The First Captain’s demeanor shifted instantly, her temper flaring. “Shut up, Carter! Without him, none of your missions would have succeeded. You wouldn’t even be alive to sit here and spout nonsense!”
Chastened, Carter fell silent, muttering under his breath. The team pressed forward, moving under the cover of darkness toward their target.
***
The initial attack on the enemy’s outer defenses went smoothly. When Scarlett and Carter’s group stormed the warehouse, they found the enemy leader slumped against the second-floor railing, his breath shallow. Beside him, tied up in five separate ways, was a man whose face was obscured by shadows. Even in the dim light, something about him stirred a sense of familiarity in Scarlett. Her thoughts were interrupted when Carter, walking ahead of her, suddenly collapsed to the ground.
“It hurts! My leg—it's pierced by a bullet!” Through the rain of gunfire, I saw Scarlett cradling Carter in her arms, her expression tight with panic. Her voice cracked, laced with sobs. “I can see the bone! The injury is severe—there’s no time to waste.”