The frozen tundra stretched endlessly beneath the transport, a white wasteland that seemed to swallow all light.
Wayne stared out the window, his reflection ghostly against the darkness. The Assembly's stronghold was somewhere below, hidden in the heart of the Siberian wilderness. It was the last known location of their leadership, the final piece of a puzzle that had consumed months of their lives.
"Jude, confirm the coordinates," he said, his voice flat.
The analyst was at his tablet, his fingers flying across the screen. "The signal is strong. They're definitely there. But there's something else. I'm picking up encrypted transmissions. Lots of them."
"From where?"
"From the stronghold. They're communicating with someone outside. Someone who's not supposed to be there."
Wayne felt
