CH202 Noblesse Oblige
***
Walking down the corridor toward his quarters in the Fort, Alex's mind gradually cooled.
He hadn't lost his temper at Drake because he failed to understand the man's intentions—he understood them perfectly well. What angered him was Drake's utter disregard for the ordinary people who would be caught in the crossfire between the Kellerman and Fury families.
Alex had long accepted the reality that the path to power required competition… and killing. But until now, every person even remotely affected by his actions had been someone who consciously—or at least willingly—stepped onto the battlefield.
Leading soldiers was one thing. Every soldier knew, or had to accept, the risks of their occupation. But being responsible for the lives and safety of civilians—people who were simply living their lives and had no stake in the conflict—was an entirely different matter. Their only crime was being in the wrong place when the storm descended.
