CHAPTER 54: NIGHT RECON

"Are you thinking about something, Captain?" Luke asked.

Gideon nodded. Together with Luke, he went back to Nemora Village to report the results of his observation. He and Luke already knew what kind of camo they needed for disguise.

He felt confident that with camo like that, he and his team would not be easily noticed by the rebels. They would not be familiar with night camouflage suits.

When they arrived at the village, Lena and Lyra had just returned from the Wolf Village.

Over there, the waterwheel power generator was still working well, producing enough electricity to recharge the drone and Lyra’s laptop. They would pick them up again tomorrow morning.

The arrival of Gideon and Luke drew Lena and Lyra’s attention. Both of them walked closer, curious about the results of their scouting.

Luke explained many things to them, making camo with bushes and straw conditions sounded fairly simple for them.

"So that’s it? I think we have uniforms like that in logistics," Lena replied.

"It’s better to make them ourselves, take grass and stick it on," Gideon answered.

"Understood, Captain."

"Have you mapped out our position yet?" Lyra asked. Gideon nodded.

"I already know the exact location, close to the negotiation site."

"This will be an easy mission for us, right?" Lena asked.

Gideon shook his head. It might be easy, but he had to watch out for those scouts earlier. They could leak this information if they were not eliminated quickly.

They could report something suspicious to the rebel leader and potentially endanger Princess Alanar’s safety. A failed negotiation would mean a failed mission.

"There’s one problem," Gideon said, catching Lena’s and Lyra’s eyes.

"There are a few rebel scouts still holding their position in the forest. Looks like they’re making sure the negotiation site is safe," Gideon explained.

"Hmm... how many are there?" Lena asked.

"I don’t know... maybe three."

"If the negotiation happens at night, and we move at the same time, there’s a chance the rebel group will notice," Lena answered.

"We should leave tonight. Isn’t that right?" Luke asked. Lena cleared her throat and nodded.

Gideon stayed quiet, still thinking about the best way to deal with those scouts. Killing them would raise suspicion among the rebels, since their leader would assume the area wasn’t safe after the scouts failed to return. That could also make the rebels cancel the negotiation.

"The scouts have to be killed," Luke said.

"No," Gideon interrupted, surprising his team.

"We don’t kill them?" Luke asked.

"If they die, that’s a sign the area is controlled by enemies. That’s something the rebel leader would actually benefit from."

"He’s using his scouts as both lookouts and bait. If even one of them is killed, the rebel leader could decide to kill Princess Alanar and cancel the negotiation."

Lena and the others hadn’t thought that far ahead. Gideon seemed very cautious about this matter. He didn’t want to make a decision that could risk the mission.

"Then what do we do?" Lena asked.

"I’ll go into the forest and scout their numbers, and also find out when their shift changes. That way, we can slip through during the shift change," Gideon answered.

"Lyra... turn on comms. I’ll update you through the radio," Gideon added.

"For now, focus on camo and other preparations. If Norton looks for me, tell him I went somewhere else."

"Understood, Captain."

Gideon stepped into his room and gathered the gear he needed. He didn’t bring much, only his M4A1, scope, NODs, and radio mic. He needed all of that for his night scouting.

There was a chance the scouts would rotate shifts, but Gideon didn’t know when, or if they would even leave once their shift ended.

If new scouts came to replace them, Gideon’s plan wouldn’t work. He would have to switch to his second plan, drugging the scouts and putting them to sleep.

"Gideon," Lena called as she entered his room.

"What is it, Lena?"

"Let me come with you."

Gideon was startled and quickly turned around, meeting Lena’s eyes fixed on him. It was clear he had intended to go alone this time, but Lena came with such a request. He didn’t know what she was planning.

"What about the camo?"

"They can handle it," Lena replied.

"No, Lena. Help them instead. They need you more than I do."

"I can’t—"

"You don’t have to worry about my PTSD."

The room went silent. Lena kept watching Gideon as he busied himself with his gear. She gathered her courage, stepped closer, and helped him attach the mic and radio.

"So you knew already?"

"The medicine you gave me told me everything," Gideon said.

"That’s why I worry about you," Lena whispered as she secured the radio properly on his vest.

Once all the gear was ready, Gideon looked at Lena’s face and smiled. He lifted his hand and placed it on her shoulder, feeling thankful to have a teammate who cared about his mental state.

But he didn’t want that concern to hold the others back. Gideon felt sure he could handle this mission on his own. If his symptoms came back, he knew what to do.

"You gave me medicine, remember? I’ll take it if my symptoms flare up," Gideon said.

Lena smiled and nodded, fixing Gideon’s clothes and gear. She felt glad that Gideon listened to her instructions. If he really could handle it himself, then she wouldn’t push him.

"All right. I understand. Stay in contact if anything happens."

"Do you understand, Captain?" Lena asked firmly.

"I understand, Lena."

Once everything was ready, Gideon left the inn and headed into the forest to begin his scouting. Lena remained in his room, watching him disappear into the trees.

From the doorway, Lyra and Luke came in and asked Lena,

"You failed to convince him, didn’t you?" Lyra asked.

Lena stayed silent and didn’t answer, not knowing what to say. Gideon had opposed her coming, but that didn’t mean Lena had failed to persuade him.

"He can handle it on his own," Lena replied.

"Turn on comms. We need to monitor him," Lena added, turning her head.

"Comms on. Ready to use," Luke answered.

The three of them left the place while keeping the comms running. Each of them carried a radio and mic, useful for listening and talking to Gideon while they worked on their own tasks.

Elsewhere, Gideon reached the forest some distance away from the village. He activated his NODs and scanned the area, spotting several watch points, all positioned to the east.

There were four campfires in total, where the scouts stood guard. Gideon immediately went prone on the ground with his scope attached, clearly seeing them through the glow of his NODs.

"Four watchers. One on the hill, three in the forest," Gideon whispered, reporting to his team over the radio.

"Weapons?" Lena asked.

"Spears. Swords."

"I’ll wait until nightfall. I’ll report every movement they make," Gideon explained.

"Copy, Captain."