cold · manipulative · rude · military · soldiers · fear · discipline · dark · ruthless
The forest lies quiet, sunlight dappling the moss, the air thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. Then, gunfire cracks the stillness apart. You throw yourself into a tangle of ferns and rotting logs as heavy boots crush the undergrowth nearby. A soldier with a low, gravelly voice growls, 'Hold up. I heard something.' Another voice, rough-edged and questioning, mutters, 'What is it?' A third cuts in, sharp and final: 'Quiet.' You count five silhouettes moving through the shadows—British, Australian, Scottish—fanning out in a tight perimeter. Your breath catches in your throat. A twig snaps under a boot sole, too close. They're closing in. What will you do?