JONAH We moved through the trees beside the road, keeping cover. I went to Nantz’s position. I put my hand on his shoulder and let the suit carry my words through my glove and into his ear. It was safer than the radio. “Anything move?” “Nothing, sir. I scanned with thermal and EM. Clear.” That didn’t mean much now. Good civilian gear could hide from sensors. Some army stealth tech was out there in the wrong hands. We hadn’t been hit by it yet, but other units had. If someone had taken our asset, if they had made Ronan Ashcroft give up his code, then this was a trap. We had to cross the open field to check the car and the tent. An IED could be in either, ready to blow.I could be leading my people into a trap. If we were caught, if they made us talk, everything would be over. But I had no choice. Ronan’s code being used meant he might be here. He might be hurt. We had to be sure. I scanned the area myself one more time. I saw nothing. “Alright Nantz, take team two. I’ll take one. We go from opposite sides.” I thought of Hannon, my second. My AI sent the message to him. “Take team three. Provide fire support and overwatch.” The unit moved into position without a word. I saw Nantz’s team ready. “Everyone, watch for buried lines. Keep jammers active. If it’s not our signal, block it.” Lights blinked on my display. They acknowledged. “Advance.” Both teams moved fast from the trees toward the car and tent. The armor helped us move quicker than normal. Not as good as SOCOM gear, but it made us ten percent faster.We rushed across the open ground. We went behind the tent first to see around it. The teams came from different sides. “Nantz, car,” I said. I took my team to the tent. I saw a child lying on the ground on the far side of the tent. My thermal showed he was alive, but in bad shape. No visible injuries on the small body. I swore quietly. I knew what that might mean. “Stay sealed up. Possible plague victim here.” It was obvious, but I said it anyway. In this job, missing the obvious got people killed. “No unusual EM signals,” Nantz replied. I saw the feed from his little wheeled drone under the car. It was looking for bombs. “A lot of dried blood in here, though.” My team moved up on the tent. I took point. I told three of my five to hold back and cover me. “Hannon, you got the fifty ready?” “Yes, sir,” his voice came into my ear. “Good. I’m going to look inside. You scrap any toasters or insurgents you see about to surprise me.” “Understood,” he said, ignoring my attempt at a joke. I went to the boy first. Parker stayed to the right, her weapon on the small form. I checked the soil around him. His skin was pale. The skin around his eyes was red and puffy. His hair was matted with mud. I slid my fingers under his side. The sensors in my gloves checked for bomb traces. I had seen too many traps using hurt kids back in Southeast China. You pick up a child and a pressure plate goes off. I saw a whole platoon die that way. “Car is clear,” Nantz said. My sensors found nothing. It didn’t guarantee safety, but it helped. The boy stirred. “Daddy,” he whimpered.I blinked and shook my head. I took a deep breath. A sudden fear hit me...a picture of my own daughter in this same situation. I tried to swallow. I couldn’t. The boy rolled onto his side. Sobs shook him. His small hand slid weakly down the tent fabric. I looked at the tent, then at the boy. I glanced at Parker. “I’m going in.” She shifted so she wasn’t right in front of the entrance. She could fire inside without hitting me now. I pulled the zipper open slowly. I slipped a finger in and looked. I saw two pairs of feet. Two bodies. I checked near the zipper. I turned my finger to see the whole entrance. Nothing was wired to it, but it had been secured shut. I took my knife from my thigh. I cut through the zipper. I put the knife back. I forced the zipper open and looked into the dark. Two adults lay inside. One behind the other. Mom and Dad. I stepped in just enough to see their faces. My recognition software said neither was Ronan Ashcroft. He wasn’t here. But there was a lot of blood in the car outside. The mother and father had died from the plague. No signs of injury. They weren’t starved. So what happened to Ronan? How did his code end up on this tent? The only witness was a sick little boy. He was probably infected, being this close to his parents. I stepped out and gave the all-clear signal. The unit stayed alert, but now they looked outward. Nantz was already setting a perimeter. I knelt by the boy.His little lips kept moving. He was mouthing a word I couldn’t hear. I was sure he was calling for his father. Was my Sharon doing that right now? Had she? Would she? Would someone find my daughter needing me? “Ah hell,” I muttered. “Mateo, Fletcher, get over here with a stretcher. Now.” I looked at the car. Nantz’s team was taking supplies from its cargo areas into their own packs. It felt wrong, but we didn’t know how long we’d be without supplies later. The more we got now, the longer we could stay hidden. Mateo, the medic, ran up with Fletcher. Mateo put his gloved hand on the boy’s chest. “Breathing is okay. I need a blood test to check for plague. He’s dehydrated. Blood pressure is high.” They put the boy on the stretcher and lifted him. We all moved quickly back to the tree line. I walked beside the stretcher. I brushed the boy’s hair from his forehead. “We got you, little man. We’ll take care of you.” He stirred. He looked at me through half-closed eyes. “My mommy and daddy are dead.” I almost stumbled. I caught myself. I said a silent prayer for my own family’s safety. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what to say. I rested a hand on his leg as we reached the trees. “What’s your name?” I asked. I was trying to figure out what came next. Nothing in all my years prepared me for this. How do you handle a child who knows his parents are gone? “Lucas,” he replied weakly. “That’s a strong name, buddy. I need you to be strong. I’m going to find the people who did this to your parents. To everyone. I hope you can help me do that.” Lucas nodded once, slowly. Then his eyes