s not my field, but I¡¯ve seen traumatised people before. Sure, some withdraw into themselves, but most still talk. You know, to try and cope with the trauma, or to rationalise, or to deny it happened, or even, I don¡¯t know, just to talk to someone else. And I¡¯d thought some of them would have at least started talking to each other again?. Barely waiting for Rossi to nod in acknowledgement, she continued: ?But they all keep to themselves! It¡¯s frustrating and borderline eerie how quiet and disciplined they are. Almost inhuman. They don¡¯t even complain among themselves! It¡¯s like we are the Rattenf?nger von Hameln and¡ª?


    ?Sorry, the what?? Alessandro stopped her.


    ?The Rattenf?nger von Hameln. It¡¯s the... damn, I forgot the English name?, she mumbled, ?Come on, you know the fable: it¡¯s the guy with the flute who hypnotises all rats in Hameln but when the villagers don¡¯t pay him does the same with all the children and leads them away?.


    ?Oh, il Pifferaio Magico. All right, I got it, though I don¡¯t know what¡¯s the English title either?.


    ?Yeah, but you¡¯ve understood what I¡¯m talking about, no??


    ?Yes?.


    ?Good. Now, as I was saying, it¡¯s like we¡¯re the Rattenf?nger von Hameln and they¡¯re the mice following us, but without having to play a magic flute. We didn¡¯t even need the old man to give them another order?.


    ?Wait... Tetsuo gave them orders? I thought they did not understand us?.


    Elisa looked at Rossi with a stare as flat as the Mongolian steppe. ?Al, you should spend less time with Steve, his idiocy is rubbing on you?.


    ?Hey, I heard that! I¡¯m a sensible soul, you know??


    ?Oh, shush, Steve?, she immediately replied. However, noticing Rossi was still confused, she quickly provided more details. ?Come on, Al, I¡¯m talking about the big guy over there, close to the front of the line... Ok, they¡¯re all big. I mean the big and old one: bald, white beard, a scar on his right eye, around two metres tall, built like a strongman, with the blue earring?.


    Receiving only a shrug in response, she sighed and continued. ?He¡¯s the one who managed to make our friends here move their asses after we freed them, come on! He barked some kind of order and they all started to walk?.


    A brief lull in the conversation followed her words, and everyone seemed content to keep quiet, until Alessandro¡¯s voice filled the silence: ?I wasn¡¯t aware. I don¡¯t think anyone ever mentioned him to Steve and I. Not that we¡¯ve had much time for idle chatting though. In any case, you¡¯re right: they need rest and medical care, but I¡¯m sure they can go on a bit more. No one is seriously wounded, and they all look pretty used to hard work, after all. You¡¯re the medic, though. Your call?.


    ?Actually, we might have a more pressing problem?, Steve chimed in, joining the conversation. ?I think we¡¯re black on food, ya know. I don¡¯t know about the others, but I ate my last piece of MRE two hours ago and I reckon you two did as well. But, hey! At least with the river nearby we won¡¯t die of thirst, lucky us! A silver lining in this bloody cursed mission...? he concluded, shaking his head.


    Against all common expectations, what followed was not a serious discussion about the need to find food, shelter, medical supplies and whatnot. Instead, the two men watched as Elisa started laughing before pumping up her fist with an overly exaggerated motion, drawing the attention of their until-then completely stoic travelling companions.


    ?Ha! Zur H?lle, ja! You owe me another fifty bucks, Al?, she loudly proclaimed, glee oozing from each word.


    ?Eh? What for?? Alessandro replied, dumbfounded at first by her unexpected behaviour, before understanding dawned on his face. Only a few seconds passed before he retorted, a mix of frustration and resignation in his voice: ?Oh, that?! Come on! He was not complaining. He was just¡­ he was simply stating facts, and you know it?.


    ?Sure, Al, sure?, Elisa grinned. ?Fifty. Bucks. Don¡¯t be a sore loser?.


    ?Ma porca puttana¡­ Steve! Couldn¡¯t you resist a little bit more?? he complained in irritation. ?Fuck! At least complain where Elisa can¡¯t hear you?, he continued, clearly ignoring the irony of complaining about someone else complaining. His body language was a display of annoyance, as a flabbergasted Cooper looked at him.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    At a serious loss for words, Steve only managed to utter a confused ?What?? before being interrupted again.


    ?Don¡¯t worry, Cooper, you did great?, Elisa happily reassured him before smacking his back a few times, and a few more for good measure. ?Sorry, Al, you should choose your horses more carefully; but please continue to swear in Italian... it¡¯s so satisfying watching you lose you cool?.


    ?Oh, zip it?, Alessandro grumbled. ?Brad is always a certainty. I bet he kept cursing the mission every time I wasn¡¯t around?.


    Seeing that Elisa was not going to stop snickering anytime soon, he gestured at her in very explicit terms to piss off. Then, half serious, half mocking, he quietly added: ?Begone, evil woman. Stop gloating and take your schadenfreude somewhere else?.


    At that, Elisa simply laughed louder and walked ahead towards the centre of their small moving line, leaving the still confused Steve to deal with Alessandro¡¯s annoyance. The latter decided, in fact, to vent his frustration by cursing, wildly gesticulating at the Australian, and kicking every small rock unfortunate enough to be on his path.


    ***


    The moment Elisa was out of earshot, Rossi stopped swearing and arguing with Cooper. Behind the visor, his eyes turned serious, boring into her back. He and Steve had known their friend long enough to know when she was forcing a laugh.


    After a couple more minutes, with Elisa long gone, Cooper decided to break the silence.


    ?Chief?, his tone was quite serious, lacking his usual mirth.


    ?Yes?? Alessandro¡¯s voice was equally tinged with gravity.


    ?Her voice was cracking?. It was not a question.


    ?Yeah...?


    ?She¡¯s taking all of this way too harshly?, Cooper carried on. ?I mean, I get it. This stuff is horrible, but she¡¯s seen worse; we¡¯ve all seen worse. What¡¯s different this time? Did something happen when they went back to take the girl??. He did not even try to hide his concern.


    ?I don¡¯t know, Steve. I don¡¯t know...?


    Alessandro¡¯s reply was quiet and uncertain, his eyes still staring in Elisa¡¯s direction.


    ***


    ?Yes, Brad, we need to search for food and I need to check their health. We can survive for a while, but I doubt they can in their conditions?. Elisa was at the front of the moving column, the rest following a dozen metres behind, arguing with Bradley about the need for rest and pointing with vehemence at the rest of the group to emphasise her statements.


    ?Okay, okay?, Bradley said. ?Team, this is One, we make camp in two hours. Charlie Six, I need you to go around and look for edible food. See if you can hunt us something or forage some fruit. Show us your Aussie powers, Dundee?, he finished in a half-mocking tone.


    ?Copy that, chief, I¡¯m on my way?, Cooper immediately replied. ?Anything¡¯s better than being near a grumpy Italian. I hope y¡¯all like green leopard meat, though I¡¯d prefer a normal, four-legged hare, you know. See you in a few hours. Charlie Six out?.


    Then he was gone, disappearing among the trees like a ghost.


    ?Are you sure about sending him alone?? Elisa asked.


    ?Absolutely. He¡¯s a trained professional, not a kid?, Bradley replied with complete confidence, ?and he¡¯ll be faster by himself. You know he doesn¡¯t take useless risks. Most of the time at least... Besides, he¡¯s our best chance at finding something substantial to eat around here?.


    Elisa took that moment to remove her helmet and pass her gloved hand through her hair. Dirty and slick with sweat, like the rest of her body. Like all of them. She would have loved nothing more than relax under a hot shower, but a distinctive feature of the wilderness is the lack of such amenities. After quenching her thirst she put the helmet back on, leaving the mouthpiece open.


    ?Yes, I know. You think Steve ever missed the chance to tell us in detail about all of his hunting adventures in Australia, Africa, and America? It¡¯s just that... I have this constant worry gnawing at me, Brad, and it spikes when I least expect it?.


    ?Aye. Me too?, he replied with grim acceptance. ?I keep feeling it, even now. It¡¯s there, in the back of my head. A constant sense of anger and anxiety; deep fears and rage ready to pour out?. He sighed before continuing, his voice strained, hesitant. ?It worries me, Elisa. I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s happening, but I don¡¯t want a repeat of what I did in that tent?.


    A moment of silence. Then, swallowing loudly, Bradley continued. ?You know what¡¯s the worst part?? His voice was full of self-reproach. ?A part of me was enjoying it. I was out of control and enjoying it, for fuck¡¯s sake! What¡¯s next? I paint my face white, dye my hair green and laugh while murdering random people??


    ?What the hell is going on here?? Elisa quietly asked to no one in particular.


    Bradley had no answer to give her.


    ***


    Three hours later they made camp, which meant they had found a place big enough to let everyone sit or lie down without too many trees to divide them up but enough to use for cover in case of need. None of the SIGs carried a tent, a sleeping bag, or a blanket; their original mission objective did not involve rescuing sixteen injured people, nor having said people sleep out at night. To their credit, no one had complained nor had shown any sign of discomfort at sleeping on the wet ground. Or perhaps they did not want to show further weakness.


    Elisa decided to take this opportunity to start attending to the ex-prisoners, checking them for injuries. As she sat in front of one of the women, she took off her helmet to better see her conditions, but what she did not expect was for the woman to recoil in fear.


    She was not the only one though. Stifled gasps started coming from the rest of the men and women they had saved, with some standing up growling and making a few angry steps in her direction.


    ?H?ttu, kj¨¢nar!?


    They all stopped cold. The ¡°old man¡± was standing up, looking at his fellows with terror in his eyes despite having himself looked ready to kill. Turning her head, Elisa noticed that Alessandro, Tetsuo, Jaspinder and Bradley were aiming their weapons at the angry men and women, lowering them only after they calmed down and sat on the ground again.


    ?What the hell was that??


    ?I have no idea, Brad, your guess is as good as mine?, Alessandro replied.


    ?Sir, unfortunately, until we can properly communicate with them, all we can make are conjectures. However, such behavior was uncalled for?.


    ?Tetsuo¡¯s right, chief. But they looked really angry... Perhaps your face scares them, Liz. You do have a pretty mean stare...?


    ?Jas, just because Cooper isn¡¯t here you don¡¯t have to spout idiocies in his stead. And you know I don¡¯t like being called ¡°Liz¡±?.


    ?Oops! Sorry, sorry?, Jaspinder replied, her face all but apologetic.


    ?Hey, focus. Whatever that was, I¡¯m not taking any chances?, Bradley interrupted. ?Khalid, you¡¯ll stay with Elisa and protect her during her check-ups, in case someone gets strange ideas. All clear??.


    ?Clear, sir?.


    ?Good. Now let¡¯s wait for Cooper to come back with some food. With a full belly everyone should be more relaxed, and perhaps even willing to talk to us?.


    ***


    Later on, Elisa had just finished putting a wrist splint on one of the wounded men, the fracture having occurred most likely in the previous four days and left to worsen. After a look of appreciation at his own arm, his relief evident, the young man gave her a silent, thankful nod, cradling the broken limb with his left arm. At that, she stood up and walked back towards the others to take a break; she stretched a bit, feeling her stiff muscles loosen up a bit, followed by a satisfying ¡°pop¡± along her spine.


    It was then that she saw Cooper emerge from some trees to their south, carrying what looked like three dead hares tied to a stick.


    Dark green hares. So dark they could easily be mistaken for black at a first glance.


    He walked with a confident and relaxed gait, as if on a morning stroll, greeting the rest of the team with his usual mix of cheerfulness and smugness tinged ¨C some would say drenched ¨C with arrogance. He had the decency and presence of mind not to announce his return in his usual bombastic tone, at least, but at his playful wink Elisa could not help the eye-roll that came naturally.


    Putting down his ¡°trophies¡±, a grinning Cooper took off his gear, helmet included, and searched for a suitable place where to skin the animals. He found a mostly flat slab of stone and cleaned it with some water, then unsheathed his knife and started to work on the first hare. Meanwhile, he gave a brief report of his hunt: he had already cleaned and bled the game, leaving the entrails a couple kilometres away from their makeshift camp for some scavenger to claim, and he had also filled two pouches with a bunch of different nuts and berries.


    ?... and guess what? They have four legs. No mutant hares for dinner tonight, though I¡¯m not sure about their colour. Are there green hares??


    ?Uhm... I have no idea. Are you sure they¡¯re safe to eat?? Jaspinder replied, staring at the meat now hanging from a small tree branch.


    ?I don¡¯t see why not: they only have an unusual fur colour, but they looked the same as any other hare inside, trust me. Scout¡¯s honour?.


    ?You¡¯ve never been a Boy Scout, Steve?.


    ?Bah, details. Besides, we¡¯re out of food, so unless you wanna go on with only nuts and berries until we get out of this damn forest, we¡¯ll have to risk it a bit, I guess. What do you think, Chief Schwartzman??


    Hearing her name being called, Elisa, pondered for a few moments and gave her reply: ?I don¡¯t see anything wrong with them. If they had six legs like that other weird leopard, I¡¯d be the first to throw them away, but as they are they don¡¯t seem to be poisonous or inedible... Plus, the military spent a lot of money to ensure our bodies would be strong enough to handle at least some food poisoning?.


    ?That was not very convincing, Elisa, but I admit they do look quite tasty. Or maybe I¡¯m just hungry?, Jaspinder said.


    ?Mmm, I bet roasted they¡¯d be mouth-watering?, Cooper added, a longing expression on his face.


    ?You want to roast them? Having a barbecue doesn¡¯t really strike me as a good idea right now?.


    ?Hell no! Come on, Jas, do you take me for an idiot??


    ?Well...?


    Steve smiled and flipped her the bird before carrying on. ?You know the smoke would give our position away... and even if we wanted, find me something dry ¡¯round here and I¡¯ll call you a liar. With wood this wet it would take forever to make a serious fire and we¡¯d just end up making a lot of smoke, even if we dug Dakotas?.


    ?I¡¯d love some smoked meat right now, you know?, Jaspinder sighed, ?but we¡¯d need, well, smoke, so it¡¯s out of question?.


    ?Yeah, and there¡¯d still be the issue of dry kindling to start the fire, not to mention building a smokehouse, even if rudimentary. Nah, I was thinking of curing it and making jerky by letting it dry. I know Chief Rossi always carries some salt with him, dunno if for cooking or ¡¯cause of some superstition, and¡ª?


    ?Superstition? What do you mean??


    ?Yeah. He¡¯s Italian. They make weird signs with their hands, have strange rituals, and so on. It¡¯s the basics, Jas. Italians are weird and superstitious?.


    Jaspinder watched him and grinned.


    ?Why are you¡ª? Steve flinched when Alessandro brushed by him, his knife tumbling down in the process.


    Elisa did not even bother to hide her chortle, joined immediately by Jaspinder and the others.


    ?Yeah, yeah, pick on the youngest one... I could¡¯ve cut my hand, you bastards?, Steve complained.


    ?You are wearing ballistic gloves?, Al replied with nonchalance.


    Cooper grumbled for a couple of seconds, but then let it go. ?Anyway. As I was saying, I also found some rosemary and thyme the meat. It should be enough to at least dehydrate the meat and take away some of its wild flavour, make it a little less gamey. Then it¡¯s up to the sun?.


    ?Ok, Dundee, that¡¯s all fine and dandy?, Al chimed in as he moved past the impromptu workbench and closer to Bradley, ?but I don¡¯t have a whole bag of salt and there¡¯s still the risk of getting Salmonella, E. coli or botulism from the meat. It might not be a problem for us, since we¡¯re a walking ¡°fuck you¡± to bacteria and viruses, but what about them?? He asked, pointing his thumb at the group of hungry and exhausted people behind him.


    ?Well, we can¡¯t do much about it, chief. It¡¯s a choice between making a fire with a high risk of being discovered and not making a fire with a low risk of getting a nasty or potentially lethal food poisoning. The curing should take care of the problem, and a couple tablespoons of salt are enough for the meat we have?.


    ?Yeah, should. I don¡¯t like playing with probabilities. By the way, I think you should check those hares again, Steve. I doubt those canines are normal?. He pointed at one of the hares¡¯ mouth, from which a long and pointed canine emerged, much like a cat¡¯s.


    ?Bloody hell! I should have known I spoke too soon¡­?


    ?So, they are carnivorous... Do I get to use the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch now?? Alessandro commented.


    ?The what?? Elisa asked.


    ?Never mind. So, what do you say we do, Brad? Fire or not fire??


    He did not immediately reply, opting to scratch his chin and ponder for a moment first. ?I don¡¯t like gambling with people¡¯s health at stake either, but making a fire is too dangerous right now, and we need food. Go with the jerky, Steve. We¡¯ll prepare for the worst and hope for the best?.


    ?Great, hoping for the best...? Al shook his head. ?Whatever, there¡¯s another thing I have to point out though: it will take at least a day for the meat to be ready, probably more with the amount of wind and sunlight we don¡¯t get and the forest¡¯s humidity, and we all need to eat today, especially our ¡°guests¡±?.


    ?You¡¯re totally right, chief?. Cooper stopped skinning the hare, put his knife aside, and took off his blood-stained gloves. He then grabbed his backpack, pulled out of it two bulging pouches that looked like they were ready to burst at the seams, and tossed one to Jaspinder. He made some room on the slab of stone, as far as possible from the area where he was skinning the hares, and gently spilled some of the content on it.


    ?That¡¯s why today¡¯s menu is gonna be nuts and berries. Sorry, guys, should have said it earlier, maybe. Ah, Jas, the bigger pouch I gave you is for our big-toothed friends. Actually, why don¡¯t they take those off? You guys reckon they¡¯re actual implants? I mean, anything¡¯s possible nowadays; I know a couple blokes who had fake horns put into their foreheads, but so many of them together? Maybe they all belong to some kind of religious sect? Do people worship the tooth fairy? You know, I...?


    Elisa quickly tuned out Cooper¡¯s inane blabbering but kept watching as Jaspinder took a blueberry from among the various fruits resting on the makeshift kitchen work-top, stared at it, put it down, then quickly moved closer to Steve and spoke between clenched teeth. She probably intended to be very quiet, but not as much as she intended, since Elisa still heard her words quite clearly despite being a few metres away.


    ?Steve, why the fuck did you pick those up again??


    ?Don¡¯t worry, Jas?, he whispered back. ?We¡¯ll be fine. I mean, I was fine, remember? I think there won¡¯t be any problem if we don¡¯t stuff ourselves?.


    ?Ha-ha, very funny. Thanks but I¡¯ll pass. Once was enough for me?.


    ?What are you two whispering about? Share with the team?, Alessandro¡¯s voice cut in. Elisa had not noticed him moving back closer to them.


    So much for situational awareness, she chided herself.


    ?Gah! Chief, don¡¯t sneak up on us. You¡¯ll give me a heart attack...? Cooper exclaimed, a hand on his chest. ?Also, it¡¯s bad manners?.


    Alessandro rolled his eyes and replied: ?Stop being an idiot and talk. So what¡¯s up with you two? Something wrong with the food??


    Elisa saw Jaspinder send a brief but very meaningful look at Steve. She didn¡¯t know what it was about, but the message was clearly something along the lines of ¡°Say something and you¡¯re dead¡±. After all, she had perfected her own version of such stare, so it was easy to recognise.


    ?Nothing much, chief. I was just telling Jas to leave some food for us and not to gorge herself like she always does?.


    Jaspinder punched him on the shoulder. Hard.


    Cooper simply laughed it off, his usual shit-eating grin plastered on his face. Until Rossi smacked the back of his head with a perfectly timed slap. It was almost a trademark at that point, and the sound it made was music to Elisa¡¯s ears. Schadenfreude was a German word, after all.


    Massaging his neck, Steve grimaced at Rossi before addressing Jaspinder again: ?Now, if you don¡¯t have anything better to do except abusing poor old me, I¡¯d appreciate if you took out your knife and helped me skin these?.


    ?Actually, Steve, I do. I¡¯ve been tasked by the master chief to be Elisa¡¯s bodyguard while she bandages our silent friends. So, unfortunately, I can¡¯t help you?.


    ?Are you serious? Why, what happened?? he asked before popping a walnut into his mouth. Then he picked one of the infamous blueberries and offered it to Jaspinder, smiling.


    ?No, thanks?, was her reply, together with a meaningful eye-roll. ?So, a couple hours ag¡ª?


    ?H?ttu!?


    Everybody stopped in their tracks, startled and put on alert by the sudden shout, all turning to look at its origin.


    The woman was on her feet, leaning forward as if she had wanted to lounge at them but stopped herself halfway through. Her blue eyes were staring intensely at Cooper, uncaring of the wild strands of hair half-obstructing her vision. Her right hand was held up, just another sign of the barely-concealed panic she was exuding.


    Oh? It¡¯s her again. Perhaps we¡¯ll be able to talk to her talk if we¡¯re lucky. And what¡¯s with those quads? Looks like someone never skips leg day here, Elisa thought, before she put her pistol back into the holster. Drawing it had been pure reflex, but seeing that there was no actual danger about to befall them, she relaxed.


    ?Is it just me or did that sound a lot like ¡°Halt¡±??


    ?It¡¯s not just you, Jaspinder. The translator gave me nothing, but whether that¡¯s what she said or not, I think she conveyed her intentions quite clearly?, Rossi replied, a hint of curiosity in his voice.


    Elisa did not join their back and forth, but considered the woman¡¯s actions: She must have shouted for a reason, and from the looks of it she¡¯s... afraid for Steve?


    Acting on a hunch, she turned and addressed the rest of the team: ?Nobody touch the food. Cooper, put down those berries. I might be mistaken, but I bet at least one of them is poisonous?


    ?What? But it¡¯s not¡ª?


    Elisa glared at him for a moment and the Australian complied. Whatever he had wanted to say did not leave his mouth.


    When Steve put down the blueberries, the woman visibly relaxed. Without missing a beat, Elisa walked towards her and took off her armoured glove. Despite being fairly tall herself, she had to crane her neck a bit to look the raven-haired amazon ¨C a blend of muscle and feminine charms ¨C in the eyes.


    Then, she extended her hand, palm upward, and waited.


    Come on, have some trust. You know we don¡¯t want to hurt you. She stared with a pleading eye. Grab my hand. Come on!


    It was a clear invitation that transcended language and culture, now it was up to the other woman to accept it.

 Chapter 7 – Fears

    She had spoken out of sheer reflex.


    She had not meant to. She did not want to be on the receiving end of those watchful stares. She was an Adept, an acolyte of the Sage, tempered in blood and steel, yet they scared her. She had killed in battle, hunted predators, won duels, suffered wounds, survived the pains of labour, raised a daughter alone, seen friends and loved ones die.


    Still, they scared her.


    She did not know why. It could be their weapons, their armour, the way they moved, the fact that she could not understand them, or perhaps all of it and more. She still had in her mind the vivid image of their captors being dragged into the shadows by phantoms, phantoms who then manifested out of thin air. She recalled the tall one talking to her with urgency and frustration in his voice, she had a burning memory of him exiting that tent, covered in blood and with her daughter in tow. Alive, abused but alive.


    She was thankful, of course. Nevertheless, she did not want to get involved too much with these people, despite owing them more than her own life. Her pride could take the blow and the gods would forgive her; she had to take care of her daughter, and to do that she had to survive, so the less attention she received, the better.


    She had felt anger build and flare up when the fair-skinned woman had taken off her helmet, a sentiment echoed by her fellow acolytes. A moment of weakness, a foolish mistake that the accursed forest had immediately taken advantage of. Luckily, Chieftain Ulfson stopped them before they could do anything stupid and pay the price for it.


    In her blind rage she had not noticed her saviours pointing their weapons at them.


    They had rescued her and her tribe, saved her daughter, shared what little food they had... and how had her own people reacted? With anger, disrespect, fear.


    She was ashamed of herself.


    True, she was afraid of them, but conquering her fears had been part of her life for as long as she could remember, and she would not let it halt her, just as the others who sought the Path of Wisdom. Thus, when she saw the blonde one about to eat a blue moon, her panic swept away the fear. She had already seen what they did to those who ate them. She had watched her life¡¯s companion die slowly and painfully, emptying his bowels until they were bleeding, coughing blood, delirious, convulsing, gradually becoming unable to move, drink or eat, until breathing itself became too hard. No amount of healing had helped.


    She would not wish such an agonising death to her worst enemy.


    The few survivors she knew of had only eaten one of the damned blue moons, and had been lucky, very lucky. None of the children had been so fortunate.


    Once again, Gleeiogsorg had shown that it was not a merciful place, that the accursed forest could kill even the strongest in the most cruel and unexpected way, be it through the blue moon, the jaws of a green death, or your own inner demons.


    She watched, her heart beating strong in her chest, the fair-skinned woman come close, take off her gauntlet and offer her hand, a strong and pleading look in her eyes. After a few seconds of uncertainty, she came to a decision.


    These people have earned my trust.


    Not even trying to hide her nervousness, she took the offered hand and let herself be led to the impromptu butchering stone where all the food was resting.


    The fair-skinned woman turned towards her, still holding her hand. Her blue eyes bore into hers as she smiled, and that left her awestruck: that perfect smile could put to shame even the elders in the capital.


    ?El¨¬sa?, she said, pointing at herself.


    ?St¨©f?, she pointed at the blonde man, who seemed to have a perpetual roguish smile on his face. He was charming, she had to admit. A bit young, but charming.


    She gestured towards the other woman. ?Gjaspinder?, the dark-skinned one called herself. She made her think about the exotic beauties of the south.


    Next, the bearded man nodded at her when his name was pronounced: ?Alesaner?. His gaze felt cold.


    ?Tetzuo?. The thin-eyed one deeply bowed at her, and she reciprocated. It just felt right to do so.


    Last of the six was the tall one. Their leader, from what she could surmise. The one who still terrified her, but to whom she would be ever thankful.


    ?Braeley?, the woman, El¨¬sa said, and he smiled in response. Not the mischievous smirk of the blonde St¨©f, but a warm smile: a father¡¯s smile.


    Then, El¨¬sa stopped talking and looked at her, waiting, her grip just a bit tighter than before, as if to encourage her.


    She took a long breath to compose herself: ?T¨¢r?, she said, placing a palm on her chest, ?My name is T¨¢r, daughter of Brenn?.


    ***


    ?T¨¢r. ¨¦g heiti T¨¢r Brennd¨®ttir?


    Five simple words that made Elisa glad, relieved, almost giddy. Finally some progress! It was just one person who only said her name and something else, probably her surname ¨C she was not sure ¨C but it was progress nonetheless.


    With the presentations out of the way, Elisa proceeded to ask T¨¢r about the food, using simple hand signs and gestures, though she kept asking out loud as well in hope that she might react to some words.


    ?Is this safe to eat?? She held a brown almond-shaped nut in her fingers.


    ?Tae er mj?g bragegott?.


    ?Great, I guess. And this?? She picked up a small, round, red berry.


    ?¨®geeslegt, en ¨®h?tt ae borea?.


    ?Fantastic. You look disgusted, but it seems like it won¡¯t kill us. Last one?. Elisa lifted some kind of red walnut.


    ?J¨¢, t¨² getur boreae tae?.


    ?Cool, whatever you said. Your smile at least tells me it¡¯s good to eat?. T¨¢r tilted her head to the side, a confused look on her face, but Elisa simply smiled at her.


    Most of the what Cooper had foraged was edible, except for one berry which either made you vomit or T¨¢r found particularly revolting ¨C Elisa threw it away anyway ¨C and the incriminated berries, which were not, in fact, blueberries. They were called bl¨¢r tungl, apparently, whatever the name meant, and she made it abundantly clear they were deadly if eaten, no words needed.


    Food safety now assured, Steve continued to skin the hares while Bradley took stock of how many nuts and berries there were and divided them as equally as possible among the sixteen men and women. Alessandro and Jaspinder helped him distribute the food, while Elisa gave T¨¢r two shares. One for her, and one for the girl they rescued from the tent. Brad¡¯s opinion is that they were mother and daughter, but Elisa would not exclude them being sisters just yet, since T¨¢r could have been anything from thirty to forty years old: it was hard to make a good estimate of her age. Either way, she backed off to let them eat in peace, though it would have been more accurate to say that she left T¨¢r to eat and feed the still-apathetic young girl.


    Tetsuo was standing nearby, his machine gun strapped to his back and replaced on his hands by a pencil and a small notebook he always kept in one of his pockets; he was slowly shifting his weight form one foot to the other, nothing of note if one was not familiar with the man, but a clear tell tale of his impatience for any member of Charlie Team. He was probably ready to ask T¨¢r every word of her language, but Elisa¡¯s stare kept him at bay and he had the presence of mind to restrain his eagerness. Tetsuo was generally very calm and collected, but whenever there was something new he could learn, especially languages, a spark was lit and he could become enthusiastic to the point of being suffocating.


    Like an overeager puppy. She could not help but chuckle at the thought, prompting a response in the form of a raised eyebrow from the subject of her thoughts.


    ?It¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s just wait for them to finish eating, then you can pester her with questions?.


    ?I will not ¡°pester¡± her, chief?, he replied in a tone halfway between petulant and affronted, ?I will simply have her tell me the name of everything we come across. Including the names of all our guests. I will record her as well, so we can listen to her pronunciation in case we need to?.


    ?We¡¯ll definitely need to?, she replied, ?no way in hell we can speak correctly without listening to actual speech... Good idea, Tetsuo. Oh, remember to have her write the names on your notebook as well. And the whole alphabet. Perhaps seeing the letters will give us some clue about their language?.


