After We Said Goodbye

DEPLOYMENT

The message reached the military camp shortly after six in the morning.

Adrian had just finished reviewing the deployment map when Lieutenant Reyes entered the operations room with a folded piece of paper in his hand.

"Sir."

Adrian looked up.

"What is it?"

"Message from the tribal council."

Adrian took the paper and unfolded it.

He read it once.

Then again.

"The eastern trail has been marked."

Reyes stepped closer.

"The same trail our reconnaissance team identified?"

"Yes."

Sergeant Cruz, who had been struggling with a communications radio on the other side of the room, looked over.

"That's either very convenient or very inconvenient."

Adrian glanced at him.

Cruz returned to the radio.

"I'll stop talking now."

Adrian looked back at the map.

"Our reconnaissance team will not use the original route."

Reyes nodded.

"We'll approach from the western side."

"No."

Adrian pointed to the map.

"We approach through the settlement."

Reyes hesitated.

"With the tribal council?"

"With the representative."

Cruz looked at Reyes.

Reyes looked back.

Cruz lowered his voice.

"That sounds like a meeting."

"It is a meeting."

"With guns."

Adrian looked at him.

Cruz nodded thoughtfully.

"Military meeting."

Reyes sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder why you speak."

"So people know I'm alive."

Adrian folded the message.

"We leave in twenty minutes."

Cruz immediately stood.

"Yes, sir."

He walked toward the equipment room, then stopped.

"Sir?"

Adrian looked at him.

"Does breakfast count as equipment?"

"No."

Cruz sighed.

"That's unfortunate."

---

The convoy reached the mountain settlement shortly before eight.

The first vehicle appeared around the bend in the road.

A child carrying a wooden bucket stopped in the middle of the path.

He stared.

Then came another vehicle.

Then another.

By the time the fourth military vehicle emerged from the trees, the child had already run back toward the houses.

People began stepping outside.

An old man stood beneath the roof of his home and watched the convoy approach.

A woman pulled her children closer.

A group of young men who had been repairing a fence stopped working.

Nobody shouted.

Nobody ran.

The settlement simply became quiet.

The vehicles moved slowly through the narrow road, their tires pressing into the damp earth.

The soldiers inside remained alert.

Adrian watched the people through the windshield.

He recognized the reaction.

He had seen it before in communities affected by conflict.

But this place was different.

For the people standing along the road, the uniforms meant more than uniforms.

Some of them had probably seen soldiers come through these same mountains years ago.

Some had lost family members.

Some had watched their homes become part of a war they never wanted.

The peace agreement had ended the fighting.

It had not erased the memory.

Adrian could feel their eyes following the convoy.

Behind him, Cruz leaned toward Reyes.

"Do you think they like us?"

Reyes looked out the window.

"They're deciding."

"Between?"

"Whether to tolerate us or throw us back down the mountain."

Cruz nodded.

"Reasonable."

He looked toward the settlement again.

"Do you think throwing us down the mountain is covered by the Geneva Convention?"

Reyes gave him a look.

"I don't think that's how it works."

"You sure?"

"No."

"Good. I feel better."

The convoy stopped near the center of the settlement.

Adrian stepped out.

The moment his boots touched the ground, several conversations stopped completely.

He didn't react.

He understood why.

He looked around the settlement, taking in the people watching them from doorways and windows.

The soldiers had entered carrying rifles into a community that had once been surrounded by war.

Even if their purpose was different now, the sight alone could reopen memories.

Adrian turned toward his men.

"Keep the weapons secured unless necessary."

"Yes, sir."

"Maintain discipline. This is a civilian settlement. You are guests here."

Cruz muttered, "Very heavily armed guests."

Reyes elbowed him.

Adrian turned his head.

Cruz immediately straightened.

"I said nothing, sir."

"You said something."

"I was agreeing with you."

Adrian stared at him.

Cruz nodded.

"Very strongly."

Before Adrian could respond, Maya appeared near the council house.

She stood at the edge of the building, watching the convoy.

She walked toward them.

The people around her slowly moved aside.

"Captain."

"Representative."

Her eyes moved toward the vehicles behind him.

"You brought more than I expected."

"One hundred and twenty personnel are part of the deployment."

Maya looked at the soldiers.

"How many are here now?"

"Twenty-four."

Her expression tightened slightly.

"Twenty-four soldiers in a settlement this size will make people nervous."

Adrian looked around.

"They already are."

Maya studied him.

"You noticed."

"I would have to be blind not to."

She looked toward the people watching them.

"Give them time."

Adrian nodded.

"I will."

Maya looked at the soldiers.

"Keep the weapons secured unless necessary."

Adrian turned toward Reyes.

"You heard her."

"Yes, sir."

Adrian addressed the rest of the unit.

"Nobody points a weapon at anyone unless there's a reason."

The soldiers acknowledged the order.

Maya looked at him.

"Thank you."

Adrian nodded.

Neither said anything else.

But the exchange had been noticed.

The elders watched them carefully.

So did the villagers.

Nobody knew what existed between the two people standing there.

But it was obvious they had spoken like this before.

---

The council had prepared a temporary area for the soldiers near the southern edge of the settlement.

It was far enough from the homes to give the villagers some privacy, but close enough for the military to maintain communication with the council.

As the soldiers unloaded their equipment, several children watched from a distance.

One little boy whispered something to his friend.

Cruz heard him.

He turned.

The boy immediately hid behind a tree.

Cruz smiled.

"Don't worry. We're not that scary."

The boy peeked out.

Cruz pointed toward Adrian.

"Except for him."

Adrian, standing several meters away, turned his head.

Cruz slowly lowered his hand.

"Sir."

Adrian stared at him.

Cruz cleared his throat.

"I was reassuring the civilians."

"Unload the medical supplies."

"Yes, sir."

Cruz picked up two heavy boxes.

He took three steps.

"Lieutenant."

Reyes looked at him.

"Help."

"You said you were strong."

"I was lying."

Reyes shook his head but took one of the boxes.

Cruz looked toward Adrian.

"See? Teamwork."

Adrian didn't answer.

Cruz smiled.

"He's impressed."

Reyes whispered, "He's not."

"He will be eventually."

---