Chapter 396:Squad Seventeen

Chapter 396: 396:Squad Seventeen

For the first hour, Gareth proved himself. He kept them moving at a sustainable pace rather than sprinting. He listened when Mira detected beasts. Twice they avoided Tier two creatures without wasting time.

When they had to fight, he ended the first engagement quickly with Rebecca and Leon while Antony conserved ammunition.

At one stream crossing, Gareth tested the depth before allowing Mira across.

When Antony jokingly suggested throwing her to the other side, Mira threatened to use her sensory ability to listen for the exact moment he fell asleep that night.

Antony stopped making suggestions.

By eight in the morning, they’d made good progress. Antony had almost forgotten this was an examination. Then they reached the bridge, or where the bridge was supposed to be.

Mira stopped.

Gareth nearly walked into her.

"What?"

She pointed forward.

The map showed a crossing but the reality showed half a bridge hanging into a ravine. Antony walked to the edge and looked down to find water rushing far below.

He looked from the map, to the bridge, then the map.

"That’s unfortunate."

Rebecca came beside him.

"Can we cross?"

Leon inspected the remaining structure.

"Not safely."

Gareth frowned.

"The alternate crossing is almost two kilometers north."

Mira checked.

"Maybe twenty-five minutes if the terrain stays clear."

Antony looked at the broken bridge.

"So the map is outdated."

Gareth folded it.

"Apparently."

They changed route which, of couse, cost time. Then communication interference began; static broke across their device.

Gareth tapped it.

"Command, Squad Seventeen, communications check."

Static, then a broken voice came through.

"...Seventeen... receiving..."

The signal disappeared.

Antony looked around.

"Convenient."

Gareth frowned.

"Keep moving."

They did.

Another twenty minutes passed, until Mira raised a hand to stop, her expression changing.

"Something ahead."

Gareth lowered his voice.

"How many?"

"One."

"Tier?"

"I can’t tell that."

They moved carefully until the forest opened.

Antony saw it.

They were large, low to the ground, thick armored hide covered its back with a pair of curved horns protruded from its skull.

The beast stood directly along the route indicated by their map, tearing apart the remains of something Antony couldn’t identify.

Rebecca whispered, "Tier Three."

Leon nodded.

"Definitely."

Gareth studied it.

The creature hadn’t noticed them.

Mira checked the map.

"We can go around."

"How long?" Gareth asked.

"Terrain west is rough. Twenty minutes, maybe more."

Gareth looked at the beast.

Antony recognized the calculation immediately. They could kill it, probably.

Gareth spoke quietly.

"We can take it."

Antony looked at him, frowning slightly.

Rebecca frowned.

"You’re sure?"

"We’ve already lost time at the bridge. Twenty more minutes puts us behind the route schedule."

Leon studied the beast.

"If we engage, someone could get injured."

"We’re five against one."

Antony looked away from them. He studied the terrain; trees, rock formation, slope and a depression running along the right side of the route.

At first it looked natural, then he noticed the concrete edge beneath the vegetation. Antony walked several steps sideways.

Gareth whispered sharply, "Where are you going?"

"Looking."

He pushed aside thick plants. A narrow channel descended through the vegetation. It was an old drainage, large enough for a person.

He crouched looking inside. It continued around the slope.

He looked toward Mira.

"Does your map show this?"

She came over and checked.

"No."

Antony smiled.

"Your map also shows a bridge that isn’t there."

Gareth approached.

He looked into the channel.

"Where does it come out?"

Mira concentrated, her eyes closing for several seconds.

"I can hear running water farther down. The channel curves around the beast’s position."

Antony pointed.

"There’s our route."

Gareth frowned.

"Too narrow."

"Wide enough."

"We don’t know where it ends."

"We know fighting that thing can end with someone bleeding."

Gareth looked toward the Tier Three, then the drainage channel.

"The detour on the map costs twenty minutes."

Antony nodded.

"This doesn’t."

"How long?"

Antony studied the visible curve.

"Six minutes. Maybe eight."

Gareth looked at him.

"You’re guessing."

"Yes."

"And if it’s blocked?"

"We come back."

"We lose more time."

"If we fight the beast and Mira gets a broken leg, how much time do we lose?"

Mira looked mildly offended.

"Why am I the one getting the broken leg?"

Antony glanced toward her.

"Lowest rank."

"The hell don’t jinx me!... Use yourself in the example."

"Fine. If I get a broken leg, how much time do we lose?"

"Less talking," Rebecca whispered. "The beast is still there."

Gareth’s expression remained serious. This wasn’t a petty argument, he was genuinely weighing the options.

Antony respected that.

Finally Gareth looked toward him.

"You really think six minutes?"

"Approximately."

"Your confidence level?"

Antony considered lying.

"Seventy percent."

His eyes narrowed.

"That’s not high."

"It’s higher than my confidence that fighting a Tier Three for no reason is smart."

Leon looked into the channel.

"I agree with Antony."

Rebecca nodded.

"So do I."

Mira folded the map.

"If the channel curves the way I’m hearing, he’s probably right."

Gareth looked around at the four people, then back toward the beast. This was his first real decision as their self-appointed leader. Follow the official route and fight the known threat or trust a path that wasn’t on their map.

He exhaled.

"Fine."

Antony smiled.

"Drainage channel?"

"Drainage channel it is."

He pointed at him.

"But you’re going first."

Antony’s smile disappeared.

"Why me?"

"It was your idea."

"That’s not how leadership works. You’re supposed to sacrifice or something."

"It is today."

Rebecca laughed quietly.

Antony looked into the dark, vegetation-covered channel, then at Gareth.

"You’re enjoying this."

"A little."

He sighed and slung the rifle securely across his back.

"Fine. If something eats me in there, I’m haunting all four of you."

Mira crouched near the entrance.

"I don’t hear anything large inside."

"Anything small?"

She smiled.

"A lot."

Antony flatly stared at her.

"That was not helpful."

He entered anyway with the others following. Six minutes later, they emerged on the far side of the slope.

Antony checked the time, then looked toward Gareth.

"Six minutes."

He looked at his own timer.

"Six minutes and forty-three seconds."

Antony pointed at him.

"Still six."

"That’s not how time works."

"It’s close enough."

Rebecca climbed out behind them.

"Can we continue before you two start arguing about a forty-three seconds difference?"

Mira followed and Leon emerged last. Gareth looked back toward the direction of the beast, then toward Antony. For the first time since they’d begun the mission, something in his expression had changed.

Recognition.

"Good call."

Antony smiled.

"Thank you."

"Don’t get arrogant."

"Too late."

He shook his head and unfolded the map.

"Observation Post Four is still several hours away."

Antony looked toward the wilderness ahead. He was beginning to understand Day Two. Yesterday had tested whether he could function. Today was asking a much more unpleasant question.

Could five strangers still make the right decisions when the instructions stopped matching reality?

Squad Seventeen started walking again.