Lena gave a curt nod. A solo patrol was hardly an unusual assignment for her. She actually preferred it, free from the chatter and second\u2011guessing that often came with partnered missions.<\/p>\n
Carver fixed her with a pointed look. \u201cIt\u2019s your call, Hart. You can wait for backup if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n
She studied his face. Something in his tone felt off, but she brushed it aside. \u201cI\u2019m fine on my own,\u201d she said firmly, her voice low. \u201cJust give me the updated map and any intel you have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Half an hour later, she was strapping her gear onto a desert\u2011ready motorcycle. The sun had barely cleared the horizon, yet the air already carried the promise of brutal heat. She packed a canteen, an M4 carbine with a shortened barrel, a sidearm at her waist, and a small bag containing binoculars, extra magazines, and a satellite radio for emergency communication. As she rode off toward Elsencio, the desert wind whipping across her cheeks, she felt an odd sense of calm. The emptiness of the land mirrored the emptiness she\u2019d long carried within.<\/p>\n
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