"Captain Hodge."
Hodge waved a hand. "I merely took the first step. The white fog has already closed in. This is the last thing we can do."
The conductor gritted his teeth and replied quietly, "All right."
The train whistle sounded, its long and short blasts carrying the message outward.
Hodge walked toward his men.
"Boys, I've got a mission that needs some hands!"
"Is it dangerous?" a young man asked with a cheeky grin, drawing a burst of laughter.
Hodge was the highest-ranking officer here, yet instead of directly issuing an order, he had come to ask them. Everyone had already guessed what kind of mission it was.
Hodge laughed as well. "Not dangerous, but you need a loud voice. I'm planning to take a look inside the white fog and want some company."
"That's good, then. We thought you were going to have us help Miss Gwen reload her magazines." The soldiers all rose to their feet, then exchanged glances.
No one backed down. No one hesitated. Gwen's machine gun had never stopped firing, and they had long been holding back their frustration, eager to prove Castel's courage before this lady of the Resistance Army.
Hodge looked around and, seeing no one refuse, simply began calling names.
"I'll go in first. No matter what I see, I'll shout it out immediately. Then Bru—you enter after my voice disappears and continue supplying intelligence. Then Milo, Lawson, and Huf. Oh, and Lord Ash, please cover us when the time comes."
To leave the train, they would have to face the tide of bones head-on. They did not fear death, but they feared that the information would never make it out.
"No problem," Ash said solemnly.
Before long, a small squad of Expeditionary Force soldiers left the train. Hodge personally led