Sasha did not expect to see Commander Cloud sitting stone-faced inside the armored van.
There were only seven of them: a driver, his shotgun partner, two nervous first-timers… and then Cloud, Alvaro and Sasha in the back. The only woman — though the stares she received made it clear that wasn't the problem.
Everyone was armed. Everyone looked tense. Except Alvaro, who looked like he thought they were on a field trip.
"So… where exactly are we going?" Alvaro asked, cheerfully out of place.
"A city a few miles from the Bastion," Cloud replied, eyes forward. "We haven't raided that sector yet. If we're lucky, it wasn't fully looted."
Alvaro looked around the cramped space. "But aren't we… a little short on manpower for this?"
"Small groups move faster and draw less attention," Cloud explained. "We have other squads sweeping other zones. Efficiency through division."
