Osei's convoy rolled north out of Larkspur just before dawn, three vehicles moving in loose formation, Elena buckled in the back seat of the lead truck between Marcus and a stack of supply crates. Priya rode shotgun, laptop balanced against the dashboard, running calculations on their remaining time.
"Eight hours forty minutes," she said, checking the clock against her countdown estimate. "Assuming the timeline holds steady like the last two activations did."
"And if it doesn't hold steady?" Reyes asked from the driver's seat.
"Then we're already too late and just don't know it yet," Priya said. "But it's held steady twice now. I'd rather trust the pattern than assume the worst without reason to."
Elena leaned against Marcus's shoulder, watching the passing scenery through the window,
