Taeja

13. Chapter 13

13

Hours after he left Damon’s house, night fell. Now, he was in bed with Taeja. She slept soundly beside him while he was tense. It’d been so long since he slept in the same bed as another person.

Before he’d crawled into the bed beside her, Taeja had said she didn’t mind sleeping in another room. Immediately, he denied, then silently cursed himself.

He didn’t want her to sleep in another room for two reasons. One, things were tense because of what was happening between him and Damon. Two, the other room was where Adelaide slept when they argued. He didn’t want to make things worse if Taeja knew that.

Heaving a sigh, he stirred.

“Can’t sleep?” came a whisper from beside him.

Zain tensed. “I thought you were sleeping.”

Taeja rolled over. “I can’t sleep.”

Zain rolled over, too. Now they were face-to-face, the room too dark to illuminate either of their features well. “Why not?” he asked.

“You’re going to think it’s stupid.”

His eyes narrowed, wondering why she’d ever imply that. “I don’t think you’re stupid, Taeja.”

“ Stupid ? Please, that’s the last word to describe me.”

“You’re always defensive, you know?”

“You, too,” she said, and his brows knitted more. “You are, Zain. Maybe not with your words, but with your actions… Like how you’ve been scooting further away whenever I move.”

As guilty as he was, he didn’t let it show.

Taeja smirked. “There it is again.”

“What?”

“You’re hard to read most times. But sometimes you do show some emotion. Mostly when we’re around Damon, but it just happened a while ago.”

“How did you come to that conclusion?”

With a wide grin, Taeja stared into his eyes and recited a famous line from a well-known film. Her grin widened as the corner of his mouth twitched. “I like it when you smile.”

“I didn’t smile.”

“You did! It was just really small.”

Not wanting to talk about that, Zain diverted the topic. “I'm surprised you watched that movie.”

“I love all crime dramas. Who doesn’t?”

“Me.”

The light faded in her eyes. “Why?”

He sighed and rolled over onto his back, staring at the ceiling. “The military.”

“I’m sorry—”

“Stop apologizing over little things.”

“It’s a habit.”

“A habit you should break.”

“Hm, how about—” Taeja propped her elbow up, resting her head in her hand. “I’ll try to stop apologizing that much if you try to drop your guard around me.”

Zain’s brows furrowed, and he looked at her to see her staring intently. “Drop my guard?” he asked, and Taeja nodded. “I’m in the army, Taeja. There’s no such thing as dropping my guard.”

“I thought you were discharged?” she asked, her confusion evident.

Zain mentally cursed. “It’s complicated,” he answered. “I don’t remember how to allow myself to feel or do certain things.”

“That’s not true,” she countered. “You allow yourself to feel around me and Damon. Sometimes. And around your bike. Can’t forget the bike.”

“What do I feel?”

Taeja sat up and crossed her legs. He could see her better now. Her curly hair was in two long cornrows, both pulled to the front and resting on either shoulder. Taeja always had a childlike innocence whenever she wasn’t acting like a vixen.

“I can’t tell you how to feel,” she said. “You have to figure that out by yourself.”

Zain knew Taeja was right. But after all he’d been through, feeling was proving to be a hard task.

Zain sat up, resting his back against the headboard. He didn’t miss how Taeja’s eyes trailed over his abs. “I feel horny. I want to fuck you.”

She laughed. “I always want you to fuck me, but you can’t use sex to distract me right now. We’re talking.”

“We can fuck and talk. You can tell me how good my dick feels inside you.”

“Zain,” she said sternly, despite shuffling about. “Talk to me, please.”

He heaved a long breath, then tried his best. “When I’m with my brother, I feel happy.”

“Happy?”

“Yes,” he answered. “Damon has been here for me through everything. Especially when I joined the army. He sent me letters every day, and it made me happy that someone cared that much about me.”

Taeja smiled. “That’s so nice of him.”

Zain nodded. “My brother is my best friend.”

“That’s why it makes me sad that you guys are fighting.”

He scoffed. “We’re not fighting. Damon knows not to fuck with me like that.”

“And if he does, nuh do nun to him,” she said with a deep glare.

Zain placed a hand over his heart. “I knew you had a favorite.”

Taeja laughed, so cheery and loud in the dark of the night. “Look at you, making jokes.”

“I know how to joke, Taeja,” he said, then lowered his voice. “I just don’t remember how to express myself well sometimes.”

