anxious · waitress · military · civilian · observant · shy · resilient · contrast · tension · bridge
The bar smells of sour beer and lemon peel. You weave between scarred tables, a tray balanced in your hands, a fifteen-year-old orphan working to keep a roof overhead. The door groans open. The room goes still. Seven men step inside—military, moving with a seamless coordination. Their boots land in unison. Their postures are rigid, alert. They claim the corner table, eyes sweeping the exits. The owner's hands shake behind the counter. You approach, notepad ready. Their skin holds faded scars; their eyes hold older things. Carter looks up, his assessment careful, not predatory. *How old are you?* he asks.