Sincerely, Marlena

54

Sincerely, Lucien.

The room was dim, the only light coming from a few scattered lanterns and the glow of the map sprawled across the table. Nolan, Alistair, Calvin, and I were gathered around, finalizing the plans for the recon mission. Every move needed to be precise—there was no room for error. East Ridge was smart, but we were getting smarter. At least, I hoped.

I could feel Marlena's presence behind me. She wasn't saying much, but I knew her mind was working through the same problems we were. She always had something to add, some insight that cut through the noise. I couldn't shake the growing frustration that came with it, though. Ever since she'd been injured, I didn't want her involved like this, not while she was still healing. But I knew better than to say it out loud again. She'd made it clear what she thought of my "concern."

"We'll split into two teams," I said, my eyes tracing the paths on the map. "Alistair, Marlena—you'll take the east side, scout the perimeter for any gaps. Nolan, Calvin, and I will handle the west."

I could feel Marlena's eyes on me, but I didn't look up. If I did, I'd lose my focus, and we didn't have time for distractions.

"This won't be like last time," Nolan said, cutting in. "East Ridge is going to expect something after what we pulled. We'll need to be quicker, quieter."

"Exactly," I nodded. "In and out, no unnecessary risks."

"Unnecessary risks, huh?" Marlena's voice came from behind me, low but sharp enough to make me turn. She was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "Interesting choice of words, considering you plan to march right into enemy territory."

My jaw clenched. I wasn't in the mood for her pushing back on everything I said, especially when it came to the mission. "This isn't the time, Marlena."

She shrugged, but the smirk on her face told me she wasn't done. "Right. Wouldn't want to take any unnecessary risks, like being out of action because of an injury, right?"

The room went silent for a moment, the tension thick enough to cut through. The others kept their eyes on the map, but I could tell they were all listening, waiting for how I'd respond. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my temper in check.

"We need you," I said, keeping my voice steady. "But I need to know you're not going to push yourself too far out there. We can't afford to lose anyone, especially not now."

Her eyes flicked down to the map for a second before meeting mine again. "I know what I'm doing."

I turned back to the table. "Fine. Then let's get this done."

The room fell into a tense silence again as we finalized the details. I could feel her frustration simmering, and I knew mine wasn't far behind. There was something between us, something that had been building since the start. I wasn't sure if it was just the situation or if it went deeper than that. But now wasn't the time to think about it.

After another hour, we were ready to move.

---

The night air was cold, and the forest surrounding North Fort was eerily quiet as we made our way toward East Ridge territory. I kept my focus on the task at hand, but my mind kept drifting to Marlena. She was moving with her usual ease, barely making a sound as she kept pace with Alistair. It was like she was born for this, slipping into the shadows, always one step ahead.

I hated to admit it, but she was good—better than good. That was part of what drove me crazy. She was reckless, always pushing herself too far, but it worked. She could handle herself, but that didn't stop me from worrying every damn time she stepped into danger.

We split into our teams as planned, and I took the lead with Nolan and Calvin, moving toward the west side of the facility. The place was quiet, too quiet, but that didn't mean much. East Ridge had a way of hiding in plain sight, and we couldn't afford to underestimate them.

"See anything?" Nolan's voice was low, barely a whisper, as we crept closer to the facility.

I scanned the perimeter, but everything seemed clear for now. "Not yet. Keep your eyes open."

A few tense minutes passed before Calvin stopped short, signaling with a quick motion that he'd seen something. I followed his gaze and spotted movement near one of the supply depots. It was subtle, but there—East Ridge was moving stock, just like we thought.

I signaled for Nolan and Calvin to stay low as we made our way closer, keeping to the shadows. My mind was racing through the options, trying to figure out the best way to gather what we needed without drawing attention. But then, something caught my eye—movement on the east side.

"Marlena..." I muttered under my breath.

She and Alistair were moving faster than expected, probably already closer than they should've been. My gut twisted as I watched them, my instincts screaming that something wasn't right.

Before I could do anything, a group of figures emerged from the darkness on their side of the facility. It wasn't East Ridge—it was someone else. Another group, unfamiliar to me but moving with precision.

My heart dropped as I realized who they might be—rogue mercenaries, another faction? Whoever they were, they weren't with us, and they weren't with East Ridge. My blood ran cold.

I signaled for Nolan and Calvin to fall back, keeping our distance as we watched the unexpected arrival unfold. The recon mission was blown, but there was no turning back now.

I gritted my teeth, my frustration boiling over. This was supposed to be a clean, quiet mission, but now everything had gone to hell, and I wasn't sure how we were going to get out of it.

As Marlena's gaze locked with one of the newcomers, I could see the flicker of recognition on her face. She hadn't expected this either, but there was no denying the connection. The question now was, what the hell was going on? Who were these people?

We had to make a decision, and fast. But as I watched Marlena with this unknown group, something told me this was just the beginning of a much bigger problem.

And as usual, I couldn't shake the feeling that Marlena was at the center of it all.