He looked around, wanting to find that familiar figure and share the joy of "surviving." Instinctively, he asked, "Where's Elton? Where's your company commander? That old bastard has a tough life—he must be fine too, right? Get him over here, and we..."
"Battalion Commander!"
As if something had stabbed him, Tommy suddenly jolted awake. The emptiness in his eyes was instantly replaced by utter grief and a madness that had yet to fade. He stared fixedly at Roderick, his voice hoarse as grinding gravel:
"Company Commander Elton... is dead."
"..."
The excited expression on Roderick's face froze at once, as did the hand patting Tommy's shoulder in midair. The staff officers and surviving soldiers nearby who had heard the exchange also stopped moving, their gazes turning toward them in unison. The position fell into deathly silence, broken only by the faint sounds of pursuit and the wind in the distance.
"Elton..." Roderick repeated the name, his voice dry.
Elton had been one of his most capable company commanders—fierce, loyal, and at his side since Roderick had been nothing more than a junior Platoon Leader. He looked at Tommy, drew a deep breath, and asked, "How did he die?"
Tommy's eyes reddened instantly, but he held it in. His body trembled even harder, every word seeming to squeeze out from between clenched teeth, stained with blood and tears. "He... died gloriously."
Tommy's gaze shifted toward the smoking crater behind the position, then toward the area that had been cleared by the blast. His voice drifted, yet remained exceptionally clear. "He lit the powder keg... and perished together with more than a dozen heavily armored Sauron soldiers."
He paused, then lifted his face, smeared with blood and grime, and looked directly at Roderick. His eyes were filled with anguish and guilt so