I was in the aftermath of the mission, but my mind was stuck in the moment when I saw Jake take his last breath. The reality of being a mercenary was starting to sink in, and it was a heavy weight on my shoulders. I was hired to carry out a mission, without any regard for the morality of it. I was just a tool, used to carry out someone else's will.

The rest of the journey back to headquarters was spent in silence, each member of the team lost in their own thoughts. Captain Taylor was ashen-faced, his stoicism barely masking the guilt that was gnawing at him. Sam was tear-streaked, her sobs tearing through the silence. Matt's hands were visibly trembling, betraying the fear that had gripped him

As soon as we arrived at headquarters, Captain Taylor gathered us all in the briefing room. The atmosphere was heavy as we took our seats, and a tense silence filled the room.

The rest of the team was equally affected by Jake's death. Captain Taylor was shaken to the core, and the look of guilt in his eyes was palpable. He was responsible for leading the team, and the loss of one of our own weighed heavily on him. Sam was inconsolable, unable to come to terms with the loss of her closest friend. Matt was stoic, but the pain was written all over his face. We were all struggling to process what had just happened.

Captain Taylor's voice echoed in the sterile briefing room, the only sound to break the oppressive silence. The air was thick with grief, and the weight of Jake's death hung heavily over us.

"We're not just a group of mercenaries anymore, we're a team. And we need to stick together, especially now," he said with a solemn voice. Sam and Matt nodded in agreement, their faces etched with grief.

Captain Taylor cleared his throat, "Gentlemen, Jake was one of our own. He died in the line of duty, refusing to carry out orders that went against his beliefs."

The flickering fluorescent lights overhead cast shadows on our faces, highlighting the grief and loss etched on each of our features.

Stolen novel; please report.

The weight of Captain Taylor's words was not lost on any of us. We sat in silence, each of us reflecting on the events of the past few days and the impact they had had on us.

The memory of Jake's death was haunting me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was responsible. He was my comrade, my brother in arms. We had been through countless battles together, and to see him fall like that was devastating. I couldn't help but wonder if things could have been different if I had made a different choice, if I had been more careful, if I had acted faster.

But then I remembered that I was a mercenary, a profession where I did not serve any country or code of ethics. I was hired to complete a task, no matter the cost. I had always known this, but now it was hitting me harder than ever before. The reality was that I was a soldier for hire, and I was being paid to do what others could not or would not do.

The internal struggle was tearing me apart. On one hand, I was proud of the skills and training that made me a valuable asset to those who hired me. On the other hand, I was haunted by the thought of the consequences of my actions and the moral ambiguity of the missions I was hired to carry out.

I couldn't shake the feeling that I was just a mercenary, a tool for hire to carry out someone else's agenda. The thought of being paid to do something that went against my own moral code weighed heavily on me. But the longer I dwelled on it, the clearer it became - this was the reality of being a mercenary. There was no loyalty to a country or code of ethics. I had to find a way to accept and embrace this aspect of my profession, or it would continue to haunt me and consume me.

The loss of Jake hit us all hard. He was more than just a teammate, he was a friend. The memory of him refusing to take orders, even if it meant putting his own life at risk, is one that will always stay with me. It was a reminder of the sacrifices we make as mercenaries, and the toll it takes on us.

Jake's death was a turning point for the team. It forced us to confront the reality of our profession and the fact that we are not bound by any country or code of ethics. It was a harsh reminder that in this line of work, sometimes the only thing that matters is the mission.

For me, Jake's death was a wake-up call. It made me realize that I needed to find a way to reconcile with being a mercenary. I needed to find a way to make peace with the fact that I may be asked to carry out actions that go against my own moral code. It was not going to be easy, but it was a challenge I was willing to take on.

The loss of Jake was felt by us all, but it also brought us closer together as a team. We all knew the risks of this line of work, but we also knew that we had each other's backs. As mercenaries, we may not have a country to serve, but we have a team that we serve with honor and integrity.