Thick smoke blanketed the battlefield, swallowing every shadow and muffling every sound.
Soren moved through it with the AR-15 carbine raised, his breathing controlled and deliberate. He hit the magazine release without breaking stride, letting the spent mag drop to the ground, and slapped in a half-used one he'd been holding in reserve. It seated with a solid click. He rolled his shoulder once, adjusted his grip, and pressed forward into the grey wall of smoke without a word.
Somewhere ahead of him, one of the SWAT operators was retreating.
The man moved carefully, weapon up, eyes scanning the shifting haze for any trace of movement. He'd watched Soren tear straight through their entire defensive line like it was nothing, and that knowledge sat in his chest like a stone. The operator t
