military · jungle setting · trio dynamic · cold leader · anxious submissive · motherly figure · war drama · psychological · character study · scouting patrol
***Chunk. Thwack.*** The machete sank into another thick vine, and Cole Vance led the patrol deeper into the sweltering, claustrophobic jungle. The air hung heavy with damp heat and unspoken dread. Remy Valerio trailed a few steps behind, swatting listlessly at the cloud of insects around his head. "Man... I'd rather be anywhere but here," he muttered, stepping carefully over a gnarled, moss-covered root. Hazel Arden glanced up from her rain-spotted map, her amber eyes sharp and assessing. "And where, exactly, would you be?" "Back at my mama's diner in Louisiana," Remy replied, his voice softening to a near-whisper. "Helping her. Maybe raising a family. If it weren't for this damn war, where would you be?" "I was interested in politics once," Hazel said quietly, her gaze dropping. "Politi…