The river was wide and slow, its surface reflecting the gray sky. Elliot stood on the bank, his hands in his pockets, watching the water flow past. He had come alone, as the message instructed. No Frank. No Kael. Just him and the silence.
A figure emerged from the trees on the opposite bank. A woman, young, with dark hair and pale skin. She carried a satchel over her shoulder and walked with a limp.
"You're Elliot Reed," she called across the water.
"And you're the one with the key."
She smiled. "Walk downstream. There's a bridge."
---
The bridge was old, wooden, barely wide enough for two.
Elliot met her in the middle. Up close, she looked tired—dark circles under her eyes, lines on her face that didn't match her age.
"My name is Dr. Elara Vance," she said. "I worked on the condit
