It was too early for supper. Brian had made the decision to come here too suddenly. He had only told Edgar about their arrival, while Daniel and Cathy had no idea that they were coming.
"Mr. and Mrs. Long, our Chief said that you have freedom of action. If you are not tired, you may walk around the camp," Edgar's secretary said in an embarrassed tone.
Brian nodded and said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," the secretary said with a warm smile on his face. "Then, I will take my leave now. I don't want to disturb you any longer. Please enjoy yourselves." He stood at attention and gave them a grand salute.
The family rested for a while. Charlie and Evelyn said that they wanted to go see their uncle. Considering that there was sufficient time, Brian and Molly took the twins out for a walk. They asked a soldier who was on guard about Daniel's whereabouts. They walked to the training ground to look for him after getting directions from the soldier.
"I haven't seen him in quite a long time. It has been half a year since I last received his photos," Molly said emotionally. Glancing quietly at the soldiers coming and going along their way, she sighed. "Everything that happened in the past seems like a dream now."
Daniel had once been addicted to a dangerous drug called "Dream" because of altercations with some people in their lives. As a result of that, the relationship between Molly and Brian had nearly come to an end. But no matter what had happened and how much they had all suffered, Molly was grateful for everything because all that had brought them here to this beautiful present.
"Weight steeplechase. Complete the round in four minutes. If any of you feel that you are not fit for this challenge, come forward right now!"
a sharp, deep voice bellowed all of a sudden.
Brian and Molly stopped in their tracks. Charlie and Evelyn looked at their parents and then at the direction of that voice. They saw a man standing in front of the steeplechase training ground. He looked mighty in his military uniform, with the shoulder badge of a Lieutenant Colonel. In front of him was a team of no more than twenty people of different military ranks varying from major to private first class, wearing their respective shoulder badges.
They stood in attention, without moving a muscle.
"If you're not confident about your skills, you'd better admit it and come forward now. If anybody here doesn't finish the steeplechase in four minutes today, he will have to wash the underpants for everybody in the battalion this evening," Daniel declared. He was glad that nobody came forward, but he was quite dissatisfied with their complacency.
"Yes, Captain!" the team shouted in chorus, the loud sound echoing all over the place.
"All right!" Daniel said, satisfied. "Red Falcon, come forward!"
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