Page 77 of Taeja

Shocked, Zain couldn’t stop his eyes from widening. Even Twenty and Jollof snapped their heads toward Zain, their faces twisted into shock. When they looked from him to Sergeant Rice, who didn’t look away from Zain not once, Zain clenched his fist.

“Stark, it’s to my understanding that you’ve led twenty-four missions?” Rice asked.

“Twenty-five,” Zain said before forcing the last word out through clenched teeth, “Sir.”

“Oh, right. But that last one didn’t go well, did it? You see, Stark, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. A weak link is cancerous, sometimes you have to—” Rice glanced at Zain’s left eye. “Cut it. At the head. Then start all over again.”

Zain glared, about to say something when Senior Sergeant Byfield stood.

“Enough, Sergeant Rice,” Byfield boomed.

Zain was briefly taken aback. Wasn’t Byfield the same one who didn’t object when Kennedy ordered the torture of all members of Squad Four? Zain thought Byfield would’ve enjoyed recanting how he stood aside and watched as members of the most decorated squad got treated like mutts.

Zain’s nails dug deep into his palm, perhaps drawing blood, too. Rage oozed off him, but it wasn’t just his own. Owen and Nwabisa were furious, too.

Byfield opened his mouth to say something else, but slammed it shut when the door opened.

“Farland, how nice of you to join us,” Lieutenant Kennedy stated, his tonedripping disapproval.

Zain glanced at the newcomer, who fell into line beside Jollof.

Latino male. Late twenties to early thirties. Breathless. Uniform unkempt. Missing beret.

Zain looked back ahead of him.

“Sorry, sir,” Farland panted as he moved a hand to his forehead. “I was running through the—”

“Did I ask why you were late, soldier?” Kennedy asked.

Farland shook his head. “No, sir.”

Rice scoffed as he looked away from Farland to Byfield, who spoke again, “Stark, The Federation thanks you 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?!

14

If it was onething Taeja loved, it was a self-care day with Aaliyah. They’d start by getting manis and pedis, then do their hair and get massages.

Currently, they were finishing up their pedis.

Aaliyah looked away from Taeja and wiggled her brows. “How are things with your man dem? Since the fight with your father and all?”

Taeja sighed at the mention of Jerry. She’d been trying to get in contact with him since the fight, just to see if he was okay, but he ignored all her calls. “Okay, I guess,” she stated solemnly.

Liyah reached over and gave Taeja’s hand a comforting squeeze. “Mi sorry yafi go through this, Tae.”

“It’s fi—”

“No, stop seh it fine. Cause a me yu always cry to about it. Mi nuh understand some parents. How can you have a child and not love them? Especially when the child has done nothing but their best.”

Taeja sighed, freeing her hand from Liyah’s. “I don’t know. I’ve been trying to figure that out for as long as I can remember.”

“I’m going to look for Dadz this weekend. Do you want to come with me? You know he loves you like you’re his own.”

“Of course, Dadz loves me. You had no friends in high school except me.”

Liyah gasped and playfully rolled her eyes. “I tried having friends. I just never really fit in with any of them.”

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