The desert station's main room had become a war room.
Maps covered every surface, their edges curling with age. Laptops glowed on makeshift tables, their screens filled with data streams and satellite imagery. The team had been working for hours, planning their next move, their faces etched with exhaustion and determination.
"We need to find Elena," Axel said, his voice flat. "We need to make her see the truth."
"How do we even find her?" Troy asked. "She's been hiding for decades."
"I know where she is," Flint said, stepping forward. "She has a private residence. A compound in the mountains. It's where she goes when she needs to think."
Axel's eyes narrowed. "You knew this the whole time?"
"I knew it. But I didn't think it would matter." Flint's voice was flat. "Elena is paranoid. S