    ?Aye, aye, ma¡¯am?.


    Content to keep silent, the two of them waited for T¨¢r to be ready before approaching again. Tetsuo, as promised, started asking the now more relaxed woman about the names of everything around them, but a problem immediately arose when he asked her to write the words in her language. Well, it was not really a problem: she simply stopped and stared at the pencil for a long time ¨C a minute or so ¨C her face a visage of perplexity and curiosity.


    No pencil is that interesting¡­ Could it be she¡¯s never used one before? Nah, that¡¯s not possible. ¡°Inconceivable!¡± Arne would say in a fake Sicilian accent¡­ Silly brother and his silly movies, no wonder he gets along with Al.


    A pang of homesickness hit Elisa at the thought of her younger brother; they last spoke on the day before her mission began, but a hologram was barely better than a simple video call. Six months had passed since they last saw each other in person, and she missed bear-hugging Arne to death. It was only a moment, though. Just as it came, she pushed the feeling back; she had more pressing matters to address.


    Anyway, that¡¯s not the reaction of someone who¡¯s ever seen a pencil. Come on girl, you can¡¯t be serious¡­ In what forgotten hole in the ground have you lived until now? Or is it all an act? Yeah, but what for?


    She felt a headache slowly poking its ugly head behind her eyes, so she closed them and started massaging her temples. After roughly ten seconds, she stopped and looked at T¨¢r again.


    Oh, great! Now it¡¯s the notebook¡¯s turn. It¡¯s not your firstborn son, stop looking at it in adoration! And don¡¯t caress it! It¡¯s just a notebook, for Christ¡¯s sake!


    Once again, she closed her eyes and furiously massaged her temples in a losing fight against the oncoming headache.


    Schei?e. This makes no sense. Who the fuck are these people? Argh! Damn headache only makes it worse; the cherry on top I didn¡¯t ask.


    Oblivious to Elisa¡¯s internal monologue, T¨¢r tentatively traced a few lines on the notebook under Tetsuo¡¯s encouragement, and smiled like a child at Christmas upon seeing the results. Next, her hand was furiously moving the pencil all over the paper. After a few minutes, Elisa decided to peek at whatever the woman was so fervently writing down, and saw a textbook depiction of horror vacui: T¨¢r was cramming the page with what looked like random doodles, apparently intent on leaving no empty space. Only after filling two whole pages she stopped and looked around, only then aware, it seemed, of how immersed she had been for the last minutes and promptly started speaking to Tetsuo, who, like the rest of Charlie Team, could not understand a word. Her tone, however, was unmistakably apologetic, so the PO1 simply smiled and took the chance to restart his ¡°investigation¡± on the names of everything and everyone he could see.


    Well, she¡¯s taking it in stride, apart from the initial shell-shock. Heh, Tetsuo¡¯s barrage of questions could give a headache to a politician.


    Over the course of the next hour, the woman¡¯s patience appeared endless as she indulged Tetsuo¡¯s meticulous curiosity with simple and clear answers.


    As much as their inability to properly communicate allowed, of course.


    T¨¢r paused only when it came the turn of saying the names of her fellows; before doing so, she looked not-too-subtly in the direction of the ¡°old man¡±, who replied with a visible nod at the mute question. When it came to him, however, the mountain of a man took matters in his own hands: as he stood up, Elisa could not help but gawk at his height. She was by no means a small person, but he towered over everyone present, probably a head taller than Bradley, who was close to 1.90. The mountain of a man put his right hand over his heart and greeted Elisa and Tetsuo, but loudly enough that every member of Charlie could hear him.


    ?Eiev?reur! ¨¦g heiti Eiev?reur Ulfson, H?fue af ?ttkv¨ªsl Viskuleitendur?.


    ?...?


    ?Great... Is it too much to ask for a language easy to understand?? Elisa asked to no one in particular as she looked at the sky.


    ?Okay, I won¡¯t even try?. It was Bradley who spoke as he approached them. ?That was way too much info all at once. And much too complicated; it felt like like German, Polish, and Swedish had a baby together but didn¡¯t bother teaching it to speak correctly. Which one do you think was his actual name? Eidmund? Ofud? Viskolend??


    ?I believe it was more like ¡°Eidfursh¡±, master chief?, Tetsuo replied. Then he turned to ask the man himself: ?Eidfursh, right??


    The addressee raised a single eyebrow in a textbook depiction of a perplexed face before repeating his name, this time slowly, spelling it as if he were talking to a child.


    ?Eie-v?r-eur. Eiev?reur Ulfson?.


    Bradley stared at him for a good ten seconds, a neutral expression on his face, his eyes as focused as a laser. Then, he released a breath and scratched the back of his head: ?Sorry, I give up. I¡¯ll call you Ed for now, big guy. I¡¯m Bradley, Bradley Anderson?, he said, pointing at himself. Then he extended his hand: ?Nice to meet you?.


    The man frowned at his words and looked a bit puzzled at the offered hand. ?Braeley ?nderson?, he repeated slowly, as if tasting the words; then, he took the outstretched hand, prompting a solid handshake and a nod from the American.


    Meanwhile, Tetsuo wore a conflicted expression, but quickly seemed to reach a decision, as he voiced his opinion once again: ?Chief Anderson, sir, I don¡¯t want to nit-pick, but I think his name is pronounced ¡°Eithvurdsh¡±, more or less. If you want to shorten it like you said, you should call him ¡°Eith¡±. I¡¯m pretty certain it has a sound just like the ¡°th¡± in ¡°that¡±?.


    Without missing a beat, Bradley replied, ?Okay, Tetsuo, thanks for the help. I¡¯ll keep it in mind. But for now I¡¯ll leave the communication with our dear Ed to you?.


    ?¡­ Aye, sir?.


    He did not even try to suppress the sigh that naturally came.


    Bradley smiled and gave him a pat on the back before moving to sit down close to Rossi. He put down his carbine, safety on, and started eating his share of food.


    ?Better than starving?, Elisa heard him say in-between munching, ?and tastier than MRE, but not very filling. It¡¯s just... all these dry nuts make me feel like a chipmunk?.


    ?Well, you do look like one indeed, Alvin. Care to sing us a song?? Alessandro shot back, deadpan.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Bradley gave him the stink eye before he started to give as good as he got.


    Elisa tuned out their married couple shtick and, together with Jaspinder, went back to watching Tetsuo interact with T¨¢r. She had moved past the old man, Eith-whatever, who, meanwhile, had gone back to sitting and was now about to finish what was more a light snack than a meal to someone his size. Past him, she was approaching the one girl Elisa already knew among all of the rescued; a girl who looked just like a younger and smaller version of T¨¢r, but with none of her vitality.


    ?H¨²n er d¨®ttir m¨ªn, L¨ªfsgleei?, T¨¢r told them, much to Elisa¡¯s confusion, an expression mirrored on Tetsuo¡¯s and Jaspinder¡¯s face, but she did not seem to care: she only had eyes for the girl. Eyes full of love but veiled by sorrow, in dire contrast to the girl¡¯s lost and apathetic stare. Still, her smile beamed affection as she gently spoke: ?¨¢stin m¨ªn, heilsaeu Mannf¨®lk. Teir bj?rgueu okkur?. She waited a few seconds for a reply, but as she was greeted only with silence, she talked to the girl once again, her voice a pleading whisper: ?L¨ªfsgleei, lj¨®s l¨ªfs m¨ªns, vinsamlegast svaraeu m¨¦r?.


    As the scene played in front of them, Jaspinder moved closer to Elisa, her short ponytail swaying with each step. ?What happened to the girl?? she whispered, ?I can¡¯t understand a thing T¨¢r is saying, but her sadness is palpable from how strong it is. And I¡¯ve seen eyes like those before. You don¡¯t forget that kind of dead stare... Elisa, you and the chief didn¡¯t tell us what you found in that tent, but it¡¯s not difficult to imagine. It¡¯s what I think, right??


    ?... Yeah, I guess it is?.


    ?Motherfucking pigs!? She cussed with clenched teeth, eyes shutting close while her hands looked nervously around for something to break, ?Inbred shitheads! I hope they all die screaming with a stake up their¡ª?


    ?They¡¯re already dead, Jas?, Elisa replied in a very sombre tone. She could not appreciate the rage in the younger woman¡¯s voice. Not now, not when the thought of that situation still evoked the gripping fear she had felt; the fear of a friend.


    ?You and the master chief offed them? Good. I hope you made them suffer?.


    ?Yes... yes, you could say so...? There was not much conviction to her response. ?But none of that will help her?, she added, weary, her hand gesturing at the unresponsive teenager.


    Jaspinder fell silent. The sight of T¨¢r on her knees, with tears trailing down her cheeks as she carefully tended to and fed the catatonic girl, had visibly doused her burning anger.


    A short time later, Tetsuo decided to bid the crying woman farewell for the day and join the rest of the team, his mood now sombre, his previous enthusiasm gone with the evening wind.


    Elisa and Jaspinder followed suit soon after.


    T¨¢r did not seem to have noticed them leaving.


    ***


    The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. Bradley, Cooper, and Rossi finished skinning and cutting the hares, cured the meat as best as they could, and built a makeshift portable drying rack: ?Ugly but functional?, Bradley commented with a shrug, and no one else felt like adding anything. The only event of notice for the team was that T¨¢r, Eiev?reur and most of their companions sat down for a while to meditate in silence ¨C at least that is what it seemed ¨C before going to sleep. It was something they had not done the previous nights, and he found it curious. As for Bradley himself and the rest of Charlie Team, their sleep was brief but somewhat restful, given the circumstances.


    The following day was a boring, long walk eastwards, but Bradley liked it that way: boring meant without incident, which meant safe. The only entertainment came from watching T¨¢r being periodically taken aback by Tetsuo¡¯s overwhelming enthusiasm in learning her language, while the rest of her group returned to their silent, apparently unflappable bearing.


    Another two days passed by, during which they kept their berries and nuts diet. Despite them being nutritious, they were simply not enough to properly feed everyone, and walking the whole day requires lots of energy, especially when already fatigued or injured. T¨¢r remained the only one among her fellows that would talk to the team, and Tetsuo didn¡¯t let up the questions, seeking to learn everything he could to then share it with the rest of Charlie in the evening, usually after reviewing his recordings of T¨¢r¡¯s explanations and the one time Eiev?reur presented himself. Progress was slow, but on the second evening they all learned how to adequately say ¡°my name is¡±. Meanwhile, the jerky slowly but surely dried up, and although Cooper had to throw away a few of the meat strips ¨C some had been eaten by insects while others had plainly gone bad ¨C the taste was ok and both the famished ex-hostages and Charlie Team enjoyed it in equal manner, eating the protein-rich food with relish. The remaining jerky was enough for another day, perhaps two if rationed, but they did not have enough salt to cure another batch of meat anyway, so they had to decide what to do, but agreed to postpone the discussion after a good night¡¯s sleep without hunger pangs.


    However, it was not meant to be. The good weather that had followed them until then came to a stop in the middle of their sleep, with a sudden downpour that woke everyone up and made them scramble for cover. By dawn it had already chilled everybody to their core; it continued for hours throughout the day as they marched, followed by another heavy shower after a brief respite. The unexpected rain transformed the ground into slippery mud, slowing their advance through the now difficult terrain. All sounds were covered by the falling raindrops, forcing Bradley to relay his orders via direct comms only, and the low visibility caused more than one person to stumble and fall, though no one suffered serious injuries: just a few bruises and some embarrassment for Alessandro. After a few hours, around 4 pm according to their watches, the bogged down group was forced to stop and seek refuge under the denser canopy of the bigger trees, waiting for the rain to pass by and halting their progress for the day.


    Like others in the group, Bradley chose to lean against the large trunk of the tree shielding them from the rain, an oak of some kind, as he observed the people around him huddling together to try and fend off the cold. The whole day the only trace of the sun had been a suffused light, its warmth unable to reach them through the heavy rainclouds, as the cold and humid weather hastened everyone¡¯s fatigue. Now that the sun had set, the complete lack of natural light, coupled with the torrential rain still falling down, wrapped everything in a sombre and bleak atmosphere that, to Bradley, seemed to crush both spirit and lungs at the same time, so much that he opened his mouthpiece to try and breathe more easily. Ironically, it was the cold green monochrome of his NVS that helped him see the situation in a different, brighter light, and somehow relax.


    It¡¯s only rain, he thought, not some monster out to squeeze the air out of me and devour my soul. The situation is manageable. We have our body armour and under armour, which keep us... well, not cozy, but at least kind of warm and dry. The rest of our merry band, though... They¡¯re barely dressed and very exhausted. And we¡¯re just out of winter; it won¡¯t be good if this keeps up for too long and they can¡¯t dry up.


    He shivered as biting cold air flowed thought the open mouthpiece; despite his protecting garments, some of the chill still seeped into his body.


    Shit! We¡¯re not equipped for SAR. We were supposed to capture an HVT, not rescue sixteen civilians and escort them away from a bunch of sadist nutjobs dressed like medieval knights.


    He closed his eyes and leaned against the trunk, head slightly tilted to look up. He took a few tentative deep breaths but his mind would not calm down.


    What a clusterfuck... We didn¡¯t find our target. We got lost. We can¡¯t even find our way back! We helped these people but we don¡¯t have enough food for everyone nor emergency blankets against the cold, and lighting a fire in this weather would be a miracle. Even if we managed to, it would be useless without a real shelter from the rain.


    A few people sneezed, and Bradley stopped to take in his surroundings before he went back to his mental tirade.


    Hell, they look like sad, wet, beaten dogs. We need to find a way to keep ¡¯em dry and warm or I fear someone will get sick, and we can¡¯t afford that right now.


    He turned off the NVS and took off his helmet. His nose was immediately embraced by the heavy scent of rain, wet grass, and musk, as he once again filled his lungs with deep breath of fresh air. As he exhaled, a sigh escaped his lips; a gesture he felt like he had been doing way more than usual in the last couple of days.


    I hope this fucking downpour stops soon: the only positive aspect is that animals and people alike are unlikely to bother us in this weather, but I¡¯d still prefer clear skies over our heads.


    However, it took until the next morning before the weather eased up enough to let them move again, and until noon before it stopped completely. By then, the terrain had become a dangerous mudslick; on the other hand, the air was chilly but brisk, and Bradley found himself taking deep breaths with renewed vigor to enjoy the vivid scents of the forest. No animal could be seen ¨C none would be so foolish as to stay close to so many people ¨C but they could hear the chirping of birds around them, accompanied only by the sound of droplets falling to the ground. A tepid sun, half-hidden behind moving clouds and the forest¡¯s canopy, warmed them from time to time, but it was not enough. Not after two days of constantly being soaked by the rain. Most of the group was trembling, and a few had started to cough as well.


    ?God, I hate the rain. I¡¯m wet down to my arse, damn it. I¡¯ll have a word with the QM when we get back¡­ and then I¡¯ll strangle Kalim, since the idiot said that the underarmour was better than a wetsuit. Hell, I feel like I took a dip into a river and am still swimming?. Cooper shook his left boot one last time, water droplet spreading everywhere, before putting it back on. ?You know, guys, I actually used to jump into rivers as a kid, especially in summer because, lemme tell you, summers down under are way too hot. I mean, you have no idea how hot and humid it can be. Of course, the downside of takin¡¯ a swim into a river, especially in the northern side of Queensland, is that you might just have a very close encounter with some saltwater crocodile, the biggest¡ª?


    ?The biggest crocodile in the world?, Elisa interrupted, completing the sentence, ?who also happens to have ¡°the strongest bite of all animals on Earth¡±. We know, Steve?.


    Without missing a beat, Cooper quipped back: ?That¡¯s dope, chief, but did you also know that these awesome apex predators can eat even sharks? In my hometown there was this bloke, Alan, who¡ª?


    ?Oh, for the love of¡­ at least with the rain I didn¡¯t hear your ramblings. Can I shoot him, Brad??


    ?No?.


    ?Just a little bit, please? I¡¯ll patch him up afterwards?.


    ?That wouldn¡¯t stop him from talking, Elisa, and we¡¯d have to hear him scream in pain on top of it. So, no?. Dismissed the issue, Bradley passed onto the direct comms to talk to the whole team. ?Alright, let¡¯s get serious for a moment, guys. We need to find a decent shelter and gather some firewood. Yeah, firewood. I know your objections, but we must light a fire. As Steve pointed out, we¡¯re all drenched, but we can manage. Our gray friends, though, are in much worse shape: they¡¯re weakened, shivering, and coughing. We can¡¯t have them get sick now?.


    ?We¡¯ll have to be prepared when we make the fire. It will give away our position, but perhaps if we light it where the canopy is very thick¡­?


    ?Senior Chief Rossi is right. It could block some of the smoke, but I suggest we spread our security net a bit further out in preparation. I¡¯d say a couple klicks away from the group. This way we can spot hostiles earlier and give the rest of us plenty of warning?.


    ?Tetsuo, you know you shouldn¡¯t tell him he¡¯s right, even when he is. No need to inflate his ego more than it already is, or he¡¯ll start to float away; we need to keep him grounded?.


    ?Ha. Ha. Ha. Says the one who never admits she¡¯s wrong¡­?


    ?Al, Elisa, focus!? Bradley barked. ?Tetsuo, good idea?.


    ?Thank you, sir?.


    ?Now, let¡¯s keep moving until we find a good place to make camp. Then, Cooper and I will go find us some food. Nuts and berries are a given¡­ the non-poisonous kind at least. If we manage to hunt some game, this time it¡¯ll be roasted meat for dinner?.


    ?Yes!?


    ?Glad you approve, Jaspinder?, Bradley chuckled. ?Sorry, Steve, the jerky was a good idea but we¡¯ve seen it¡¯s not the best solution in our situation, and since we already decided to light a fire, let¡¯s make the most out of it?.


    ?No need to apologise, chief. I agree with you. On the other hand, I think we should ban Jas from eating meat ?.


    ?Eh? Why??


    ?¡¯cause you don¡¯t appreciate my effort in making jerky, you jerk?, Steve replied, putting on one of his ¡°offended¡± faces.


    Of course, none of the team bought it.


    ?¡­ That was a lame-ass pun, Steve?, Jaspinder told him, rolling her eyes.


    ?Yeah, it was a borderline dad joke, and you don¡¯t have children. Though I wouldn¡¯t be surprised to discover there¡¯s a few small Coopers running around the world right now?.


    ?Master chief, come on¡­ you know I¡¯m a responsible person! I always use protection?. Steve assured them, with the most dishonest tone of voice he could use. ?As for you, Jas, let¡¯s see if you still find it lame when you watch us eat delicious, roasted meat while you sit there in your sad corner, eating squirrel food. It would be a fitting punishment?.


    ?Punishment? And for what??


    ?Do you even need to ask, Khalid?? Alessandro interjected without warning, his tone harsh. ?You forgot the other night already? What you said? Your threats? Too convenient?.


    He muted the comms and walked away, leaving the others flabbergasted and stunned. Bradley was the first to recover: ?As you were, guys. We can listen to Steve complaining at any time, so we¡¯ll continue later. Keep your eyes open?. He closed the squad channel as he moved to catch up with Alessandro, a few dozen metres ahead of the line. Once he was matching his pace, he opened a direct channel.


    ?Thanks for lightening up the mood, man. It was really needed and much appreciated?.


    ?Oh, spare me the sarcasm. You know I¡¯m right. I haven¡¯t forgotten what she said, and I won¡¯t allow her to, either?.


    Sighing, Bradley put a hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder. ?Me neither, Al, but being an asshole about it won¡¯t make things better. Jaspinder knows she fucked up and that she¡¯ll get her punishment, and I¡¯ll be there to make sure she understands the consequences of her actions, but all in due time. Now I need everyone to concentrate on getting out of this forest alive, and I need my second to have his shit together and be the rational, annoying, stern and helpful man we need?.


    ?Thanks for the ¡°annoying¡±, punk?.


    ?A compliment you wholly deserve. Come on, don¡¯t be constantly angry at Jaspinder: it helps no one, and it makes you grumpy. I get that you¡¯re old and balding, but you can still smile at life. Rilassati, amico mio?.


    ?Heh, I¡¯ve got more hair than you, and your accent is still awful?.


    ?I do it especially for you. I know you like it when I talk like some proud sixth-generation Italian-American from New Jersey who doesn¡¯t even know where Italy is.


    ?Why, thanks. That¡¯s as sweet and nice as bumping my shin on the bed frame?.


    ?Glad you appreciate it. Now, let¡¯s be serious for a moment. We both know there¡¯s something going on here, something wrong, something¡­ insidious?.


    ?Yeah, that might actually be the perfect word for it?.


    ?I am sure Jaspinder too was influenced by it. She wasn¡¯t in control of herself; you saw it too. She was so driven by her emotions she didn¡¯t even notice Elisa was talking to her at first?.


    ?She looked plenty in control to me. She even took the safety off her M4 while shouting at us?.


    ?She did? Fuck, I hadn¡¯t noticed. That¡¯s why you were so serious¡­ Regardless, I am sure she was not in control?.


    ?How can you be so certain??


    ?¡­?


    ?Brad??


    ?¡­ Because I too lost control. Badly. And I don¡¯t remember anything about it?.


    ?What do you mean? What happened??


    Bradley took a deep breath, opened his mouth but no sound came out. He took another deep breath. This time the words flowed. ?It was the night we rescued them?, he said, indicating the sixteen men and women with a nod.


    Alessandro remained silent for a few seconds, while Bradley stared at the ground in front of him. He could not look his friend in the eyes.


    ?The tent, right??


    ?Yeah?.


    Silence again.


    Al had this annoying habit of keeping quiet and staring when he wanted others to talk, stretching the silence to unbearable lengths.


    And it worked.


    The ¡°awkward silence¡± ¨C his personal, strangely effective strategy ¨C seemed to work most of the time. Apparently, most people felt the need to fill the silence and talk, and Alessandro¡¯s unnerving patience certainly helped. Enemy prisoners were no exception: sometimes, when there wasn¡¯t an intelligence specialist, they tried with Al. Of course, it was not his field of expertise and it did not always work, but most usually ended up spilling the beans.


    This was one of those times.


    ?Look, I-I lost control. Completely. The girl was¡­ she was naked and surrounded by...? Bradley closed his eyes and tightened his hands with such strength that his arms started trembling. Had he not been wearing gloves, he would have spilled blood. ?Fucking scum! They were all sleeping soundly, without a care, and¡­ and I wanted to rescue her, but then she looked at me?. He opened his eyes and looked at Rossi.


    Alessandro was silent, but his body language betrayed his complete focused on Bradley.


    ?I could hear it, you know Al? Her desperate plea. She wanted me to kill her, I could hear it in my mind?. His hands emphasised each one of his words, moved by instinct. ?She didn¡¯t have to speak: it was all in her eyes. And while she silently begged me to kill her, they were sleeping. Sleeping, do you understand?! As if everything was fine! So I started to think about my girls, you know, and how they were not so different from her, and that it could have been them, and¡ª? Bradley stopped and took a deep breath. Alessandro made no move to interrupt him nor urged him to keep talking. He waited in silence until he chose to speak again: ?I knew it was just irrational fear. I knew it, from a rational point of view, but I blacked out. Next thing I know, Elisa literally kicks my ass and I find myself crouched down, growling like a rabid dog, covered in blood, my knife slick and red, and those five monsters dead and butchered like in a horror movie. Elisa was looking at me in fear, as if I were a danger to her, and the girl¡­ the girl stared at me with terror in her eyes. It was the only moment I saw emotion on her face since we rescued her?.


    ?I¡¯m sorry, man. I truly am?. Alessandro said, and promptly hugged Bradley.


    Bradley wept. He cried until he felt the air being squeezed out of his lungs.


    ?Oof! I forgot you¡¯re damn bear hugger. Learn about personal space or at least give me a warning?.


    ?Shut up and accept it, punk. You didn¡¯t complain while crying?.


    ?You need to work on your comforting skills, man, but¡­ thanks. Also, you kind of stink?.


    ?Anytime, and you don¡¯t smell of roses either, Brad? he replied, letting go of his friend only to punch him on his shoulder. ?It¡¯s been days since we last took a bath. We all smell?.


    ?Yeah, true?.


    ?Still... now I understand why Elisa¡¯s been a bit out of it these day?.


    ?Yeah, pretty sure I scared her?.


    ?Well, damn, you actually scared the Bogeyman. I didn¡¯t even think it was possible. It¡¯s quite the achievement?, Rossi said as he patted Bradley on his back.


    ?Have I told you that you suck and reassuring people? Anyway, you can understand how serious this¡­ this thing that¡¯s happening is. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s the cause, but it¡¯s dangerous, and it¡¯s affected all of us. At least that¡¯s the impression I got?.


    ?You¡¯re right, this is a very serious matter?, Alessandro replied, his voice having taken a somber tone and lacking his previous mischief. ?I too¡­ I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve been feeling strange: more cynical, more aggressive. Especially at this time of the day. It¡¯s like a tiny Alessandro wakes up when the sun goes down, hops on my shoulder and starts whispering. But he only gives me cruel and pitiless advice; the problem is that there¡¯s no tiny Alessandro with angel wings on my other shoulder to counter that voice?.


    ?Al, you¡¯re strong. Hell, you¡¯re probably the strongest person I know, and I¡¯m not talking about your muscles. I¡¯ve seen you keep your cool and find a way out from situations where other SIGs would have lost hope. Don¡¯t let a small, invisible devil tell you what to do?.


    ?You¡¯re right, I know, but perhaps I¡¯m not as strong as you think¡­?


    ?Don¡¯t be an idiot, of course you are?.


    ?I¡¯m not so sure. You know, it¡¯s not that those whispers force me to follow their suggestions¡­ what scares me is that I find myself agreeing with them?.

 Chapter 8 – Fruit, Herbs and Unicorns

    ?You did what?!?


    ?Calm down, chief. I said we were fine after eating them. Well, Jas got a little sick but she got better quickly?.


    ?What do you mean by ¡°a little sick¡±, Steve?? Elisa asked with a hint ¨C actually, more than a hint ¨C of threat in her voice.


    Shit! Jas will kill me. ?Nothing serious, chief. She, uh, she will tell you the details herself if she wants. I mean, it¡¯s personal information. Professional secret, patient to doctor and all that, you know...?


    ?You¡¯re not her doctor, and neither am I?.


    He could feel her irritation mounting. ?Y-yeah, you¡¯re right, chief, but I can only tell you she got sick after she ate a lot of them?.


    ?¡°A lot¡±, Steve?? She crossed her arms.


    Great, now she¡¯s angry. ?Ehm... around twelve, I think?.


    ?You think?!? She sighed, before turning to face Jaspinder: ?Ok, I get it. Please talk to me later, Jas. We¡¯ll be alone, don¡¯t worry?.


    Jaspinder nodded at once, then as if previously agreed, both women turned towards Steve: one stared at him in silence, as if daring him to talk, or perhaps waiting for him to do exactly that, while the other had a glint of murder in her eyes. Once again, he showed great wisdom and understood that keeping his mouth shut was his best course of action.


    After a few seconds, it was Elisa who spoke first, but this time her voice was made of ice shards. ?What about you? How many?? She leaned forward, looming over him despite her shorter stature.


    ?Me? Well, six... or seven?? Steve started to shrink under her gaze. ?I didn¡¯t keep track. Look, Elisa, couldn¡¯t¡ª?


    ?Don¡¯t ¡°Elisa¡± me, Steve. This is serious. You both could have gotten sick or died. Since you had doubts, you should¡¯ve erred on the side of caution. Which meant not eating the strange, big, black fruit! It¡¯s not like you were starving, after all?.


    ?I... you¡¯re right. Sorry?.


    ?Don¡¯t be sorry, be smart! Both of you!? Her words made him feel like a recruit all over again. ?You know damn well that some fruits can be toxic or downright poisonous and we don¡¯t know if the ground around here is contaminated. Don¡¯t you remember the leopard with six legs? That¡¯s not something natural?.


    ?Ok, but there are no big cats at all in Europe, chief, so that was probably some illegal experiment gone wrong. Maybe it has nothing to do with contamination?.


    ?Elisa, couldn¡¯t that woman¡ª? Jas started to ask, cautious.


    ?T¨¢r?.


    ?Yes, T¨¢r. Couldn¡¯t she be mistaken? I mean, how do we know she¡¯s right? Perhaps she thought those were another fruit, maybe a similar one?.


    ?Do you want to take that chance? Because I don¡¯t!? Chief Schwartzman replied, her voice rising in volume. Perhaps a bit too aggressive, but she was clearly not underestimating the issue.


    ?I think they¡¯ve got the message, Elisa?, Chief Anderson intervened as he put a hand on her shoulder. ?On the plus side, now we know our enhancements work well. We can safely eat some of those poisonous berries before feeling sick, so we should be safe with other poisons as well, at least in small doses, no??


    ?Always looking at the bright side of life, uh?? She glanced at the master chief sideways while still facing him with crossed arms, but Steve could see her posture relax.


    Oh, good. It¡¯s over.


    ?Just to be clear, we¡¯ll not push our luck and limit ourselves to five of those berries, and only if we have nothing else to eat. I guess we¡¯d be ok even with double the amount, but we won¡¯t put that theory to the test, and this is final?.


    ?Alright. You¡¯re the medic?, Chief Anderson replied.


    ?Indeed I am. Steve! Jaspinder!?


    Or maybe not...


    ?Yes, ma¡¯am!? They replied in unison.


    ?You¡¯re on second watch for the next week?.


    ?Oh, come on, chief. Second watch sucks?, Steve complained.


