The hum of the Gulfstream’s engines was a low, predatory purr that vibrated through the soles of my boots. I remained seated in the co-pilot’s chair, staring out at the ink-black horizon where the stars bled into the distant glow of the European coastline. My hands were still gripped tightly onto the armrests, my knuckles white, as the Level 3 Skill Node settled into my nervous system like liquid mercury.
"Leonard? You’ve been silent for five minutes. Your pupils haven't constricted once since we cleared ten thousand feet."
I turned my head slowly. Elaine was standing in the cockpit doorway, her silhouette framed by the warm, amber light of the cabin. She had replaced her lab coat with a structured grey blazer, but her eyes were still sharp with the clinical suspicion of a woman who deal