“You’re doing your best, and that’s fine with me.” She smiled. “And my curiosity is getting the best of me. I know I said I wouldn’t ask but… why you and Damon a argue over Liza? Unu used to deh wid her?”

Zain’s jaw clenched as one of his hands balled into a tight fist. “No,” he spat, his tone laced with disgust.

“Sorry, I—”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Taeja.”

She sighed. “Sorry. I mean sorry for saying sorry. Sorry—” She paused as Zain smirked, loosening his fist.

“Why do you apologize this much?”

“My grandma,” Taeja answered without missing a beat. “When Cassedi left me, I spent most of my days with Teddy. She always got mad at me over the simplest of stuff, so I just…”

Zain’s anger boiled inside him as he thought of all the gruesome ways he could make Teddy pay.

“I don’t want to talk about her. I hate her,” Taeja spat. “I should go to sleep.”

“You don’t look sleepy. Me and my dick can fix that for you.”

“No,” she said, chuckling. “I’m trying not to have sex with either of you until you’re on good terms again.”

“Okay, come suck my dick, then. Cause you did earlier, and I guess that doesn’t count as sex.”

“It’s still sex! And it’s not happening again. Aye, stop look pon mi like dat cause mi mean it.”

“Whatever you say,” he said, watching as she made herself comfortable underneath the duvet.

Silence settled between them for a few moments.

Zain used the time to think about his argument with Damon. It’d been a little over a day since their argument, and he missed his brother terribly. But, unlike Damon, Zain knew he had a valid reason to be angry.

He glanced at Taeja. “Can I tell you something?”

Taeja rolled over, the room’s darkness falling over her face as she nodded. “Of course.”

Not wanting to see her reaction, Zain looked away from her to the shadows that streamed through the window and danced on the bottom of the duvet. “Do you know much about the army, Taeja?”

“No.”

“Then I’ll make this as simple as I can. Liza and I used to be good friends. Back in college, when there were five of us — me, Damon, Tsion, Liza, and Marco. Marco and I dropped out to join the army, and we dedicated ten years of our lives to a branch that doesn’t even exist.”

She gasped. “ What ?”

He looked at her for the first time. “Can I trust you, Taeja?” he asked, and she nodded without hesitation. “Say it.”

“You can trust me, Zain.”

He searched her face for a moment before he looked at the shadows. “I’ve never told anyone else this before. Legally, I’m not allowed to. So, when you wake up tomorrow, you can’t remember this conversation.”

“I won’t betray your trust like that. Ever,” Taeja promised.

“The branch of the army is called The Federation. We are trained to ambiguously execute high-ranking foreign officials,” he said, shooting her a glance to gauge her reaction. Her eyes were wide and her lips were slack, rightly so, but she didn’t say anything, and it implored him to continue. “Every nation has its secrets, but if it got exposed that something like this exists in the country with the most world power, imagine how it would look on us as a country.

“The job of all soldiers in The Federation is considered more intense and high-risk than those who are sent to war, so we don’t abide by certain rules. The last mission my squad — Squad Four — was sent on, was to a Middle Eastern country. They were refusing to share their oil, and that was where my squad came in,” he said.

“As an incentive? Take away what they’re used to, then offer them help to control them?” Taeja asked.

Surprised, he looked at her. Taeja was deeply intrigued, and it shocked him. He wasn’t one to make comparisons, but whenever he tried talking to Adelaide about what he could speak of in the military, she never showed interest.

He nodded before looking away. “But it didn’t go exactly as planned. We got bad intel, and the plan almost backfired, but we got the job done. When we returned, our lieutenant interrogated all five members of Squad Four. They never told us why Marco did it, but they ensured none of us ever thought of going against our oath again.”

Taeja gasped, and his eyes snapped to hers. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “They… did this to you?” she forced out, and Zain nodded slowly. Taeja’s lips trembled. Anger surged in her watery eyes. “That nuh mek nuh sense! Why dem do yu this when ano your fault Marco betray unu?!”

He shrugged. “That’s the oath of The Federation. A squad is one band, one sound. We are lucky to be spared.”

Taeja angrily shook her head, using the back of her hand to wipe her eyes. “That’s not right. It’s not fair. I thought mercenaries did this to you—”

“I’m sorry I lied.”

“Don’t apologize about that. I understand you had no choice, but that still doesn’t make it right—”

Zain looked away from her, his eyes fixing on an ugly painting of an ox on the wall before the bed. He knew Taeja meant well, but he hated being pitied. Especially at a time like this. Speaking about it felt like reliving the worst months of his life, but it also took some weight off his shoulders.

