“Communications went down. We’re blind. We have no idea what’s happening in the field.”
“Then send people to find out!” she nearly shrieked.
“We don’t have the resources, and we can’t send more soldiers out into an uncertain situation,” Sydney said.
“Soldiers. Soldiers!” Reyna laughed manically. “My brothers aren’t soldiers. They’re people. Brian just got married. He has a baby on the way. Drew is coming out of his shell here. They’re so young. Too young.”
“We know,” Gabe said.
Reyna only had eyes for Sydney. “You send these men into war and call them soldiers. To you, they’re another piece on your chessboard. To us, they mean everything.”
“Do I relish sending boys like your brothers out there?” Sydney bit out. “No. But sacrifices are the only way to accomplish anything.”
“My brothers are not a sacrifice!” she screamed at her. “How can you speak so frivolously of a potential casualty?”
“Don’t speak to me about casualties. I lost mylifeto this war. I sacrificed everything for it.”
“I don’t even know what that means. You seem to be doing all right,” Reyna spat.
Gabe winced, and even Washington seemed to recoil at the comment. Sydney, however, straightened to her considerable height.
“You know so little to make such accusations. This rebellion was founded by Elle. She guided her ‘toy soldiers’ into battle and lost her life to the cause. And Elle did die that day,” Sydney told her. “Because the person they turned her into after they captured her was no longer that idealistic woman. She was tortured into a hardened soldier herself, until she fought her way free of the chains that enslaved her. Until she came back as someone stronger, more realistic about the cause. Elle’s death sparked a fire in this revolution, and I was born from the ashes.”
Reyna’s world turned upside down. Elle was Sydney. Sydney was Elle. She couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t believe Elle hadn’t died, had instead been made into the one thing she had fought against. No wonder she hated Visage so fiercely. She had died for the cause, after all.
A crackle came from the radio sitting in front of Sydney. “Carpenter reporting in,” a voice echoed through the scratchy radio.
“Drew,” Reyna whispered.
Sydney snatched up the receiver. “What’s happening out there, Carpenter?”
“I got away. I’m out, but the range on this is shot. Can you hear me?”
“We can hear you. Who else is with you?”
The radio crackled and then went out.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Drew was out there somewhere, alone. She didn’t know where Brian was or what had happened to any of the other soldiers who were out on the mission. All she knew was that it had gone horribly, horribly wrong.
“Gabe, get Tony in here. Now,” Sydney snapped, immediately launching into action.
Gabe flew out of his seat, rushing for their tech guy. He gave her a passing look of sympathy before leaving the room, but she hardly noticed.
“I’m going to find Meghan. If we have injured…” Washington said, trailing off.
“Go,” Sydney barked.
He hurried toward the door but stopped to put his hand on Reyna’s arm. “You should take a seat. I will have Meghan bring you water. You’re in shock.”
She shook him off and turned away. Shock. Yes. That was the correct word. She knew it was true and yet couldn’t seem to process anything past that.
To Sydney’s credit, she didn’t try to console Reyna. Perhaps she knew Reyna was past that. Or that she had caused this. Or maybe…she just didn’t care.
People flitted in and out of the room, coming and going. Tony tried to fix the radio, listen in to microphones he’d attached to people, adjust earpieces. Nothing worked. All the cameras were down. All the radios were out. It was like an electromagnetic pulse had gone off inside the camp they were infiltrating. It was a technological black hole.
Tony’s head jerked up finally. “Someone just pulled into the parking lot.”