    ?Exactly. Now, stop whining and save your breath. We have a long walk ahead of us and we still need to find a place to camp for the night?.


    ***


    The next morning, Elisa was examining one of the men, the stethoscope on his back. He was slick with sweat and paler than his usual greyish complexion, and one did not need to listen to his laboured breathing to understand he was sick.


    ?We¡¯d need an x-ray to be completely certain, Brad, but I¡¯m quite sure he has pneumonia?. Elisa disconnected the stethoscope from her helmet and put it back into one of her backpack¡¯s many pockets.


    They had slept once again out in the open, but at least they had remained dry. However, thanks to the rain from the previous days, coupled with the chilly night temperature and the fact that most of the group was half naked and wearing dirty and torn clothes, Chief Anderson¡¯s fear became reality: four people got sick. A woman and two men came down with what seemed to be a normal cold that, albeit annoying, was not life-threatening yet. The last one, however, had slowly gotten worse than the others.


    As if on cue, the man ¨C Vor-something ¨C visibly shivered and was then violently shaken by another fit of coughing that bent him forward in powerful bouts. It ended half a minute later with him spitting yellowish phlegm onto the grass. His breathing was ragged and uneven, that much was clear to anyone who cared to listen and it could not have been clearer that his physique was useless in that situation: no amount of muscle could help fight an internal sickness.


    ?I bet he was already sick when we rescued them, and it¡¯s no wonder given how they were treated. He also has a very high fever, so I¡¯ll inject him with a strong dose of paracetamol and antibiotics, but I can¡¯t spare more than one, so we have to hope it¡¯ll be enough. We must also keep him hydrated, but at least that won¡¯t be a problem. I don¡¯t have anything for the cough, though?.


    ?Don¡¯t worry, chief?, Steve chimed in, ?I think they¡¯re ahead of you in this regard?, and pointed at a blonde girl, the second youngest of the group, moving towards them. More precisely, she was walking towards one of the other women, who took the bundle of leaves the girl showed her and discarded some. She proceeded to wash them using one of the improvised canteens they had made in the last days, then took four leaves and, without much fanfare, shoved them under Vor¡¯s nose until he accepted them into his mouth; then, she walked away, her three brown braids swaying with each of her steps. Shorter than the rest of her companions, likely in her late twenties, she was one of the only two women with braided hair.


    Unusual, Steve had thought. Everybody else is still sporting very simple and practical hairstyles. Why the change?


    He had noticed a few things while observing their new travel companions, and surely missed many more, but had not seen anything particular regarding the two women. They had been unremarkable until, during a break the previous day, they had sat down to meticulously braid each other¡¯s hair in complete silence, with flowing tears completing the sombre mood; Steve had witnessed it all, and he, just like the rest of the group, had given them ample space, not bothering them. Afterwards, the only ones he saw interacting with them were the young girl, T¨¢r, and a young men who looked no older than twenty.


    At the moment, though, he watched fascinated as the man chewed and chewed, keeping the resulting bolus between his cheek and his teeth, until his cough abated a bit and he could breathe with some more ease.


    ?Some kind of medicinal plant with emollient properties?? Elisa questioned out loud.


    ?I guess? It looked a bit like mallow from here, but I¡¯m not sure?, Steve replied.


    ?Well, I imagine she¡¯d normally prepare an infuse with it, or a decoction. Something stronger than just chewing leaves, anyway. Still, better than nothing: at least he¡¯ll be able to drink without the risk of spitting everything or choking himself?.


    ?Talking about spitting?, Steve said, ?why do you think Braid Girl number one hates us? I don¡¯t recall Braid Girl number two being so openly hostile. Is it something we did? And why do they both have only three braids? Why not four or five? Is it a trend??


    ?Go ask them if you¡¯re curious. Maybe you¡¯ll touch on a taboo and they¡¯ll punch you, who knows. A girl can dream?, Elisa replied. ?And who says she hates us??


    ?Always so violent...? he mumbled, shaking his head. ?Well, I¡¯d ask but there¡¯s a tiny problem called ¡°language barrier¡±, as you already know, chief, and I¡¯m not going to ask about hairstyles to a person who clearly hates us. I mean, you saw how she gave us the stink eye, spit in our direction, and sported on her face the biggest ¡°I hate you¡± ever, no??


    ?Oh, that. Sure, but are you certain she doesn¡¯t simply hate you??


    Steve crossed his arms. ?Know that I shall be offended by your next statement. Why would anyone hate good ol¡¯ me??


    ?I don¡¯t know... Your face??


    ?Ok, I said I¡¯d be offended, but I¡¯ll let this one slide. A reward for the effort, chief; you know I really appreciate German humour, don¡¯t you??


    ?No, I don¡¯t remember you ever saying that?.


    ?Exactly! Now, I can¡¯t speak for your whole country, but I can definitely say you¡¯re more fun than Lady Braids?.


    The master chief, who had refrained from meddling into their exchange until then, chose that moment to speak up, massaging his temple in the meantime. ?I know I¡¯ll regret this, but... ¡°Lady Braids¡±? Seriously? Are you trying different nicknames, Steve??


    ?Bloody Oath! She¡¯s a woman, not a girl, so ¡°Braid Girl¡± is not appropriate, but calling her only ¡°Braids¡± is bland, uninspired, even rude. Also, this way we don¡¯t need to number them! She¡¯s Lady Braids and the other is Braid Girl. You can¡¯t deny it fits, master chief?.


    ?That... makes an odd kind of sense?, Chief Bradley agreed, though he seemed a tad reluctant.


    ?I know, right? It¡¯s just like with Todd and Michael, my mom¡¯s brothers: I couldn¡¯t really distinguish them from one another when I was a kid, ¡¯cause they looked similar and were close in age, so I just called them ¡°Uncle Shirt¡± and ¡°Uncle Jeans¡±, fair dinkum! You know, one always wore a white shirt and the other always wore blue jeans. At least that¡¯s how I remember them?. Steve paused, a grin on his face, expecting some questions, but Chief Anderson simply stared at him without blinking, so, after a beat, he carried on. ?The cool thing is, it worked! Made my life easier?.


    ?Wait. Just wait a moment?. Chief Bradley raised his open hand to make him stop. ?You addressed you uncles as ¡°Uncle Shirt¡± and ¡°Uncle Jeans¡±? Are you serious??


    ?Negative, chief. I didn¡¯t call them that way in their face! I wasn¡¯t an idiot?.


    ?Colour me surprised?. Apparently, Elisa could not resist the temptations of sarcasm. ?So, when did it happen??


    ?That I called them by their names??


    ?That you became an idiot?.


    ?Chief Bogeyman, that¡¯s not humour, but I¡¯ll be the bigger man here and forgive you since you¡¯re new to it?. A lesser man would have called his tone ¡°condescending¡±, but Steve was simply expressing his true feelings.


    ?Well, no doubt you¡¯re a man, as far as I know. About the ¡°bigger¡± part, I have some doubts. I chanced upon Cora a bunch of times in the last month, you know; we talked about this and that, your sexual life and¡­ let¡¯s say she still hates your guts?, she replied, goading him. Who knew what Cora had told her: maybe something true, maybe she had invented stuff just to hurt his reputation.


    ?Oh, come on, I didn¡¯t cheat on her. I dated her friend, true. Well, ex-friend now, I guess¡­ but I did it after I left her?.


    ?Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Get on with your story, before Brad murders us?.


    ?No drama. The master chief is too nice to do that, unlike someone I know?.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Meanwhile, that same master chief was staring in silence at the two of them bickering. He had been doing so for the last couple of minutes, and that was starting to make Cooper worry.


    ?Anyway, I only called them ¡°Uncle Jeans¡± and ¡°Uncle shirt¡± when talking to my mum about them. In front of them I just said ¡°uncle¡±?.


    ?I¡¯m speechless¡­? Chief Bradley closed his eyes behind the now clear visor and dropped his head.


    ?But, hear me out, I still remember the first time I called them by their names!? Steve kept talking with gusto, now on a roll. ?My mom was shocked at first but then kept a silly and warm smile the whole day, and my uncles started to laugh, gave me a high-five and hugged each other. It was really wholesome?. He leaned on a tree and crossed his legs, his hand scratching his chin. ?Thinking about it, it may have taken me a bit too long?.


    A sound finally escaped the chief. A sigh. ?Just out of curiosity... how old were you, Steve? When you finally remembered your uncles¡¯ names, I mean?.


    ?Seventeen, why??


    ?Seventeen...? Chief Anderson repeated. He followed suit with a very deep breath and released an even deeper sigh. He took his helmet off. ?And the first time you met them was??


    ?That I recall? I was five or six, I reckon. I surely met them before, but I was too young to remember?.


    ?So, it took you eleven years to remember your uncles¡¯ names?. A dry statement.


    ?Well, yeah. It happens. I told you it may have taken me a bit too long?.


    Master Chief Anderson closed his eyes and put a hand on his face for a few seconds. Then he pinched the bridge of his nose. ?Nevermind. Let¡¯s go, we still need to get some water at the river. Especially for Vorsonur?.


    ?Who??


    ?The sick guy?.


    ?Oh, right! That¡¯s his name! Thanks, chief?. Steve exclaimed, slapping his hands together for emphasis.


    Elisa barked a laugh and shook her head.


    Chief Bradley did not reply, he simply looked at him for a moment, then turned to walk in the direction of the river.


    ***


    Night came, then morning, and Steve woke up groggier than usual, consequence of second shift. Therefore, he decided to share his unbiased opinion on it with everyone else, willing listeners or not. He even struck up conversations with the men and women they were escorting, though it would have been more accurate to call them monologues. The only one who replied to him was Lady Braids, and despite not understanding a word of what she said, her tone was enough to make him understand his attempts to chat were not appreciated. Of course, Steve kept at it because, first of all, it was fun, and second, short of a direct order, he had no intention to let anyone silence him when he wanted to talk. Lady Braids did not reciprocate his renewed conversation attempts, but he was in no hurry. She would come around, eventually... or start throwing rocks at him. The odds were more or less even.


    The rest of the day passed uneventfully. It was, once again, a long trek through the forest, that Steve would have appreciated much more, had their circumstances been different; the lush greenery of the oaks, the beauty of the evergreens, the sporadic unobstructed views of the clear sky, and that sense of serenity one could only find far away from civilization, all made for a fantastic excursion. At least when you did not have to worry about all manners of deadly animals, treacherous plants, or the heat from the sun potentially killing you.


    He had not been back for close to two years, and Steve was starting to dearly miss Australia. Europe was charming, entertaining, marvellous even, and the US was wild to say the least¡­ but down under everything was more: the sky was vast, the ocean boundless, the land stretched further down on the horizon, and everything smelled different, smelled right. It was home.


    ?Steve?. A familiar voice interrupted his musings.


    ?Yes, chief??


    ?Stop daydreaming and come with me. Brad wants to talk to all of us?. Senior Chief Rossi prompted him to follow as he walked towards the rest of the team. They had found a small clearing, just a few metres wide, which they had elected fit to rest for the night. Jaspinder was leaning against a tree, helmet on the ground, fiddling with the straps of her backpack; Elisa had taken off her gloves and was eating some leftover jerky, probably the last remaining. Old man Tetsuo was being himself, and Chief Anderson looked like a Hollywood action hero: rifle in his hands, helmet on his hip, squared jaw, five o¡¯clock shadow, some sweat and grime, and piercing blue eyes. The scene just lacked a few explosions in the background. He nodded at the two of them as they got closer, and Steve could not help but ponder on how perfectly American their fearless leader was.


    ?America, fuck yeah! Comin¡¯ again to save the motherfuckin¡¯ day, yeah...? He found himself sing, loud enough for Chief Rossi to turn his head and look at him. Despite the helmet, he could see one eyebrow shoot up through the visor, and he knew he was giving him his trademark perplexed face.


    Or ¡°punch-me-now¡± face, as Steve liked to call it.


    He waved at the Italian and was about to say something, when Chief Bradley spoke.


    ?Listen up! We have a problem: our friends here are half naked, drenched from the rain and getting sick. We need to light a fire. Yes, they are holding on for now, but they¡¯re still human, the nights are cold and we are not a walking pharmacy?.


    ?Brad, I know you already know, but I must say it anyway?, Chief Rossi interjected. ?A fire will give out our position to anything flying around, and there¡¯s a chance the smoke will be seen even by those on the ground?.


    ?Check, Al, but we don¡¯t have alternatives. We have no emergency blankets, and since I doubt we¡¯ll find any around, much less dry clothes for all sixteen of them, the only way to keep all of them from getting sick is a fire. We¡¯ll make a few Dakota fire holes; we¡¯ll have more heat with less wood and less smoke?.


    ?The wood¡¯s all wet. It will make a lot of smoke anyway?.


    ?Check, Elisa, but I don¡¯t see a better solution. I¡¯m open to suggestions, though. Anyone?? Bradley turned his hand towards his team, inviting them to speak.


    They all looked at each other, then back at Bradley, but they all kept silent.


    ?Very well. We must find an area where the sky is obscured by the trees but with enough empty space to dig a few holes close together?.


    ?Five?, Elisa said. ?We need at least five DFH if we want to keep warm and dry all of them?.


    Bradley nodded at the suggestion.


    Given the situation, Steve took the chance to make his proposition. ?Hey, since we¡¯re at it, let¡¯s have a barbie! Okay, it will just be some roasted meat, not a real barbie, but at least we¡¯ll manage to eat something more filling than wild berries and nuts?. The rest of Charlie turned to look at him. ?I mean, it won¡¯t give our position away any more than the fire itself, so... why not have some warm food? It will be good for Lady Braids and her friends as well?.


    A moment of silence passed.


    ?Not a bad idea?, the master chief said, and Steve grinned behind the helmet.


    ?True, he could have proposed something much more stupid?, Chief Rossi said.


    ?Hey!? His smile faded, substituted by righteous indignation. ?When have my ideas been less than stellar??


    ?Last year in Valencia?? Elisa proposed.


    ?Our first mission in Bali?, Jaspinder added. Traitor.


    ?Rio, Vladivostok, Calgary...?, Chief Rossi listed, keeping count on his fingers.


    ?Do you remember what he said in Benguela? ¡°Leave it to me, guys!¡±?, Tetsuo snorted, and the rest burst out laughing without restraint, drawing the curious gazes of T¨¢r and her companions.


    ?You too, old man? Woe is me! I¡¯m surrounded by assholes?.


    ?Keep firing, assholes!? The senior chief suddenly said in a deep and somewhat muffled voice. He clearly expected Steve and the others to react in some way, but all he received were quizzical looks, with the merry atmosphere suddenly cooled due to their confusion, though the laughter kept going some more. ?Bah! Pearls to swine...? he complained, shaking his head and making a very polite gesture with his hand.


    ?Oh, fuck off, Al. No one knows your random movie quotes?, Elisa rebuked him, still smiling, as she straightened up, one hand drying her tears.


    ?Uncultured heathens, that¡¯s what you are?, he replied.


    Chief Bradley had his eyes closed and was pinching hard the bridge of his nose. ?Alright, alright. Back on topic: we¡¯re making a bonfire to warm up our gray friends and roast some meat; a soup would be better, but we lack a pot... or any cooking tools in general. In any case, this means we have to go hunting again: Steve and I will go once we find a place where to stop for the night, but we must also keep foraging for berries and the like. Al, I¡¯ll leave that to you: take care of it, have a fire ready for when we come back, and don¡¯t forget our guests?.


    ?Aye, aye, Brad?.


    ?Okay, I¡¯ll join you, chief?, Jaspinder said as she stood up.


    ?No need, Jas. I got this. It will be the Chief and I, hunting buddies?.


    ?What¡¯s this, a male-bonding experience in the wild??


    ?Sounds more like the title of a bad buddy-cop movie?, the Senior Chief added, though no one had asked him.


    ?Suit yourself, Steve?, Jas continued a beat later, ?I just wanted to help and not leave all the burden to you again. I''ll ask Tar and ¡°Lady Braids¡± to come with me and gather some fruits, then. The non-poisonous kind?.


    ?Ok? Is it just me, or are you pissed??


    ?Me? No, of course not. Just because you gaandu brought back those berries again, despite knowing they made me sick, then we had to tell Elisa exactly what happened, got an alpha-charlie, and now we¡¯re always on second watch? Why would I be angry?? She paused, glaring at him.


    ?Well, if you say you¡¯re not angry, who am I to contradict you?? That said, Steve walked away, not leaving Jaspinder the chance for a rebuttal. In the last days, since everything had gone wrong, he had not felt like caring much about anything.


    Yeah, what¡¯s the point? Caring means worrying, and that means effort. If Jas wants to be salty for a stupid fruit, who gives a fuck? A tiny voice in the back of his head, or maybe a clear chime, young but somewhat old, agreed with him, so quiet that he did not give it a second thought. Sure, she got the runs but then got better, so why the drama? Elisa already chewed and spit us out.


    He smiled, as a sudden thought popped up in his mind, regarding sunglasses, one-liners and The Who.


    Jaspinder¡¯s kick on his butt made him stumble, but his smile only grew wider.


    A deep ancient whisper that was perhaps a newborn high-pitched scream, barely perceptible behind Steve¡¯s thoughts, smiled as well.


    ***


    It was mid-afternoon, around sixteen hundred hours when Steve and Chief Anderson went hunting. They had roughly two hours until sunset, after which finding game would become a daunting task. The Australian, however, did not appear worried.


    ?You know, Chief, I like hunting with you. You¡¯re the only one in our little club that appreciates the ancient art and knows how to do it respectfully?.


    Chief Bradley was walking quietly, looking around to see if he spotted traces or, with some luck, an animal. Just like Steve, he was surely using the helmet¡¯s IFF software for something not covered by the user manual.


    ?¡°Respectfully¡±?? He asked, doubt seeping from his words.


    ?Yes. You respect the animals, the forest, the natural balance. I¡¯ve seen you hunt more than once, and you simply procure your own food; you don¡¯t do it to have some trophy to hang on a wall, and I appreciate that ¡¯cause it¡¯s my same mindset. I bet that if you¡¯d been born two hundred years ago, you¡¯d have been an adventurer, an explorer of the Rocky Mountains and the Far West, a tough bastard like Davy Crockett?.


    ?Steve, while I appreciate your newfound hippie outlook on the world, I¡¯m trying to understand if you¡¯re making fun of me or if you¡¯re serious, and I don¡¯t know which option I¡¯d prefer¡­?


    ?Oh, come on, I¡¯m totally serious, chief. Scout¡¯s honour!?


    Chief Bradley groaned. ?You know that I know that you¡¯ve never been a scout?.


    ?And you also know I¡¯d never mock you, chief?.


    ?¡­ let¡¯s just focus on finding some meat for dinner?.


    They kept walking through the forest, searching for traces of animal passage, but without going too far away from the river. After an hour or so of nothing, they finally found a trail, and Steve lead the way, the traces as clear as day to his eyes; a shallow footprint, a patch of empty grass, a few flattened plants, still warm excrement: everything seemed to picture a larger animal compared to the hares from the other day, and Steve very much liked the perspective of hunting it.


    Please, let it not be another green variant... or with six legs. I hope these mutations are not common.


    As they followed their prey, a strong wind started blowing from North-West, joined soon by a light drizzle; it slightly obscured their view but, on the other hand, helped to mask their scent. The pursuit went on for a while before they finally found their quarry: the two slowly knelt, hiding behind a bush, downwind of the animal ¨C a boar, it seemed ¨C they had been hunting for the last hour. It was at most two hundred metres away from them, grazing without a care in the world, uncaring of the light rain and unaware it had been chosen as their meal for the night. Chief Anderson slowly took aim, his breathing even, pressing the M4 firmly against his right shoulder, the weapon steady in his hands. He turned the safety off with the thumb and put his index finger on the trigger, ready to fire. Some gentle rain would not be an obstacle: Steve had seen the chief hit smaller targets in much worse weather. Sure, Chief Bradley was not as good as him ¨C then again, few came close at all ¨C but he was still an expert marksman.


    ?Isn¡¯t using a scoped carbine cheating?? Steve¡¯s sudden question froze the Master Chief, who took a deep breath, sighed aloud, lowered his weapon, and finally turned to look at him.


    ?Why, pray tell, would it be??.


    ?Eh, I don¡¯t know, chief. It just feels like it. I was thinking to make a trap, you know, to give the beast a fair chance?.


    ?Again, congratulations on your nature lover spirit, Steve, but before you go hug a tree, ask yourself a simple question: ¡°Do I want to eat tonight?¡±?.


    ?Well, yes, of course?.


    ?Then shut up and keep watch on it!?


    ?Yes, sir?.


    The shot was extremely quiet and too loud at the same, and the animal collapsed to the ground, lifeless. The duo moved out of their hiding spot, and began to walk toward their prey, looking up from time to time to check if there were any unwanted guests. The chief, in particular, paid a lot of attention to trees with low branches, giving them a wide berth when possible; the ambush by the green leopard had been a scary affair, after all.


    ?This bloody forest is starting to give me the creeps, chief. Not a single bird was scared by the shot, or by the boar suddenly falling to the ground. Hell, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen or heard any in the last few days?.


    ?Can¡¯t argue with that. The sooner we get out of here, the better. Once we find a civilized place with a working phone, we can leave our new friends at what passes for a hospital around here and contact HQ. I need to know what happened to Edge?.


    Steve kept silent. He had been trying not to think about their colleagues in the days since they had lost contact, because the uncertainty just sent his mind down a dark spiral of concern. He was brought back from his dark thoughts by Chief Anderson, who had knelt down next to the boar.


    ?Well, it¡¯s black-ish, and has four legs. Everything normal?.


    ?Oh, good?.


    ?But it¡¯s definitely not a boar?.


    ?Eh? What do you mean??


    ?Well, I think we¡¯ve killed a unicorn?, the chief said with gravitas, and pointed at the boar¡¯s head.


    Steve moved aside to take a better look, and saw what was unmistakably a wild boar, and a large one at that.


    Well, that¡¯s a male for sure. Thick hide, black fur, the tail is short... there¡¯s the pig snout, the horn on the forehead, the tusks, the normal four, damn, legs, and a bullet hole to the side of the neck. A very normal, very dead, boar.


    ?Nice shot, chief. A clean kill. I give it an 8 out of 10. Seems like you hit an artery, but what do you mean by unic¡ª? Steve froze. Wait a sec! He turned his head to look at their soon-to-be dinner once again. ?What the fuck? Boars don¡¯t have horns!?


    ?I told you we¡¯ve hunted ourselves a unicorn?, the chief replied and started to laugh. At first, Steve was speechless. Then, the absurdity of the situation dawned on him and he, too, snorted and giggled; soon after he was laughing out loud, a hand on his hip and one on the chief¡¯s shoulder to steady himself. As the sun started its final leg for the day, the two of them laughed, the sound like thunder in the silence of the forest. So hard Steve was laughing, that a buzzing sound sprang out in his ears, not dissimilar from tinnitus; he thought nothing of it at the moment, as it was nothing to worry about. Plus, his mind was otherwise occupied. For a moment, however, a fleeting moment, he thought he heard a voice behind the buzz, or maybe it was a chime, it was young and old at the same time, a deep whisper and a loud scream.


    It, too, was laughing.

 Chapter 9 – A Moonlit Night

    As the moonlight shined down on all of them, Steve found himself thinking that Elisa had never been a fan of fantasy or science fiction, even in spite or their numerous attempts to make her see the light.


    They had tried, he and Jaspinder. They had sat down with Elisa and enjoyed ¨C well, he and Jaspinder certainly did ¨C the best movies together, they had kind of guilt-tripped her into binge-watching the most acclaimed TV-series, and had even given her classics like Asimov and Tolkien as presents, as well as more recent ones. Every time, though, her response had been ?Interesting, but not my thing?. One would start to wonder what kind of sad childhood she had lived, before remembering she was German. Give her a good thriller, a comedy, a heart-warming ¨C or heartbreaking ¨C slice-of-life, or an enthralling detective story and she would come back the next day asking for more. The medium was not important: he had seen her devour books, movies, cartoons, comics, manga, and TV shows in equal measure, but she only cared about those genres.


    Everything else was, in her words, ?Meh?.


    This is why, as the forest around them resounded with a mesmerising stream of curses and imprecations ¨C some colourful enough to make generations of sailors proud and battle-hardened soldiers blush ¨C Steve was fairly certain Elisa¡¯s appreciation for fantasy and science fiction had reached an all-time low.


    Now that they were staring at it, he wondered if, in the previous days, she had had any inkling about the mess they were in. He had not, but given how all of the team seemed to be searching for new ways to swear, neither had the others.


    Looks like this is going to be fun...


    ***


    A few hours earlier.


    The way back to their camp, if it could be called that, was uneventful. Steve and Chief Anderson tied a few thick branches to the boar¡¯s legs with their climbing ropes, creating a rough, makeshift sled and slowly dragged their gutted prey towards the river; once there, they used the cold waters ¨C shallower close to the bank ¨C to help them carry the heavy animal back to the rest of the team, the branches helping to keep the body afloat. The current was not too strong, and with both of them pulling, they made good time.


    ?Charlie Two, this is One, do you copy? Over?, Chief Bradley called on the team¡¯s channel, slightly out of breath.


    The reply was almost immediate. ?Good copy, One. Had a hard hunt? Old age catching up? You sound tired, over?.


    ?You¡¯ll see it soon, smartass?, the chief replied in-between huffs, ?but I can tell you it¡¯s big. We¡¯re on our way back, ETA twenty mikes. Give me a sitrep, over?.


    ?We¡¯ve found a clearing with good cover not too far from the river. We¡¯re making progress with the fires, but the wood is still too wet. We dug five Dakotas and used tree sap as fire-starter, but it¡¯s still taking a lot to have them going. At least there¡¯s enough trees to cover the better part of the smoke, over?.


    ?Check. Keep at it. I need two for support. Riverbank south of your position in twenty, over?.


    ?Roger. I¡¯ll send Three and Four, over?.


    ?Copy that. One, out?.


    Keeping pace with his leader, Steve was unusually quiet. He had tried his best not to think about it in the last days, but he could not help but ponder about their situation: unlikely animals, an uncanny forest, no enemies whatsoever, wrong geography, strange people, communications down, their own weird behaviour, almost like mood swings.


    It¡¯s all too much, all too strange to be a coincidence, but there¡¯s no connection. The wet ground gave way and he stumbled, a curse escaping his mouth. Not one that I can find, at least for now, he thought after quickly regaining his footing. He secured the rope around his waist, a nod at the chief and they resumed dragging the beast ¨C mutated boar or whatever. Bloody hell, this thing¡¯s heavy! A groan escaped his mouth. What the fuck is causing all this? Enemy action? Bad intelligence? Betrayal? Have we been drugged? Is Miller playing his worst prank ever on us? He kicked a pebble into the river, frustration getting the better of him for a moment. God, I want a cold beer¡­


    He held no answer to his questions, not yet anyway, but that did not mean he would stop looking. Once they left their current ¡°wards¡± in a civilized place, they would contact HQ, understand what was going on, get to the root of the problem and eradicate it. He was certain the others were of the same mind.


    Such musings kept Steve company until they arrived at the agreed rendezvous point, where Elisa and Tetsuo were already waiting for them, hidden behind the tree line. What he did not expect were the two green outlines crouching next to them. When Elisa moved - the noise of her boots on the gravel covered by the sound of flowing water - and quickly approached Steve and the master chief, she was followed by the other two, while the old man kept watch behind cover. Not a word was spoken as the five of them moved to the boar and, not without effort, heaved the beast out of the water; together, they proceeded to lift it up and carry it towards their remaining companion. Once they were back under the cover of the trees, they put the boar down onto the ground and searched for something to lean on, or simply sat down to catch their breath.


    ?So, care to explain what these two are doing here?? Chief Bradley asked their resident combat medic. No playfulness in his voice as he gestured towards the two nearby men, one sitting on the ground, breathing heavily, the other slowly rotating his left shoulder with a grimace on his face.


    ?They¡¯re here to help, Brad. Relax? Elisa replied and stretched her arms upwards; then, she took her helmet off and brushed some sweat away with her hand. ?When they saw us walk away they both approached and said¡­ something. I don¡¯t know what, but the rest of their friends looked at them kinda funny. Then, they got permission from Ed, or at least that¡¯s what it looked like to me?.


    ?Ma¡¯am, his name is actually closer to ¡°Eithvurdur¡±, if you remember?, the old man intervened. He had never made a secret of the fact that he disliked when people butchered a language he spoke ¨C and he knew quite a few ¨C but he would have more success convincing a brick wall than the master chief and Elisa.


    ?I know, no biggie, ¡°Ed¡± is just easier to say. So?, she turned back to the master chief, ?he spoke to them?, and pointed at Tetsuo with her thumb. ?Or, well, at least he tried. Meanwhile, Al took care of the gesturing part, and it came out quite good¡­ actually, it looked like a mime sketch, but that¡¯s what an Italian is for, right? Anyway, what is it that you told them??


    ?Aye, ma¡¯am. I said ¡°¨¢nni¡±, ¡°mat¡±, ¡°st¨®r¡± and ¡°kj?ti¡±?, the old man replied, voice as dry as a pool in the Gobi Desert.


    Elisa stared at him ?Thanks. In English? C¡¯mon Tetsuo, don¡¯t be grumpy?.


    ?Yes, ma¡¯am, I won¡¯t be grumpy, ma¡¯am?, he replied in the grumpiest voice Steve had heard in a while. ?It was: ¡°river¡±, ¡°food¡±, ¡°big¡±, and ¡°meat¡±. Or at least I think that¡¯s what I said¡­?