So, he continued, “They were merciless on Marco. He and another died five months in, and the rest of us had to spend a month with their rotting bodies locked in the same room. When it was over, The Federation gave us a cover, and the next thing we knew, we were in formation waiting to be tapped out with normal soldiers.

“Marco was Liza’s husband. She fell to her knees when she didn’t see him, and it makes me angry every time I remember how the lieutenant handed Liza a flag and condolences when the military killed him. Liza couldn’t settle with only blaming mercenaries, so she blamed me, too. She always made Marco and I swear to protect each other, so she thought I didn’t do my best,” he said.

“That’s why you’re mad at her?”

He nodded. “I know Liza can’t handle the truth. It’s best she thinks Marco died a hero rather than a traitor—” He tensed as Taeja leaned over, bringing a hand close to his face. He leaned back when her thumb met his face. Taeja had always respected his boundaries or asked before touching him, so why would she—

She trailed a finger beneath his eye. When she pulled back and dried it on her shirt, it surprised him.

He was crying?

He rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes, his mouth slackening as he felt a trace of wetness.

Taeja chuckled lightly. “Those are called tears. You’re human, Zain. Not the machine they made you.”

Something shifted inside him. He was unsure what it was, but it made his heart race and the hairs on his arms and nape stand. He never experienced this before… As scary as it was — as she was — Zain was intrigued. “You make me feel, Taeja,” he whispered.

A small smile crept on her face. “Good things?”

“I think it is.”

Taeja’s smile widened, then morphed into a long yawn. She covered her mouth and said sheepishly, “Sor— I mean, excuse me.”

“I can work with that,” he said before tapping the bed. “Get some sleep.”

She nodded and laid down, facing away from him. “Zain?”

He looked at her. “Yes?”

“Can I… hold you?” she murmured. “I can’t sleep if I’m not holding something, and you only have two pillows.”

“Take mine.” He shuffled about, grabbing his pillow.

“No. Yu need fi support yu neck.”

Zain prodded her with the pillow. “Take it.”

She turned around to accept it, then rolled over onto her side. Holding the pillow close to her chest, she rocked her body gently and whispered, “Thanks… Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Taeja.”

Taeja hopped onto the bike. Her smile brightened as she explored it with her hands.

Zain chuckled. “I’m not letting you ride it right now.”

Taeja’s grip slackened around the handlebars. Her head snapped over in his direction while her mouth gaped. “Really, Zain? Yu seh mi can ride it!”

“You can ride my dick—”

She rolled her eyes, looking away from him. “Doh finish dat. Yu nav no behavior.”

Amused, he smirked. She looked cuter to him — with her hair in a high puff and a summer dress that hugged her curves and ass just right. Zain had never met a woman who dripped this much sexual appeal, and his first thought wasn’t to fuck her. He just wanted to look at her. Taeja enthralled him.

Feeling her glare, he dragged his eyes to hers. Then, he approached his bike and mounted it. She stiffened as he pulled her closer by her waist, pressing her back against his chest.

“I-I thought you didn’t like it when I touch you,” Taeja stuttered.

Zain trailed his fingertips down her arms, making her hairs stand. He didn’t stop exploring her body until his hands covered hers, which circled the handlebars. “I’m touching you.”

“But—”

He kissed the side of her head. “You talk too much.”

“You talk too little,” she bit back. Turning her head to look up at him, she said, “Mi naa lie, yu eva a confuse mi.”

“I confuse you?”

Taeja nodded. “This minute, you’re backing away when I try to touch you. Next minute, you’re okay with it, or you’re the one who’s touching me.”

He moved a hand off hers and laid it on her thigh, slowly lifting her dress. “You don’t like when I touch you?”

“I love it when you touch me. You just—” Taeja’s breath hitched as Zain’s thumb brushed against her panties. “—confuse me, as I said.”

He slipped her panties to the side. “You know why I’m like this.”

“I know, but it mek mi feel a way, sometimes.”

“What exactly?” he asked, leisurely stroking a finger along her slit .

Taeja’s breathing grew heavy. “I told you, Zain.”

“Tell me again.” He slipped a finger inside her. Her warmth wrapped snugly around his digit, and he loved the feel. Taeja’s pussy was so fucking tight, he wondered how she managed all of him the first time they had sex.

