The night at camp was colder than usual. The air smelled of metal and burnt fuel, the scent of long missions and restless soldiers. I was going through the after-action reports when the door burst open.
Lance, my deputy captain, stood there, his breath uneven, sweat trailing down his temple. The look in his eyes said everything before he even spoke.
"Captain, we have a problem!"
I straightened from my chair, pushing the files aside. "What's wrong?"
"Team B, Captain Zyrus' squad, and Team C under Captain Dominic," Lance said between breaths, "they both lost connection during their mission."
My gut tightened. "Lost connection? How long ago?"
"Almost five hours, sir. Communication lines went dead after their last check-in."
I clenched my jaw. "What was their mission?"
Lance hesitated before answering, his tone grim. "They were sent to track down a facility. A suspected underground laboratory that's been conducting illegal genetic modification experiments."
