Chapter 21 Mila
Mila
Location: Ravine — Close Quarters Engagement
Time: Continuous
The first man drops before he even knows I’m here.
Clean shot.
Silent fall.
No hesitation.
No second guessing.
Because there isn’t time for it.
There never is.
Another shadow moves along the ridge—
I pivot—
Fire—
Miss—
Adjust—
Second shot—
Hit.
He goes down hard.
My breathing stays steady.
Controlled.
Focused.
Not fear.
Not panic.
Just—
clarity.
Jase
I shouldn’t be watching her like this.
I should be up.
Fighting.
Leading.
Protecting.
Instead—
I’m on the ground.
And she’s the one holding the line.
And damn if she isn’t doing it perfectly.
Every move is calculated.
Every shot intentional.
No wasted motion.
No wasted ammo.
“She’s adapting…” I murmur.
Not to her.
To myself.
Because this?
This isn’t luck.
This is instinct.
Training—
She was made for this world.
Mila
Another burst of movement.
Closer this time.
Too close.
They’re learning.
Adjusting.
So do I.
I shift position—lower, tighter to the rock wall—change my angle—
Let them think I’m still where I was—
Footsteps approach—
Closer—
Closer—
Now.
I rise just enough—
Fire twice—
Both hit.
Both down.
I drop back behind cover immediately.
Heart pounding now.
Not from fear—
From adrenaline.
From knowing—
I’m winning this.
Jase
Yeah.
They’re not prepared for her.
Not like this.
Not as the threat.
And that’s their mistake.
I push myself up slightly—
Pain hits hard—
Vision blurs—
Yeah… still not great.
“Mila—” I start.
“I’ve got it,” she says instantly.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
And for the first time—
I believe her.
Mila
Silence falls.
Too fast.
Too sudden.
I don’t trust it.
I reload.
Check my surroundings.
Listen.
Always listen.
Then—
A voice.
Not from the ravine.
Not from the team.
From above.
From the helicopter.
Calm.
Controlled.
Familiar.
“…impressive.”
My stomach tightens.
“Ford,” I say under my breath.
Jase
Of course he’s watching.
Of course he is.
Coward.
“You’re exceeding projections,” Ford continues, voice carrying through a speaker.
I tense.
Don’t like that wording.
Not one bit.
“Stop talking,” I snap.
He ignores me.
Naturally.
“You were never meant to operate independently,” Ford says.
Mila doesn’t respond.
But I can see it—
That shift.
That tension.
That fight inside her.
Mila
“You don’t get to define me,” I say.
My voice is steady.
Stronger than I feel.
“You already defined yourself,” Ford replies smoothly.
“No,” I say.
And this time—
I mean it.
“I chose.”
Silence.
Just for a second.
But I feel it.
That ripple.
That disruption.
Like something in his perfect control just—
cracked.
Jase
Yeah.
That hit him.
Good.
I look at her—
Really look at her.
And something settles in my chest.
Something solid.
Certain.
She’s not his.
She’s not their asset.
She’s not a variable.
She’s—
“…you’re rewriting the rules,” I say quietly.
She glances back at me.
Just for a second.
“…maybe they needed rewriting.”
Damn.
Mila
The helicopter shifts again.
Lower.
Closer.
More aggressive now.
“They’re not backing off,” I say.
“No,” Jase replies.
“They won’t.”
I tighten my grip on the rifle.
Then glance down at him.
At the blood.
At the exhaustion he’s trying to hide.
And something inside me—
softens.
Just a little.
“You should be the one doing this,” I say quietly.
His gaze locks on mine.
“No.”
Simple.
Firm.
Unshaken.
“You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.”
That—
That hits harder than anything Ford said.
Jase
She doesn’t see it yet.
Not fully.
But she will.
Because what she just did?
That wasn’t survival.
That was control.
That was power.
That was choice.
And I’ve never been more sure of anything than I am of this—
“They picked the wrong target,” I say.
A faint smile touches her lips.
Dangerous.
Beautiful.
“Yeah,” she says softly.
“They did.”
Gunfire erupts again.
Louder.
Closer.
More desperate.
They’re losing control.
And they know it.
Good.
Let them feel it.