    A bird overhead chose that moment to loudly sing his love song, and soon a potential mate joined him in their back and forth, and so sudden were the sounds and so unused they had become to the presence of animals in the forest, that everyone stopped to listen to the enchanting duet for a few minutes.


    ?So?, Elisa resumed the conversation, ?in the end they followed us, Brad. They did not slow us down and seem used to moving around in the forest?. She shrugged. ?I mean, it¡¯s not a problem. Al gave the green light and I wasn¡¯t going to force them to stay with the others, so I let them come?.


    He nodded in reply. ?I trust your judgement. Now on to the important stuff. Take a good look, guys: fresh unicorn meat!?


    Elisa looked at him in askance, or at least it looked like that from her body language and what could be seen behind the visor. ?Did you hit your head, Brad? Should I give you another check?? she asked, her tone a mix of sarcasm and uncertainty.


    ?Har-har. Take a good look, I said, then you can be a smartass?.


    ?Oh? It has a horn. How peculiar?, Tetsuo commented.


    ?That¡¯s it, old man? ¡°How peculiar¡±? No swearing? Not even a raised eyebrow?? Steve was quite baffled. ?We¡¯re at four weird animals out of four; that¡¯s 100% rate, and I don¡¯t like it?.


    ?Nothing we can do about it, Cooper. I recorded it alive and dead so the big brains back home will have something to play with. Now we just need to clean, skin, and butcher it, then we¡¯ll bring the meat to the camp?.


    ?Why do it here, chief? We can easily carry it to the camp. Unless¡­ do you plan to wash the meat?? Tetsuo¡¯s voice incredulous.


    ?Hell no! It¡¯s already soaked enough. Cooking it will take care of germs and whatever. No, I want to stay here so we can wash ourselves afterwards. I don¡¯t know about you, but I stink. We should also refill our water packs and get some drinking water for the rest?.


    ?On that note?, Elisa intervened, ?we¡¯ve got to find a way to boil it, guys. I have two purification tablets left. It¡¯ll be a miracle if no one gets sick by drinking from the stream in the next days?.


    ?Yeah, I have one left myself, and we started with two packs each¡­ but it¡¯s running water and it seems safe to drink, don¡¯t you think? We¡¯re also moving upstream, so it should be ok, unless something went and fucking croaked up ahead. I mean, the risk of Salmonella and other nasty stuff should be low. And I guess our friends are already used to the bacteria in the water, since they¡¯re locals?.


    ?Too many ¡°should¡± for my taste there, Brad, and I¡¯m not really sure they¡¯re locals; they don¡¯t really scream ¡°eastern European¡± you know?.


    ?Fair point, but the water is bound to be safer to drink the closer we get to the source?.


    ?Yeah, kind of, but I¡¯m not just worried about germs and viruses, Brad. I was thinking about the residue from all the fighting: fuel spilling, chemicals, depleted uranium, you name it. It was just three years ago, water sources could still be contaminated; zur H?lle, the ground itself might be?. She sat down on a rock, and started to massage her temples with one hand, eyes closed. ?Cherry on top of the shit-cake? We don¡¯t even know where we are, thanks to fucking shitty gear and shitty maps, so I have no idea if we¡¯re going towards knows toxic grounds or not... So, better safe than sorry. We should be fine even without boiling the water, our bodies kill most harmful substances¡ª?


    ?Science, fuck yeah!? Steve lowkey sang.


    ?¡ªbut our grey friends here don¡¯t have our immune system and they¡¯re also not in the best condition. Verdammt, Steve, I¡¯m being serious here!? She almost snarled.


    ?Me too. Science is awesome?.


    ?Oh, whatever?. Elisa threw her arms in the air. ?I have no idea when our luck will end and someone will get infected. Hell, maybe they¡¯re already sick, given their skin tone, but I¡¯m making wild guesses here. In any case, let¡¯s boil the water if we can; it won¡¯t do shit if it¡¯s contaminated, but at least it¡¯ll kill the pathogens in it?.


    ?That¡¯s very consoling. I¡¯m glad Big Jim and Big Josh here don¡¯t understand a word?.


    ?If they understood us, Brad, first thing they¡¯d do would be to ask you who Jim and Josh are?.


    ?How the fuck does no one know about Big Jim??


    ?It¡¯s a toy from a hundred years ago; you¡¯re the weird one who knows too much about it. Does Becky know you still play with dolls? Should I tell her??


    ?You¡¯re just envious, that¡¯s why you try to diss on it?. He crossed his arms. ?Careful or you¡¯ll become the ¡°evil German woman¡± Al keeps calling you. Now that I think about it, how do you know about Big Jim??


    ?My grandfather, you know, Kristopher, the one on my mother¡¯s side, had a few of those at home. He got them from his own grandfather, and told me all about Big Jim when I was a kid. I remember that I loved listening to his stories, and I loved even more the puppet with bow and arrow and the one with golden trousers, but he never let me play with them, he just kept them in their package?, she huffed. ?I think they even had the original seal intact?.


    ?Seriously?! A Gold Commander and Chief Tankua ¨C no, it was probably Warpath ¨C in their original package? Those¡¯re collector¡¯s items! Does he still have them? Do you think he¡¯d be willing to sell?? Steve had never seen Chief Anderson so invested in something so mundane and not military-related, and it felt¡­ strange.


    Elisa was saved from the need of replying by their resident machine-gunner. ?Sir. Ma¡¯am. Sorry to intrude, but shouldn¡¯t we proceed with the boar?? The old man managed to make them focus once again on the task at hand, although Steve was left unsatisfied to a degree: the discussion had started to become interesting.


    ?You¡¯re right, Tetsuo?, Chief Bradley quickly recovered his professionalism. ?Let¡¯s get a move on?.


    Having said that, they all turned their attention to their soon-to-be dinner. Steve explained to the others that they had opted to keep as much of the meat as possible before pulling the body with them, given how many mouths they needed to feed; they also kept the lungs, liver, kidney and heart. Then, Cooper took off his helmet and unsheathed his knife, followed by the master chief; they were ready to skin and butcher the boar, but something gave Steve pause: Elisa had flinched and taken a step back. That was already odd in itself, but the fact that she had flinched when Chief Bradley took out his knife worried Steve in a way he could not explain. It was something¡­ deep and visceral.


    He looked around and met Tetsuo¡¯s eyes. Their silent communication confirmed that the other SIG had seen the same thing, and with a nod they agreed to talk about it later, perhaps with Chief Rossi as well. At least, that is how Steve interpreted the sign; non-verbal communication was tricky.


    A moment later, the two who accompanied Tetsuo and Elisa approached, and Steve was brought out of his musings. They walked with a confident gait, but their expression and the beads of sweat running down their forehead betrayed their uncertainty.


    ?Vinsamlegast, leyfeu okkur ae hj¨¢lpa t¨¦r?, they asked. They spoke slowly and gestured first to themselves, then the knives, and finally the boar.


    The four members of Charlie were equally stunned and confused. The majority of the group still kept mostly silent and never spoke to the team, so one could understand their surprise at such sudden proactivity. The astonishment was so conspicuous that even Chief Bradley¡¯s proverbial poker face cracked. The silence stretched for a few seconds, causing visible worry in the two men. Seeing as no reply was given, they spoke again, almost a plea.


    ?Vie erum veieimenn. Treystu okkur! Leyfeu okkur ae hj¨¢lpa t¨¦r, vinsamlegast?.


    ?Hey, Tetsuo, any idea what they¡¯re saying? I get it has something to do with the boar... Do you think they want to help??


    ?I don¡¯t know, sir. I could only understand ¡°us¡± and ¡°you¡±. I think the last word was something like ¡°please¡±. Based on their gestures, I guess they, indeed, want to help with the boar?.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Steve sheathed his beloved knife and turned to the closest of the duo. ?Well, no way I¡¯m lending you Bernie, mate?.


    ?Yeah, yeah, Cooper, we know you love your knife?.


    ?I think ¡°unhealthy obsession¡± would be more accurate, Brad. It could be pathological. Ever thought of going to a shrink, Cooper??


    ?Nein, Zief Schwartzman! Aber danke f¨¹r¡­ your conzern, ya!? His reply was adorned by a far too rigid posture, a far too snappy salute, and heels clicking together. Elisa showed her appreciation with a gesture that surely meant ¡°It¡¯s nothing, my dear, I¡¯m always here for you¡± in German.


    Blatantly ignoring their banter, Chief Anderson moved closer to the two men, knife still in hand. ?So, what¡¯s your name, friends? I¡¯m Bradley?, he touched his chest. ?Tetsuo?, he put a hand on the old man¡¯s shoulder. ?Elisa?, he pointed with his left. ?Steve?, he tapped his arm with the knife. Then, he moved even closer to the grey duo and, gesturing with his left he once again touched his chest and told them his own name; then, he wordlessly asked for theirs.


    ?H¨¢ttenni Gurdson?, the older-looking one presented himself and brought a weathered fist to his chest. A deep scar on his forearm stood out against the greyish skin, but what was really striking were his rich green eyes.


    ?Eldur Raueh?reur?, the other nodded and bowed, his red hair, slick with sweat, swaying with the movement.


    The master chief looked at them, expression inscrutable, then closed his eyes for a brief moment and sighed. ?¡­ Can¡¯t any of them just be called ¡°Bob¡± or ¡°James¡±? Here, man, use it well?, he told the red-haired one as he handed him his knife, while Tetsuo gave his own to the other.


    Elisa observed from a couple metres away, posture relaxed but safety off. They were tense when they took the offered knives, but whatever worry the duo had, it quickly transitioned to mild surprise at the blades in their hands, if their raised eyebrows were any indication at all. The moment quietly passed and they shifted all of their focus on the carcass. With practiced motions they skinned the animal, every movement filled with purpose; the older man paused only once to stare with renewed appreciation at the tool he was using. Then, they began to butcher the animal in earnest, first separating the head, then cutting the body in two along its spine; from then, they removed the organs, the leaf lard, the tenderloin, then separated the shoulders, loin, belly and ham, wasting not a gram of meat or fat. Steve gave an instinctive whistle when they cut the bones with the sawing side of Tetsuo¡¯s knife, not as easy feat for sure. Elisa had them throw away the lungs and kidneys, and forbid them from extracting the brain, all for safety reasons; they did not understand her words, but her tone left no space for misunderstandings. In the end, from the head they only took the cheeks, the snout and the tongue. In around half an hour they had butchered the entire boar and divided it in the best way to be roasted, only discarding what their resident combat medic had told them to and the spine; less bones meant less weight to carry.


    All in all, that night they would all go to sleep with a full belly.


    The butchering done, the two focused on the removal of the horn and the tusks. They moved with skill and care, in no rush to finish, their hands so steady and precise that only their eyes and the sweat on their faces betrayed the effort and concentration that went into the motions. Once extracted, they gently put the horn and tusks aside and sat down to rest, a content smile on their face, and nodded to each other. A few minutes later they stood back up, gathered all the discarded parts of the boar and threw them into the river; sitting down with their feet submerged, they thoroughly cleaned the two knives of blood and grease and washed them as best as they could, using the cleanest part of what was left of their shirts to dry them before giving them back to the old man and the chief. As sunset was starting to approach, they fashioned the boar¡¯s skin as an impromptu sack to carry the organs and as much of the meat as it could contain, while Elisa, Tetsuo, Steve and Bradley took what parts of the boar remained. Seeing that the horn and tusks had been left alone, Steve decided to pick them up, as they all made their way back to camp.


    Chief Rossi was the first to greet them back, helmet hanging from the hip and face slick with sweat and smoke. ?Shit, guys, you stink! Go back to the river and take a bath?.


    ?As if you¡¯re one to talk?, Elisa replied. ?And your face¡¯s dirty?.


    ?Nice to see you too, Al. Sorry for the smell, but I forgot to take my Chanel n¡ã5 with me before going hunting, taking the entrails out of the body of a dead animal, and pulling the carcass back here?, Chief Anderson quipped back.


    ?Yes, yes. I see you caught a big one?, he gestured at the mountain of meat being carried. ?That¡¯s great, but you should still go back and wash yourselves. Also, were those guys helpful? They were quite insistent to come?.


    ?Heh, see for yourself, chief?, Steve replied and tossed the horn at the senior chief, who easily caught it and raised an eyebrow.


    ?What¡¯s this? You hunted a goat??


    The master chief took off his helmet before replying. ?No, jackass, we shot a unicorn?


    ?Wow, that sounds like something a movie villain would say. Did you drink its blood to gain eternal life, at least??


    ?Of course, now I¡¯ll have to fight other immortals in duels to the death?.


    ?Boys, as interesting as it is to listen to you two talk?, Elisa chimed in, ?we should start cooking before it gets too late?.


    ?You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s get to it?. At Chief Bradley¡¯s order, they started moving, each to their own task; after all, the meat would not cook by itself and the fires had to be nurtured.


    ?To answer your question, Al, Big Jim and Big Josh were of great help. They butchered it by themselves and took off the horn and tusks with practiced ease. They¡¯re skilled with the knife and they weren¡¯t surprised by the boar having a horn?.


    ?A boar with a horn¡­ If we hadn¡¯t met the leopard with six legs I¡¯d tell you to stuff it, but I guess mutated animals are not unusual around here?. Chief Rossi paused, lost in thought, and scratched his beard absentmindedly. ?That¡¯s worrying, but a concern for the higher ups. The rest of the folks here helped dig the holes, collect wood and start the fires. They¡¯re also making sure they keep burning; the wood is so fucking wet it took one hour before we had the bare minimum of fire?.


    ?Wow, they all decided that today was help-your-rescuer day, eh?? Steve¡¯s comment was on point, since up till then they had only received basic cooperation ?Not that I¡¯m complaining, mind you, it¡¯s just strange. By the way, where¡¯s Jas??


    ?She¡¯s keeping watch over there?. The senior chief gave the horn back to Cooper.


    ?Good, I¡¯m going to shove it in her face. Be right back?.


    As he walked towards Jaspinder¡¯s location, Steve heard Senior Chief Rossi talk on the team¡¯s channel, and stopped. ?Charlie Five, this is Two, do you copy? Over?.


    ?Good copy, Two, over?.


    ?Charlie Six here says he¡¯s coming over there to shove it in your face. Acknowledge, over?.


    ?Roger that. Please remind Six that is sexual harassment and that I¡¯m armed and dangerous, over?.


    ?Wilco. Two, out?. Chief Rossi snickered before ending the communication.


    ?This is Six?, Steve called out on the same channel. ?Know that I will file a complaint to HR for mobbing as soon as we¡¯re back. Six, out?.


    ?Keep the channel clear!? Chief Bradley barked, and the comms went silent once again.


    ***


    ?Jaspinder?.


    ?Yes?? She threw another small log into the fire and lifted her head towards Elisa. The two SIG and the remaining four women ¨C T¨¢r was taking care of the young girl ¨C were making sure the five Dakota fire holes kept burning.


    ?Brad and the rest of the boys are coming back from the river. It¡¯s our turn to take the girls to have a bath?.


    ?Roger. I hope the guys won¡¯t let the fires die¡­ I¡¯m starting to feel quite hungry and I¡¯d hate to wait more than necessary?.


    ?Come on, grumpy, we¡¯ll be back with dinner ready and served?.


    ?Yeah, unless the smoke gives us away and enemies swarm our position while we¡¯re butt naked in the river?.


    ?Tetsuo is a worrywart, Jas. Relax, don¡¯t get infected by his paranoia. Even Brad and Al told him that, between the canopy and the Dakotas, the risk of discovery is almost zero?.


    ?Fuck, they jinxed it, I know it¡­?


    ?Yeah, maybe, we¡¯ll keep the usual guard shifts at evening and at night, anyway. Good, they¡¯re here. Come on, let¡¯s go?, Elisa ordered as she stood up. She then turned towards the other women and gestured for them to follow. ?Let¡¯s go, ladies! I know you don¡¯t understand me, but it¡¯s our turn to take a bath. ¨¢nni, let¡¯s go to the ¨¢nni?.


    Slowly, the six women followed, though ¡°Lady Braids¡± gave both Elisa and Jaspinder the stink eye. Once at the river, they searched for an area with slower current and a modicum of privacy before taking a bath, and quickly settled for a small cove. Elisa and the others went in first, while Jaspinder stood guard, but not without complaint.


    ?Not my fault that you suck at rock-paper-scissors, Jas?. Elisa smirked before plunging in, the river reflecting the waning light of the day. A satisfied sigh escaped her after reemerging. ?The water is great, Jas, just the right temperature. If only we had some soap¡­?


    ?Given where we are, the time of the year, and your standards, I¡¯m pretty sure the average person would die of thermal shock in this river?.


    ?Ja, ja, always so exaggerated¡­ It¡¯s refreshing, and I really needed it. Of course, a warm bath would be wunderbar, but this is the next best thing right now. Also, they are fine?, she inclined her head towards the other six women currently washing themselves as best as they could, scraping away grime and dirt.


    ?If you say so¡­ They¡¯re not exactly ¡°the average person¡±, you know??


    ?Okay, okay. We just need to make sure they dry themselves well afterwards?.


    ?We have the fires for that... but I don¡¯t know how much it will take them, especially the braid girls?.


    ?I don¡¯t want to know. I¡¯m just glad I don¡¯t have long hair?.


    ?Yeah, me too?, Jaspinder replied absentmindedly. A lull in the conversation followed, interrupted not a minute later. ?Hey, Elisa?.


    ?Yes??


    ?Have you seen them? Look at T¨¢r?.


    ?Why? What do you mean??


    ?They¡¯re all, like, really fit, and T¨¢r looks like a grey She-Hulk. Have you seen those muscles??


    ?Of course. It¡¯s kind of hard not to notice when she¡¯s got arms as big as Brad¡¯s?.


    ?Right, but her body¡¯s full of scars, and I mean full. Don¡¯t turn around! Don¡¯t make it so obvious, for the love of¡­?


    Elisa smiled. ?Ease up, Jas. You¡¯re too tense. This isn¡¯t like you?.


    ?Yeah, maybe you¡¯re right?,


    ?Of course I am?.


    ?Careful, you¡¯re approaching Chief Rossi¡¯s level of arrogance?.


    Elisa widened her eyes and creased her eyebrows, in a passable imitation of annoyance and offense. ?Oh, that¡¯s a low blow. I¡¯ll remember this?.


    ?Yeah, yeah, bite me. You know, talking about those scars, I don¡¯t think they were made by those dead fuckers; they don¡¯t look recent. Actually, a few of them remind me of yours¡­?


    ?You¡¯ll have to be more specific?.


    ?The shrapnel ones?.


    ?Oh?.


    ?¡­ Do you think she survived a grenade??


    ?Good question, Jas, why don¡¯t you go and ask??.


    ?Yeah, right, in what language? Sanskrit??


    ?Ah, you¡¯d manage. It¡¯d be a great way to break the ice, you know? ¡°Evening, T¨¢r, how¡¯s it going? Lovely weather, right? Also, can you tell me how you got those scars?¡±. I¡¯d love to see her reaction?.


    ?Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯d love to see Wonder Woman on ¡¯roids break me in half?.


    ?As if she could beat you in hand-to-hand combat. You¡¯re not exactly a small and frail maiden, you know?.


    ?Whatever. That¡¯s her own business so I won¡¯t bother her. But I¡¯m curious... What do you think? Was she a soldier? A civilian caught in ¡°collateral damage¡±? Or maybe she had it rough as a kid??


    ?Easy there. Too many questions?. Elisa scrubbed her hair decisively, her pixie cut making it easier to clean. ?I can¡¯t say, but the way she doesn¡¯t even try to cover the scars makes me think she¡¯s not ashamed, which goes opposite to what abuse victims usually feel. I¡¯m not a shrink, though, so I could be wrong. Also, when I gave her a check-up, I noticed her hands were strong and calloused, even more so than the others, like someone who regularly handles heavy stuff. So, maybe she got all those scars during her job...?


    ?Oh, come on! Where was she working, in the mines of Moria??


    ?I don¡¯t know. Are these mines in the region??


    Jaspinder looked at her and remembered who she was talking to. ?Never mind, it doesn¡¯t matter?.


    ?It was just a random guess, anyway. Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve been to any mines in my life¡­? Elisa let herself float on her back, eyes looking up at the darkening skies.


    A minute or so passed in silence, broken only by the river¡¯s noise and the other women whispering among themselves.


    ?Say, Jas, what do you make of all this mess?? Elisa began to dry herself with her used clothes. Not like they had another choice.


    ?I don¡¯t know. My first thought was sabotage: our maps are wrong, all our comms going down at the same time is impossible, same with the GPS¡­ but then we couldn¡¯t find the river we used to infiltrate the area, we met these people and the bastards in medieval armour¡­ Do you think the guys at Edge are okay??


    ?I don¡¯t¡¯ know, but the sooner we arrive to that damn town, the better. We already lost time with this detour?.


    ?Well, we had to be sure no one would follow us?.


    ?I know, I know. Come on, Jas, it¡¯s your turn to bathe. I¡¯ll keep watch?.


    As Elisa put on the lower half of her under-armour, Jaspinder couldn¡¯t help but admire her buttocks.


    ?Like what you see?? Elisa''s voice startled her.


    ?Well, yes?, she admitted. ?I keep thinking you have a very nice arse?.


    ?Thank you?, she smirked. ?You need to work out harder if you want the same?. It was one of those times where her smug tone irked Jaspinder.


    ?Yeah, yeah. Show-off?. It¡¯s not that simple, you know.


    Ten minutes later, refreshed and somewhat clean ¨C as much as bathing without soap could do ¨C they were all back to camp, just in time for the first batch of meat to be ready. The aroma of roasted boar embraced her nostrils and caressed her taste buds, so much that Jaspinder could already feel the umami spreading in her mouth.


    Simply put, she was hungry. After days of MRE, berries and nuts, some warm meat was quite welcome.


    As they all sat down to eat, Jaspinder and the rest of the team let the others warm their bodies and dry themselves next to the fires. Vorsonur was still sick, despite being on the way to recovery, and they did not want someone else to get pneumonia.


    ?Steve! Hey, Steve?.


    ?Hey Jas, what¡¯s up??


    ?Have a bite first, won¡¯t you??


    ?Why??


    ?To check if it¡¯s edible. If you get the runs, it won¡¯t be a great loss for the team?.


    ?Sure thing, you¡¯re the expert?, he replied without hesitation, and proceeded to cut a slice of meat for himself.


    He chewed and chewed, taking his time and making lots of noise until Senior Chief Rossi moved next to him. After he swallowed, they stood there, waiting. He kept silent, a pensive expression on his face for almost a minute, until Jaspinder exhausted her patience.


    ?So??


    ?Well, it¡¯s a bit game-y, needs some salt and BBQ sauce, but it¡¯s good?.


    ?Great. Let¡¯s dig in?, Chief Anderson said, prompting the others to begin to cut and distribute pieces of the roasted boar to the famished men and women sitting way too upright close to the fires. They did not start to eat, however, until their elder, Eith, had taken the first bite.


    As the master chief had said, the boar was big, easily over a hundred kilos, more than enough to feed twenty-two people and then some, even after taking the bones out of the equation. Yet, at a certain point Jaspinder was afraid it might not be enough. Every last one of them ate with gusto, especially T¨¢r and her people, who attacked the meat with abandon; so hungry Jaspinder was, that she found even the liver to her taste, despite its bitter tang. None of the six SIGs, however, ate more than necessary, a habit ingrained by years of training; being in a food coma is not a smart idea when in an active combat zone, after all. She saw Tetsuo cut a few slices more, though, when he thought no one ¨C especially Elisa ¨C was looking.


    ?Wow. I needed that?. Steve sported a content smile on his face and closed his eyes.


    ?Yeah, tell me about it?, Elisa agreed.


    ?You know, this actually reminds me of a barbie my mates from the 2<sup>nd</sup> regiment and I had in Perth five or six years ago¡­?


    ?Cooper, not now. It¡¯s not the time for another Australian anecdote?. Chief Rossi did not wait before interrupting Steve, and for the first time in the last few days, Jaspinder agreed with him.


    ?You¡¯ll tell us tomorrow, Steve. Let¡¯s just enjoy the moment?, she told him, and strangely enough, he agreed without protest; he seemed so satisfied that he did not even quip back.


    Half an hour passed in tranquillity, filled with silence, quiet conversations, the crackling of fire and the rustle of leaves caressed by a gentle breeze. Then, Master Chief Anderson decided it was time for them to rest.


    ?Listen up, we¡¯ll keep the rest of the meat for a very healthy breakfast. Now, Tetsuo and I will take first watch. Cooper, Khalid, you¡¯re still on second. Al, Elisa, you take third. Rack out, people?.


    He did not have to say it twice. Jaspinder was dead tired and relaxed thanks to the bath and the dinner, so she sat down, rested her weapon and helmet on the ground and leaned on a tree. A couple of minutes later she was out, sleeping like a log.


    What felt like a single moment later, the comms went live and Jaspinder woke up.


    ?Charlie Team, this is One. Rally on my position, priority alpha. Beat feet! One, out?.


    That order woke Jaspinder up and blew away whatever drowsiness she still had. The chief¡¯s voice had sounded strange, laden with urgence and nervousness. The whole team rushed to his position, fully geared up, with night vision and active camouflage on. In two minutes they were there, ready for anything.


    Or¡­ she thought she was ready for anything. She had not expected to see Chief Anderson standing in the open, helmet in his hand, carbine attached to his back, looking at the sky.


    Disengaging the cuttlefish, Chief Rossi addressed their commander. ?Brad, what the hell are you doing? Why the priority alpha? What¡¯s happening??


    ?Look at the sky. Just¡­ look up?. His voice was incredulous, sad, almost on the verge of tears.


    As they all turned off their active camouflage, Steve did not hesitate to speak, as always. ?Seriously, chief? I love a starry sky like any good Aussie bloke but¡­? he, too, went silent.


    ?But? What happened?!? Elisa asked with a tinge of alarm, looking at Cooper, then up, then at Cooper again. ?Steve??. He simply stood there looking up at the sky, unusually quiet. Once again, she looked up, following his stare; a moment later, a string of curses left her mouth.


    Jaspinder was staring at the sky as well, and was too flabbergasted to pay any attention to what Elisa was shouting, but she was certain her friend¡¯s voice quickly transitioned from confused, to scared, to angry. After all, those were the same emotions that raged inside of her in that moment, just in a different order.


    ?Holy shit¡­? Was all that she managed to say.


    The two waxing crescent moons sitting in the firmament did not feel insulted by the team¡¯s words, nor did they reciprocate. They kept their silent watch on the world below, unperturbed and uncaring.

 Chapter 10 - For the straightforward pathway had been lost

    Taking her eyes off the two moons lazily looking down at them for a moment, Jaspinder was met by the sight of Chief Bradley shaking his head and chuckling. A chuckle that soon transformed into laughter, the maniacal kind.


    She was lost. Everything was wrong. Her abdomen suddenly became an endless void and her breathing grew uneven. Impeded by tunnel vision, an unnatural fear wormed its way inside her mind. She heard manic laughter, but it felt distant; she realized it was her own voice only when she was shaken by a fit of cough. In panic, she took off her helmet and looked around to see if it was an elaborate joke or a stupid candid camera, if her companions were pulling a prank and laughing at her. Something, anything that would tell her this was not real.


    She found nothing.


    Instead, emotions were running high: Elisa was loudly swearing and kicking anything in reach, no sign of her stopping anytime soon. Chief Rossi was quietly muttering a great number of curses intermixed with loud sighs, the mix of languages creating a harsh cacophony. Steve was quiet for a change, just staring at the sky with an amused smirk on his face. Tetsuo was silent and inscrutable. As for Chief Anderson...


    ?No!? He shouted all of a sudden, no trace of laughter to be found on him. ?No, no, no, no, no... The hell is this shit? This-this is fucking nightmare! Or I¡¯m dead and this is my Purgatory. Yeah, that leopard must have killed me. This stuff doesn¡¯t happen in real life?. He was in denial and¡­ panicking. The Bradley Anderson panicking. It would have been a funny joke, on a normal day, but nobody was laughing. He took his helmet off and threw it to the ground, before sitting down on the wet grass; his hand passed through his hair, short and slick with sweat, while his breathing became more and more elaborate, out of control.


    Then, Jaspinder heard something she would have never thought coming from him: sobs. Years of serving together and she had never heard him complain once about pain, much less shed a tear; and yet there he was, a veteran operator, a certified badass, crying. She appreciated a man who was not afraid to let others see him cry, whose ego was not so fragile that showing vulnerability would crush it, and that raised her already high respect for Chief Bradley. At the same time, seeing him distraught made the whole situation much more serious. Amidst the sobs and the tears, she heard him murmur the names of his wife and daughters more than once, until he too began to cuss. Low at first, then louder, and louder, until it became a shouting cry of unrestrained anger.


    She instantly felt there was something familiar, but could not figure out what it was. Then, she saw the glint of madness behind the master chief¡¯s eyes: it was the same anger and bloodlust that had engulfed her on the night when she first heard the screams of the women who now walked with them. She looked around and noticed something similar in the others, something she had already seen before, sometimes without even paying attention to it: it was the fear and anger in Elisa¡¯s curses, the coldness, ire, and minute traces of despair in Chief Rossi¡¯s bulging veins and detached smile, and Steve¡¯s seemingly catatonic state accompanied only by a goofy grin, something they both had experienced a few days before at the sight of fireflies, when all their current mess seemed to have begun.


