The Talk

Chapter 58: The Talk

The air was thick with tension as Carl and I walked back toward the field. The sun had fully broken past the horizon, casting long shadows across the camp. The cool morning breeze did little to settle the nerves swirling in my stomach.

Around us, soldiers moved in quiet coordination—rebuilding, organizing, recovering. You could tell from their movements and their faces that this place had been holding its breath, waiting for us to return.

From a distance, I spotted Jake pacing. His hands were perched on his hips, head low, like he was chewing over something too big to swallow. His eyes scanned the perimeter obsessively.

He looked... anxious. Desperate. Like a man waiting to catch a train he wasn't sure would ever arrive.