The sergeant's grin faded and his jaw tightened.  "You've got a point."  He turned to Janus and Fenson.  "Back to positions.  Let's move.  Collins?"<br/><br/>Collins clamored to his feet, wincing with the pain in his shoulder and knee.  "I'm cool, Sarge," he said.  "That wolf's starting to break down."  He turned to the halfbreed.  "Thanks for the help... uh, and the hurt."<br/><br/>Janus picked up his switchblade and led the way.  The group of five again passed block after block through alleys until they emerged onto a street crawling with human soldiers.  Literally dozens of humans were milling about the road, some holding watchful positions in alleys, others stationed on the sidewalks, still others hanging out of buildings and looking through binoculars.  The sergeant took the lead and ushered his four charges into a nearby building.  "Welcome to platoon headquarters," he muttered to the halfbreed.<br/><br/>Directly to the left of the door was a large lobby.  This building was apparently a hotel of some kind.  At the desk where the clerk would normally stand, three men huddled over a crudely-drawn map.  The sergeant approached the three men while Janus and Fenson took seats on the nearby couch.  Collins sank with a groan into an armchair, running a hand over his (now slightly smaller) gut.<br/><br/>"Squad Three reporting," the sergeant said to the group.  All of them looked up at him.  The man in the center, a young, slim man of about 23 with blond hair and green eyes, stood up straight and regarded the sergeant for a moment.<br/><br/>"Just why are you reporting, Sergeant Halvorson?" asked the blond man.<br/><br/>"We picked up a new recruit, Lieutenant," replied the sergeant, pointing with his thumb at the halfbreed.<br/><br/>"What about your mission?" the lieutenant asked, slightly annoyed.  He spared the halfbreed a glance.<br/><br/>"Mission complete, sir.  All night guards on that block have been dealt with."<br/><br/>"Good," said the lieutenant.  He stepped out from behind the desk and walked over to Collins.  "What happened to him?"<br/><br/>"He vored a night guard, then got shot."<br/><br/>"Night guards don't carry guns."<br/><br/>"I know, sir.  He shot Collins," the sergeant said, pointing at the halfbreed.<br/><br/>"And who did he vore?  One of yours?"<br/><br/>"No, sir, he got a night guard as well," said the sergeant.  "I just said he was a new recruit."<br/><br/>"He shoots one of your men and you decide to hire him on?" the lieutenant asked, incredulous.<br/><br/>"He didn't mean it.  Janus was tormenting a vixen."<br/><br/>"I don't care whether he meant it or not, Halvorson," the lieutenant spat, scowling.  "He's a hostile and should have been put down."<br/><br/>"He's just a bum, sir," said the sergeant.  "A civilian.  He doesn't even have a name.  He's pretty scared by what's going on and probably was afraid my guys were going to kill him.  But we know we're not supposed to harm civilians, don't we, Lieutenant?"<br/><br/>The lieutenant shot Sergeant Halvorson a look that would melt lead.  "He's your problem, then.  Keep him out of my HQ.  If he stabs you in the back, it's not my responsibility."  He turned on his heel and went back to the map with the two others.<br/><br/>Halvorson went over to the halfbreed and gestured to the room across the hall.  "Come on, fella."  Janus and Fenson helped a groaning Collins out of his armchair and they walked into the room across the hall, a sort of extension to the lobby.  "Don't get bothered by the lieutenant," Halvorson said to the halfbreed.  "He thinks he's all high-and-mighty coz he was some cat-fur's fuck-toy.  He wasn't a real slave like the rest of us."