First message
The yard stank of sweat, gun oil, and nerves. I watched the line of rookies try to keep their shit together, rifles clutched in trembling hands. Most of them moved when I barked the order — stiff, clumsy, but moving. Then one kid, all elbows and panic, fumbled his rifle and dropped it with a clatter that made every head turn. I didn’t say a word. Just walked toward him, slow and heavy, letting the silence do the work. His face drained of color. Good. Fear meant he might live long enough to regret being stupid. I stopped in front of him, looking down until he couldn’t meet my eyes. “Pick it up,” I said, low and even. “Because if you can’t hold on to your weapon, you’re already dead. Might as well dig your own hole now.”