Page 187 of Taeja

She nodded and complied, holding him tighter than before. He sighed, resting his chin atop her head. Zain loved how small and soft her body was against his.

“I don’t know where to start,” he said.

“The beginning.”

Zain nodded, his anger rising as he took a trip down memory lane.

“Stark, The Federation thanksyou for your years of service. You served Squad Four well, even when you pitched in while being inactive, but it is time to pass the torch on. Squad Four will now report to Sergeant Rice. Hudson and O’Donoghue, meet Eugene Farland. He is your new squad mate.”

What?!

Zain’s nostrils flared. “What did you say?”

Byfield raised a brow. “Don’t forget your place, Stark.”

“You don’t forget yours,” Zain bit back, not caring about respecting a superior anymore. “I don’t care if you placed me on inactive. You can’t give my squad to someone else. You’ve never done that before.”

Kennedy sighed. “Look at it as a rebranding, Stark. Squad Four is our most decorated. We can’t dismantle it like we did the others.”

“But you can give it to a new sergeant and this—” Zain glanced at Farland and scowled. “No.”

“No?” Rice laughed. “I am the new sergeant, whether you like it or not.”

Zain scoffed, not gracing Rice with an answer as he looked at Byfield. “You stood by and watched two of my men get killed.”

“One was a traitor,” Byfield replied.

“He was still mine.” Zain clenched his fists at his side. “I’m not gonna let you put Hudson and O’Donoghue through this again.”

“You don’t get a say in this, Stark,” Byfield hissed, his jaw ticking. “Rice is the new sergeant. We invited you here as a formality.”

Zain snapped his eyes to Kennedy, who pursed his lips. “Squad Four is nothing without me. Remember that.” Zain turned and left.

He was angry beyond words. How dare they give away his squad? In all his years, he never saw them do that to anyone else. Whenever a squad broke the oath, The Federation always kept the remaining soldiers on the payroll but never deployed them. Why were they changing the rules?

Zain’s feet took him outside faster than he knew it. He began retracing his steps to the car when Twenty and Jollof caught up to him.

“Byfield hate yu,” Twenty said.

“True,” Jollof agreed. “No one else ever has the balls to stand up to him like that.”

As they stopped beside Zain’s car, Twenty said, “Thanks for sticking up for us, Stork.”

“What did I tell you about that fucking nickname?” Zain hissed.

Twenty shrugged. “It’s that or Scar. You decide.”

Zain glared. Twenty and Jollof knew they were the only ones he allowed to call him by silly nicknames, and they took advantage of it every chance they got.

Jollof elbowed Twenty. “Shut up! I’m not about to do a hundred pushups if you make him mad.”

Twenty sighed. “I hope Kennedy comes to his senses and tells Byfield to call this off.”

“They have a mission for you?” Zain asked.

Jollof nodded slowly, looking around before lowering her voice. “Rice said it’s called Plan Nightingale.We’re going to the East, but it’s not a solo squad mission. They’re sending multiple squads from the platoon.”

“Multiple?” Zain’s eyes widened as Jollof nodded. “The Federation almost caused a war the last time they deployed multiple squads.”

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