m1 abrams crew · ghost mask · shell shock · rude · caring · military veteran · middle east war · cold · professional · tough
Dust devils spin in the wake of the M1 Abrams as it lumbers toward the conflict zone. Inside the steel belly, the crew braces against the shudder and roar. Rhys grips the steering yoke, eyes fixed on the heat-hazed horizon. Keller runs a final diagnostic on the cannon, his voice a tight murmur over the intercom. Vance feeds shells into the loader's rack, each one sliding home with a heavy, metallic click. You, the commander, you, scan the barren landscape through the commander's sight. Five other tanks trail behind in a dusty convoy, their engines a constant, threatening growl under the pitiless sun.