Field of Vision

Chapter 2: Underestimating

Samantha and Nicholas arrived at their new regiment by jeep and were dropped off with a camping bag filled with a sleeping bag, rations, ammo, and a map. They trekked for about half an hour before arriving at camp. At first they didn't realize they'd arrived because it was as though they turned a corner and there was a pile of mute, armed men (and women) there.

Wilson waved uncharismatically and they approached him with their large bags. "Hey," Nicholas greeted. Wilson nodded and gestured for him to have a seat by him.

Nicholas obliged and sat down while Samantha set her roll four meters away from them. "We aren't moving out for another week or so, so I suggest you get used to all of the veterans of this unit. Five squadrons make it up. The front, front two, support, long range, and recon. We're obviously long range."

Next to where Samantha set up, there was another roll. "So, how's the warfront been for the past year, Wilson?" Nicholas asked.

"Oh, haha, we've been doing the cleanup jobs, or preliminary tasks. We scare a fort for a month, or maybe take out patrols, rarely do we engage a fort head on, but when we do, that's why we have formations. You'll learn those eventually."

"Right, right," Samantha nodded.

"Anyway, there's a team of three that focus artillery in long range, they usually work with us but talk independently. There's also an explosives specialist, you know, grenade launchers and the sort, and... and there's this one other sniper..."

A girl enters Nicholas's field of vision. She has brown hair, with just enough to have a small ponytail hidden if you stand directly in front of her. Her eyes kind of took his attention. They were stern and solid, yet... the green looked deceivingly soft.

"The girl behind me is Lauren. Two years ahead of me. Yet she's only one year older," he continued to stare into his sleeping bag as she walked over next to Samantha.

"Hi." She said briskly, getting into her bag and rolling to the side.

"Oh yeah, you don't need to eat your rations tonight. The fire is over by the command tent," Wilson nodded in some direction and Nicholas got up.

"Alright, guess I'm headed there," Nicholas said dumbly, finding his way there.

Two hours later he returned, grasping his right arm, wobbling into camp. They were all asleep, and he looked to the far left. There sat four people, also huddled together, but they were whispering fiercely.

Nicholas crawled into his bedroll and stared at the sky. Those jerks. Hassling someone like me. Their very existence could depend on me in the heat of battle. They're lucky I was trained until I never missed.

Nicholas sighs at his own feeling of supremacy and turns over.

He opened his eyes, they were all on a rooftop.

"You there with the rifle, Benjamin, Samantha and me. We're headed downstairs to make sure everything stays quiet. You, Nicholas, will be stuck with these three others for a while, so be sure to make every minute count." He heads downstairs immediately, catching the battle students off-guard. Even Samantha. They dash down the stairs, trying to make there rushed steps unheard.

Samantha...? Nicholas looked around and three strangers were looking at him. What is this? What's going on?

"You're in charge, you're supposed to assign us to our stations," the girl reminded.

"Oh... right..." Nicholas rubbed his head with his right hand. He looked down and his rifle was resting against his left arm. He pointed.

"Girl and youngest, door. You over there by the side," Nicholas suggested.