Just stay behind the soldiers, Nurse.”

Just stay behind the soldiers, Nurse.” Sergeant Blake Harris said it with a grin. Lieutenant Emma Carter tightened the straps on her medical bag. “I’m not a nurse, Sergeant.” Blake laughed. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Around them, thirty soldiers prepared for a high-risk combat rescue exercise at Fort Redstone. The mission sounded simple. A helicopter would crash inside the training zone. The team had eight minutes to reach the survivors, treat the wounded, and evacuate. But there was one problem. Emma had been placed in charge of medical operations. Blake hated it. “A medic leading a rescue team?” he muttered. “What’s next? Doctors carrying rifles?” Emma heard him. She turned. “If someone gets hurt, Sergeant, you’ll be glad I’m there.” Blake smirked. “Let’s hope nobody does.” The whistle screamed. Everyone moved. Smoke exploded across the field. Then— **BOOM!** The simulated helicopter slammed into the ground. Soldiers rushed forward. “Move! Move!” Emma followed. Suddenly, another explosion rocked the area. The soldiers dropped. Emma immediately crawled toward the wreckage. “Carter!” Blake shouted. “Stay back!” “I see two casualties!” “You’ll get yourself killed!” Emma ignored him. She reached the helicopter. One soldier was trapped beneath the frame. Another was unconscious. Emma checked his pulse. “Major injury. We need extraction now!” Blake shouted from behind cover. “Get out of there!” Emma looked up. A fuel line had ruptured. Smoke was pouring from the engine. “Everyone back!” Nobody moved. Emma screamed. “BACK!” She grabbed the unconscious soldier and dragged him away just as flames erupted beneath the helicopter. The entire field went silent. Blake stared at her. “How did you see that?” Emma didn't answer. She ran back. “There’s another survivor!” Blake grabbed her arm. “Carter, stop!” She pulled free. “You want to leave him?” “That helicopter is unstable!” Emma looked directly into his eyes. “Then cover me.” Blake froze. For the first time, he didn't argue. Emma disappeared into the smoke. Seconds later, she emerged carrying a wounded soldier across her shoulders. The instructor blew the emergency whistle. “Exercise terminated!” Everyone rushed forward. Emma lowered the casualty carefully. Then she noticed something strange. The helicopter's emergency panel was open. She crouched beside it. “Who opened this?” The instructor frowned. “What?” Emma pointed. “This panel was tampered with before the exercise.” Blake stepped closer. “You're sure?” Emma pulled out a small piece of black wiring. “This isn't part of the training equipment.” The atmosphere changed instantly. Colonel Daniel Reeves arrived. “What happened?” Emma handed him the wire. “Someone modified the helicopter.” Reeves stared at it. “Are you certain?” “Yes, sir.” Blake shook his head. “Could've happened during maintenance.” Emma looked at him. “No. Someone bypassed the emergency cutoff.” The colonel's face hardened. “Lock down the training area.” Security personnel immediately surrounded the wreckage. Then Reeves noticed Emma staring at the helicopter. “You've seen this before.” Emma hesitated. “Yes, sir.” “Where?” She reached into her medical bag and pulled out an old photograph. The picture showed a military helicopter sitting beside a burning hangar. Reeves stared at it. His face went pale. “Where did you get that?” “My father's things.” Blake stepped closer. “Who was your father?” Emma's voice trembled. “Captain Michael Carter.” Silence. Reeves slowly lowered the photograph. “Your father died in that helicopter accident twenty years ago.” Emma nodded. “They said he made a navigation mistake.” Her eyes filled with tears. “But he didn't.” Reeves looked at the damaged training helicopter. “Why do you believe that?” Emma pointed to the exposed wiring. “Because the same modification was found in the wreckage that killed him.” Blake suddenly went pale. Emma noticed. “You know something.” “No.” “You do.” Blake backed away. Reeves turned toward him. “Sergeant Harris.” Blake swallowed. “My father maintained that helicopter.” Emma's expression shattered. “What?” “He told me years ago that someone ordered him to disable the emergency system.” “Who?” Blake looked at Colonel Reeves. Then at Emma. “I never knew the name.” A long silence followed. Then Reeves spoke quietly. “Someone did.” Emma stared at him. “You knew?” Reeves looked down at the photograph. “I was the young officer who signed the maintenance report.” Emma's eyes widened. “And you wrote that my father caused the crash.” Reeves couldn't meet her gaze. “I was ordered to.” Emma's voice broke. “By whom?” Before Reeves could answer, a security officer ran onto the field. “Colonel! We found something inside the helicopter.” He handed Reeves a sealed metal tag. Reeves read the name. His face turned white. Emma stepped forward. “What does it say?” Reeves looked at her. Then whispered: “The officer who ordered the modification.” Emma's hands began to shake. Because beneath the name was one more line.