I turn to see Trey walking toward me, wearing the same black uniform as mine, minus the captain’s rank on his shoulder. His smile fades as he approaches. “Good to see you, man. Sorry about what happened.”
He doesn’tknowwhat happened because the general won’t let the truth out so fast.
“Thank you.”
Trey twitches his lips as if he’s debating what to say. His ginger hair is cut short, and the skin around his nose is dotted with freckles. He used to have more of those back when we were in the orphanage. “Should I salute you or something?”
I roll my eyes. “Have you eaten already?”
“Yeah, but just one breakfast. Take me somewhere fancy, Captain.”
I choose a small place that sells delicious sandwiches as well as the most bitter coffee in the Hive. We order food and drinks, and I pay for both of us.
“Can I ask what happened?” Trey asks quietly.
“An ambush went wrong. Same old shit.”
“Well, but you…” He blushes as he looks away. With his complexion, he can never hide a blush.
What he wants to say is,but you survived.
I can’t explain to him what happened without going into details I’m not at liberty to share. “Should I blow my head off to make people less suspicious?”
Trey shakes his head. “Didn’t mean it like that. Sorry.”
I sigh into my coffee. It’s strong enough to wake the dead and give them a stomachache. “Don’t worry about it. Once the higher-ups give the green light, I’ll share what I can.”
He smiles. “I’d say you’re pretty high up, Captain Anderson.”
He’s right, but I couldn’t care less. At the end of the day, it’s you and your fellow Defenders on the battlefield, and all of you are targets regardless of your rank.
“Eat your food, Private Cole.”
He does, which keeps him quiet for a whole two minutes before he asks, “Any news from Josh and his Semi?”
“I haven’t checked since I returned. He sent me a letter about a month ago.”
“Cool. Where are you heading now?”
“I need to get a new rifle and see about a new squad.”
“Already? I mean… sorry.”
I let it slide and go take the elevator up to the Heights, then to HQ, where a new rifle is already waiting for me. It’s a new model, more advanced than my previous one, but I don’t fall for pretty toys. I’ll need to take out some Raiders with it before I feel it’s truly mine.
I head over to Major Grant, who is my superior officer. Once we get the polite greetings out of the way, he says, “You’re on time off for now. We might have some more questions for you soon.”
“Then I can use the time to assemble a new squad.”
He sighs and looks away, making my blood warm. “Sir?”
“Give it some time, Anderson. I know you’re eager, but a bad reputation… it goes away quickly around here.”
That’s a blunt lie. A bad reputation trickles through the concrete floor and turns into a stain you can’t wash away. I’ve seen it happen to good Defenders throughout the years. I won’t agree to be a captain of no one, and I’ve no interest in an office job or being demoted.
“I’ll be back in a few days,” I say. “If I can’t have a new squad by then, consider it my resignation.”
“Hold on, Anderson. Hey, I’m talking!”
