Chapter 3 Between bullets

Chapter 3

Between Bullets,

The radio's static hissed like a shadowy serpent, but the damage was done. She felt William's measured, clipped, and unmistakable voice in her bones. And that last sentence? Her title. a coward. He asserted that a traitor existed. He then referred to her by name. Uncertain whether to reach for gauze or a gun, the doctor stared at her. "Maria? What on earth was that? She lied, her pulse quickening and her throat tightening. She just knew. There had been a shift. There was a problem. Her thoughts raced back to William's look at her just hours earlier. Not out of rage but out of calculus. as though weighing a cost. as though she were a part of a larger expense. Tracer fire tore the sky red outside. The base lit up suddenly and urgently. Shouts. Orders. Running boots. frantic soldiers armed with rifles at their disposal. With her loud breath in her lungs, she pushed past them. There could only be one reason why William thought she was a traitor. Either he was using her to smoke out someone else or the truth had been twisted by someone else. In any case, she had to get to him first before anyone else did. She hid behind the communications tent, cut through the supply shed, and reached a quiet spot behind the barracks where the jungle mumbled rather than screamed and no one was watching. She spoke to herself, whispering, "Think, Maria." "Think in his manner." Because William was the only person she knew who could outwit any room, chaos, or army. However, even he had weaknesses. Additionally, she was once one of them. William: The One Who Calculated Everything William Smith was an enigma before the war. Not in the dark, gloomy manner that was romanticized. No, his precision was his mystery. He didn't cover up anything. He simply avoided making unnecessary remarks. Everything William did, from the angle at which he tied his boots to the amount of time he waited before speaking in a crowded room, was deliberate. He made patience his sword and silence his weapon. People were alarmed by it. Maria, as well. However, it also enticed them. Maria first met him in the highlands prior to the escalation of the conflict. She was still unfamiliar with field rotations and still believed that the right bandage or word could alter a soldier's fate. William denied that fate existed. He was a fan of angles. She recalled watching him guide his squad through ambush fire like he were directing dancers on a stage as he ran an operation with perfect calm. He didn't give orders; rather, he offered options. "Or else you'll die. Your decision. It was not pride. It brought clarity. And soldiers regarded it as such. However, he was also a man who left questions unanswered. Here, a soft chuckle. a report that vanished there. And the females-God and the females. He didn't flirt. He was not required to be. Someone would divulge secrets with just one glance from William and one pause in his gaze. Like a chess player considering a pawn, he paid attention briefly but thoroughly. Maria believed she would be unique. She was for a while, too. She didn't stoop over herself like the others to get his approval. She made fun of his silences. His war-room metaphors made her roll her eyes. She didn't treat him like a myth but like a man. And that's what piqued his interest. His hand hovering over the small of her back as they passed through the narrow hallways showed her that. Even when generals were speaking, how his eyes found her during briefings. But what did she fear most? He never once expressed his feelings to her. because he was not required to. Because of this, it posed a greater threat than any declaration. ---

Present Fragments: Between Conflict and Trust She recalled each and every event that led to this, including every touch and hesitation, as she sat down in the dirt behind the barracks. She recalled the night he kissed her in the dark with gunpowder and sweat on his lips and whispered, "Don't make me choose." "Choose what?" She had inquired. He never responded. She believed he preferred love to war. However, he might have meant something darker. Maria made her way to the ridge's communications outpost. Tarps were flapping and the edges of sanity were being pulled at as the wind screamed louder up there. Every soldier saw a storm brewing, not only in the sky but also in their own eyes. Corporal Meyers was the first one she saw; he was bleeding from a shoulder graze and his adrenaline-filled eyes were wide open. Before she even asked, Meyers stated, "He's gone." "Got where?" "No clue. towards sector nine, took the elevated route. Said he didn't need me to slow him down because he was looking at the target. "That is not protocol for recon." "No, Madame. However, it's William. He composes his own. Calculated Ghosts: In the Fog The mist was as thick as cotton by the time she reached sector nine. It was impossible to distinguish between a gunshot and fruit falling as jungle noises curled through the air. She discovered his footprints, boot marks that were too clean to be anyone else's. William moved as though he controlled the dirt. Maria followed, stepping over roots and hiding under vines until she heard the rustle. She extended a sidearm. The voice said, "Easy." He was still serene as he stood there. Raised the weapon. Unreadable eyes. He called her Maria. She replied, "You called me a traitor." He told her, "No." I advised against one. I then mentioned your name. She yelled, "Don't do that," at him. "Don't distort meaning the same way you distort motives." He then gave her a full gaze. "Do you believe me?" "Once I did." A pause He then moved closer. "Smith is not who you think he is," she said. "What?"

He is providing information to someone. Not directly, but the operations exhibit a pattern. Misdirections. Timings. Either he has been compromised or he is being used. Maria's pulse sped up. He saved a child today and almost died. You think it was a hoax?" "I believe pain conceals the best lies," Again, silence. Then, almost imperceptibly, something in his gaze softened. He acknowledged, "I said your name because I needed you to find me." "To prevent me?" "No. to assist me." Maria was silent. On her sidearm, she tightened her fingers. His with his. He then sat down with his rifle slowly. a display of faith Perhaps even love. However, no one could ever tell with William. ---

Tension Release: The Storm's Final Moment (100 words) The rain began slowly. A gentle drizzle, not the thunderous war rain that obscured movement and covered tracks, washed away sweat, soot, and the taste of old lies. William and Maria remained motionless in it. She didn't move to the front. She did not oblige him. Tonight, something had gone wrong between them. Or perhaps something unnameable had surfaced. Yet he was present. Additionally, she had not fired the weapon. That sufficed for the time being. The jungle took a breath behind them. Smith then opened his eyes somewhere far away. Maria stayed still. At first, no. The radio's static hissed like a shadowy serpent, but the damage was done. She felt William's measured, clipped, and unmistakable voice in her bones. And that last sentence? Her title. a coward. He asserted that a traitor existed. He then referred to her by name. Uncertain whether to reach for gauze or a gun, the doctor stared at her. "Maria? What on earth was that? She lied, her pulse quickening and her throat tightening. She just knew. There had been a shift. There was a problem. Her thoughts raced back to William's look at her just hours earlier. Not out of rage but out of calculus. as though weighing a cost. as though she were a part of a larger expense. Tracer fire tore the sky red outside. The base lit up suddenly and urgently. Shouts. Orders. Walking shoes frantic soldiers armed with rifles at their disposal. With her loud breath in her lungs, she pushed past them. There could only be one reason why William thought she was a traitor. Either he was using her to smoke out someone else or the truth had been twisted by someone else. In any case, she had to get to him first before anyone else did. She hid behind the communications tent, cut through the supply shed, and reached a quiet spot behind the barracks where the jungle mumbled rather than screamed and no one was watching. She spoke to herself, whispering, "Think, Maria." "Think in his manner." Because William was the only person she knew who could outwit any room, chaos, or army. However, even he had weaknesses. Additionally, she was once one of them. :