A young doctor unexpectedly finds herself forced to indoctrinate into a paramilitary organization, where a stoic hero silently falls in love. Slowly, he earns her trust. The love between them burns away the darkness of the past and acts as a beacon...
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I followed Wes down from the tower.
When I stepped back outside into the cold air, Arthur and Aldric wrapped me in a crushing hug. Solan stood, looking at the three of us with pride. His eyes settled on mine, glinting as he handed me dry wool socks and shoes. Gratefully, I put them on. Everyone clamored in excitement. A few men congratulated our Troop, going out of their way to shake my hand—more silent votes cast in this silent ballot.
Spirits soared higher and higher with every mile closer to home. The quiet, stealthy group we departed as was returning louder than a circus full of clowns. People were throwing things, obnoxiously screaming out cadences, and describing in detail what they would eat when we returned. Aldric and Arthur got into their infamous storytelling, working themselves into iconic fits of laughter that were more contagious than the flu.
All in all, everything was great.
Axel was waiting with to stable the horses.
Axel is the other person who the Phantoms had indoctrinated. I met him a couple of months ago and was worried he would be resentful that I was given an opportunity he had not been afforded. He wasn't, though—not at all. In fact, he was horrified at what I was going through.
He seemed relieved to learn I was content with my path, albeit terrified of what failure would lead to. Axel can empathize with me in a way the men of Echo Troop can't; he might have been more anxious than I was about the evaluation.
His eyes dialed into mine curiously, and I smiled widely, flashing a thumbs up. A smile sprawled on his face before he quickly diverted his attention to tending to the horses.
I grabbed my gear and turned towards Solan as he shouldered his, again, without any indication of pain. I shook my head disapprovingly, and he shot me an annoyed look.
"Feast at in an hour. HQ building, east wing." Wes stated. Though his voice wasn't loud, everyone heard him. Everyone always hears him.
I turned questioningly to the boys as we left the stables.
"Every year after the exercise, there's a party at Headquarters. Lots of food." Solan explained.
I glanced happily at my watch. I can get the laundry going, unpack, and still have time for a long, scolding hot shower.
Arthur scoffed. "Party is a very generous term." He said to Solan, then turned to me. "We show up, eat a shit load of food, drink a beer or twelve, and then sleep until the real party on Saturday night."
Aldric's eyes sparked.
"Saturday, we should hang out at the house before going out. Mom and Dad have been curious about you anyway, and you'll finally be able to meet Anna and Matilda."
What!? The idea rattled me. Meeting family and girlfriends felt too personal. Of course, I thought of these men as more than just co-workers, but this feels... scary.
