Field duty?
But…I’d been exempted from field duty by Theo.
I turned to Zara. “I’m so sorry. I have to go.”
She nodded, her expression a mask of concern. I sprinted from the room, heading straight for Theo’s office. When I reached it, the handle didn’t budge.
Locked.
“Theo!” I banged on the door, ignoring the strange looks from passing soldiers.
No answer.
“Hey, hey,” came a familiar voice, and I whirled to find Adam wearing a confused smile. “Need something?”
“Where’s Theo?”
“The general is out until tomorrow. He had a meeting.”
My heart stalled, then picked up its pace. If Theo wasn’t there, he couldn’t stop them, and I didn’t have the rank or authority to refuse a mission.
“What’s wrong?” Adam asked.
“They’re sending me into the field.”
He laughed. “You go into the field all the time.”
But I didn’t. Not for months.
If they waste you, they lose me. That is non-negotiable.
Lucas had made it clear thathewas my only field duty, and Theo had agreed with that request. If I went out and something happened, I wasn’t entirely certain how Lucas would respond.
But he’d been so cold of late that maybe it wouldn’t matter to him if I was hurt.
Besides, as medics, we were always kept out of direct battle. The last time had been a fluke.
“I have to report,” I murmured to Adam.
“Good luck,” he singsonged as I walked away.
I sprinted to my room to change into the combat fatigues I hadn’t worn in months. The white armband with the red cross stood out starkly against the olive green. I pulled on my boots, then slipped Lucas’s knuckles into my pocket. I always had the weapon on my person, just as he’d asked.
When I arrived in the rotunda, it was bustling with soldiers, and many of my fellow medics stood at attention, ready for instruction. I grabbed one of the medic packs and took my position.
“Alright, listen up!” shouted a captain I had recently treated for a scalp laceration. Every soldier fell silent, eyes straight ahead. “We’ve got a situation at a lookout southeast of command post B,” the captain continued. “Friendly patrol got hit—hard. A dozen confirmed injured, with at least that many unaccounted for. It’s on us to get in, secure the wounded, and get the hell out. Wounded personnel will be on floors three and above. This is extraction only, but expect enemy presence. We go in fast and stay tight. Only engage if fired upon. Medics, you’re lead for triage. Prioritize stabilization. Rally point is here”—he pointed toa map behind him, right at the cross streets near command post B—“and if comms go dark, fall back to Safe House Blue. Exfil once objective is secured. You know your roles, soldiers. Gear up. We leave in ten.”
The room exploded into action.
Before I’d taken a single step, Isaac appeared before me. “You’re with me, Reeves.” He pointed to a group of armed soldiers standing nearby. “This is Maldonado, Khattab, Phan, and Andrews. We’re taking the sixth floor.”
The soldiers wore scars and mean expressions as proof of experience, but my stomach dropped at the thought of joining them. It’d been months since I’d seen direct action, and the captain said there were Hunters in the area…
Few people walk out of a knife fight.
Luke’s voice echoed through my head like a warning siren. He wouldn’t like this.
I didn’t have a choice, though. With my heart picking up speed, I turned to Isaac. “Yes, sir.”
