Chapter 46: The Limbo of the Brave

The transition to civilian life wasn't the clean break I had imagined. We were back at Fort Campbell, but we were "on ice." Because of the standoff with Major Sterling, the entire 3rd Platoon was under a cloud of administrative review. We weren't in combat, but we weren't free either.

I lived in a small, sterile apartment off-base, the kind of place that smelled of fresh paint and cheap carpet. I spent my days staring at the walls, my ears still ringing with the phantom echoes of the Pech. Every few days, my phone would buzz—a summons back to the base for another "disposition hearing" or a "statement clarification."

"It’s a war of attrition, Coraline," Charles said one evening. We were sitting in his truck in the parking lot of a local diner, the only place we could meet without drawing too much attention. He had traded his combat uniform for a clean set of khakis, but the way he gripped the steering wheel told me he was still in the gorge.

"They want us to break," I said, looking at the white patches on my hands, now stark against the dark fabric of my jeans. "They want someone to point a finger so they can justify what Sterling tried to do."

"They won’t find it," he promised.

Just then, his phone chimed. Then mine.

URGENT: ALL 3-6 PERSONNEL REPORT TO BLDG 4202 IMMEDIATELY for COMMAND INQUIRY.

I sighed, leaning my head against the headrest. "Again. That’s the third time this week."

"They’re trying to catch us in a lie," Charles muttered, putting the truck in gear. "Let's go. Don't give them the satisfaction of being late."