The decision was made in their small kitchen at three in the morning.
"We can't go to Tokyo," Aria said firmly. "Victoria's warning is too specific. Amanda is dead. That's not speculation."
Marcus paced the tiny space, his scientist's mind working through probabilities.
"But what if Victoria is compromised? What if they're using her to stop us from helping the real families who need us?"
Sophie sat at the table, her laptop a cheap model bought with cash, displaying Victoria's encrypted message alongside the Tanaka family's plea for help.
"The verification codes match what we established," she said quietly. "Both messages use protocols only our group knew."
"Which means either both are legitimate, or someone has compromised our entire system," Aria said.
"There's a third option." Sop