    Jaspinder knew, somehow, that things were about to turn ugly, that a small voice in her friends¡¯ minds would entice them to kill, destroy, satisfy their bloodlust. She too could feel it in the back of her head, just a buzz that was slowly growing louder. It was enough having experienced it once, so she decided to close her eyes and breathe, though the creek was too far away for the sound of running water to reach her ears and calm her mind. Then she would have to try and calm her companions down.


    However, just as she closed her eyes, the spell was broken and everyone went quiet. They had all heard the same, single, dry word, uttered by the voice of none other than Tetsuo Kusanagi.


    ?Fuck?.


    Jaspinder could not speak for the others, but it was the first time she had heard the prim and proper Japanese man swear.


    ***


    Elisa watched as Bradley threw a small stone into the creek. It was a smooth, flat one, great for skipping, but at the moment nobody was thinking about how many times he could make it bounce off the water. ?Were we abducted by aliens??


    She noticed a shadow moving in her peripheral, but when she turned her head there was nothing.


    ?And then they left us here for... reasons? Come on! We¡¯d remember something about it?. Alessandro was sitting down on the ground, staring at the helmet in his hands. A cold night breeze began to blow, playing with his short curls, but he seemed to not even notice. The light from the moons gave the whole scene an almost desolate feel, but at least there was enough illumination to see each other with the naked eye.


    Silver linings. At least the night sky is beautiful. If we weren¡¯t in such a crazy situation, I¡¯d lay down to watch it.


    Throwing a rock himself, Tetsuo¡¯s form was not only good, but also elegant¡­ as much as stone skipping could be considered such, of course. That perfectionist aspect of his, the dedication to apply his kyudo principles everywhere, was the thing Elisa admired the most about him. It was very ¡°Japanese¡± of him, in a stereotypical but good way. ?Well, senior chief, in all movies the aliens conveniently have some sort of way to delete or suppress memories, so...?


    ?Okay, Tetsuo. Then, maybe we stepped into a wormhole and were transported here?, Bradley guessed.


    ?Are wormholes actually real? And how could we not feel anything at all during this... thing, this transfer?? Alessandro replied.


    ?Uhm, I think we were ¡°spirited away¡± by magic?.


    A tinge of irritation made her reply harsher than necessary. ?Because magic is real, right? Meinn Gott, Jas, be serious; at least aliens kidnapping us is a concrete possibility, given where we are?. Again, she saw something move, to her left this time, but again she found nothing when she turned her head.


    ?Hey! I am being serious, easy with the fangs there, Elisa?. Jaspinder complained, arms akimbo.


    ?Indeed, no need to be so caustic?.


    You always have to butt in, don¡¯t you, Al?


    ?I¡¯ve got it!? Steve exclaimed, interrupting her thoughts. ?We¡¯re in a simulation. Just like that old movie, the Matrix, you know? We¡¯ve been captured and are all connected to some bloody new hyper-realistic VR system?.


    ?Steve, do you really think we¡¯d get captured alive and that our enemies would have such tech? Say it¡¯s all true: for what purpose put us into a simulation? We¡¯re not officers, we¡¯re always given intel on a need-to-know basis. We also have no recollection of anything wrong that might have happened to us?, Alessandro said. ?Sorry, but I don¡¯t buy it?.


    Steve insisted. ?Maybe it was our allies who put us into this mess?.


    ?If we start to think that the UN or one of its members is behind this, we¡¯ll go down a rabbit hole so deep not even Alice could escape from it?.


    ?Okay, what do you think happened, then, smartass?? Bradley asked. Another pebble fell into the river.


    ?Glad you asked. Actually, this reminds me of a book?. Alessandro exclaimed.


    ?Oh, great, what else is new?? Elisa kicked a rock away, and kept walking dragging her feet, frustration in her steps.


    ?Oh, shut up, Bogeyman. You should read sometimes, not just play videogames. It would be good for your brain?.


    She flipped him the bird.


    ?Anyway, as I was saying, it reminds me of the beginning of The Saga of Videssos. Harry Turtledove¡¯s most famous novels, actually?.


    ?Never heard of the books, sorry Al?. Another stone left Bradley¡¯s hand and skipped on the water.


    Elisa could have sworn something had moved on the opposite bank. She put on her helmet and checked with both night and thermal vision, but found nothing. Maybe it had been an animal. She took off the helmet, going back to the moonlit darkness. ?Me neither?, she said, and looked at Alessandro. The chances that she had read anything that he enjoyed were very low, considering the difference in their taste.


    ?I don¡¯t know this Turtledove¡­ Is he a famous author, chief?? Jaspinder was always curious for new books, and, given the premises, that looked to be her genre.


    I still don¡¯t understand how she can like Fantasy, Sci-Fi and all that jazz¡­


    ?Sorry, chief, no idea who the bloke is. If he from Oz??


    ?Bah! Uncultured lot, all of you?, Alessandro complained. Nothing new there. ?No, Steve, he was not an Aussie?.


    ?I can¡¯t say I have heard of this author or his books, senior chief. What do they talk about?? Tetsuo asked, ever polite and diplomatic.


    ?The author was a historian and the books are from the 1980s?. Al sighed, but he still explained, pedantic as ever. ?It¡¯s the story of this Roman legion ¨C well, half legion, actually ¨C which disappears during Caesar¡¯s campaign to conquer Gallia?.


    ?Gallia?? Brad asked, and she briefly wondered how he could not know. Then she remembered that, for all of his qualities, he was still American.


    ?Modern-day France, more or less?. Al put his helmet on the ground and stood up. ?So, to sum it up, these Roman soldiers are literally teleported to another world, maybe a parallel universe, maybe the future, maybe an alien world. Turtledove didn¡¯t say anything about it?.


    ?Great?. Elisa was nonplussed. ?So, how do they travel between dimensions or whatever? And don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s magic?.


    ?Magic?, he replied not a second later, smirking as Elisa vocalized her annoyance. ?The Gauls ambushed the legion and their chieftain fought the Roman tribune. When their swords touched there was a flash and they all found themselves in Videssos, which was basically an alternate world Byzantine Empire where magic was real, and there they got involved in political scheming, battles and¡ª?.


    ?Wait, why would they be teleported when their sword hit the other??


    ?Because both where druidic weapons, with magical runes on the blade?, Alessandro replied, visibly irked at the interruption. ?It¡¯s an important plot point, because later on¡ª?


    ?Nobody cares! That¡¯s a book, not reality. I don¡¯t know about you, Al, but I don¡¯t think we have magic swords and druids to blame for our situation?, Elisa vented, and kicked another rock away. Her frustration kept mounting.


    ?Given that we are on another fucking planet, and we have no idea how we got here, I wouldn¡¯t rule out ¡°magic¡±, whatever that might mean!? He even had the audacity to be irritated at her.


    ?Look, know-it-all, instead of saying it¡¯s ¡°because of magic¡±, just admit you have no idea like the rest of us?.


    ?For the love of¡­ I was just saying this situation reminds me of a book, okay? I didn¡¯t say we got here due to magic! What¡¯s your problem? Did you eat poison for dinner??


    ?No, but I can put it in your food if you don¡¯t get how serious our situation has just become, schwachkopf!? She was this close to screaming in his face.


    ?Whoa, whoa! Chill out, mates. No need to argue over a minor book from an unknown writer from a hundred years ago that only one person in the world has read?.


    ?Ouch that¡¯s some burn there, Al?, Bradley said, the shadow of laughter in his words. He threw another stone, not enough light to confirm whether it had skipped or not.


    ?Shut up, Brad. Steve, it would only do you good to read those books. And Elisa, I understand very well how deep in shit we are, thank you. Get off your high horse?.


    Elisa really wanted to elbow him in that stupid Italian face of his.


    Before she could act on her desire, or even had a chance to think of an adequately pungent comeback, Cooper replied, not losing his trademark smirk despite the tension in the air. ?Sorry, chief, I have better things to do at home?.


    ?Like watching a sappy, century old romantic comedy about an Aussie going to New York?? Alessandro asked.


    ?Well, I was thinking more about the horizontal conga, you know, but that too?. He laughed. ?Also, I reckon old age is catching up, chief? Crocodile Dundee came out in ¡¯63.


    ?My God¡­ you saw the remake. And you call yourself Australian??


    ?Hell yeah! Who¡¯s going to watch the original when the remake is so much better? Lorusso is amazing and Natasha Lang is still my crush. It¡¯s an awesome movie; iconic I¡¯d say. Am I right, Bogeyman??


    ?I don¡¯t know, Steve, I am but a stuck-up scary doctor, apparently, but since that movie¡¯s where your nickname comes from, I doubt it?, Elisa replied with arms crossed. She spit to the side.


    ?Ooh! Is it sarcasm that I hear, Chief Schwartzman?? The fool asked in mock surprise, unable to remain serious for more than a minute. ?I thought you Germans hadn¡¯t discovered it yet. I feel blessed to be part of this historical event?.


    ?Keep it up, Cooper, and I¡¯ll bless you in my own special way?, Elisa said, smiling, as she audibly cracked her knuckles. She looked down, sharply, close to her feet; she could have sworn something dark had moved, but there was only grass there.


    Just a trick of the moonlight¡­


    It was an empty threat, of course, just their usual banter ¨C if she really had been angry, she would have threatened to put a laxative in his hydration pack ¨C but sometimes she really felt like giving Steve¡¯s face a good smack. Maybe it was his shit-eating grin, or his irritating good looks; perhaps it was his constant stories about Australia¡¯s wildlife, or the never-ending jokes. Whatever the case, sooner or later she would follow her instinct and see if hitting Cooper could be justified as stress relief.


    Al always looks relaxed afterwards. Then again, that¡¯s his default state. When he¡¯s not busy being an insufferable know-it-all or an annoying dick.


    Despite her thoughts, she envied Alessandro¡¯s preternatural skill in slapping Cooper¡¯s nape without the latter noticing him. He always seemed to have the perfect timing.


    Once, she had asked him about it, as a joke, and Al had replied ¨C dead serious ¨C that he had gotten the idea from one of his favourites TV shows. Another oldie that no one in the team had ever heard about, of course. From what she recalled, he had told her it portrayed a team of exceedingly good-looking U.S. Federal Agents solving all of their cases using their wits, charms, the occasional cowboy-cop tactic, and an open interpretation of how forensics, IT and science in general work. All furnished with enough ¡°Hoorah!¡± to recruit a Marine regiment. Furthermore, Al¡¯s passionate explanation even included the non-requested information that the show was a spin-off of another one whose protagonists were U.S. Navy lawyers who alternated court cases with intelligence work and the occasional piloting of fighter jets.


    Yeah, that had been confusing.


    ?Jeez¡­ alright, alright?, Cooper¡¯s voice interrupted Elisa¡¯s trip down memory lane as he went back to the original topic of discussion. ?In any case, Chief Rossi, I¡¯ll let it go this time, but I¡¯d ask that you don¡¯t demean such great pieces of art anymore. It is unbecoming of you?.


    ?Was that an attempt at a British accent, Steve?? Jaspinder snickered. ?Also ¡°unbecoming¡±? Since when do you know such complicated words?? She laughed at her own jab, joined immediately by the rest of the team. Brad had stopped throwing stones, Al had picked up his helmet, and even the ever-polite Tetsuo could not help but let a chuckle out.


    You are a fool, Steve, but you really know what to say to lighten up the mood.


    Elisa shook her head. The tension was mostly gone, at least for the moment. They would not get an answer that night, and the problem was not one that could be solved in a couple of hours. Better to sleep on it and brainstorm in the morning; a good rest was always welcome, and she was not going to get second watch anytime soon, thanks to Steve and Jaspinder being voluntold. A small smile appeared on her face, as Bradley led them back to the camp.


    ?Hey, chief?, Steve called out. ?Did the blokes from your book, the Roman soldiers I mean, get back home, in the end??


    Everyone perked up at that question, even Elisa herself. They stopped for a moment, waiting.


    ?No?. Alessandro¡¯s reply was met with silence, broken only by the noise of their renewed steps on gravel.


    Talk about a mood-killer...


    ***


    The following morning, they had breakfast with whatever meat had remained but did not depart immediately. After the previous night¡¯s discovery, they had to decide what to do and where to go.


    ?So¡­? Bradley began. ?The situation is as crazy as possible. Except for Al and his love for obscure 20<sup>th </sup>century novels, I think none of us would have ever thought we¡¯d end up... here, wherever this is?. He was finding it hard to spell out the reality of their situation. ?The map we have is completely useless, there is no SATLINK, and from the looks of it, I guess we¡¯re the only ones around using radio or laser comms. Sure, the map wasn¡¯t made with wrong intel, but we¡¯ll still blame Miller for it once we go back, don¡¯t worry?. The joke elicited a few chuckles among the team, though threaded with melancholy.


    ?Miller, huh? I might consider staying here if it means I don¡¯t have to listen to any more of his god-awful puns. After his son¡¯s birth he became even worse?. Jaspinder¡¯s comment roused another round of chuckles, this time less nervous.


    ?So, where to now, Brad??


    ?I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s no meaning in going back to the other bank and proceed south if we don¡¯t know where to go, and we have no idea where the closest friendly town is. I believe it¡¯s better if we follow the stream for now?.


    ?Sir, why don¡¯t we ask them?? Tetsuo pointed at the men and women around them, who were eating and taking a few moments to rest their weary selves a bit more. ?They¡¯re locals?.


    ?Good idea, but are you confident you can have a conversation with our friends??


    ?Aye, sir. Though I don¡¯t know the words for ¡°town¡±, ¡°city¡±, ¡°house¡±, ¡°road¡± or anything similar, I¡¯ll manage?.


    ?You¡¯re not selling yourself well, you know? But have no fear, my friend. Where words may fail, a simple drawing will succeed! And if you don¡¯t want to use your precious notebook, there¡¯s always stick and dirt. Un¡¯immagine vale pi¨´ di mille parole?.


    ?A picture is worth a thousand words¡­ you are right, senior chief?. Tetsuo nodded for emphasis.


    ?Wow, Al?, Elisa joined in, ?already so wise this early in the morning? Now I¡¯m afraid it might snow?.


    ?I¡¯m always wise. Not my fault you guys don¡¯t listen?.


    Before the discussion could be derailed any further, Bradley interrupted the duo and their growing bickering. ?Okay, okay. Quiet now, it¡¯s too early for your usual husband-and-wife banter?. He sighed. ?Tetsuo, go talk to T¨¤r and Ed?.


    ?Sir, his name is not ¡°Ed¡± but¡ª? Bradley stared at him, and Tetsuo¡¯s protest died down. ?Roger, sir?, he replied, and moved away towards the two people who had been his main source of information on the local language in the last few days.


    As Tetsuo went to, hopefully, get some information to decide their course of action and route, Bradley asked the rest of the team for a report on their ammunition reserves. ?Given the tech we¡¯ve seen until now, I think we¡¯re unlikely to find new ammunition any time soon, if ever. Do a full check and give me your ammo sitrep. One at a time. I need to know exactly what we all have. Just start when you¡¯re ready, Al?.


    ?Copy, Brad?, he replied. The check only took a minute or so. ?Eight rifle mags here. Minus the three shots I fired, I¡¯m left with two hundred and thirty-seven rounds. I also have five mags for my Beretta, my knife, two MK16, four frags and four flash bangs?. He checked his numbers again, then continued: ?Add to that... one incendiary, two smokes, and two breach charges?.


    ?Same as last time, my situation is basically the same as Al¡¯s, though I don¡¯t have any breach charge?. Elisa replied immediately when Bradley gestured at her to go, but her short answer did not satisfy him. At his insistent look, she continued. Not without huffing first, though. ?Fine, fine. I have eight full mags for the G38, less three shots, just like Al.


    ?Technically, we are carrying different calibres?, Alessandro interrupted with a half smirk, only to be immediately rebuked.


    ?Oh, halt den Mund. You know where you can put your different calibres?? Elisa replied, glaring at the Italian.


    Once again, Bradley decided to speak before Al could escalate the banter, silencing them both. ?I admire that you both can manage to joke around given the situation, but, seriously, could you please continue later? Elisa, carry on?.


    ?Aye, aye, Cap¡¯n. As I was saying before being so rudely interrupted, I also have five mags for my Beretta, so seventy-five shots, just like Al. Here¡¯s my knife?, she unsheathed and sheathed it, ?then, two MK16, four frags, four flash bangs, one thermite grenade and two smokes. Just. Like. Al. Less the breach charges. As I said?.


    ?Okay, okay. I got it, thanks. No need to be so salty; I know the situation is stressful but don¡¯t let the Bogeyman out. Most of all, resist the temptation of killing Al in his sleep?, Bradley replied, unable to help himself despite his own previous warning to the other two. He knew it would take a lot to really annoy Elisa, and that maybe a few jokes would help relieve some tension.


    Seeing as his small quip had the intended effect, he went back to the business at hand, having Jaspinder continue with the report.


    Looking up from where she was crouching, she too started listing all her munitions: ?Chief, I only shot one M4 round, so I still have full eight mags, plus five for my Glock, thirty rounds for the M320, and twenty-four shells for the Benelli. I also have four proximity mines, two frags, two ASM, two incendiaries, and three demo charges. Well, and my knife of course?.


    ?Damn, Khalid, you¡¯re a walking armory?, Bradley commented and turned towards Cooper. He almost jumped in surprise when he found Tetsuo already standing there at ease, helmet hanging from his belt, waiting for Bradley to address him.


    Jesus! It¡¯s been no more than 10 minutes, Tetsuo. And stop moving like a fucking ninja. I know you do it on purpose¡­ He gave the other man the go ahead.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ?Sir, I have six magazines for my M33 for a total of twelve hundred rounds, less the one I shot. Five magazines for my .45, two MK16 ASM, four flash bangs, four frags, one thermite grenade, two proximity mines, and my knife?. His reply was swift and concise, his voice loud and clear.


    Still sitting down, his backpack in front of him, Cooper gave a sideway glance at Tetsuo, eyebrows up, before opening his mouth. ?So, yeah. Crazy situation. And I¡¯ve seen crazy and dangerous in the Outback, trust me, like when¡ª? Noticing Bradley¡¯s silent glare, he quickly got back on track. ?Buuut you don¡¯t need to hear about it now. Moving on, I have six mags for the 517, Chief, less the two shots from the other night. I¡¯m still at full five for the 110... and another five mags for the .45. As for grenades, let¡¯s see, let¡¯s see... four frags, four flashies, two ASM, a couple proxies and another two smokes. And here is my oh-so-lovely Bernie?.


    Rolling his eyes at the Australian caressing his own hand-made hunting knife, Bradley addressed the team. ?Thank you, everyone. We¡¯re good, but keep track of what you have?. He received words of confirmation from the others. ?Now, be sure to eat if you haven¡¯t already and see to your weapons. Take care of them even more than usual, because I doubt we¡¯ll find spare parts here. And be stingy with your ammo; resupplying will be a tad difficult?.


    ?You don¡¯t say?.


    ?Spare us the sarcasm, Al?, Bradley replied, expecting a comeback. However, seeing that his friend had taken the rebuke in stride, he decided to sit down and do his own counting as well, though it was going to be a short affair. Like most of the team, he too had only shot his M4 once since the beginning of their operation. His Glock 19 custom had not left its holster yet and he had quite enough munitions for it, at least for now; enough to neutralize seventy-six people if he was very optimistic. More likely half that number, realistically.


    His knife, on the other hand, had already found too much use for his taste.


    ?Now, Tetsuo, tell us what you¡¯ve learned from our friends. We can let them rest for a while more today, I plan to cover at least thirty klicks by sunset?.


    All in all, their ammo situation was still good, and he was glad for it, but he knew it would not last forever. It would be a problem for another time, however. What they had to do now was to adapt their tactics and conserve munitions for when absolutely necessary, avoiding fights when possible. They did not have the luxury to be wasteful anymore, though if the soldiers in that place were still fighting with swords and shields ¨C and Bradley was dead set on finding out ¨C he could presume encountering hostiles armed with firearms and ballistic armour would be very unlikely. Still, better safe than sorry.


    Not hearing any reply, Bradley prompted him again. ?Tetsuo? Come on, did you learn anything??


    ?Aye, sir, I did. They are from a small village north from here, but there is no one left there, and it is my opinion that it would not be in our and their best interest to go there. If those soldiers had captured them once, they could do it again?.


    ?Agreed. Anything else that we can use??


    ?Yes, if I understood correctly, there is a hostile town or garrison south-west from here, where those soldiers were likely taking them, and there is another town north-east from here, a friendly one this time. According to Eith it should take us between ten and twenty days to get there, since we do not know exactly where we are?


    ?How did he even guess, then?? Alessandro asked.


    ?He only looked at the mountains to our east, sir. I think he made an estimate based on that?.


    ?That¡¯s good, Tetsuo?, Bradley commented, ?but is he certain the town is not hostile??


    ?Well, both he and T¨¤r kept saying ¡°Okkars¡±, ¡°Gerad¡± and ¡°R¨ªki¡± when talking about it, so I asked what those words meant. I am quite certain that ¡°Okkars¡± is the name of their people, they kept gesturing at the two of them and toward the rest, and pointed at their teeth as well, but please remember I have been studying their language from zero and only for a few days?.


    ?I know, and you¡¯ve done a good job. What about those other words??


    ?¡°Gerad¡± and ¡°R¨ªki¡±? I have no idea, sir. I am pretty certain they are names, but they could be the name of a friend, of the town, perhaps of its mayor. Or maybe something else entirely?.


    ?Regardless, we have an objective now. Go eat something, Tetsuo, and tend to your weapons. Everyone, listen up! We leave at zero-eight-thirty. You have thirty-two mikes?.


    ***


    ?I still think we were spirited away?.


    The sky was darkening. They had been walking the whole day northbound, leaving the now-familiar creek behind them. Jaspinder and Steve brought up the rear.


    ?I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re wrong, Jas¡­ I just don¡¯t think you¡¯re right. Your idea is too close to the Chief¡¯s ¡°magic swords¡± story?.


    ?Okay, Steve, but do you seriously believe this is a simulation? An elaborate experiment in virtual reality made by the machines or by the men in black? This is way too real?. She emphasises the statement by caressing a leaf from a nearby bush. It was rhomboid, soft, with five barbs at the edges. ?It would make no sense to test it on us. I mean, virtual reality this good? For free? Hello? Tell me where to sign up for it?.


    ?You have a point, but it still makes more sense than magic?.


    ?I never said it was magic. It could be science! Science so advanced that for us it¡¯s the same as magic, like the teleporters in Star Trek?.


    ?So, we¡¯re back to aliens abducting us?.


    Jaspinder shook her head. ?You¡¯re frustrating, you know??


    ?It¡¯s part of my charm?, he laughed. Jaspinder rolled her eyes.


    Their comms turned on with the familiar sound of static. ?Team, this is One. There¡¯s a small clearing ahead, five hundred meters. We¡¯re stopping there for the night. One, out?.


    ?Finally. My legs are killing me?.


    Jaspinder kicked the back of his knee. Not too hard, just enough to fold his leg. ?Come on, wuss. Stop complaining?.


    ?Hey! You people have too much repressed violence inside. Stop hurting me and go see a shrink, evil woman?.


    ?You have armour on, cry-baby. I could shoot you and you¡¯d only feel a light sting?.


    ?It¡¯s the action itself that matters?. He kicked the back of her knee, hard.


    ?Fuck you! Didn¡¯t you just say it¡¯s the action that counts??


    ?Yes. Violence begets violence, don¡¯t you know??


    Jaspinder decided not to reply. She was tired as well and conceded he had a point. That did not mean she would excuse Steve and allow him to kick her with impunity, though. Her revenge would have to wait for the right moment; when she was not exhausted, preferably.


    Some twenty minutes later, they were making camp. The clearing was small and littered with fallen trees, but it was good enough for their needs. The light was fading, and once again they began to prepare a couple of fires to keep warm during the night. After the previous night¡¯s discovery, Bradley had conceded that probably no one was looking for them, and that there was no need to avoid aerial surveillance anymore, so even a normal bonfire would be okay to make. That still left the issue of finding dry-ish wood, but they would manage. As for the food, what boar had remained had been their breakfast, so they had foraged what they could along the way, and even managed to hunt a couple of big, strange birds the colour of bark and with red eyes. That they found any animal at all was thanks to H¨¢ttenni. The old hunter had managed to spot both camouflaged birds and snipe each of them with a rock; Bradley had commented on establishing a baseball league so that he could have him as his pitcher, but everyone else dismissed his idea. They even dared to call baseball ¡°boring¡±.


    Water was a different problem, though. With the creek they had left behind a secure source of fresh water, but this time it was Eldur, the younger hunter, who found a small stream. It was nearby the clearing, which was the main reason they had chosen it as a place to rest.


    ?¡ªtouch anything brightly coloured, understood??


    ?Roger, Elisa, you¡¯ve been very clear?, Chief Bradley replied, ?but I haven¡¯t seen anything with bright colors around, and the only poisonous food we know of, is black¡­?


    ?Sure, we¡¯re in a temperate zone, I think, but that doesn¡¯t mean we shouldn¡¯t be careful¡­?


    ?No drama, Elisa, we have gloves on. Actually, master chief, can I use fingerless ones on the next op? It¡¯s just not the same when I squeeze the trigger?.


    ?No, Cooper, and stop asking. The gloves aren¡¯t perfect but they are the closest thing to a second skin and, most important, they protect your damn fingers?.


    In-between eating her portion of meat, Elisa continued to speak. ?We should also try to boil water before drinking it, at least we can lower the risk of getting some weird local disease this way?. She held her hand up, forestalling any objection. ?I know, I know. The UNSOC gave us all known vaccines and the best possible immune system, but I still think it¡¯d be better to avoid eating too much meat or fish, especially of animals at the top of the food chain. They are the ones most likely to have potentially harmful substances inside, including heavy metals?.


    ?Well, at least we won¡¯t find any microplastics?, Jaspinder added.


    ?You realize you¡¯re eating meat right now, right, chief?? Steve argued, licking the grease off his fingers. ?And it¡¯s not like we can live on nuts and berries alone. We can survive that way, but ours is not the chipmunk way?.


    Chief Anderson gave him the stink eye. ?I agree, we can¡¯t just go vegetarian from one day to the next?.


    ?That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying?, Elisa replied. ?I just think we should be careful and limit meat and fish?.


    ?Well, if this place is like Europe in the Middle Ages, we might not even be allowed to hunt without permission from some local noble and his corrupt sheriff?, the Senior Chief added.


    ?And who plays Robin Hood?? The master chief ate his last piece of meat, took a long sip off his hydration pack and gave a satisfied sigh.


    Chief Rossi did not miss a beat. ?You, of course. And we¡¯re your merry friends. Tetsuo will be Friar Tuck, of course. He¡¯s already bald?.


    ?Respectfully, senior chief, I decline?.


    ?Alright then, Will Scarlet?, Chief Bradley addressed Chief Rossi, ?less talking and more eating while we have food, or I¡¯ll take your meat as well?.


    ?Aye, aye, o¡¯ great Bradley?.


    Jaspinder saw a small bone, stripped of all meat, leaving Elisa¡¯s hand and hitting Chief Rossi square in the right side of his head. ?Children, if you¡¯ve finished, I have one last thing to say?.


    The chief picked up the bone and threw it back at her, but Elisa avoided it. ?So, I only wanted to warn you against possible illnesses that we might find in this world, especially STDs. I¡¯m looking at you, Steve?.


    ?What? Why me??


    ?Oh, we know you''re a Casanova, and you¡¯d probably have a quickie with an Okkar woman just for the experience. I would suggest keeping it in your pants, but I don¡¯t know if you have the self-control?.


    ?Hey, that¡¯s mean. I feel very offended. Do you see how offended I am? I might even cry?.


    ?Yes, yes. In any case, are you armed, Steve?? Chief Rossi asked.


    ?Armed? What kind of question is that?? A visibly perplexed Cooper asked.


    The senior chief sighed. ?Damn language barriers... Here, let me show you?. He took a condom out of one of his pockets, before handing it to Steve, adding to his confusion.


    ?This is what I mean when I ask if you are armed, Steve?.


    ?I don¡¯t know if I should ask but... why do you have a dinger, chief??


    ?Because it¡¯s the best tool to avoid STDs and unwanted pregnancies? Also, have I ever told you the Australian slang is weird??


    ?Thanks, Captain Obvious?, Elisa snorted. ?He¡¯s asking why do you carry a bloody condom with you on a mission. Did you expect some hot encounters in the middle of the forest? Did you forget you¡¯re married??


    ?But three of us aren¡¯t, correct? You never know what might happen. Better be prepared. Plus, a condom can easily be used as an emergency canteen?.


    Nonplussed, Elisa replied after a beat. ?I don¡¯t know if I should consider you very wise or a complete idiot?.


    ?Why, of course this is great wisdom. Who do you take me for??


    ?You really want me to answer??


    Ignoring her, Chief Rossi went back to addressing Steve: ?In any case, Steve, you know I have some if you need. Never forget to use protection!?


    ?Yes, mom?.


    ?And cut the sass, will you??


    ?Ehm... yes, sir. Sorry. Actually, chief, were you serious regarding the canteen part??


    Bradley interrupted the conversation. ?We seriously don¡¯t want to know. What I¡¯d really like someone to explain to me, however, is why we can survive on this planet. I mean, what are the chances that on this planet we can breathe air and not, I don¡¯t know, carbon dioxide or whatever??


