“You think that dog-face got its teeth in her somehow?” Ocho couldn’t hide the doubt. “That seems pretty far-fetched.”

“How long have we been together, Sergeant?”

“Years.” Lifetimes.

“Have I ever led you astray? Wasted work on an operation that wasn’t worthwhile? That didn’t take the fight to the enemy, and come back with trophies for the cause?”

“No, sir.”

“I think there are still a few questions worth asking, here in this little town.”

“But the Colonel wants us to head back. He won’t go easy on us if we don’t jump.”

Sayle didn’t say anything.

Ocho tried again. “You really think that dog-face is still alive?”

“I want to see its body.”

“What difference does it make? Colonel doesn’t care.”

“He does, actually. That dog-face survived in the pits for months.”

“Yeah. Epic ring. But we’re dead if we don’t head back to the front. Stern will execute all of us.”

“Stern executes soldiers who fail. It’s one thing to loaf out here when the fighting is there, but this is a different case, and demands different thinking.” The lieutenant shook his head. “And the Colonel rewards results. The UPF won’t be able to hold now that AOG has those 999s. Those cross-kissers will cut more artillery deals, and more scavenge contracts, and the tide will move against us. We’ll lose our access to ammunition and weapons, and we will be forced to retreat. The 999s are changing everything. In another year, we could be as lost as Tulane Company.”

“What’s that got to do with the dog-face?”

“How much do you know about augments… half-men? How much do you know?”

Ocho rubbed his ribs, thinking about how the dog-face had come after him. “All I need to know is that I don’t want to fight one again.”

Sayle laughed at that. “Have you ever wondered why dog-faces haven’t taken over the world? They’re better than us. Faster. Stronger. Many of them are smarter. Perfect tacticians. Built for war, from day one.”

“Oh, you mean they’re war maggots,” Ocho joked.

Sayle smiled. “There are similarities. Trial by fire hardens us all. But I’ll tell you, that half-man should already be dead.”

“I never thought it would beat those panthers.”

“No.” Sayle shook his head impatiently. “Not like that. Most half-men, when they’re trapped, forced to fight for nothing other than survival, they don’t last. They pine for their masters, and they die. It’s a fail-safe. So they can’t be turned. So they can’t go rogue against their wealthy masters. So they can’t raise a flag for themselves.