“I’m not forcing you to change or anything but— Faster ,” she begged, moving her hand from beneath his and laying it on top.

Zain increased his pace as her nails dug into his skin, but he didn’t mind. His body was already littered with scars that brought him back to a place he couldn’t escape from. If he became decorated with marks from the woman who intrigued him, scared him, amused him, and made him feel all these unexplainable things, he’d wear them as a badge of honor. “You were saying?”

“I can’t focus with your fingers in my pussy,” she answered breathlessly.

Smirking, Zain moved his hand from beneath hers and looped his fingers around her neck. He slipped another finger into her pussy as he turned her head at an angle where he could kiss her.

He was enraptured by her in this moment… The way her head was tossed back, exposing her neck. The way her eyes were dazed. The way her lips were parted and allowing sweet moans to escape. Fuck, Taeja was everything.

Wetting his lips, he placed them on hers, kissing her for only a second. As he pulled away, Taeja pouted, desperate for more that he didn’t want to give her yet.

He brushed her hair aside and trailed kisses along her neck. “Talk,” he demanded, his voice deep with need.

Whimpering, Taeja forced out the words, “I like being touched, so when y-you give me the cold shoulder, then touch me again o-out of nowhere… it confuses me a lot.”

“Hmm,” he hummed and pressed his thumb against her clit as her body leaned more into him. He slowed his thrusts and rubbed her clit in small circles, wanting to prolong her orgasm for as long as he could. He was sure she could feel his dick pressing into her back, but he wouldn’t give it to her. Not right now. He wanted to focus only on her. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Zain,” she moaned, moving her hips to match his pace. “Just fuck me. ”

He stopped fingering her. Taeja snapped her head around to glare, and he smirked. “You’re cute, you know that?”

Taeja smiled. “I know.”

Zain started fingering her again. “I’ll try to be better for you.”

“I know… and I’m trying to be less t-touchy toward you because I know you don’t like it.”

He froze. Taeja thought he didn’t like it when she touched him? That was far from the truth.

Zain yearned for her touches like any man would crave a fire on a frosty night. He wanted to be in her hold all the time, every day. He was just too fucked in the head to not back away from her when all he wanted was to lean into her more.

Zain sighed and pulled his fingers out of her.

Taeja looked around at him, her brows crinkled. “I was so close!”

“I know.” He smirked, not wanting her to see how her words bothered him. “Open,” he ordered, and she did. He slipped his fingers into her mouth, and she sucked them clean. When she got done, he took them out, and she leaned off him so he could hop off the bike.

Taeja glanced at his dick, pressing against the material of his shorts. “Cya believe me a go against me own words already, but come mek mi give yu piece.”

His dick stirred at the thought of her down on her knees for him again. Of course, Zain loved fucking her, but that mouth.

Taeja’s mouth was something else.

He loved how she always relaxed and allowed him to use her however he pleased. It wasn’t like when he was buried in her pussy, and she would tense every so often because of his size.

As tempting as it was, now wasn’t the time to give in to his sexual urges. He had somewhere to be.

Zain shook his head and held a hand out to help her off the bike. “It’s fine.”

“I guess a me cause this pon miself.” Taeja sighed as she allowed him to help her.

She walked ahead of him into the house. They stopped in the kitchen and Zain leaned on the counter while she sat around the island and ate what he made her this morning. His brows furrowed as he watched her. How could a person not eat until noon? Sure, he’d sometimes gone days without eating as part of his training process, but it wasn’t something he’d willingly choose.

Taeja looked at him as he leaned off the counter after she finished eating. “Are you leaving now?” she asked, and he nodded. “Can I stay here, or should I go to Damon?”

“He’s at work. It’s up to you.”

“I’ll stay here.”

Nodding, Zain took a few steps toward the exit. He paused when Taeja said something.

“Can I help you redecorate?”

He looked over his shoulder at her. “Redecorate?”

“Yeah. No offense, but your taste sucks.”

“You can,” was all he said before he headed to the bedroom and had a cold shower. Thoughts of the upcoming meeting made his dick quickly grow limp. After he got done with his shower, he dressed in his riding gear, then grabbed the bag that was hidden at the back of his closet. Jogging downstairs, he found Taeja in the living room, giggling with someone on the phone.

When he got into her line of view, Taeja paused the call and licked her lips while admiring him. “A so man fi look and smell good.”

Zain smirked, her compliment giving him a confidence boost. He pulled his wallet out, then gave his card to her. “If you need to leave, my car key’s in the kitchen.”