    ?Well, we know our friends¡¯ blood is red, and the fake-leopard as well. That should mean that on this planet the air is made mostly of oxygen, I guess?? Alessandro replied.


    ?Not really? Elisa rebuked him, not without some glee. ?On Earth, cold-blooded animals have blue blood, but they still breathe oxygen. Their haemoglobin simply contains copper and not iron, unlike mammals and other warm-blooded animals. Think of octopuses?.


    Steve cut in, speaking with an old voice and a faux British accent. ?And now, after a short break, do not miss our new documentary ¡°Planet of Noble Animals¡±. Listen to Dame Elisa ¡°Bogeyman¡± Schwartzman as she narrates the life of our true emperors: octopi and calamari. Stay tuned on BBC Nature?.


    That caught everyone unprepared, so much that Jaspinder snorted while drinking and started coughing, while Tetsuo had a suffering face as he tried to hold his laughter. Alessandro and Bradley just did not care and seemed like they would keep on snickering forever.


    ?Oh, shut up?, Elisa protested, but even she had a smile on her face.


    ?So?, Bradley began, between one laugh and the next, ?we have no idea. We were just lucky, I guess?.


    ?Sometimes it¡¯s good to have some luck, at least?, Jaspinder observed. Elisa privately agreed with her, but she remained very sceptical regarding the circumstances of their arrival on the new planet. She decided it was a good moment to stop listening to the conversation and beckoned Jaspinder to come closer. Steve moved to listen in, curiosity made person, but she shooed him away so they could talk in private.


    ?Jas, listen¡­ do you want to talk about your outburst? You know, that night from before we saved them?? Her thumb pointed at the men and women sitting close by.


    ?No, not really¡­?


    Elisa insisted. She was not going to be deterred so easily. ?That wasn¡¯t the usual you. Does it have to do with something that happened? Were you¡­??


    Jaspinder remained silent, her hands playing with her hair. After a minute or so, she turned to look at Elisa. ?No, it wasn¡¯t me¡­ but I saw it happen. I was sixteen?.


    ?Want to talk about it??


    ?No¡­ Sorry, Elisa. Thanks, but no. Another day, perhaps?.


    ?Alright, but I¡¯m here when you want to talk, ok?? She put her hand on Jaspinder¡¯s shoulder.


    ?I know. Thank you, Elisa. Just¡­ let¡¯s look after the girl, okay? The one you saved. L¨ªf-something¡­ T¨¢r¡¯s daughter, or sister, I mean?.


    ?Of course. That goes without saying?.


    Jaspinder smiled. ?Thank you?.


    Elisa reciprocated, but her smile was strained; she wanted for it to be warm, reassuring, but she could not. Something kept nagging at her mind. She had a bad feeling.


    ***


    The next three days went by in a flash. Tetsuo kept himself busy trying to learn more about their alien friends ¨C the though was still strange to him. ¡°Okkars¡±, as T¨¢r had told him many times, was how they referred to themselves, whereas the ones who had taken them captives were either called ¡°mannfolk¡± or ¡°Voulvent¡±. He still was not sure what was the difference, but if he had to guess, the first term was more generic. He would learn with time, he was certain. The rest of the time he spent foraging for food, hunting, preparing camp, and teaching the rest of the team whatever he had learned during the day. His companions proved once again to be receptive and quick to learn, though with different levels of dedication. They all put in the effort, both on their own and on their evening ¡°lessons¡±, but Tetsuo was ever so thankful for the recording cam in his helmet and the technology to share the videos with the rest of the team. Elisa, in particular, seemed to be the one with more ease in absorbing the knowledge. Perhaps she, too, wanted to distract herself and think of anything but their situation.


    Eiev?reur, or ¡°Ed¡± as Master Chief Anderson had decided to call him, also joined T¨¢r in satisfying Tetsuo¡¯s curiosity, and took the time to present his son, Sterk¨¢in, and Eir, his daughter-in-law, to him and the rest of Charlie Team. The boy, around twenty years of age, looked like a younger and slender version of his father and was quite enthusiastic in the greetings. The only enthusiasm that Eir, a.k.a. ¡°Lady Braids¡±, gave the team, however, was in the disgust of her stare. They managed to contain SO2 Cooper¡¯s desire for messing around and talk to her, as it was apparent that she was not in the mood to be in their vicinity for more than strictly necessary, but Charlie Six¡¯s confidence in saying that he would ¡°make her open up to them, with time¡± worried Tetsuo¡¯s diplomatic mind.


    A different worry, that was not Tetsuo¡¯s but was ever present among the Okkars, making it Charlie¡¯s problem as well, was to exit the forest as soon as possible. It had been difficult, but he had managed to understand from T¨¢r that the forest was ¡°cursed¡± for lack of a better term; it made the people inside happy, angry, sad, scared and other things too, apparently, especially after sunset. Though it was not so clear as to how or why, Tetsuo had felt it in his mind, the subtle influence in certain moments ¨C in the evening and when he had been stressed, mostly ¨C and had seen the effects on his teammates.


    ?They have two names for it, sir. ¡°Gleeiogsorg¡±, which stands for¡­? he checked his notes, ?¡°happy and sad¡±¡­ or ¡°happiness and sadness¡±, from what I understood. The second name is ¡°Lykofos¡± which means, uhm, ¡°the light after sunset¡±, I think?.


    ?So, ¡°dusk¡± or ¡°twilight¡±¡­?


    ?Aye, sir, but no vampires were mentioned?.


    Master Chief Anderson chuckled at that. ?Good. Why two names, though? I¡¯ll never be able to say the first one, but the second sounds easy enough?.


    ?Because the second one is in another language, sir. From what I understood, it is a lingua franca from a country in the south called ¡°¨¤rlam¡±?.


    ?Man, I¡¯d pay for a map right now¡­ Anyway, the ¡°Forest of Happiness and Sadness¡±, eh? Nah, too much on the nose. What do you guys think of ¡°Forest of Joy and Sorrow¡±??


    ?Very poetic. I didn¡¯t know you had it in you, Brad. Now you know what you¡¯ll do once you retire. You¡¯ll be the new Walt Whitman?. Senior Chief Rossi commented, not without humour.


    The master chief ignored the jab. ?I prefer ¡°Forest of Twilight¡±, though, it sounds pretty cool. What was the original name? ¡°Lykofos¡±??


    ?Yes, sir?.


    ?Lykofos¡­? Chief Anderson spoke the word as if tasting it. ?Not bad, it has a nice sound?.


    ?I say we just call it ¡°The Forest¡±?.


    ?Wow, Elisa, so original! And what happens when we find another forest, do we call it ¡°a bunch of trees¡±?? SOCS Rossi was leaning heavily on sarcasm, and from his experience, Chief Schwartzman would respond in kind of with an insult.


    ?We¡¯ll deal with it if and when we get there. Do you call by name all forests? Are they your secret lovers? Does Sofia know you are attracted to plants? You should see a professional, Al?.


    A tiny smile made its way on Tetsuo¡¯s face at those words. It was small things like these banters that had him love working with his team.


    ***


    ?¡­ and then, you know, I told them: ¡°in Germany we say ¡®if you feel the urge to laugh, you quickly go down to the basement¡¯? Elisa snorted, trying to remain serious, but after only a couple of seconds she began to laugh out loud.


    ?I don¡¯t get it? Jaspinder whispered, after a beat.


    ?Me neither, but don¡¯t worry, her humour is just weird?. Steve shook his head, not bothering to lower his voice.


    ?I can hear you. It¡¯s not my fault if you can¡¯t understand jokes?.


    Bradley chuckled. ?Elisa, I¡¯m sorry but if we¡¯re talking about not getting jokes, you¡¯re the last person that can complain?. His observation was met with choral laughter, which she joined after flipping him off.


    It was around four in the afternoon; they were taking a brief respite from their march north-west to rest. The day seemed nice, at least from what they could observe from under the thick canopy, but almost two weeks without seeing the sky would annoy anyone, and Elisa was no exception. That day too, like the previous eight, she checked the wounded and the ones still sick, satisfied that they were all on the road to recovery, on the outside at least. The women were still very much scarred by the abuse, some more than others, and distrust coupled with the language barrier greatly hindered her efforts to help them. The men were even worse; she knew for certain that some had been sexually assaulted as well, but none of them had asked for help and all always showed the same stoic behaviour. Each one of them had a recurring thousand-yard stare, and most were plagued by nightmares that would leave them screaming or crying upon waking up. To further complicate things, Elisa was not a psychologist or a therapist, so she could not even see the signs past the obvious, and did not know what to say or not to say. She was trained in emergency medicine and field medicine after all, her job was to keep her team alive so they could go back home; managing their mental health had always been someone else¡¯s duty.


    I haven¡¯t felt this helpless in years¡­ Elisa sighed as she stretched her neck side to side and loosened her stiff shoulders. She stood up and searched for Eith¡¯s familiar figure; T¨¢r was surely around the old giant. She found her talking to L¨ªfsgleei. It was time to try again.


    ?Hello, T¨¢r. How health? How she??


    ?Hello, Healer Elisa. M¨ªn health er good, but L¨ªfsgleei er still katat¨®n¨ªsk?.


    ?She what??


    ?She er katat¨®n¨ªsk?.


    Elisa did not understand, so T¨¢r tried a different approach. ?She er asleep and awake?.


    ?Okay. Me help, can me??


    At her nod, Elisa began to check on the girl. She complied with all her requests ¨C the ones she could express physically, at least, not the verbal ones ¨C but her eyes were still as dead as the day of the rescue.


    ?Wounds body, good. Wounds head, me do know not?. Elisa could not say more, not because of the language barriers ¨C not in this case at least ¨C but because she felt the weight of her lack of knowledge. She held her tongue, lest she starts cursing, and could not help but clench her jaw and tighten her left hand so much that her arm was trembling.


    T¨¢r put a hand of her shoulder and stared into her eyes. Surprised, Elisa looked back, and saw worry and compassion there. ?Do not worry. Do not anger. You hefur helped okkur mikie, and I thank you. Do not vera angry, or sad, or happy. Not here. No sterkar tilfinningar in Gleeiogsorg. Stj¨®rnaeu yourself?.


    ?Thank you, but ¡°no¡± what in the¡­ ehm¡­ many-trees??.


    T¨¢r gestured at the trees around them. ?Skogur?.


    Okay, ¡°forest¡± is ¡°skogur¡±.


    T¨¢r touched her own chest with her index finger. ?No sterkar tilfinningar?. To emphasise, she flexed her considerable bicep, and in rapid succession morphed her expression from crying, to laughing, to furious.


    ?Oh! Emotions! ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, sad or happy. No strong emotions in the forest¡±. Correct??


    ?Yes?.


    ?Okay, but¡­ reason?? Elisa was beginning to get frustrated at her lacking knowledge of the language. She hated to dumb down the way she spoke.


    ?Unknown, but tae eru stories of Our People or humans sem myrtu their companions because of ¨®tta and mikilli anger. The sveit tessara b?lvueu human soldiers voru also fyrir ¨¢hrifum by Gleeiogsorg. They voru mj?g violent when they took us?.


    ?Wait, wait. Slow, please. Me understand hard. New words. Difficult words?.


    ?The forest gerir people brj¨¢lae and violent. S¨¦rstaklega when the sun goes down. They kill jafnvel their friends?.


    With a look of worry, Elisa filed the information away to report later to the others. It made no sense that a forest would make people violent, but nothing in their situation made sense, and she had seen strange things in her life that actually had a logical and scientific cause. The problem, however, was that there was no scientist around to study what caused erratic behaviour in the forest and find a solution. They had to trust the words of the natives and get out of there as soon as possible. There was no scepticism in her mind; in hindsight, she had seen firsthand her friends¡¯ unusual behaviour, and felt something foul and slimy poisoning her thoughts. With that in mind, she concluded her check on T¨¤r and her daughter or sister and moved away. She had had no more luck in being allowed to check the rape victims¡¯ intimate parts for injuries, but at least the rest of their bodies were mostly healthy. Even Vorsonur had recovered from his pneumonia, and Eir¡¯s aid had been crucial in nursing him daily after the antibiotics had done their part; Elisa had received her help without the need to ask, and with other patients as well, but the woman still stared daggers at all of Charlie Team regardless.


    With her mind occupied, she joined Bradley at the head of the column. It was time to resume their march.


    ***


    The following day there was a gloomy atmosphere among the group. Even the light that filtered through the trees felt dimmer. Perhaps it was overcast ¨C not that they could tell, the thick branches covered most of the sky, the evergreens that populated the forest having grown a lot in the fight to secure a spot with enough sunlight. The column was slow-moving and there had been no accidents, apart from a small tumble that had caused no injuries, only some mild embarrassment; Eldur, the red-haired hunter, had slipped on a wet rock and grabbed another young Okkar ¨C likely around 20 years old ¨C to keep on his feet, but only ended up making him fall as well, in a scene out of a slapstick comedy, to the amusement of everybody around them. The two young men joined the good-hearted laughter that eased some of the tension in the air; a few men and women even looked like they had a little less weight on their backs, standing just a bit taller and with a faint smile on their face.


    Around noon they took the usual break to rest and eat. No game that day, nor on the previous one, so they filled their bellies with only what they could forage. Water, luckily, was abundant; the forest was populated by various smaller brooks and creeks from which they could drink greedily and replenish their reserves.


    As they sat down, Elisa spoke once again about what T¨¢r had told her the previous afternoon. ?I¡¯ve been thinking¡­ it makes sense now, you know. After we found out that our target wasn¡¯t where it should have been, I was gripped by crippling fear, a terror unlike anything I¡¯d ever felt?.


    ?I, too, was taken by my emotions?, Bradley intervened, ?both on that day and¡­ when we freed them. When Elisa and I rescued the girl, L¨¬f?.


    Steve cracked open a walnut, or what passed for one over there. ?What happened in that tent, Chief??


    ?I don¡¯t want to talk about it?.


    ?That bad, huh? Well, I know for sure that me and Jas got bamboozled by fireflies while we searched for the enemy compound?.


    ?Wait, what?? Alessandro sported his trademark raised eyebrow as well as an amused smirk.


    ?Yeah, it was a beautiful sight?, Jaspinder replied, voice dreamy, ?but we also stood there for minutes, sitting ducks high on, well, happiness?. She laughed, a joyful melody that never failed to lift Elisa¡¯s mood, and this time was no exception.


    ?You also lost control that night when you stormed off to the river to calm down, SO2 Khalid?.


    ?Tetsuo, stop being so formal all the time, you¡¯ll get older sooner. What would you think of me if I always called you ¡°SO1 Kusanagi¡±?? Elisa asked.


    ?I would think the best of you, ma¡¯am. That is my rank and surname, so I see nothing wrong with being called in such way?. Tetsuo¡¯s face betrayed no emotion, no indication he was joking.


    ?One day?, Al chimed in, index pointed at their Japanese friend, ?I¡¯ll prove that you¡¯re doing all this for fun, that you¡¯re laughing inside because you secretly enjoy being an annoying stickler to the rules?.


    ?I would never dream of making fun of you, sir?. A perfect reply, said with a straight face. Of course it made everyone else snort in amusement.


    Bradley took back the reins of the conversation. ?Anyway, you too have been influenced by this forest, Al, and not just once. You told me yourself?.


    ?True?.


    ?Count me as well?, Elisa said. ?I¡¯ve had this¡­ unexplainable fear gripping my guts ever since we met that green leopard, or whatever it was. And it only got worse after what happened in that tent¡­?


    ?Which you won¡¯t tell us?. Steve complained.


    Elisa looked at him. She felt spent. ?No, I won¡¯t. Not until Brad says it¡¯s fine to talk about it?.


    ?What about you, old man??


    ?I have always felt in control until now, SO2 Cooper. Perhaps my emotions have not run as high as yours in the last days?.


    ?Well, considering that to get you to lose your self-control last time we only needed around forty people shooting at us, I¡¯d say it¡¯s good you kept your cool these last days?. Alessandro quipped.


    ?Sir, you make it look like I can¡¯t keep cool under fire?.


    Bradley laughed. ?Tetsuo, nobody ever told you that when you¡¯re in a firefight you have a huge, happy grin plastered on your face? I¡¯m just waiting for the day when you start shouting ¡°More dakka!¡±?. He clapped his hands once. ?Listen up, guys! We leave in ten. Let¡¯s move!?


    Everyone began preparing in order to move out soon. Elisa and Tetsuo checked the remaining food, Brad and Steve moved upfront to discuss which path to take, and Jaspinder and Alessandro went to call those Okkars that had wanted a modicum of privacy and were not close by.


    A minute later, a heart-wrenching scream broke the silene.


    Elisa jerked her head in the direction of the sound. ?Schei?e! What was that??


    ?Wait... that sounded like T¨¤r¡¯s voice?, Tetsuo said, standing up.


    ?Are you sure??


    ?Yes, we have been conversing a lot these past few days, I can easily recognize it. We should go see what hap¡ª?


    ?This is Five! Medic to my position! Now!? Jaspinder was breathing heavily, her voice frantic, so distressed that she even forgot to close the channel. ?No, no, no. Not again, fuck! Not this time! Stay alive, don¡¯t you fucking die on me!?


    Elisa sprang into action, running at full speed towards the blue dot that marked her friend¡¯s position on her visor, Tetsuo on her tail.

 Chapter 11 - Thence we came forth to rebehold the Sun

    Blood. Blood everywhere.


    Her own scream was silent to her ears, T¨¢r did not even realise she was giving voice to her terror and pain. The only thing she could hear was the accelerated beating of her heart and an endless buzz that overwhelmed every other sound. She blinked and her breath was once again caught into her throat. She was kneeling on the ground, a gnarled root pressed onto her shin, the discomfort a forgotten afterthought. She bent down at the waist as her sight darkened and a shiver ran from the base of her neck down to her tailbone.


    She was cold. Afraid. Ragged breaths now came out of her mouth, as another bout of shivers shook her, but this time her arms too started trembling. Her whole world was unravelling in front of her eyes, and the weight of everything she had suffered since they had been attacked and captured was about to crush her. A helmet appeared in her field of vision; it was one of those strange, totally closed ones that these humans wore. It was unlike any other she had ever seen, but the sight was now so common it did not elicit any more surprise. Regardless, even if it had been the first time seeing it, it would have caused no reaction in her. Not in her current situation. She understood that the one in front of her was saying something only when they took hold of her arms and shook her with surprising strength. T¨¢r still could not hear anything except for the sound of her own heartbeat and that annoying and ever-present buzz.


    The human stopped shaking her and turned. They were speaking, perhaps, while looking around. She did not know. She did not care.


    She looked down.


    She was holding a hand, a gentle hand smaller than her own, with a couple of years left to complete its growth. She could feel the dirt, the scars, the scabbed scratches, the callouses, the broken nails and ruined skin. The hand was cold, so very cold.


    As L¨ªfsgleei lay there on the ground, blood pouring out from the deep cuts on her arms, T¨¢r found herself frozen, unable to do anything except stare at the joy of her life dying.


    No! Not again. By the Sage, I will not bury my daughter as well, the Widow be damned!


    Her hand tightened around her child¡¯s before letting go. The tunnel vision receded while she moved according to painful experience and ingrained practice; she tore strips out of what little cloth she had left of her shirt, feverishly tying them around the wounds on the left arm and putting pressure on them. The human ¨C Gjaspinder she assumed, given the dark eyes visible inside the helmet ¨C was already taking care of the other arm, where the wounds looked shallower; from a pocket of her belt, she took out a tiny white and blue satchel that looked so very fragile, as if made of thin parchment. She tore it open on one side and poured the white powder it held onto the bloodied arm. Then, she did the same with the other side, but this time blue powder fell onto the wounds. Once done, she spoke very loudly in her language. The only thing T¨¢r understood was ¡°Elisa¡±, and a warm ember of hope started to burn inside her. When a female voice replied, she looked up to see the human healer running towards them, followed by the muscular one, Tetzuo. It was at that moment that she looked back at L¨ªfsgleei and saw the dirty rags she had used as bandages drenched red, the blood still seeping from under them and onto the ground. The ember was almost snuffed out at that moment, but then she noticed that her daughter¡¯s other forearm was encased in something lucid and transparent. She considered it in wonder for but a second, marvelling at how that white and blue powder had become that thing and stopped the bleeding. With renewed fire in her heart, she quickly turned her attention back to the left arm, doubling her efforts to stop the bleeding. She looked at the human healer and pleaded her for help. ?Elisa! Please save L¨ªfsgleei! Save my daughter?.


    Then, she was suddenly shoved aside.


    ***


    The girl¡¯s face was pale, or at least it looked so. Elisa was not an expert on the physiology of grey aliens, but she could recognise the incoming hypovolemic shock in the blueish lips, in the closed eyes, in the clammy skin and in her shallow breathing; they were losing her. T¨¢r was putting pressure on the filthy ¡°bandages¡± ¨C though the name felt too generous ¨C that were already drenched in blood, and the combat medic tried not to think about the appalling risk of infection on the wounds. Still, she could not leave it like that; the Okkar woman was trying her best despite the panic on her face and trembling hands, and it did not look like it was the first time she had dressed a wound, but she was clearly not trained in any first aid basics.


    As if reading her mind, T¨¢r addressed her directly. ?Elisa! Please bjargaeu L¨ªfsgleei! Bjargaeu my d¨®ttur?. Tears fell to the ground, driven by her desperation.


    Elisa shoved her away. No time to be gentle, the girl had lost too much blood already.


    ?Everyone, back off! Jas, talk to me?. Her commanding tone would have made Alessandro himself snap to attention.


    ?Copy. A single, deep cut on the left arm and multiple wounds on the right. Likely self-inflicted. I found a jagged stone covered in blood. T¨¢r found her. I poured a dose of FAP on the right arm?.


    Mentally cursing once again whoever had decided to call it ¡°First Aid Powder¡±, Elisa checked the left forearm with expert eye. She took the med-kit out of her backpack, pulled out a tourniquet and with quick and precise movements, put it on the girls¡¯ left arm. Shit! She¡¯s going into hypothermia. ?Al, help me. We must warm her up, she¡¯s too cold?. Alessandro followed her orders without a word, and soon L¨ªfsgleei was wrapped into an olive-coloured casualty blanket. Elisa grabbed the right arm and performed a simple visual inspection; the anti-septic powder had already transformed in gelatinous foam, coating the wounds and the blood vessels in the process, helping with coagulation. ?Well done, Jas. The bleeding has stopped, but keep the pressure above the elbow?. She put the arm back under the blanket and turned towards Alessandro, crouched next to her. ?Al, keep an eye on the tourniquet. Mark ten mikes from now, you know what to do?.


    ?Roger, ten mikes. Marked?.


    Taking hold of the injured left arm, Elisa removed the bloodied bandages as fast as she could and examined the wound. She washed the blood away with some water, took out a FAP from her utility belt and, with a steady hand, poured the dose of anti-septic powder onto the cut, watching its rapid expansion into a transparent foam that coated almost all of the forearm. All the while, she never stopped paying attention to T¨¢r. The woman had gone through the first stages of grief in rapid succession, and now hope was strong in her and she was breathing a sigh of relief.


    Too early for that. Now comes the hard part.


    ?That never ceases to amaze me. The wonders of modern medicine...?


    ?Sorry, Jas, no time to chit-chat?, Elisa told the younger operator. ?Mark fifteen mikes for the foam and keep the pressure on the other arm?. She rummaged inside the med-kit. ?We can only use two more FAPs before she starts to get blood poisoning; she¡¯s just a civilian, and not even an adult. We need to be quick?. She grabbed the injector, loaded it with a vial of broad-spectrum antibiotics and administered them to L¨ªfsgleei, hoping she would not have an allergic reaction.


    She breathed in, then out. It was not finished yet.


    ?She¡¯s stable for now. We stopped the haemorrhage but she¡¯s still in critical condition?. Elisa applied a small disc to the girl¡¯s neck to check her vitals, and a list of parameters appeared on her visor. She read them out loud, more to confirm them than to let the others know. ?Pressure: 80/60. Heart rate¡­ stop disappearing for fuck¡¯s sake! 125¡­ no, 132. Now it¡¯s 128. Schei?e, the pulse is too weak even for the sensor?. She grabbed a crystalloids bag and put up an IV connecting it to the girl. ?Brad, keep it high?. She cursed again. ?This is not enough. She needs a transfusion or she¡¯s as good as dead?. Elisa looked at Alessandro, the only universal donor among the team. He understood, nodded, then began to take off the body armour on his left arm.


    ?Are you sure this is the best option?? Bradley asked.


    ?No, but I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯ll be enough to save her¡­?


    Jaspinder chimed in. ?Elisa, can she even get blood from us? I mean, we¡¯re the aliens here! Are you sure¡ª?


    ?I don¡¯t know, Jas! I¡¯m not sure of anything here! I don¡¯t know if 0 negative will be rejected or not, but her blood is red like ours, and this¡­ this is our best bet?.


    ?What are the risks if the blood in incompatible?? Bradley asked, his voice tinged by an unusual anxiety.


    ?The mild ones? Fever, nausea, vomit, dizziness, tachycardia, pissing blood, jaundice¡ª?


    ?Jaundice?? He asked.


    ?When you get yellow skin and eyes. It¡¯s a liver problem?.


    ?Oh, ok?.


    ?Then there are the serious complications?, Elisa continued to talk as she carefully dressed the wounds on the girl¡¯s right arm ¨C the least hurt of the two ¨C with an emergency bandage. The dry foam would ensure the wounds remain clean and the bandages sterile. ?Lung problems, kidney failure, shock, death. Jas, you can stop with the pressure on the arm?.


    ?Oh, for the love of¡­? Bradley swore out loud. ?Is it too much to ask for something less dramatic sometimes??


    ?Elisa?, Alessandro addressed her, his voice calm and quiet, ?Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have T¨¢r do it? She¡¯s her mother, while I¡¯m literally from a different species?.


    ?We¡¯re not sure she is. We still can¡¯t have a damn serious conversation with them. Yes, I¡¯m almost certain they are mother and daughter, but ¡°almost¡± is not enough. And yes, we are different species, we¡¯re the aliens here, but ¨C as I said ¨C they too have red blood, and I know you are 0 negative, Al, while I have no idea of their blood types?.


    ?Okay, but isn¡¯t there a good chance that we have totally incompatible blood, then? The two of them should share the same, no??


    ?Maybe. It¡¯s possible; and no, they could still have different blood types. At best, the chances are one in four, and that¡¯s if they¡¯re mother and daughter. If they¡¯re sisters we should consider that they might have different fathers, or perhaps T¨¢r is the girl¡¯s aunt, who the hell knows!? She closed her eyes and took a calming breath; she was getting too heated up. She really wanted to take off her helmet, but she needed the medical parameters it showed. ?All these mental gymnastics are pointless if we let her die! Maybe T¨¢r is the perfect donor, maybe she has a blood-transmitted disease, maybe, maybe, maybe¡­ We don¡¯t know and we can¡¯t test her blood, so I¡¯m still counting on you?.


    ?I¡¯m ready, but I¡¯ll ask again: are you sure? The chance of rejection could be too high?, Alessandro said.


    ?No, I¡¯m not sure! Schei?e, Al, I don¡¯t fucking know! We transplant pig organs into humans, but this isn¡¯t the same! If we make the transfusion, she might die. If we don¡¯t make the transfusion, she will die?.


    ?Elisa?, Brad intervened, his voice a warm embrace, calming, ?you¡¯re the medic, you know best. We trust your decision?.


    Elisa went quiet as the others looked at her. She felt their stares even as her mind weighted the options while the mantle of responsibility pressed her down, her thoughts racing to decide what would give the young girl the best chance of survival.


    If we leave her be, she dies. She¡¯s lost too much blood. If I use T¨¢r, I¡¯m making a serious gamble with her life. If I give her Al¡¯s blood, it¡¯s still a gamble, but I have some control¡­ or the illusion of it. Shit! Shit! Shit! Why can¡¯t the decision be easy for once?


    ?Fucking hell, I hate leaving things to chance¡­? she muttered, but she had made her choice. ?First the tourniquet. How are we with that, Al?


    ?We¡¯re down to two mikes?.


    ?Good, I¡¯ll remove it now. Al, lay down next to her. Put your head towards her feet, so I can connect your left arms. Jas, your mark?.


    ?Six mikes left?.


    Not enough time. I¡¯ll have to use another dose of powder. ?Jas, you¡¯ll help me. Do as I say when I say it?.


    ?Yes, ma¡¯am?.


    The removal of the tourniquet did not cause any new bleeding from the wound. Despite its depth, no artery had been touched, otherwise the foam would have not been able to contain the blood ejected at arterial pressure. They proceeded with the transfusion, and Jaspinder was tasked with checking the numbers on the small display of the transfusion kit¡¯s gauge.


    ?It will automatically stop the blood transfer at the 900 ml mark, but warn me when it reaches 450?.


    ?Wilco, ma¡¯am?.


    ?Now, hold her arm steady, palm up?.


    Once the transfusion was underway, Elisa poured another FAP on the wound, marked fifteen mikes, took off her gloves and picked needle, tweezers and surgical thread. Using her visor to zoom in and out on the wound, she started to suture the veins in the left arm that the girl had cut or nicked in her suicide attempt; the transparent foam allowed her to operate with a clear view of what she was doing, with no blood flowing out, all while keeping both the wound and the instruments sterile.


    Only a minute passed before the silence was broken. ?Elisa, why did you choose to have Chief Rossi undergo the transfusion and not T¨¤r?? Jaspinder whispered, her eyes reminding the German medic of a curious cat.


