Maya's POV:
Director Janet Chen drove into Millfield with enough firepower to flatten half the county—and a smile that said she’d rather not test it.
From the general store window, I watched her convoy grind into the old town square. Three black SUVs. A comms truck with more antennas than sense. And an armored personnel carrier so heavy it left cracks in the pavement.
“Subtle,” Sarah muttered at my shoulder, lifting a cup of coffee that had long since gone cold. “Because nothing says peaceful diplomatic visit like parking a tank in the middle of town.”
Through the bond, Kai’s calm focus pressed against my thoughts. A quick sweep of their formation: twenty agents total, a mix of military and civilian. All armed, all alert, but not postured for a fight. Careful paranoia—not open hostilit
