Soldiers watched the skies with solemn stares. Some were somber, some trembled with fear, others held onto their weapons with white hands and clenched jaws. Around the village, a silence settled over the abandoned houses. No one spoke, some barely moved, holding their weapons as if to ward evil.
News of what happened to Killeen had spread amongst the soldiers. Phones had been buzzing all day as family and friends of the soldiers made contact with them. Eric allowed a brief moment for every soldier to call or text family members so that they could let loved ones know they were safe.
After that, he and Michael had gone around collecting the soldiers phones. The names of each man or woman was taped on the phones before being placed in a container and secured in Eric's vehicle.
Michael stood against the truck after the last phone was collected. "We should have done that before moving out." He murmured.
Eric didn't respond.
