The reunion was not a happy one.
It was a tense meeting of two exhausted groups. Two halves that no longer fit together.
Eric's team, though beaten up and worn from travel, looked like a unit. Their gear was maintained. Their eyes were sharp. Alert.
They were a team that worked well together.
Dante's team was a collection of tense, unstable individuals. Held together by his will alone.
Masha's intelligent eyes swept over them first. Stopping on Erica's tear-streaked face. The smug, possessive smirk on Lana's lips. The deep exhaustion Dante wore like a cloak.
She didn't speak. But he could see her analyzing. Questioning. Suspecting.
'She's too smart. She sees something is wrong. But she won't know what. Not yet.'
"Report," Dante said. His voice cutting through the heavy silence. Forcing order onto the emotional chaos.
Eric stepped forward.
"Objectives are secured," he stated. "We faced heavy resistance at each location. But the team performed well."
