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September 2028, NorthAmerica.

 

The war is continuing,and the Pure Alliance and the Equal Federation continue to fight in Missouriand Kentucky.

Death also brandishedhis sickle, and the 58th Division of the Equality Federation was wiped out inSycamore by the Pure Alliance garrison, with tens of thousands of casualties.The Pure Alliance 4th Army was also suppressed in Carson City by the ferociousFederal Guard, with more than half the casualties.

Tahoe City is just asmall town by Lake Tahoe, where only one reconnaissance company is stationed bythe California Republican Defense Forces, while heavy troops are stationed inLake Valley, which has an airport there. As a result, the task of thereconnaissance company is fairly easy.

September 27, earlymorning.

 

Sergeant Wilson Leeexamined the XM8 assault rifle and began the patrol with Corporal Morris Berne,Private Walter Xu, who was waiting outside the barracks.

None of the three spokemuch. Every morning patrol is always like this, silent, empty cities, boringpatrol routes. It's not a potential target for hostile forces-no one wants tosend hundreds of crafts across an inland lake.

Tahoe Lake, sparklingand crystal clear, is a rare inland plateau lake, one of the famous scenicspots in the United States in peacetime.

But now that a secondcivil war broke out in North America, no visitors were seen, only barbed wireand machine-gun positions, as well as watchful eyes behind the bunker.

The patrol walked alongand said hello only to their fellow soldiers at the post, who knew nothingwould happen. If something really happened, their entire scout would be closeto death.

Wilson thought the triowas like an old man walking out in the morning and abandoned houses nearbyreminded him of his home in Eureka.

 

"They reported thatthe battle in Nevada would soon be over. Do they think we'rethree-year-olds?"Morris grumbled. He could have enjoyed his leisure lifein Seattle, far from the war zone, but finally, he was there, holding his XM8.

Wilson didn't say anything.He had been in Afghanistan for three years before joining the CaliforniaDefense Forces and was used to war-life.

As Walter looked up totalk to Wilson, he saw a man running in the distance.

"At two o'clock,there is a man running in the bay."

Morris looked in thatdirection quickly, holding back his complaints.

Wilson looked throughhis binoculars and saw a white man in Pure Alliance uniform running madlytowards the top of the bay.

 

"Bang!"

 

Walter shot the tree infront of the white soldier. The white solider lied down on the ground brieflyand got up and run again soon.

"Walter, keep onfiring! Morris, come with me!”

The two galloped to ahigh ground near the lake bay. The white soldier was still crawling and Morrispointed his gun at his head and shouted, "Freeze!"

At the same time, Wilsonrushed to him and pressed him down. The white soldier was then knockedunconscious by Wilson’s elbow. He then bundled up the white soldier and threwhim beside a tree.

Wilson pulled the dogtag around his neck. "Hicks Matthews, Major."

“Yo, man. You know howmuch a major worths? We really make a fortune!”Morris whistled excitedly.

Walter did not speak. Hesat down and lit a cigarette. "When he wakes up, you two ‘take care of’him well."

 

Wilson took a quick puffand nodded.

 

The three sat aroundhim, guessing the identity of the captive.

"In any case, thisis going to be tricky, the Pure Alliance has missed a major, and therelationship between California and the Alliance is not optimistic, despite thesigning of a non-aggression agreement, California's military-tech companies aretoo attractive for the Alliance. I am very worried that this will lead to abilateral dispute. "

Wilson concluded.

 

The other two weresilent. They were petty officers, and the bilateral dispute was too serious forthem.

At this time theprisoner groaned low and opened his eyes slowly.

 

The three men pointedtheir guns at him at the same time.

 

"Don't kill me.Don't kill me." cried the captive hurriedly.

“Tell us everything orbe killed.”

The prisonerhesitated, but said, "I am the technical major of the Pure Alliance. Wewere defeated at Carson City. The establishment was completely disorganized, Iescaped with my three fellow comrades and swam across the lake alone. I don't knowwhere they are yet. "

"Are you threearmed?"

 

"Yes, they all arescouts."

Wilson took a deepbreath. The Fourth Army of the Alliance is the main force, and their scoutshave extraordinary skills and qualities, if they want, they three can eliminatethe stationed company.

"Not safe here.Let's move."

 

They dragged the captiveinto an apartment building. Walter checked the ropes and threw the captive intoa room without windows.

 

Wilson and Morris sat ata table, silent and unsure of what to say. The situation now exceeded theirexpectations. Well-trained troops may be on their way searching for the missingmajor now.

