82:  HERE COMES THE BANDITS

The morning sun had barely risen when Chifo rushed into my tent, his face etched with urgency. "Ava, there's been a coordinated attack on Uptown by the bandits. The soldiers there can't drive them back. It looked like Uptown had been taken over by bandits,"

His words hit me like a cold wave, but I forced myself to stay composed. "What are you suggesting, Chifo?"

He took a deep breath. "I think we should try and help them. We can't just stand by while they suffer."

I shook my head firmly. "No, Chifo. We can only secure one part of the town until the other two teams arrive. If we spread ourselves too thin, we’ll be vulnerable to an attack here as well. We have to hold our ground."

Chifo’s face tightened with frustration, but he nodded. "I understand. But what about any news from the other teams? Have we heard anything?"

I sighed, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "No, nothing yet. We can’t make any moves until we know where everyone stands. Our priority is to hold this po