Hidden Flame

We sat around the fire in silence, the occasional comment breaking through the crackle of burning wood. I stared into the flames, willing their warmth to reach my frozen toes. The cold had seeped in deep, numbing me. I should've worn thicker socks.

Scattered around other fires, groups huddled close, talking in hushed tones and cooking over the flickering flames. The distant hum of engines suddenly cut through the murmur of voices, sharper and more ominous against the quiet night.

My ears perked up, and so did Luke's, both of us tilting our heads as though listening harder would reveal the source. My eyes darted to the crawlers parked nearby, but their engines were silent. The sound wasn't coming from them—it was coming from behind us.

I turned slowly, my stomach knotting. The towering border wall loomed large in the moonlight, casting long, cold shadows. The hum grew louder. Others began to notice too, conversations dying as heads turned toward the sound.

Then it hit me.

The realization gripped me like a vice, sending a chill through my already cold body. The sound was coming from the other side of the border. From Cadence. And it was getting closer.

"Gather around!" Kyler's voice boomed from near a tall tree beside the brick wall, snapping everyone into action. "Let's go! Hustle! Move!"

Students scrambled to their feet, hurrying to where Kyler stood. Luke was right beside me, his shoulder brushing mine, and Chessie was close on my other side. I glanced at Luke, searching his face for answers, but his expression was unreadable. Whatever was happening, it wasn't good.

Tristan joined Kyler at the front, but this time, he stood slightly behind him, letting him take the lead. Kyler was handed a glowing tablet, and with a few presses, a shimmering image appeared in the air before us, it was floating weightlessly.

"It's a hologram," Luke whispered, his voice low. He knew I wouldn't have guessed. I had never seen anything like it.

The image showed two Humvees, their heat signatures stark against the dark background, driving toward us.

"These are our infrared detectors," Kyler announced, his voice steady. "They track movement on the other side of the wall." He jabbed a finger behind him at the looming structure. "We have two unfriendly military units inbound."

"Oh my God," I whispered, my voice trembling.

"Quiet," Luke warned softly, but I saw the color drain from his face.

"Luke, is that live?" desperation creeped into my voice. "Is that happening now?"

"Yes," his voice was flat and his body tense.

The hum of the engines grew louder, the holographic vehicles inching closer to the border wall.

"They're just on patrol," I croaked, my voice was shaking now. "It's nightfall; they do this every night." I sounded as though I was pleading with him—pleading with myself—this was routine for Cadence.

"I know," his eyes were locked on Kyler. "But he knows that too."

"Then what is—" My words caught in my throat as Kyler handed the tablet to Tristan and started climbing the tree beside him.

A rifle was slung across his back, its dark outline stark against the pale moonlight. My chest tightened, my heart pounding so hard I felt like it might burst.

"When on a mission, you have to be ready for anything," Kyler called out as he climbed higher, his voice carrying over the crowd. "Whatever is necessary, whatever is asked of you."

He reached a thick branch with a clear vantage point over the wall and unslung his rifle.

My breath hitched. My lungs felt like they were collapsing.