Walter leaned againstthe refrigerator, pressed his hands on the gun, and, leaning his head, said,“What about now?”

 

Wilson moved his lipsbut did not speak.

 

"Kill him as if itdidn't happen," Morris said. "Find a stone tied to his ankle andthrow him into the lake. No one knows."

 

"Take him back tothe headquarters, maybe we can get a reward."

 

Walter added.

 

"You know what? Ichoose none. "

 

Wilson stood up.

 

“Pull him over here, weneed more details before we make decisions.”

 

So they sat down againand surrounded the captive.

 

"HicksMatthews?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Anything you wantto say?"

 

"I was just a carengineer in Minneapolis, and the Alliance forced me into the army. I have twodaughters in my hometown. I love them very much; I love my wife very much. Ijust want to go back and enjoy my family life. Please don't kill me. I evenhaven’t pulled a trigger in this war. I'm just an engineer. "

 

Hicks pleaded urgently.

 

Wilson lit a cigarette,took a deep puff, and said nothing.

 

"You put us in areally tough and dangerous position."

 

Said Morris angrily.

 

"Maybe there arehundreds of Alliance Delta Teams looking for our location. They can shoot us asfixed targets.”

 

At that moment, therewas a sound of gunfire outside, far apart, but still vaguely heard.

 

“Damn it! I am sofucking right, now!”

 

There was a sudden soundof gunfire on the walkie-talkie, and then the whole room fell into a deadsilence.

 

Wilson broke thesilence. He picked up the talkie and asked, "Reservoir, what's goingon?"

 

"Unknown armed menfired artillery on the lake, we suspected this is their initial fire. Secondand following ones are coming soon. Morning bird, what's your situation? "

 

"Business as usual,we didn't find any armed men."

 

"The reservoirreceives. Be on your guard."

 

"Morning birdreceives."

 

Wilson threw thewalkie-talkie on the table. His arms crossed over his chest, eyes on Hicks.

Hicks was pale, and hedidn't know which side had gone nuts and fired at neutral side. His own lifewas hanging over the following attack.

 

"You're soimportant." Wilson gave a sneer.

 

Hicks nodded and hastilyexplained: "But I absolutely have no devil purpose, I just want to gohome. So I didn’t go north, my father-in-law lives in San Diego, I told my wifeto leave for there before I came to the army."

Wilson did not speak butstared closely at him.

Hicks bit his teeth andpulled a mobile hard disk out of his underwear pocket. "Maybe this is whatthey want. Data of Alliance’s missiles under developing and a big part of theclassified data of a California military-tech company. Once developedsuccessfully, the alliance can greatly change the situation now. "

Wilson took it, took alook, and put it in his pocket. "No wonder."

 

All of a sudden therewas gunfire outside, which sounded only a few hundred meters away from them.

They quickly searchedfor shelter, and a few seconds later, Morris fell under the window and lookedout. Two groups were at a crossroads, only four or five blocks from thebuilding.

 

"Two groups ofarmed men, about 50, five blocks away, engaged in fierce fighting. Over."Morris shouted.

 

“And, Sergeant! Youmight need to make a decision ASAP.”

 

"Just hand himover, and let's get back to the barracks." Walter cried.

 

Wilson bit his upper lipand stared out of the window at the blazing light, his eyes moving quickly fromleft to right, the gunfire getting nearer and louder, and he had to make adecision as soon as possible. This is about one or three or four lives.

 

Who wants to leave thewarm home, the beloved wife, the lovely children, come to this cold and fiercebattlefield and shoot at the enemy who is also forced to join the army? Hickswas right. He just wanted to go home, but who didn't? If Higgins were handedover, I and my two fellow comrades would be protected by the neutral agreementand wouldn’t be hurt, going home is just a matter of time. But what aboutHicks? He will be sent back to Alliance or getting kidnapped to the Federation,or might be killed during his way. What faults did he make? He deservesfamily-life, not war-life.

 

I must save him.

 

 

Finally, he made thedecision.

 

"Go and find somecivilian clothes yourself."

 

Walter turned around andwas surprised to say, "Why, you let him go?"

 

"He doesn't haveany weapons, he hands in confidential data, and he just wants to go home. Whynot?"

 

Walter's face was stillshocked.

 

“Don’t stand there likea status. Find your position and ready for contact.”

 

“No way! You can’t justlet him go!”

 

“Listen. He has nomalice and handed in the confidential information. All he wants is going home.Do you know what's going to happen if we handed him over? The racists wouldki