Taeja grinned. “Have a good day.”

“You too, Taeja.” He went to the garage, then hopped on his bike. He secured the helmet on his head before blazing to Damon’s house. Zain preferred his bike to his sports car. If he ever needed to go anywhere, he usually opted to borrow one of Damon’s cars.

Neatly parking his bike in the driveway and resting the helmet on the handlebar, Zain headed inside the house. He went to his bedroom and changed his clothes. He clenched his jaw as he stared at his reflection in the mirror.

He was dressed in a service uniform. Badges and tabs were paired with a simple nametag — Stark.

Unclenching his fist, Zain caught his hair into a low ponytail before securing the beret on his head. Then, he headed to the garage.

“I should drive the other car to piss him off more,” Zain mumbled as he settled in the car’s seat. Zain chuckled at his devious thought. He wasn’t sure why his brother had such an unhealthy attachment to that old car, but Damon never allowed anyone to drive or clean it. Zain was sure there were cobwebs in there somewhere.

Pushing the thoughts of his brother aside, Zain drove out. Two hours later, he arrived at his destination. He parked and inhaled a shaky breath before exiting the car.

The first thing he noticed was the dark clouds looming above. The wind whistled through trees, carrying along the conversations of the soldiers roaming around the compound. Stones danced on the ground as vehicles and feet trampled them.

How Zain wished to be with Taeja. Or Damon. Anywhere except here.

He exhaled a breath and stood more upright, giving himself a silent pep talk before taking the first step toward the administration building. He was halfway there when a yell halted him.

“Stork!” came the voice again.

Coldness gripped him. There were only two people alive who knew of that name. It couldn’t be—

Zain turned around, his eyes widening when his suspicions were confirmed.

Owen Hudson.

Beside him, Nwabisa O’Donoghue.

They were in similar attire and taking long strides toward him. When they caught up to Zain, they flanked his sides and continued the journey.

Zain glanced at Owen. “Twenty,” he said before looking at Nwabisa. “Jollof.”

Nwabisa rolled her eyes. “I’ll never forgive you guys for giving me that name.”

Owen chuckled. “It isn’t as bad as Twenty.”

“ Duh. You’re number twenty out of how many kids? I don’t even remember.”

“Twenty-five,” Zain answered, chuckling as Twenty-two glared at him .

“A time now unu lowe me. Ano my fault Jamaican Rasta men are a different breed,” Owen hissed.

“Speaking of…” Jollof trailed off, her eyes fixing on Zain’s hair. “You know Kennedy is gonna be on your ass, right?”

“Fuck Kennedy,” Zain spat.

Twenty pretended to open a beer, then made a toast. “Amen to that.”

Jollof laughed and did the same. She took a large chug from her imaginary beer, then tossed the bottle on the grassy terrain to her left. “Seriously though, Twenty. Your pet name is better than Jollof. I’m telling you, Nigerians know their way around a kitchen.” She paused to do a chef’s kiss. “Their jollof rice is perfect.”

“I think Ghanaians do it better.”

“Let’s agree to disagree,” Nwabisa said. “As a South African, I’m not talking down on any of my fellow Africans.”

“So, let’s talk about important stuff. Cause I thought they only called me here until I saw you guys. What’s going on?”

“Beats me,” Jollof replied, glancing at Zain. “Do you know?” she asked, and Zain shook his head. Nwabisa gasped. “What?! You’re our sergeant—”

“Was.”

Twenty sighed. “It’s fucked up what they did to us, Stork. I did ten years for this country, and they stabbed me in the back the first chance they got.”

Jollof hummed, nodding. “I’ll never forgive Marco. Fucking traitor. May he burn in hell.”

“C’mon, Jollof. Don’t be like that—”

“Nah, fuck him,” she spat. “Tell him, Stork.”

“Fuck that fucking traitor,” Zain co-signed, his hands balling at his sides.

Twenty sighed, making Jollof scoff as they entered the main building with military personnel roaming about. Lowering her voice, she said loud enough so only the men walking with her could hear, “Twenty must’ve forgotten that the traitor almost cost all of us our lives. Rest in peace to Sea, may the Gods bless her soul. I still get nightmares where I’m looking into her lifeless blue eyes.”

Zain said nothing. He never had nightmares. He saw everything when he was awake .

Returning to this country under a guise.

Getting escorted to the base with his squad.

