Victor and Alvin sit quietly in the hummer, their eyes focused on the foliage in front of them. Just through it, they can begin to see the start of a field, the place where Victor intends to hold the battle.
Alvin sits next to his father, quietly chewing on a granola bar, patiently waiting for the next steps. Victor glances at him, impressed, passively, by his ability to sit and wait. He smiles, considering that a good soldier needs many skills, but patience is certainly one of them.
“Alvin,” he says quietly. “When this all…starts. I want you on the back line. And I want your promise that you will stay there, no matter what happens. Stay with the Beta to whom I assign you. All right?”
Alvin looks up at him and gives a brisk nod, surprising Victor again. He had expected more pushbac
