"Let's do this, then," he said.
He turned to address his assembled fighters, raising his voice so everyone could hear clearly. "Alright, everyone! We move out in two minutes! Final weapons check, make sure you've got water and any supplies you might need! Stay together, watch each other's backs, and remember—aim for the head, always the head!"
As Martin's people began conducting their final preparations—checking weapon grips, adjusting backpack straps, sharing nervous glances and words of encouragement—I turned my attention to my own group.
Rachel, Sydney, Cindy, and Christopher would all be accompanying me into the Whitesun Hotel for the dangerous work of clearing it floor by floor, room by room. But they weren't the only members of our group who'd decided to participate in the operation.
