Vince's death was humiliating in its way—but to his credit, he never begged. Right up to the end, he took it standing. In a world like this, that still counted for something.
What really made Michael let out a sigh of relief, though, was that Ethan and the others didn't go full scorched-earth on Direclaw Squad. Aside from taking out a few hotheaded grunts who seemed like they might cause trouble later, the rest were spared. They simply disbanded the whole squad.
Ultimately, it had all come down to a dirty deal between Vince and Sophia. The others had no idea. No point in punishing the innocent.
Back at home, after returning from Sector Three, Ethan turned to Skinny Pete with a furrowed brow.
"Skinny Pete, any word from Nugget yet?"
"Nothing," Skinny Pete said, shaking his head.