Being investigated about what could’ve sparked a war if the truth got out.

Squad Four being punished to send a message to all squads in The Federation: do not fuck with the government.

If Zain had known that signing that contract would’ve brought him to where he was now, he would’ve turned it down. Hell, he wouldn’t have even joined the army in the first place.

But he did because he thought he’d be doing something more meaningful with his life. Maybe then Andrew would’ve started seeing him as a son again.

Zain unclenched his fist as he turned down a less populated hallway. Twenty and Jollof bickered on either side of him. He ignored them as he kept his focus straight, fixating on the door at the end of the hallway, not wanting to see the photographs lining the walls. They stemmed from The Federation’s founding fathers, to the most decorated soldier every year since then. Zain walked down this hallway many times before. He knew exactly where his seven pictures were, and he didn’t want to see how rugged he grew over time.

Five minutes later, they entered a room. Zain did a quick assessment.

Small. No windows. One way in and out. No chairs, except by the desk at the front of the room. Three people were seated, one face belonging to a stranger.

“Who’s that?” Jollof whispered as the trio approached the front of the room.

“How am I supposed to know?” Zain bit back, anger surging in him the closer they got to the front.

The trio fixed themselves into a horizontal line, placed their hands at their foreheads, then exclaimed the formal greeting.

“At ease,” said Lieutenant Kennedy while he stood.

Zain followed suit, feeling the eyes of the unknown man burning into his skin as if trying to tear beyond flesh and reveal what dark secrets Zain had on the inside. Who was this man? Something about him rubbed Zain the wrong way. Or maybe it was his mind playing tricks on him because he was on edge being here.

“Soldiers,” said Lieutenant Kennedy. “Thank you for joining us on such short notice. Before I get into the meat of the matter, there are two things that I need to address. I know you all are wondering who’s this man beside Senior Sergeant Byfield, so I will allow him to do his introduction.”

The man in question stood, his gaze scanning the trio before falling on Zain. “My name is Rhian Rice—” Rhian paused as a chuckle traveled around the room. His eyes settled on Jollof, narrowing. “Do you have something you’d like to share with us, O’Donoghue?”

“No, sir!” Jollof answered.

“Back to what I was saying. My name is Rhian Rice, and I am your new sergeant,” he said as his gaze fell on Zain. “So, it’s Sergeant Rice to you. All of you.”

Shocked, Zain couldn’t stop his eyes from widening. Even Twenty and Jollof snapped their heads toward Zain, their faces twisted into shock. When they looked from him to Sergeant Rice, who didn’t look away from Zain not once, Zain clenched his fist.

“Stark, it’s to my understanding that you’ve led twenty-four missions?” Rice asked.

“Twenty-five,” Zain said before forcing the last word out through clenched teeth, “Sir.”

“Oh, right. But that last one didn’t go well, did it? You see, Stark, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. A weak link is cancerous, sometimes you have to—” Rice glanced at Zain’s left eye. “Cut it. At the head. Then start all over again.”

Zain glared, about to say something when Senior Sergeant Byfield stood.

“Enough, Sergeant Rice,” Byfield boomed.

Zain was briefly taken aback. Wasn’t Byfield the same one who didn’t object when Kennedy ordered the torture of all members of Squad Four? Zain thought Byfield would’ve enjoyed recanting how he stood aside and watched as members of the most decorated squad got treated like mutts.

Zain’s nails dug deep into his palm, perhaps drawing blood, too. Rage oozed off him, but it wasn’t just his own. Owen and Nwabisa were furious, too.

Byfield opened his mouth to say something else, but slammed it shut when the door opened.

“Farland, how nice of you to join us,” Lieutenant Kennedy stated, his tone dripping disapproval.

Zain glanced at the newcomer, who fell into line beside Jollof.

Latino male. Late twenties to early thirties. Breathless. Uniform unkempt. Missing beret.

Zain looked back ahead of him.

“Sorry, sir,” Farland panted as he moved a hand to his forehead. “I was running through the—”

“Did I ask why you were late, soldier?” Kennedy asked.

Farland shook his head. “No, sir.”

Rice scoffed as he looked away from Farland to Byfield, who spoke again, “Stark, The Federation thanks you for your years of service. You served Squad Four well, even when you pitched in while being inactive, but it is time to pass the torch on. Squad Four will now report to Sergeant Rice. Hudson and O’Donoghue, meet Eugene Farland. He is your new squad mate.”

What?!