    ?Well, the girl has more similarities with T¨¤r than Al, that¡¯s evident. They¡¯re related and most likely mother and daughter. However, I remembered that some chimps and gorillas have blood types very similar to us?.


    ?Gorillas? Why are you talking about apes??


    ?Look, I know it sounds stupid, but a human with type A blood is closer to a type A gibbon than to another human with type B?. She carefully inserted the hooked needle into the vein and connected it to its severed part with a final loop and a small knot. The intensity of the situation and the fact she was wearing her helmet had Elisa sweat profusely; on the other hand, the fact that she was wearing the helmet meant that no sweat would go into her eyes. ?Hell, the Rh factor itself stands for ¡°Macacus Rhesus¡±, so, you know, I thought ¡°what if their blood and ours are similar enough?¡±. It was a gamble I admit, do-or-die, with risk of failure in any case?. She began to suture a second vein.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ?So, a kind of Kobayashi Maru, but you managed to cheat like Captain Kirk? Jaspinder commented.


    ?I don¡¯t think I want to know what that is. In any case, Al was a known variable with the most neutral blood type, so I went with him because it was the safest choice between two bad ones?.


    ?I can hear you?. Alessandro said, his eyes still closed.


    ?It¡¯s rude to eavesdrop?.


    ?If you don¡¯t want to be overheard, don¡¯t talk where I can listen?.


    ?And here I¡¯d hoped the blood loss would make him more amiable?, Elisa said to Jaspinder.


    ?Not really an adjective I¡¯d use for him?, Bradley pointed out.


    ?Indeed, you¡¯re right. ¡°Grumpy uncle¡± would be more appropriate?. Jaspinder wore an amused smile.


    ?I¡¯d go more for ¡°annoying old man¡±?, Elisa replied.


    ?Har-har-har. You guys are so funny. Ever thought of doing stand-up??


    ?Yes, of course. I have a natural gift for comedy, don¡¯t you know?, Elisa deadpanned. Her hand had never stopped working on the unconscious L¨ªfsgleei, though. She had finished to suture the second vein and was proceeding with the remaining two. Then she would have to close the wound in the same way. Only nine minutes left before the foam would flak away.


    A couple of minutes later, as Elisa had just begun to reconnect the last vein, the gauge alarm went off and Jaspinder notified her that they had reached the 450 ml mark. After receiving Alessandro¡¯s permission to continue, Elisa warned him that they would only transfer another 450 ml and then stop. She would not risk his life. That amount of blood would have to do.


    With a little more than a minute left before the anti-septic foam would dry off, Elisa finished stitching the wound and wrapped it in clean TR bandages, her movements efficient and delicate.


    As she checked the right arm, Elisa shared her thoughts out loud. ?I don¡¯t think we need to use a TRB here. From what I saw earlier, the wounds are not so deep that they need a fast tissue regeneration. I guess the girl was too weak ¨C or too afraid ¨C to do a good job?.


    Jaspinder chimed in. ?She did manage to inflict no less than five cuts, though?.


    ?Yeah¡­ Let¡¯s leave the Israeli bandage and see how it goes?.


    Not long after, they reached the 900 ml mark and Elisa stopped the transfusion. She also injected the young Okkar girl with a stims shot and a tetanus shot; the last thing they wanted was for her to die right after saving her life.


    They had done all they could. Now they had to wait and hope she pulled through.


    ***


    It was late morning, and Tetsuo was walking around the camp, helmet hanging from his belt and LMG attached to his back. They had remained in the same place since the previous afternoon, and most of the group had welcomed the unforeseen break. Around him, people quietly murmured, and he listened to them without really focusing on anyone in particular, catching a word here and another there, though the vast majority of each conversation still felt obscure to his ears. The air was damp and the smell of wet soil and wood already permeated his nostrils; it smelled good and fresh. It made him thirsty. The forest, however, was quiet, devoid of any natural noise except for the rustling of leaves and a couple of brave birds which were having a duet high up on some branch, probably feeling safe enough from predators to indulge in a few songs.


    Naturally, T¨¢r was not among those who had been happy about the respite. She would have preferred if they had not had to stop at all, for obvious reasons. Now she was sitting close to L¨ªfsgleei, nursing her daughter ¨C Tetsuo had made sure to receive crystal clear confirmation about that ¨C in hope she would heal and awaken. Bradley had made them dig some fire holes and bring the girl close to one, keeping her warm throughout day and night. Elisa checked on her periodically, but there was nothing more she or any of them could do; they had to wait until she got better.


    Or until she did not.


    One thing that Tetsuo liked to do in stressful situations was to walk. As he walked, he would listen, observe, feel whatever happened around him, without focusing on anything in particular. It helped him to change perspective and ease some tensions. The only downside of this method was that he could not always do it; for example, being under direct fire can be considered a very stressful situation, but he would have never considered freely walking around to relax in such context.


    Moving around the camp, he noticed that each team member had their own way to cope with the latest event; L¨ªfsgleei¡¯s attempt to take her life was still just a step away from becoming another tragedy in their messed-up mission. Senior Chief Rossi was still recuperating from the considerable blood transfusion, though the master chief had had to literally sit down on him when he had insisted on going hunting with SO2 Cooper, despite Chief Schwartzman¡¯s orders to rest. That was why he now mostly laid down to sleep or sat with his eyes closed and sighed even more than usual. When she had asked why he kept doing it, the senior chief had replied that he was picturing his wife, his daughter and his son in his mind, wondering when he would see them again.


    ?I wish I had a photo of them with me, and to hell with OPSEC¡­? He had told her, worry and longing in his voice.


    Chief Schwartzman, Elisa, had confided in him the previous evening that, since morning, she had kept thinking of all the young people she had seen die in the last few years; she kept seeing their faces everywhere, fear and shock etched into their final expression. Her mind, she had told him, also kept going back to her younger brother back in Germany, wondering if he was fine.


    As he walked, Tetsuo chanced upon SO1 Khalid repeatedly kicking a tree. He decided no to disturb her, and when she stormed off, visibly dissatisfied, he followed her discreetly. When he saw her joining SO2 Cooper in doing some basic calisthenics, Tetsuo walked away, but not before overhearing a snipped of their conversation.


    ?I have cried enough?. She declared, getting down on the ground for some push-ups. ?First to fifty? The loser pays the next drink?.


    Cooper simply grunted his agreement. Tetsuo was quite certain they both needed to vent some anger and frustration, and left them alone. He found the master chief standing guard ¨C someone had to ¨C and approached him.


    ?Chief?.


    ?Tetsuo. Any news??


    ?Negative. No status changes?.


    Chief Anderson cursed out loud.


    ?Trust in medicine and in the girl¡¯s resilience. We can¡¯t do more than what has already been done?.


    ?Roger, I know. It¡¯s just¡­ She¡¯s a kid, just a little older than my girls, and we failed her. Again, I couldn¡¯t protect her?.


    ?Chief, you know very well that we did the best we could do. Those who harmed her are dead, and none of us had any way to stop her from attempting suicide?.


    ?Guilt doesn¡¯t go away with logic, Tetsuo. We were unable to protect her, that¡¯s a fact?. He sighed. ?I wish I were with Becky and the girls¡­ Anyway, good job, Tetsuo, carry on?.


    Recognising the dismissal, Tetsuo resumed his walk. After seeing the senior chief and the master chief, he could not help but think about his husband and their son, and how glad he was that Reiji was growing up in a country where he did not have to fear for his freedom or his life. His feet carried him onward, towards his actual target for the day; the giant Okkar was leaning against a tree, perhaps lost in thought, but Tetsuo had lots of questions about their culture, life, habits, about them as persons, not just as a people, and Eiev?reur was the right one to answer them.


    This, too, was his way to combat stress.


    ***


    Alessandro woke up refreshed. Well, as much as one could while in middle of a forest, with no bed, no shower or other modern amenities. Still, he felt full of energy; it was a given, since they had forced him to lay down and rest for a day and a half, and just because he had given some blood. A break was always welcome, sure, but he was not on his deathbed, he could have helped around camp, gathered firewood, tended to the fires, cooked, stood guard; not one of those activities were strenuous or very tiring, as he told the others.


    But Bradley had heavily insisted, as in 90-kg-plus-equipment heavily, and Alessandro knew when to relent.


    He stood up and stretched, his back and neck aching from laying down for too long, stopping when he felt his muscles had loosened enough. He helped himself to some hare meat caught and prepared the previous evening by the two hunters; they had roasted them with some herbs he did not recognise that removed some of the gamey flavour. He warmed it on the closest fire, but the first bite confirmed it was still too bland for his tastes, so he grabbed his backpack, removed a small container from it, took out a tiny pinch of salt and sprinkled it on top of the meat.


    Oh, yes! Salt makes all the difference. He sighed, content, as his taste buds enjoyed the now-tastier meat. I am almost out it, though. Not that I brought much to begin with¡­


    Alessandro finished his breakfast and decided to check on the girl. She was only ten or so metres away, close to the biggest fire hole and still wrapped in the emergency blanket. T¨¢r was sleeping next to her, clearly exhausted, but still holding her hand. His arrival did not disturb their peace, he kneeled down and saw that both were breathing normally; it was a sight that made him feel at ease, despite knowing the precariousness of the situation. As he stood up to walk away, T¨¢r stirred and opened her eyes.


    She said something unintelligible, then wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her free hand and slowly sat up. She caressed the girl¡¯s face and moved a lock of black hair. Then, she searched for her makeshift canteen and drank greedily what water was left in it. In all this, she never left the hold on L¨ªfsgleei¡¯s hand. Looking at Alessandro, she spoke with a now clear voice: ?Alesaner, I thank you. You bjargaeir my d¨®ttur. Your blood mun vernda her, now?.


    ?You welcome?, he replied. ?I happy to help?.


    T¨¢r smiled at that, but it was a smile that could not hide her worry. Alessandro nodded and with nothing more to say, began to move away.


    They noticed it at the same time, and they both turned to greet the pair of brown eyes that was looking at them.


    ?M¡­ o¡­ ther?.


    Lips barely cracked open, L¨ªfsgleei managed to utter that one word, and T¨¢r almost threw herself at her daughter, hugging and kissing her with passion and relief. Tears flowed freely from her eyes and words of joy filled the quietness of the forest, her every gesture was full of care and tenderness.


    Alessandro was not wearing his armour so he did not have a way to call the others on the comms, but since they were in the middle of the camp, he guessed that shouting would be enough. ?Elisa! She woke up!?


    Their resident combat medic arrived running non even half a minute later, med-kit in hand. She was followed closely by Brad and Cooper. Wasting no time, she began to check the young girl¡¯s health in silence, and no one uttered a word as she worked. Eiev?reur too came closer with the rest of his people, until everyone was huddled together. They all quietly waited for Elisa¡¯s words.


    Only a few minutes passed, not more, but to Alessandro they felt like hours, until Elisa stood up and spoke. ?She good. She will live?. The words were said in the Okkar¡¯s language and were met with cheers of joy and relief. T¨¢r was positively beaming despite the copious tears running down her cheeks, and hugged Elisa first, then Alessandro, before going back to tend to her daughter. The rest of the Okkars kept celebrating and hugged each other, some with tears flowing but all sporting a smile; even ¡°Lady Braids¡± let go of her perennial scowl for five minutes and smiled in relief. As the cheers quieted down, Elisa continued her report in English. ?She¡¯s safe now, lucky girl... She survived, but I fear she might have damaged her tendons. We¡¯d need a deeper check but we don¡¯t have the equipment, so only time will tell?.


    Bradley nodded, busy drying his tears of joy. ?I want everyone to give T¨¢r and¡­ Lifsgledi, correct? Anyway, give them your full support. Elisa, Tetsuo, talk to them and learn if there¡¯s anything else we can do. Everyone else: we stay here until Elisa decides she can travel, so back to your duties!?


    At the order, Alessandro decided to take care of whatever tasks Elisa and Tetsuo had to do before L¨ªfsgleei had woken up. It was the least he could do, and he was in serious need to do something with all the energy he had.


    Later that evening, he was sitting down on the grass, resting. He massaged his shoulder as he slowly stretched it, trying to ease the dull ache. I might have exaggerated¡­


    ?Hey, gramps, having back pain? Did you remember to take your evening pills?? Bradley plopped down next to him.


    ?I¡¯m well, better than young punks like you. Now, get off my lawn?.


    Brad laughed. ?See? You¡¯re already in character, ready for retirement?.


    ?So, what news do you bring, o¡¯ mighty master chief? All quiet on the western front??


    ?Well, things are okay. Tetsuo managed to understand the meaning of L¨ªfsed¡­ L¨ªfsgleti¡­ Jesus, I¡¯ll never complain about Carter¡¯s naming sense again ?.


    ?Brad, she tried to name her son ¡°Puto¡±?.


    ?Well, Filipino rice cakes are good¡­?


    ?Tell that to anyone who speaks Spanish. She had misspelled ¡°Pluto¡±. She was lucky the clerk at the registry office noticed and made her change the name?.


    ?Well, at least she didn¡¯t choose ¡°Uranus¡±?.


    Alessandro stared at Brad, unblinking, and slowly raised an eyebrow.


    ?Anyway, T¨¢r¡¯s daughter. Tetsuo has learned that her name means ¡°Joy of Life¡±, because she was that for her parents?.


    ?See? That¡¯s good naming sense. Okay, ¡°L¨ªfsgleei¡± is not easy to say but it¡¯s not that complicated either. At least not for most of us?.


    ?Yeah, yeah, you¡¯re so good with languages, unlike me, poor, ignorant American country boy. I bow to your superiority?.


    ?You said it, not me?. Alessandro smirked.


    ?I don¡¯t punch you only because pa¡¯ taught me not to hurt the elderly. In any case, we spoke with T¨¤r; we managed to have a kind of conversation?.


    ?About??


    ?So, Elisa asked her to be there for her daughter, constantly. To talk to her, to make it so she is not alone facing her nightmares?.


    Alessandro nodded.


    ?I was there with her and Tetsuo. We more or less made T¨¢r understand it will be difficult, that such scars will not go away, but that her daughter has to talk about it with someone who cares about her. Hell, we¡¯re not shrinks, but they should all talk to someone; a friend, family, it doesn¡¯t matter. They can even talk to us if they want?.


    ?That would be an interesting sight?.


    ?Well, I think we managed to pass the message, because T¨¢r started crying and thanking us. She kept saying ¡°two times¡±, so we guessed it was for saving L¨ªfsgle¡­ ei twice already?.


    ?We only did what was right?.


    ?Yeah¡­ Elisa is frustrated though. She hates not being able to help them recover from the trauma and that even listening and talking to them is complicated because of the language barrier?.


    ?What else is new? She¡¯s always preferred to blame herself instead of rationally consider the situation?.


    This time it was Bradley¡¯s turn to look at Al in askance, one eyebrow raised. ?Whoa, man, that¡¯s cold?.


    ?It¡¯s the truth. I also noticed that they do cry quite often, Elisa too?.


    ?Dude, not everyone has the emotional range of a rock?.


    ?That¡¯s offensive?, Alessandro replied, straight-faced. ?I¡¯m much more sensible than a rock, at least as much as a tree?.


    ?Okay, that¡¯s it. I can¡¯t take a dad joke at this hour. I¡¯m done for today. You take first watch with Tetsuo, since you¡¯re so full of energy?.


    ?Aye, aye, chief?. He gave Brad a mock salute and slowly stood up.


    ***


    Two weeks passed by in a flash, and they found themselves outside of the forest. It was sudden, almost unexpected, and left them disoriented; it was as if a strong wind had blown away a dense fog from their minds, now lighted by the sun that shone above their heads. One by one, they all stopped to enjoy its warmth, which was a balm for the spirit after weeks in penumbra, surrounded by humidity or drenched by rain. Alessandro was the first, followed by the rest, who took off his helmet and breathed as if it were his first time, as if his lungs could now hold more air, all while basking into the sunlight, eyes closed and a blissful look of enjoyment on his tired face; then, he exhaled a long, heavy breath he did not know he had been holding in, and could hear the others do the same. With a satisfied sigh, he looked at the sky in quiet contemplation, losing himself in its vastness. This new world appeared to be welcoming them, its colours now more vivid than anything they had seen in the forest, the skies azure with a tinge of green, as verdant were the plains stretching endlessly in front of them, and the smell of virgin soil and grass gently warmed by the sun, of the still-remaining morning dew, embraced them. It was the smell of Spring, and only a few sparse trees and a couple of gentle hills emerged from the unbroken sea of green that melted into the horizon. He spared a glance at the rest of the team, who was quietly enjoying that same peaceful state, while their Okkar friends showed the relief one would feel after waking up from a nightmare; some stood, arms spread out and eyes closed, others kneeled and touched the ground with their forehead, a few murmured unknown words, and sobs could be heard here and there.


    Jaspinder pointed at it first, but everyone heard the cry of a bird of prey flying above them, hunting for its next meal, as an easterly wind caressed their skin, blowing away what darkness remained upon them. They walked, an unconscious spring in their steps, and the rustle of the grass and their footsteps filled their surroundings; the sounds too were clearer now, crisp, as if a muffler had been suddenly removed from the world around them.


    Amidst all such changes, the most notable, but also the most subtle, was the invisible weight that lifted from their chests the farther away they moved from the forest. They all, Charlie Team and Okkars, set out with their back straighter than before, shoulders more relaxed and heads held higher. Baffled, Alessandro and the others watched with warm eyes and an amused smile as their ash-skinned friends visibly relaxed and began to make small talk among each other after weeks of almost complete silence.


    It was only around noon that Cooper spotted a blurred dot at the horizon; T¨¢r confirmed it was their destination, the town they were looking for. With renewed vigour, they marched on.


    No one looked back at the dark forest, its boundaries already far behind them.

 Chapter 12 – A Tale of Blood and Steel

    The scraping of pen on paper.


    The sound stopped, replaced by a swift and soft dipping, followed then by a short tapping; the scraping started once again.


    The hand moving the pen was rough, scarred by countless small scratches and a big round scar on its back, between the ring and the little finger.


    The sound stopped again, but this time the right hand took the pen, letting the left stretch itself a bit, opening and closing to get rid of some minor cramp. As rough was its back, so its palm was calloused, but clearly not from writing, even though the index and middle finger were starting to bear the signs of prolonged pen use.


    Apparently satisfied, the left hand took the pen back from its sister and resumed writing. Their owner did not give much thought to the object he was wielding: to him, it was a simple tool, which needed to be durable and sharp. Given how much he had to write as of late, changing it often would be a definite annoyance, and having a dull one would only be good for making a mess of the paper.


    To a member of Charlie Team, however, such pen would have appeared obsolete, ancient even, unlike any they had ever used: something even their grandparents had only seen in history books and movies. In fact, calling it a ¡°pen¡± would be inaccurate.


    With practiced movements, the quill ¨C that is what it was ¨C was cleaned of excess ink and gently placed upon a black cloth, point towards the writer. The inkpot was carefully closed to preserve it and prevent possible stains, and put to the left of the cloth, in line with its upper border. Back straight and shoulders relaxed, the man, sitting at the desk of what was unmistakably an office of some sort, nodded to himself before refocusing his green eyes on the piece of paper he had just finished writing on.


    Clad in a pristine military uniform ¨C except for the neatly rolled up left sleeve ¨C his appearance was not that of a young man, as the wrinkles and creases on his face showed; and though his looks as a whole transmitted a sense of maturity and serious professionalism, he certainly could not be considered old. At the same time, no one would think of him as middle-aged, since no streaks of grey could be seen yet in his hair or beard, which still retained their fierce auburn colour; so much that under certain light an onlooker could have the impression of flames dancing around on his face.


    An actual fire was crackling in the fireplace just a couple of metres to the man¡¯s right, warming the room just enough to stave off the chill of an early spring morning: the tepid rays of bliss shining through the rough glass of the room¡¯s only window were not up to the task yet. Two stuffed armchairs sat in front of said fireplace, and for a moment he pictured himself relaxing on his favourite one, a glass of red spirit in one hand, bare feet on top of the wooden table resting among the two chairs, basking in the cozy warmth of the fire, all duties and documents forgotten.


    The moment passed, and the man carried on, his focus once again on the papers on his desk. The solid piece of wooden furniture seemed to blend with the floor due to the big carpet the colours of the Autumn connecting the desk and the door. Behind the man, a clean weapon rack stood next to a shelf full of neatly ordered books and documents.


    As he finished reading, the man took his quill and checked its sharpness once again. Then, after carefully opening the inkpot, he lightly dipped it in and proceeded to sign the paper with focused precision.


    A knock came from the heavy oak door.


    A few seconds later, a hand rapped the door a second time.


    After a third, louder knocking, the man absentmindedly voiced his permission to enter in the eloquent ¨C almost poetic ¨C language of the Diarchy of Voulvent, but with the crisp inflection typical of those living in its easternmost territories.


    As his lone guest joined him in the room, ?Close the door please. It¡¯s hard to keep the warmth inside?, the man said, eyes not leaving the document on his desk.


    While the guest closed the door, the seated man cleaned and put away his quill, resting it once again on the black cloth, then closed the inkpot, dried the ink on the paper, and finally proceeded to carefully fold it in three. Without hurry, he took some sealing wax from a drawer, warmed it on the lit candle resting on his desk, and smirched it on one end of the closed paper, quickly pressing the wax with his personal sigil. He put the document on top of a neatly arranged pile of similar papers, adjusting it so that the borders were aligned.


    Only after that did he look at the man still standing at attention in front of the door, helmet in hand and eyes looking straight ahead. The burly, grizzled veteran was more than ten years older than him, but still athletic and in good health, despite having reached an age at which most soldiers either retired or were dead.


    ?At ease, captain?, he said, putting aside the signed document. ?Please, come closer. I suppose you¡¯re here to make your report?.


    ?Yes, sir?, the captain said, walking towards the desk.


    The officer looked at his subordinate¡¯s mud-stained boots as they left footprints onto the previously clean carpet, and for a moment his eyes twitched and his jaw clenched shut.


    Taking a deep breath, he relaxed his face and took a closer look at the soldier approaching him. Only then he noticed the somewhat haggard look, the barely restrained scowl, the trembling fist and stiff posture, and he started to worry.


    ?Stavros, you look pale and¡­ quite tense. Something serious has happened?. It was not a question as much as an acknowledgement; to agitate an expert like the captain, something akin to a natural disaster was needed.


    ?Yes¡­ yes, commandant. I was just briefed by the sergeants of Groupes One, Four, and Six, the ones we sent in the forest. The mission was a partial success¡­ but also a complete failure¡±. The words came out slow and quiet, but clear enough to feel the anger in Stavros¡¯ voice. Still, the commandant reined his emotions in and let the man continue without interrupting, the look in his eyes the only visible change. It was a look of understanding and trust, a gaze that put people at ease, as his wife often reminded him.


    ?We captured twenty three Okkars, sir?, he replied, using the name by which the northern tribes called themselves, ?but we lost sixteen men?.


    ?Sixteen?? He asked, incredulous. ?Five per groupe? Was the greyskins¡¯ resistance more than expected??


    ?No, sir. Not from what the sergeants reported. I would not have come to you if that had been the issue. The problem is that Groupe Six lost nine infantrymen, three archers and a corporal. In addition, all of their prisoners escaped?.


    ?What?! Who is in charge of Groupe Six? How did they lose almost half of their men, captain?? Barely restrained anger tinged his voice. ?Did they encounter a praskafos perhaps? Those damned six-legged beasts are worse than the elves?.


    ?Sergeant Cordonnier, sir, and no, no reported beast encounters?.


    ?Cordonnier¡­ Lucas Cordonnier??


    ?Yes, sir. He¡¯s quite the experienced and a capable officer. I served with his uncle?.


    ?Then what happened this time? Please, don¡¯t tell me they ate the forest¡¯s fruits without letting the specialist check first?.


    ?No, sir. None of our soldiers is that moronic. At the very least, they care about their own lives?.


    ?Then how? Explain it to me, Stavros?.


    The captain took a deep breath, then spoke: ?According to the report, Groupe Six¡¯s raid was actually a success. They managed to capture sixteen Okkars from one of the unaligned tribes: ten men and six women. They incurred no losses and took extra care to leave no survivors except the captives, as per your orders?.


    ?These villages are not part of the R¨ªki, so we¡¯re not violating the treaty, but better safe than sorry?.


    ?I agree, sir. Groupe Six¡¯s archers had to take care of the h?fue ¡¯cause they failed to surprise him and he was already armed, although it was our luck that he wasn¡¯t wearing armour?.


    ?Even then, they could have managed to take him alive. It¡¯s not as if we¡¯ve never met resistance?.


    ?Indeed, sir. Alive he¡¯d have made an excellent slave, even if only for his strength, but we knew from our informants that he was a formidable fighter, and I agree with Cordonnier¡¯s decision: capturing him wasn¡¯t worth losing many good soldiers. Plus, according to the report, seeing their leader dead snuffed out all thought of resistance from the other tribesmen?. The captain took a moment to pass a hand through his grey hair, then resumed. ?This was twenty two days ago. During the march back they had to beat a few into compliance sometimes, especially this scarred old giant of an Okkar, but Cordonnier described it more an annoyance than a problem?.


    ?A scarred old giant¡­ Tell me, how old was this Okkar?? He asked. ?How tall exactly? Did it look like he could squash a man¡¯s head with one hand? Where was he scarred? Most importantly, did he wear a blue earring on his left earlobe??


    Startled and confused by the barrage of questions, Stavros stuttered. ?I-I don¡¯t know, sir. I think it¡¯d better to ask the sergeant directly?.


    The commandant did not wait another moment and rang the small bell he kept on his desk. A crisp chime came out of it and a couple of seconds later a knock was heard on the door, followed by the entrance of a sharply dressed man in uniform, with short, blonde hair, and sporting neatly trimmed mutton chops. Richard Dubl¨¦ was impeccable as always, striking the right balance between elegance and practicality, as was proper for a man of his position. He closed the door behind him, carefully avoided stepping on the carpet, and addressed the commandant.


    ?You¡¯ve called, sir. How may I be of assistance??


    ?Richard, I need Sergeant Cordonnier to report here immediately?.


    ?I shall fetch him myself, sir?. After replying, he turned to the sole other person in the room: ?Captain Komnos?, he greeted with a nod.


    ?Adjutant Dubl¨¦?, Stavros replied, right hand on his chest, bowing to the other man. ?You will find the sergeant in his quarters. I told him to wait there until ordered otherwise?.


    The exchange between the two was short and dry, so much that a casual observer might have thought the two were not on good terms. To those more acquainted with the duo, however, the mutual respect was almost palpable.


    A quarter of an hour later, Dubl¨¦ came back with a soldier in tow. Stocky and shorter than the adjutant, his brown eyes looked straight ahead as he entered the room, the unwavering stare marred only by the dark shadows under them. Two short, parallel, yellow lines decorated the collar of his blue gambeson, identifying him as a sergeant; he saluted his superior officers and stood at attention, the sheathed sword dangling at his side.


    The commandant kept silent, eyeing his subordinate up and down. Beads of sweat started to form on Cordonnier¡¯s forehead as the tension in the room grew thick, slowly racing down towards the ground, but he kept his posture solid and his eyes fixated in front of him. Eventually, the commanding officer of the whole garrison of Marne nodded and broke the silence: ?At ease, sergeant?, he gestured. ?I summoned you because the captain reported that Groupe Six lost thirteen soldiers under your command in the latest mission. I want to know why, where, when and how. Be thorough, tell us everything that happened, even if you think it inconsequential: I will determine whether it is important or not?.


    ?Yes, sir?, Sergeant Cordonnier replied, his voice clear but somewhat subdued. He gnawed at his lips and did not relax his shoulders despite changing his posture to stand at ease. ?We were¡­? he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ?Our raid started as a success. Twenty two days ago we captured sixteen Okkars among those not protected by the Treaty, and suffered no casualties. We had to kill the h?fue, Voldugur, however. I wasn¡¯t going to risk my men¡¯s lives for one Okkar, no matter how important or useful. That bastard was known for being strong, fast, and skilled with the blade, so I ambushed him together with our archers before he could don his chainmail and fully arm himself?.


    ?So, you slew ¡°The Vicious¡±. Were the situation different, I would congratulate and reward you?. He paused, letting the silence stretch. ?Not today. Carry on?.


    ?Yes, sir?. The sergeant did not seem to care about praises and rewards at the moment, but looked eager to talk. ?The men all looked tough and strong, perfect for manual labour or prize fighting, and the women were pleasing to the eye, so¡­ well, my men took some liberties and had some fun. I made sure they didn¡¯t go too far, but it¡¯s well known what the forest does to people, especially at dusk, and I feared that too much tension would make them snap?.


    The fist slamming on the wooden desk startled him, so much that he unconsciously took a step back. ?That¡¯s the excuse of the weak-willed, Cordonnier, and you know it!? The commandant¡¯s harsh tone left no room for discussion. ?If the likes of Okkars can resist it, so can we! None of your men had the willpower to oppose their most basic instincts, is that what you are telling me, sergeant??


    ?... only Ronners, Pistor, and Corporal Flax sir. And myself?.


    ?I know you better than assume you¡¯d cede to such animalistic behaviour?, Stavros cut in with a snarl, ?but you should have controlled your men. Did you forget that the commandant explicitly forbid soldiers to have sex with inferior races?! Everyone in Groupe Six is fined two days of pay! One week for you as the commander?.


    ?I, too, expect more discipline from our soldiers?, the commandant said as he readjusted the quill on the black cloth, as well as the inkpot and documents that his outburst had spread over the desk. ?It is unacceptable that only three out of thirty managed to resist the Lykofos¡¯ influence?. He paused in order to fix his sleeve. ?Still, we must award those who stand above the rest. Captain!?


