The bleach still lingered in the war hall the next morning. It was too sharp, and too clean. Like it was trying to erase what had happened here. But you can’t scrub away betrayal. Not really.
Bennett’s body had been taken before sunrise. No rites. No ceremony. Just silence and an unspoken agreement. We don’t honor traitors, and we were not going to start now, not when we had so much to do.
I hadn’t slept. Not even a minute. While the others obeyed my order and got some rest, probably just enough to keep their heads clear, I stayed. I went through everything. Again and again. Patrol logs. Communication records. Schedules. Access lists. Everything.
Who vouched for him? Who signed off on his clearances? Who looked the other way?
The map glowed faintly in front of me, casting pale light ac
