HUMAN

Chapter 41 - The Fifty-One Soldier Pt. II

"This can't be happening." The Lieutenant muttered, his voice barely a whisper as the situation of his fellow soldiers displayed on the screen grew worse.

Mr. Morrow didn't flinch. He glanced sideways at the Lieutenant, his expression unreadable, before turning his attention back to the live camera feed. Soldiers of the elite Storm Breach 51 Unit dropped like flies - some caught in unseen traps, others falling in gruesome heaps in the ground.

Every movement seemed to be choreographed by an invisible hand that controlled the strings of their steps. Cruelly deciding how one should fall to their inevitable demise. . .

The distant rumble of a bomb going off, the sharp crackle of gunfire from the mountain peak - these sounds seeped into the headquarters like an ominous storm that rattled the walls.

"You knew this would happen, didn't you?" The Lieutenant suddenly blurted out, the calm voice breaking from the rage that festered within him, but it wasn't just the fury - there was disbelief.

Betrayal. . .

Mr. Morrow's lip twitched. He could sense the Lieutenant seething. A subtle, almost imperceptible chuckle escaped him. His eyes never left the screen.

The Lieutenant's fist slammed into the desk, sending a jolt through the room. "What is the meaning of this, Mr. Morrow!?" His voice cracked. "My men are dropping like flies, and the target's making them look like a bunch of mall cops! What the hell is going on!?"

The Lieutenant couldn't believe it. He'd led SB51 through countless high stake missions. But this - this was a disaster galore. A first.

The first time that every single soldier under his command had been wiped out in such a chaotic, and pathetic manner.

"Explain." The Lieutenant hissed, his gaze now cold and penetrating towards the wolf. His mind scrambled to make sense of the utter madness and bewilderment he faced.

But Mr. Morrow only smiled to himself. That quiet, knowing smile.

A flicker of suspicion surged in the Lieutenant's mind. "No. . ." The penny finally dropped. It wasn't just the operation that was wrong - it was Morrow from the start.

"You knew." The Lieutenant growled. "You knew exactly what would happen. Didn't you?"

Mr. Morrow's ears twitched in mild interest. "Hm?" He replied, his voice almost amused. The Lieutenant's blood boiled.

The anger erupted, hot and blinding. "I've been questioning you for weeks, Morrow. I let it slide. I ignored my gut. But now? Now I see it clearly. You've been hiding something. . .who the fuck are you, really?" The Lieutenant's accusatory finger shook.

"What's your connection to this mess? Why is it that after all these years of service, I can find nothing about you? Why is it that you were in charge of my men's movements, and yet everything you've commanded since this mission turned to a hot steaming pile of shit. . . an utter mess. . .huh?"

The guards exchanged uneasy glances as Morrow's composure remained unshaken. The Lieutenant's voice dropped to a low, chilling growl, as he leaned forward. "You're a sleeper agent, aren't you?"

For the first time, a shift. Morrow's expression tightened, though his eyes remained calm he was certainly annoyed. He slowly unfolded his arms, resting them on his hips, taking his time to savor the Lieutenant's accusation.

The Lieutenant jabbed a finger at him. "And let me guess, you fed information to the enemy, didn't you? You want us to fail! All of this! My men's deaths - is all on you!"

Mr. Morrow's hands twitched once, but he didn't flinch. He was calm, too calm. A barely perceptible smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he stretched his fingers, massaging his palm, before he raised his hands slowly. A mocking gesture of surrender.