    ?Yes, sir??


    ?Put their names in for a promotion, but do not let them know. We¡¯ll have to see if they are actual officer material?.


    ?As you command, sir?.


    ?Cordonnier?, the commandant called, and the sergeant stood, if possible, even more straight, ?I do not care what the civilians do and what the governor allows: there are five pleasure houses in town that only offer the services of human courtesans. Excluding the Red Lace ¨C too expensive for a common soldier ¨C that leaves us with four venues; so, next time you have to take your groupe into the Lykofos, make sure all your soldiers satisfy their urges before leaving, or a fine will be the last of your problems. Know that if it comes to my attention that your soldiers have visited any of the other pleasure houses, you and them both will beg to be flogged. Now, sergeant, continue?.


    Taken aback by the sudden reprimands and threats, Cordonnier took a few seconds to regain his bearings. ?Y-yes, sir. I¡¯ll be stricter on the issue. S-so, as I was saying, on the third day of our march back, one of the prisoners managed to free himself. It was carelessness on part of one of my men, made worse by the fact that the prisoner overpowered him and took his sword. The Okkar was about to kill him but our archers were quicker. A stupid mistake that caused the loss of good workforce, and Hemer knows we need it right now. In any case, the soldier is safe except for a cracked jaw and a missing tooth, but he¡¯ll be digging latrines and cleaning stables for the next two weeks?.


    ?A pity you had to kill the Okkar. I imagine he would have been useful at the sawmill, but it was the right choice, given the circumstances. Who¡¯s the soldier?? the major asked.


    ?Mavlin Mal¨¤ka, sir. I tore him a new one earlier and made very clear how displeased I was?, the sergeant replied.


    ?Good. Add another week of latrine duty to that fool¡¯s punishment. What then??


    ?We had a few other small problems, but nothing that a spear¡¯s butt could not solve, and¡ª?


    ?Captain Komnos tells me there was a ¡°giant¡± among the Okkars, one that gave you annoyance?, the commandant interrupted him. ?Describe him to me. In detail?, he ordered, and leaned forward from his seat, propping himself against the desk, fingers interlaced.


    ?Well, he was very tall, almost nine palms I¡¯d say, and looked like he could wrestle a red bear to death. Bald, more than fifty years old, maybe even sixty seeing how white his beard was, and a body marred by battle scars?. The sergeant gnawed at his lower lip for a moment. ?Honestly, sir, he was scary. From the first day we kept a close eye on him and I always had two archers at the ready, fully expecting he would attack us at any moment. Even then, I anticipated that we¡¯d likely lose five or six men before putting him down?.


    ?Yet, you lost thirteen?.


    ?¡­ indeed, sir. Thirteen men under my responsibility?, he confirmed, a haunted look briefly emerged on his face, before he schooled his expression, ?but the cause was not that Okkar. He never actually did anything drastic; he had the look of a man defeated?.


    The commandant held his hand up, ordering silence, as he stared at the flames, lost in thought. After a few minutes, he turned his attention back to his two subordinates and spoke again. ?Pray tell, sergeant, this giant Okkar had a scar on his right eye, perhaps??


    ?Uh, yes, sir. How do you¡ª?


    ?And, tell me, did he wear a silver earring with a blue gem on his left earlobe??


    ?I don¡¯t know, sir, I¡ª?


    ?Think, sergeant! Recollect everything you¡¯ve seen of that man. This is important, so take your time?.


    He closed his eyes, probably in the effort to remember more about this particular Okkar. Meanwhile, the commandant turned to look at Stavros, who was staring at him with a mix of fear and surprise in his eyes.


    I knew you would arrive at the same conclusion, old friend.


    A minute later, Cordonnier opened his eyes.


    ?Once again, sergeant: did this particular Okkar wear a silver earring with a blue gem on his left earlobe??


    ?Yes, sir?.


    Stavros sucked in through his teeth.


    ?Tell me, how old are you??


    ?Twenty four, sir?.


    ?And how long have you been serving??


    ?It¡¯ll be eight years in a month and a fortnight, sir?.


    ?Am I right to assume you have never fought the Okkars in battle??


    ?No, sir, I¡¯ve never faced Okkars outside of small raids. The Treaty was signed when I was a child?.


    ?Sixteen years ago, to be precise?, the commandant corrected, reclining on his chair. A rare smirk appeared on his face. ?You have been very lucky, sergeant. Despite the losses, that I trust you will explain well, and despite all that has happened to your groupe, I can say with certainty that you have been extremely lucky?. Abruptly, he stood up and walked towards the fireplace, stopping to lean against its stone top and stare at the burning logs. ?I would have never thought that monster would be hiding in the accursed forest, but thinking about it, it is fitting?, he said in a low voice.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ?I¡¯m sorry, sir, I don¡¯t understand?.


    ?You have good instincts, sergeant, and you did well in following them when they told you to fear that old Okkar?. He looked at his left hand, eyes fixed on it but mind elsewhere. ?You know, twenty-three years ago I was part of the r¨¦giment tasked with retaking Portaigle?.


    Both of his subordinated sucked in a breath at the sentence, but did not interrupt. They did not dare.


    ?I was there when he held a breach in the walls, alone, against two escadrons of our finest men for almost one hour, supported only by a scant group of archers well protected behind the walls?. There was a mixture of hate, fear and awe in his words. ?One hour! Even in such a perfect chokepoint, how long would anyone of us last against two hundred men, before being overwhelmed?? He turned to face the others, his back to the fire. ?It was as if Kohlk himself had descended on the battlefield, but on the enemy¡¯s side?, he said with a sneer, as if the thought amused him, but his eyes fell, overwhelmed as he was by grief and sorrow. It was but a moment before he swept such emotions back under the weight of memories and his head rose again. ?A God in mortal spoils stands against you, but you still charge at him because those are the orders, because ¡°the Okkars have already gone too far in their invasion¡±, because ¡°they rape our women, burn the men alive and feast on their meat¡±, because ¡°they wear human skin in battle¡±, because ¡°you must defend your country and your loved ones from the plague they are¡±, because, because, because¡­? A pause of quiet reflection followed those words, words he had heard countless times as a youngster, words he had spoken to others, convinced of their absolute truth. It had been easy to paint the world in black and white back then, especially when blinded by the desire for revenge. ?The captain fought in the war, so he can attest to it: he, too, has seen our countrymen and countrywomen killed, abused or taken as slaves by the Okkars. We did so as well, and we still do, I do not deny it, but compared to the war, now we do not kill them. Instead, we give them food, warm clothes, jobs where they excel, a purpose in life, real culture, and the chance to buy back their freedom as inferior, but civilized, people. Do you agree, captain??


    ?I do, sir. We bring light to their barbaric ways?.


    ?Indeed. It is a burden, but one we do not mind carrying. They, on the other hand, are still stuck in those times. They bring all of their slaves into their three cities and treat them worse than animals. The stories the few escapees told are hateful and harrowing¡­ many prisoners kill themselves after a while, and most are broken in body and mind. This, sergeant, is why we tell all of you, soldiers, to kill yourselves if captured by Okkars?. He went silent and stared at the sergeant. It was as if time was holding its breath, there in that room, waiting for his reply to the unspoken question lingering in the air.


    A subtle nod and something in Cordonnier¡¯s eyes gave the commandant the confirmation he needed: the sergeant had understood, and the breath was held no more.


    ?Good. Now, as I was saying, we all charged at him that day in Portaigle, because those were the orders, but it was like trying to strike at a hurricane. Whatever his tower shield did not intercept, his heavy armour blocked; his iron spear was deadly, and Dalia preserve you if you forced him to use his war-hammer. Every swing would leave a man dead or dying?. He paused in his recollection, pouring himself a goblet of wine; thinking about that distant day still made his right arm ache, and the alcohol helped, if only a bit.


    The captain and the sergeant kept quiet and looked at their commanding officer, unconsciously leaning forward, thirsty for more. Despite their clear desire to ask, they did not utter a single word. They simply waited for him to resume his story. Outside, the chirping of birds could be heard, as the sun continued its daily journey, slowly rising into the brightening skies.


    ?I was only a corporal back then, and my sergeant led what remained of our groupe ¨C the bravest men I¡¯ve ever fought alongside ¨C to swarm that monster. Jeune and Krason fell first, without getting a single hit in; those reckless bastards had an ongoing bet on who would kill more enemies, so they were always first into battle¡­ but I guess they had never thought they would die together. Still, they bought the rest of us enough time to get closer and surround him on three sides. Normally, well, normally that would have been the end of it, but none of us was fool enough to deem our foe normal?. He looked at his subordinates and smiled. A sad smile. ?Boucher died after she was struck by the butt of his damn spear: she lost her footing and fell down the rubble, slamming her head on a rock. That idiot wanted to be a hero and prove something to her parents; went as far as disguising herself as a man to enlist, though we had all known she was a woman from the first day?. He stirred the wine and took a sip from his goblet. ?The only thing she proved was that she could die like everyone else?. His narration was dispassionate, at complete odds with the tragedy he was recollecting; one might even call it callous, but it was the only way he could tell that story without grief rearing its ugly head and bringing him down in the dumps. ?Old Kishi was pierced in the gut, front to back, chainmail and brigandine included, but managed to wrestle that damn iron spear off of that monster¡¯s hands; he would have probably tried to bite him as well if he hadn¡¯t been choking on his own blood?. He twirled the wine inside the goblet, absentmindedly. ?He was strong and skilled, old Kishi¡­ he knew how to move his body to get the best results with the least amount of effort. Heck, I never did manage to beat him at arm wrestling, despite being bigger and half his age; Hemer knows how much money I lost betting against him?. He chuckled, the grim humour coming easily. Again, he knew it was another coping mechanism to control the sorrow, but he did not care. ?We attacked that son of an elf before he could recover it. I still remember the feeling of the wooden shaft of my spear, smoothed by hours upon hours of practice, as I tried, desperate thrust after desperate thrust, to kill him, while Shiad stood in front with mace and shield, harassing him in all manners as to keep his attention away from me. That¡¯s when it became a nightmare?. The commandant paused and closed his eyes, the memory still painful to recollect despite the years that had passed by. ?To this day I don¡¯t know what happened; I remember Shiad crumpling to the ground and not a moment later my entire right side was a torrent of pain, as if lightning and thunder had just stricken me. I could scarcely breathe, my right arm was an unresponsive sea of fire, and I have no shame to admit I started to cry?. He paused and looked at his subordinates in the eyes, daring them to criticize him. They remained silent. ?It was my last remaining comrades who saved me, by taking that chance to disarm the bastard! Despite the pain addling my brain, I vividly remember when the sergeant knocked the war-hammer out of his hand and wounded that beast with two masterfully aimed swings. To this day, I still relish the grunt of pain he uttered when the blade took his eye! Only the helmet saved his damn life. Sometimes I wonder how history would have changed if the gods had let that strike hit just a bit lower?.


    ?What happened then, sir?? Stavros asked. Even the stoic captain could not keep quiet anymore, moved by curiosity and by the desire to know how one could have survived such an encounter. Few could claim to have been there, and even less could boast to have heard the recollection of this epic ¨C almost legendary ¨C tale from someone who had lived it. It was an event whose ripples had impacted the whole war.


    ?Rupert was dead a moment later. That greyskin son of a bitch crushed his neck by punching with the edge of his tower shield; sounds absurd, I know. Athos took advantage of that moment to tackle the giant and bring him to the ground. The sergeant unsheathed his dagger and quickly moved to stab the Okkar in the eyes, one of the few places not protected by his armour. Behind me I heard the rest of our escadron rapidly advance, and despite the pain I was in, despite the death of my friends, I thought, for a moment, that we were going to win and avenge all the soldiers that had died that day?.


    ?We all know the gods had other plans?. The good captain spoke with finality.


    The commandant showed no sign of having heard him. ?An arrow pierced Athos¡¯ skull. I do not know when he had lost his helmet during the fight, but it brought about his end, and with it our doom. Without his presence, that damn monster managed to avoid Sergeant Kim¡¯s stab, grappled him to the ground and crushed his head, helmet included, with his bare hands. It is something I cannot forget¡­ It is the most sickening sound I have ever heard in my life?. He paused only to empty the goblet of the last of the wine. ?I am alive only because he let me live. I was injured, weak¡­ at his complete mercy. It was not due to my skills, divine providence, or luck that I survived, nor was it pity on his part: I was but an ant in his eyes, insignificant and harmless¡­ and so he ignored me?.


    ?Merciful Dalia¡­? The sergeant whispered.


    ?I surmise you both know the rest?.


    ?The Bane of Portaigle¡­? Sergeant Cordonnier blanched and started to sweat. He clenched his hands to stop them from trembling. He closed his eyes and uttered a simple plea born of fear, voice caught in his throat. ?Kohlk protect me¡­ The Bane of Portaigle was my prisoner?.


    ?Eiev?reur the Unyielding, First Pillar of the Iron Shields?, Stavros murmured.


    ?You look unwell, sergeant. About to faint, actually. I would not fault you for that, though. Were I in your situation, I would feel similarly?. Still, it would not do to spare you the truth, despite how doomed it will make you feel. ?But I ask you to remain standing, to take a deep breath and listen carefully to what I will say. Will you do that, sergeant??


    A nod was his sole answer. From the looks of it, trying to speak would have ended up with Cordonnier throwing up on the carpet, so the commandant appreciated the self-control.


    ?I have valid reasons to believe Voldugur was the Unyielding¡¯s son?.


    Cordonnier¡¯s complexion became, if possible, even paler; sweat beads fell from his chin down on the carpet, a blank expression on his face.


    ?Worry not, thought. I suggest you and your men do not tell anyone you were the ones to kill the Vicious. If you do not bring attention to yourselves, it is unlikely the Unyielding will ever find any of you?. Unlikely, but not impossible. If you are lucky, he will not remember how you look, or he will die before finding you. Even monsters succumb to old age, after all¡­ Still, the desire for revenge can give strength even to a dying man.


    ?I-I¡¯m sorry sir, but how¡­ how can you be certain that man was him? And why do you think he¡¯s the Vicious¡¯ father?? His voice trembled, almost pleading for the commandant to be wrong.


    ?Everything you told me painted a picture of that same Okkar I saw slaughtering my friends many years ago, sergeant, just older. I was not sure, of course. I could have been mistaken, but the confirmation I needed was¡ª?


    ?The earring?. Cordonnier completed the sentence. The interruption did not bother the commandant, who nodded.


    ?By end of the war, our spies told us that Eiev?reur had been granted the right to establish his own tribe as a reward for his service. The ¡°Wisdom Seekers¡± he named it, if you can believe it. As if vermin could pursue real wisdom¡­ Most of his tribesmen came from the Iron Shields too, at least in the beginning, but they laid low after the war, so we slowly lost track of the tribe?.


    ?And my groupe found them in Lykofos¡­?


    ?That, you did, but most of his original tribesmen have certainly been dead for years, otherwise I doubt you could have taken their village by surprise or even escaped alive. No offense to you or your men, sergeant, but the Iron Shields are the elites of the Okkar army?.


    ?None taken, sir?.


    Stavros, who had stood mostly aside until then, chose that moment to speak, apparently having connected the dots. ?That he donned the blue earring of command after the Vicious died, means he took it back from him! Since he is the original founder of the tribe and the position of h?fue is hereditary, they must be father and son?.


    ?Correct, captain?.


    Silence fell, and for a while no one spoke. The commandant went back to looking into the fire, reminiscing the past, and the other two were likely processing the story they had just been told.


    ?Back to your report, sergeant. Tell me what happened next?, the commandant ordered, still looking at the fire. When no immediate reply came, he turned around to look at his subordinate. Cordonnier was visibly shaking, though unclear if in anger or fear, and his left hand was gripping his sword as if afraid it would disappear. After a long stretch of silence, he finally managed to calm down enough to resume talking.


    ?We were attacked. Four nights after we raided the settlement. All the sentinels, even the hidden ones, were killed with a blow to the head. No one heard anything and no alarm was raised. We only discovered what happened when the next guard shift woke up?.


    ?Assassins? Wood elves, perhaps??


    ?Don¡¯t know, sir. Maybe, but I fail to see why they¡¯d be in Lykofos and why they¡¯d target only our sentinels and not kill everyone else?.


    ?Elves might be crazy enough to go and live in the accursed Forest?, the commandant remarked. ?Common sense does not apply to them?.


    ?Well, sir, what I can tell you is that all the sentinels had a small hole in their head; it looked like the work of a bolt or a javelin?.


    ?But to shoot so well at night means we¡¯re dealing with people with terrifying aim¡­? The captain added.


    ?You are thinking of plains elves, Stavros, are you not? You know how unlikely that is. Plus, those barbarians always travel on their fulas¡­ Mudit take them, they probably lie and frolic with those terrors as well?, the commandant spat out with unrestrained disgust.


    ?Sorry, sir, it was just a wandering thought. Who did it is not the issue, not the most pressing one anyway. The problem¡­ the real problem is the rest of the story?. The captain passed a hand on his hair, his countenance cracking.


    ?What about the rest, Stavros? What gives you pause?? The commandant asked, determined to know everything that happened.


    ?Sergeant, tell the commandant as you told me?.


    ?Yes, sir. We¡­ we found their brains sprayed on the ground. Not even a javelin could do that, it was something I¡¯ve seen in the wake of war-hammers. Then, there were the two soldiers guarding the prisoners¡­?


    ?And I am to believe not a single one of you heard anything? That there were no shouts, no noise at all? Do you take me for a fool, Cordonnier?!?


    Voice pitched higher than before, the sergeant managed a brief reply. ?N-no, sir. I¡¯m just recalling what happened, sir! T-this is the truth, sir?.


    ?We shall see about that. Captain, call Corporal Flax, I need a second opinion?.


    ?Sir, Flax was killed in action. He was on guard duty when the attack happened. They brought back his body?.


    ?I understand. Unfortunate, he was one of the few soldiers I was considering for a promotion¡­ Captain, have the quartermaster notify his widow and tell the nomism¨¢ton to present her with four livres in addition to the normal compensation and the military pension?. The commandant reclined on his chair and looked up. ?Now, what were you saying about the two men guarding the prisoners, sergeant? Were they killed in the same way??


    ?No, sir. They were attacked but survived the encounter, they are shaken but alive. I had one of them guard the prisoners as often as possible because he can keep his focus, has a good head on his shoulders and is a trusty subordinate, but...?


    The silence stretched, broken only by the crackling of the fire and the sound of the first birds of Spring.


    ?... But, sergeant??


    ?We found both of them gagged and tied to a tree with strange shackles. Another soldier too. Here, sir, I¡¯ve brought what remained of it?. The sergeant took two pieces of black material from a pocket and gave them to the commandant, who examined them with a puzzled expression on his face.


    ?Strange indeed. Hard but flexible¡­ and much lighter than expected?. He pulled, trying to stretch what remained of them, but to no avail. ?Is that metal inside of it??


    ?I don¡¯t know, sir. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it before. It wasn¡¯t easy to cut them free, it took time, even with a knife, and what they told us sounds...?


    Again, a beat passed.


    ?Sergeant, finish your sentences. Your hesitation only annoys me?.


    ?My apologies, sir. It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t know how to explain it well enough. I think it would be best if you heard it directly from Soldat Pattes?.


    ?This is getting ridiculous. Shall I hear from the horses next??


    ?Sir, I¡ª?


    ?That was a rhetorical question. Captain, have this soldier brought here; I suppose he will be at the barracks?.


    ?I took the liberty of bringing him with me, sir. I told Pattes to wait for my call at the quartermaster¡¯s office?. Sergeant Cordonnier spoke.


    ?Always prepared, eh? Stavros has taught you well?.


    ?Thank you, sir?.


    The commandant rang his bell, and a few moments later, Adjutant Dubl¨¦ knocked on the door and entered the room. ?You called, sir??


    ?Bring Soldat Pattes here, please. He should be waiting at the quartermaster¡¯s office?.


    ?Of course, sir?


    As Dubl¨¦ was about to open the door, the commandant called out to him: ?Richard?.


    ?Yes, sir??


    ?Do not scare the young man, please. I need to listen to his report?.


    ?If he behaves¡­? And with that, he was gone.


    Five or so minutes later, the adjutant ushered a visibly nervous young soldier ¨C no more than twenty years old ¨C inside the room and closed the door, leaving the newcomer with the commandant, Captain Stavros, and Sergeant Cordonnier.


    ?Soldat, do you know why you are here?? The commandant could not help but gnash his teeth at the greasy hair, the missing shirt button, and the dirty boots.


    ?Sir! ¡¯A believe so, sir. Sarge told me ¡¯a was gonna be called to tell wha¡¯ happened tha¡¯ night?, Pattes replied, his words made even less understandable by a nasal congestion.


    ?That is correct. Start speaking, then, and do not leave anything out?.


    ?Yes, sir. Was terrifyin¡¯, sir. ¡¯A was sittin¡¯ close to th¡¯ fire as Robert did th¡¯ rounds, ya know, keepin¡¯ watch on th¡¯ prisoners. That¡¯s easy job, and them Okkars was chill most of th¡¯ time, ya know. But now they got awake ¡¯cause ¡¯a think they heard a noise or somethin¡¯, but we had th¡¯ guys keepin¡¯ watch, so ¡¯a wasn¡¯t worried. Then ¡¯a get grabbed from behind an¡¯ something starts chokin¡¯ me. Never been so scared in my life. Thought ¡¯a was gonna die. A grip of steel it was; ¡¯a tried to free meself but it be like tryin¡¯ t¡¯ move a tree, if ya know what ¡¯a mean?.


    ?You were armed, were you not? You could have used your spear or your dagger to free yourself?.


    ?Th¡¯ spear fell when they grabbed me, sir, an¡¯ it was like an invisible hand took my spear an¡¯ carried it away from me. ¡¯A think it was a gifted, sir. ¡¯A had thought ¡¯bout a spirit at first, but then ¡¯a told meself ¡°Karl, spirits don¡¯t leave no man alive an¡¯ don¡¯t tie ¡¯em up¡±. Ya know, it wasn¡¯t no spirit, sir, but tha¡¯ was no mortal man either. It was somethin¡¯ sent by the gods, ya know?.


    The commandant turned his back to the soldier and stared at the crackling fire, lost in thought. ?¡°Sent by the gods¡±¡­ Why do you say so??


    ?¡¯Cause ¡¯a couldn¡¯t see its legs or arms, sir. They was hidden by a Gift, ya know. ¡¯A tried to stab it t¡¯ free meself, sir, but it was like hittin¡¯ a rock. ¡¯A only got a cut on my face an¡¯ a chipped blade for my effort?. He moved to grab the dagger at his belt, but a big hand loudly fell on his shoulder before he could.


    ?Never reach for your weapon in front of a superior officer unless ordered to, soldat. You don¡¯t want your head on a pike, do you?? The captain¡¯s voice was as stern as it could be.


    Pattes visibly swallowed. ?N-no, sir, ¡¯a don¡¯t. A-apologies commandant, sir!? He almost shouted as he quickly stood at attention. ?It was not my intention, sir. ¡¯A just wanted t¡¯ show you my damaged dagger, sir!?


    ?Just give me your weapon, soldier. I will not order the good captain to kill you on the spot. After what you survived, it would be silly to die for such a blunder, don¡¯t you agree??


    Visibly confused and still a bit panicked, Pattes managed an uncertain ?Yes, s-sir?, before offering his unsheathed dagger to the commandant with as much fear as possible. Captain Stavros was busy boring a hole into his nape.


    ?Captain, stop glaring at him, he is already nervous as it is?, he ordered quietly as he inspected the knife. The point was completely gone, and the blade itself was chipped and cracked in a few places. How much was due to this mysterious foe¡¯s sturdiness and how much to the low quality of the weapon, he could not say, but one thing bothered him. ?You said it was like ¡°stabbing a rock¡±. So it was different from plate or chainmail, is that what you are saying??


    ?Yes, sir. ¡¯A know plate an¡¯ mail well, an¡¯ this, this was different. It was softer but no less hard. Ya can see what it did on th¡¯ knife. It also was, it was... warm. Well, warmer than metal. It was sent by Zoren, sir, ¡¯a know it! Skin tough like a rock but soft like the good earth, strong like a root an¡¯ invisible to us mortals as long as it¡¯s on the ground. Only th¡¯ God of Earth can have such servants, an¡¯ they came for us. We angered him, taking th¡¯ Okkars, and that¡¯s why He sent one of His sons to punish us?.


    ?That is enough, soldat! The Gods do as they will and favour who they desire, but they do not help the likes of Okkars, and their false gods are weak. Furthermore, why, tell me, would a son of Zoren bother to choke you and tie you up, when it could have easily killed you with a swipe of its hand??


    ?¡¯A don¡¯t know, sir. The Gods decide an¡¯ we obey?.


    ?I said that is enough! I do not care about who you believe did it, just tell me what else happened!?


    ?Y-yes, sir. Sorry, sir. When ¡¯a woke up ¡¯a was bound to a tree, gagged, but ¡¯a saw them! They was made o¡¯ rock and earth, as ¡¯a said, with black crystal where eyes are in mortals; they cut the chains an¡¯ made the prisoners free an¡¯ led them away. One o¡¯ them became a shadow and took down Gregory when he came out o¡¯ his tent. He¡¯s alive too, lucky bastard?.


    ?Anything else??


    ?Yes, sir. T-they¡¯d left but two o¡¯ them came back. They looked ¡¯round a bit, then they got into a tent an¡¯ came out a bit o¡¯ time later with this youn¡¯ Okkar female we¡¯d captured. Then they walked away?. He visibly shivered. ?E-everyone in tha¡¯ tent was dead?.


    ?Thank you, soldat. Now go back to the barracks, do something about your hair, replace the button of your uniform, and clean your damn boots, for the love of Kohlk! You are dismissed?.


    The soldier saluted, bowed and exited the room as fast as possible without having to run.


    The commandant looked at the door in silence after Pattes left. He took his seat behind the desk and addressed Stavros. ?What was that about the tent, captain??


    ?Sir, it is as Pattes said: the five men inside were killed, throat cut in their sleep. Two, however, were butchered in a way that I¡¯d call inhuman. I''ve seen beasts butchered with less violence¡­? At a gesture from his superior officer, the captain continued. ?I saw the bodies after the groupe came back, and they were a bloody mess. Eyes gouged out, nose and lips cut, stab wounds all over their head, their scalp cut off, and¡­ well, their dick and balls were cut off and stuck into their mouth?.


    Cordonnier listened without moving a muscle, but he could not stop the mix of nausea and anger from appearing on his face. ?Sir, we also found two other soldiers dead outside of their tent. They too had their heads cracked open on one side with only a small hole on the other. Their brains and skulls were scattered on the ground?.


    ?Captain, prepare a list with the names of the deceased?, the commandant said, passing a hand on his forehead. ?The quartermaster will have to notify all of their spouses or next of kin, and be sure to tell to the nomism¨¢ton to send them the proper compensation and military pension?.


    ?As you command, sir?.


    ?Sergeant, thank you for your report. I grant you three days of paid leave. Use them as you will. You can go now?.


    Cordonnier saluted both officers and walked out of the room, his steps heavy.


    Once they were alone again, the commandant allowed himself to ease up a little bit. In the captain¡¯s presence he could do it. ?You too, Stavros, go rest and clean yourself up. You¡¯re relieved for today?.


    ?Sir, are you sure? There are still¡ª?


    ?Yes, I am?. A warm smile graced his face for the first time that morning, and he approached the captain. ?Ah, I almost forgot. Your daughter came yesterday, with her wife and husband, to deliver the good news, but you were supervising the cavalry training, so she left the incumbency to me?.


    ?The good¡­ you mean?? The confusion on Stavros¡¯ face was replaced by a look of understanding and joy.


    ?Congratulations, old friend! You are a grandfather now?. He slapped Stavros on the shoulder. ?She did not say if the child was male, however?, he said with mirth. ?I think she takes a lot after her mother in this, because she seemed to enjoy the thought of you stewing for a bit more. She knows well how curious you would be, enough to sprout wings and take flight?.


    ?Liandra knows me too well. Thank you for the news, sir?.


    ?My pleasure. Go visit your family now. You can run if you want, I shall not mind?. He knew well that the captain would have preferred a two days march compared to be seen sprinting around.


    In fact, Stavros looked at him in askance, as if he had just told him that the skies were falling. ?Sir, an officer should never be seen running, or the soldiers will think something bad is going on. I would¡ª?


    The commandant chuckled. ?That was a joke. Relax, Stavors. Just go see your grandchild?.


    ?Yes, sir. Thank you, sir?. He saluted and all but ran out of the office.


    The commandant watched his friend go with a smile, then he approached his desk and rang the bell for the third time that morning.


    As quickly as before, his adjutant arrived. ?Yes, sir??


    ?Richard, I have to go meet Am¨¦lie. We will probably have supper together?. He adjusted his shirt and put on the coat of his uniform; the blue cloth highlighted the yellow star denoting his rank, sewed on both sides of the collar.


    ?You will find the quartermaster in her office, sir?.


    ?Thank you. While I¡¯m gone, have the carpet thoroughly cleaned?. He pointed at the dirty spots where his subordinates had walked earlier, as he took his sabre and tied it to his waist.


    ?Of course, sir?.


    ?Good. I will see you later?. He opened the door and walked out of his office.


    Dubl¨¦ gave a slight bow, a faint smile on his face.