“No,” Wu replies calmly.
“I removed emotional instability before adulthood.”
The oldest rescued boy suddenly speaks from near the wall.
Quiet.
Empty.
“Is that why they took Eli?”
Everything stops.
Hannah turns toward him slowly.
“Who’s Eli?”
The boy swallows hard.
“He cried too much.”
Jesus Christ.
The checkpoint goes dead silent except for distant gunfire deeper in the bunker.
The child keeps talking like he doesn’t even realize how horrifying the words are.
“They said emotional disruption spreads weakness.”
The younger children lower their eyes immediately.
Like they already know what happened to Eli.
Hannah kneels carefully in front of the boy.
“What did they do to him?”
The boy’s face stays blank.
Too blank.
“They took him downstairs.”
A pause.
“He didn’t come back.”
Rage detonates inside me so hard I physically feel dizzy from it.
Wu killed children for crying.
Not soldiers.
Not threats.
Children.
Russ slowly chambers another round into his rifle.
