Chapter 375

The deafening roar of artillery shook the entire mountainside.

Andrew Smith barked into the radio, "All units retreat to the caves—now!" His command cut through the static with razor clarity.

Only two sentries remained on watch. The rest scrambled for cover.

The limestone caverns were nature's bomb shelters—impenetrable even under the fiercest bombardment.

"Casualty report?" Andrew's voice was gravel. A choked reply crackled through the radio: "Twelve KIA... twenty-eight critical..."

Ethan Lewis lay on a stretcher, intestines spilling from his abdomen, right leg stripped to the bone. His breathing was barely detectable.

Andrew's fists clenched. He raised binoculars to survey enemy positions—

BOOM!

An explosion hurled him backward. He tumbled into the cave's mouth, caught at the last moment by his squad.

"Captain!" The soldiers cried out.

Shrapnel jutted from his forehead, blood flooding his vision. Half an inch lower would've blinded him.

Meanwhile atop the ridge, Sean Waters coordinated defenses while Luna White and Lily Collins triaged wounded.

"Third wave repelled!" someone shouted. The artillery ceased abruptly, leaving an eerie silence.

Then the radio blared—not with Andrew's voice, but a medic's sob: "Sean! We need Luna—the captain's critical!"

Sean's stomach dropped. Andrew always led the charge. Now he couldn't even speak...

He sprinted into the cavern shouting, "Luna! The captain—"

She was already moving, medical kit slung over her shoulder. "Lead the way!"

Their six-person team raced through trenches. Strangely, no shells pursued them—as if the battlefield itself held its breath.

Fifteen minutes later, Luna burst into the cave.

Andrew lay motionless on the stretcher, his uniform saturated with blood.