3. Fallen comrades

While on standby, they walked away from the scene after lining up the soldiers who were victims of the little monster's attack. Victoria looked shocked when she found out that one of her colleagues who was her responsibility had fallen with a severe wound on the neck and fresh blood flowing profusely from the female soldier's body.

"Come on, Vic. We'll come back when it's light," Sean said while touching Victoria's shoulder, squatting beside her colleague's body.

The girl did not answer; she only lowered her head silently as if praying for her colleague's peace.

After being silent for a long time, the girl got up from her seat and prepared to leave there. Sean and Paul observed the surrounding conditions and continued their steps towards the military headquarters.

The moonlight blocked by the trees could still illuminate other bodies lying on the road. Apparently, in that place not only soldiers had fallen but also civilians. Victoria looked very shocked, her instincts as a weak woman emerged.

"Hey, Vic," Sean said, holding Victoria's movements. "Look at me!" Sean held the girl's face and directed her gaze towards her. "Stay strong. Do you hear?"

Although Victoria's eyes were teary, the girl nodded.

"Good. Let's go," Sean then invited.

"Yes. Let's go. I'll treat your wounds when we get there," Victoria said.

Sean just nodded and the three of them continued their delayed steps. Paul and Sean guarded behind while Victoria walked in front, watching the front area while guiding them to get to their destination.

At night like that, horror could happen, what about during the day? How many victims would they see in that place?

"We're here," Victoria said but the girl stopped her steps.

Sean turned around, directing his gaze forward, as did Paul.

"What is this?" Paul asked.

"Headquarters?" Sean answered briefly.

Sean made sure they had arrived at the right place. He stepped closer to the tightly closed iron gate through the intercom on the door.

Victoria's attention was diverted to the iron wall that was the entrance to the headquarters. On top of the wall were electrical cables. If military security was that tight, it meant level three or alert. Was it that bad?

"Hello?" The voice from the intercom was heard.

“Hello. I’m Sean Edwin, the newly arrived troop commander,” Sean replied, introducing himself.

“Are you okay? Anyone injured?” asked the person behind the iron gate.

“No one is injured. The three of us are with the medical team captain. May I come in?”

“Sure. Wait a minute.”

Sean looked back and nodded at Victoria and Paul for them to come closer.

The sound of a small door in the iron gate opening slowly was heard, and several soldiers standing behind it.

“Hurry!” shouted one of the guards there.

Sean, Victoria, and Paul immediately entered the door.

“Reporting! We are from the relief team sent by the headquarters. However, due to an incident, we are late,” said Sean making a report.

“Report received. Come in. Your team seems a little chaotic,” said one of the door guards who knew Sean.

Sean nodded and entered the military camp area followed by Victoria and Paul. The conditions there were like military camps, except that they used empty buildings as headquarters.

Their teammates were seen resting in an open area like a field and greeted the three of them. Victoria approached her team, two female medics were crying because they had lost their comrades on the journey.

“We apologize for not being able to prevent what happened,” Rene said.

“It’s okay. This can happen on a battlefield like this. You all have to be strong and survive.” Victoria looked at her teammates who were gathered there one by one.

“How many died?” Sean asked after glancing at Victoria for a moment.

“Six people, Commander. Two from team one, two from team three, one team from four and one from the medic team,” Sean’s partner replied.

“Alright. Good job. You guys get some rest. Tomorrow we will be divided into teams for the patrol schedule. I will meet with the others to discuss this. The captains of each team will follow me in ten minutes,” Sean ordered.

Victoria went with her team to a building that looked like a school building. The sense of loss still haunted them even though they had just arrived there but had to lose. Actually, what kind of creatures were they and how fierce were they? Victoria had not heard a detailed explanation of the creatures because too many reports had come to the centre.

Ten minutes later the team captains had gathered in the dimly lit classroom hallway. Sean would guide them to a room where the other soldiers were to get a definite report. Victoria stopped Sean in his tracks, making the man turn around.

“I will treat it before it gets infected,” the girl said.

Sean just obeyed without saying anything.

“Lower your body, I’m having a bit of trouble,” Victoria complained.

Once again Sean did as the girl said, bending down slightly so Victoria could treat the wound on Sean’s cheek. The wound was from a gunshot wound when Victoria was about to shoot the strange creature.

The two team captains who followed them watched in surprise because it was unusual for Victoria and Sean to get along. But looking at the situation, it seemed like they could understand.

“Enough. Don’t touch carelessly,” Victoria said after finishing treating Sean’s cheek and covering it with a plaster. “It’s just a scratch, so it doesn’t need stitches,” the girl explained.

Sean straightened himself up again, touching the plaster that was stuck to his cheek.

“Thank you,” Sean said.

“You’re welcome. You should be more careful next time. As a commander, how could you be so careless?” Victoria said as she walked away.

“That was because I was surprised by the sound of gunfire behind me that distracted me for a moment,” Sean defended, following Victoria’s steps.

“It’s the same, right? You’re so careless. How could you be less responsive to a girl like me when you teased me to be careful in case I became a victim? You were the one who almost became a victim,” Victoria said teasingly to Sean.

“Hey. Why are you talking like that?” Sean protested.

“You’re the one who said it first, so just feel it,” the girl teased while sticking out her tongue a little.

The three colleagues who followed them just shook their heads seeing the debate between Sean and Victoria heating up again.

They arrived at their destination and the debate between Sean and Victoria stopped but the sharp gazes of both of them who did not want to lose were still clearly visible.

Sean as the commander had to knock on the door of the room until someone inside told them to come in.

"You're here," said a man in a military uniform with stars on his shoulders.

The five of them saluted.

In the room there was not just one person, but several people who were about to hold a meeting. Victoria was silent when her attention was drawn to the projector screen that displayed an image.