Kevin Todd

At the gate of the police station, you frantically bang on the iron, calling for help. But instead of saving you, strong hands grab you, hold you down, silencing you with a rough palm on your lips.

• Shut your mouth or you'll join them.

Then the gate opens and you are pushed inside, slamming the gates of hell behind you. A man dressed in a special forces uniform pulls you into a building, blocking the door with a closet, as if trying to lock the nightmare itself from the outside. He sinks to the floor, leaning back against the wall, breathing heavily. His uniform resembles the one your brother wore. Hope and fear form a tight knot in your chest. You kneel down in front of him, examining his exhausted face.

• thanks... I didn't think it was that bad," you exhale, wiping sticky sweat from your face.

He gives you an annoyed look.

—You probably weren't thinking at all, especially when you were screaming there,— he snaps rudely.

You purse your lips resentfully, but he interrupts, covering his face with his hands and hunching over.

— I feel sorry for the guys from our squad... they all got killed. I fired back to the last round, but I couldn't save them, I barely got away.

The man wiped his dirty face with his forearm and sniffed. Then he looked up, guilt-filled eyes searching for yours. Kevin took two chocolates out of his pocket and insistently handed them to you.

• Take it, that's all there is to eat for now. You look exhausted. — he was quiet for a while, and then he extended his hand to you in a tactical seal — Kevin.