The soldier, terrified by Gideon's threat, had no choice but to obey. He put his armor back on, his cuffs were unlocked, and the gag was pulled from his mouth.

He walked ahead, leading Gideon and Luke to the one who had ordered the delivery.

The three of them entered the village. Not many people paid attention as Gideon followed the soldier into a two-story house where the administrative staff worked.

At first Gideon thought the orders must have come directly from a captain or squad commander. But he was wrong.

They climbed to the second floor, stopping in front of the infantry captain's office.

"Captain!"

"Did you finish it?" a man shouted from inside.

"Yes."

"Good. Take a rest."

Gideon grabbed the soldier's armor and held him still. He looked at Luke, signaling him to open the door and secure the infantry captain.

The wooden door swung open, startling the man inside. He sat at a desk, working on food rations for his troops. Seeing two strangers in strange clothes shocked him.

"You! Are you Luthe soldiers?!" the thin man barked, panic in his eyes.

Gideon dragged the soldier forward and shoved him inside. The man collapsed to the floor, pale with fear. The captain could do nothing.

"What—"

"Nick is dead, Captain."

"What?!" the man gasped.

Luke shut the door, locked it, and stood guard. Gideon flicked the safety off his rifle, ready to shoot if the man refused to cooperate.

"You know, what you've done could be considered treason against the kingdom," Gideon said.

"You know about that?" the man asked, shocked.

"Of course. I saw it clearly. That soldier is still alive to testify," Gideon replied firmly.

"Princess Hannah is in this village. I could tell her, but I see an opportunity here," Gideon added.

The infantry captain glared at his soldier. For months he had warned them to be careful during the deliveries. And now, after so long without trouble, someone had discovered it.

Gideon and Luke waited, their weapons in hand. The captain didn't even know what kind of weapons they carried.

"Do you want gold? I can help you if you keep this secret from Princess Hannah," the captain said.

"I don't need your money. My village already has plenty of gold," Gideon answered.

"Then what?"

"When is the next delivery?" Gideon asked.

The captain admitted it would be next week, three wagons full of bread and other food. That was all Gideon needed.

If they could use the wagons, it might give them a way into the enemy base. It was better than a direct assault.

"Does the fat man in the next room know about this?" Luke asked.

"It was his idea. We agreed to send food as long as they spared the village," the captain answered.

"I thought so," Gideon said.

Gideon motioned for Luke to come closer and told the soldier to leave. Then he laid out the plan: they would use the wagons as camouflage.

"Like the Trojan Horse."

Luke only understood after Gideon explained. The Greeks had built a giant wooden horse as a gift to Troy. Hidden inside were soldiers who captured the city in a single night.

Still, there was a risk the enemy might notice. The captain reassured them: Moko soldiers always handled the deliveries, so everything would look normal.

Gideon agreed. He was willing to wait if it meant the mission's success. He pointed at the captain.

"Keep this from your superior. If word reaches him or the enemy, not only will the kingdom punish you, but my whole team will wipe out every soldier in this village. Do you understand?"

"Why should I take your orders? You're not—"

BANG!

Gideon fired his M4A1 into the captain's thigh. The bullet tore through muscle, dropping him to the floor in pain. Luke rushed over, clamping his mouth and wrapping a bandage around the wound.

"I can do that again. Next time, maybe I'll aim for your head."

After that, the captain understood. He couldn't fight Gideon. Not him, not his superior, not the entire garrison. The only choice was to play along and keep things normal.

Without another word, Gideon walked out. Luke followed. The recon mission was over, but after discovering the delivery, the plan had changed completely.

They needed to return and inform Lena. She would be just as shocked as Gideon had been.

"Are we going to tell Hannah?" Luke asked.

"Not yet. We'll talk to Lena first, then find a reason that makes sense for Hannah."

"Alright, Capt."

They returned to the inn and climbed to the second floor. At Gideon's door, Lena and Hannah looked up. Hannah rose and bowed her head in respect.

"Relax, Hannah," Gideon said, setting down his weapon.

Lena helped him unload his gear, but she noticed something. The rifle barrel was hot. The safety was off. And there was blood on Gideon's pants.

Did they fight during recon?

Hannah held Luke's weapon, her eyes wide. It was her first time touching one of Gideon's rifles.

"Heavier than I thought," Hannah said.

"That's why you need arms like mine," Luke joked, flexing his biceps.

Gideon and Lena smiled. Lena finished removing Gideon's gear, from vest to helmet to spare ammo.

"You're dirty," Lena said.

"I went into the woods. What did you expect, a trip to the mall?"

"No, you're dirty and you stink," Lena replied.

She looked into his eyes. It was clear she wanted to know what had happened. Gideon sighed and glanced at Luke, who nodded back.

"You and Hannah stay here. Lena and I are going to relax," Gideon said.

"Huh? You're not taking me?" Luke asked, pointing at himself.

"Hannah looks curious about our weapons. Show her while you clean up the mess."

Hannah's round eyes sparkled with excitement. Luke could see her enthusiasm, and that Gideon needed time alone with Lena.

"Alright," Luke said. "Hannah, you want some wine?"

Gideon and Lena left the inn and went to a village tavern. Many soldiers were relaxing inside, but luckily they found a table on the second floor.

They ordered drinks and waited. Lena's eyes drifted to the bloodstain on Gideon's pants.

"We did the recon, but something happened," Gideon said quietly.

"What?" Lena asked.

"You remember how thin and starving the villagers looked? It's connected to what I found tonight," Gideon replied.

"The captain has been taking food from the village and sending three wagons to Luthe's forces," Gideon said softly.

"What?! Is that true?" Lena gasped.

"I reacted the same way. It's true," Gideon said in a calm voice.

"So? Are you going to deal with them?" Lena asked.

Gideon shook his head and exhaled slowly. His eyes lifted to the starless night sky, then returned to hers.

"You know the Trojan Horse?"

"The Trojan Horse? The Trojan War?"

"Yes."

"We might use that plan this time. A change of plans," Gideon said.

"Crazy plan!"

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