He paused to glance at his squad. They were exhausted—dark circles under their eyes, movements slower than usual—but their spirits hadn't cracked yet. He sighed. If it were up to him, he'd send them back to rest and let Milton's squad deal with the leftovers once the nest was cleared.
But being a young general in a military ruled by old authority wasn't easy...Also, something about this place nagged at the edge of his instincts. There had to be a reason the nests kept multiplying. Like something was feeding them, keeping them alive. Or maybe... they were protecting something.
"I really want to go home…" Captain Zuli complained, stretching his arms behind his head. His eyes slid toward Sylene, who was polishing his VX again after helping Phillip with the meat, gaze fixed and meticulous. "Your baby's cute. Looks like he really treasures his VX."
