The base gates groaned shut with a metallic screech, the sound swallowed by the biting cold of the early morning air. Snow clung to every surface, muffling the world in a heavy silence, broken only by the crunch of boots on frost-covered ground.
Winter trudged in with his team, rifle slung over his shoulder, his face streaked with dirt and exhaustion. His breath fogged in the icy air as he cast a brief glance back at Nadine, whose stormy expression was as obvious as the red flush of her cheeks from the cold—or perhaps frustration.
"You're unbelievable!" she snapped, shoving past one of the others in her attempt to storm ahead, nearly slipping on an icy patch in the process. She caught herself just in time, straightened, and shot a glare at anyone who dared look amused.
