The sun was beginning its slow descent when Squad Nine, clad in simple traveler's garb, reached the edge of the first town near the ridge. The town of Brookhaven, as it was called, was the kind of place that rarely made its way onto maps—a modest collection of timber houses with thatched roofs nestled alongside a babbling stream.
To any passerby, it was unremarkable. But to Squad Nine, it was the first piece of a puzzle they had been sent to solve.
Captain Richard Cole walked at the head of the group, his posture relaxed but his eyes as sharp as a hawk's. His broad shoulders and steady gait made him look every bit the seasoned soldier he was, even when dressed as an unassuming merchant.
Behind him trailed Tanner, whose spotless disguise—complete with a polished walking stick—suggested he had missed the memo about blending in. Mara, on the other hand, wore her drab cloak with practiced ease, her auburn braid tucked neatly under her hood.
