For a moment, no one moved as if everyone was holding their breath for the moment to come.
The soldiers standing around the wooden crates exchanged uncertain glances, as if suddenly realizing that whatever lay inside those boxes would decide far more than the fate of a few rifles. The Wayne soldiers had already made accusations in front of everyone, and if the contents inside proved their claim false, the humiliation would not be easily washed away.
"Did you not hear the commander?" Enzo's voice cut through the hesitation like a blade. "Open them."
Two soldiers stepped forward immediately. One of them bent down and pried at the metal clasp while the other held the crate still, and the sharp scrape of metal against wood echoed through the quiet camp as the lid slowly loosened.
The sound alone seemed to pull the attention of everyone in the camp.
The Wayne soldiers leaned forward while the Lennox soldiers narrowed their eyes in anticipation.
