Elena met them at a secure debrief location an hour later, relief flooding her expression the moment she saw Marcus walk through the door, followed immediately by sharp concern once she noticed the tension still radiating from both men.
"You got shot at," she said, not quite a question, studying her father's disheveled appearance.
"We're fine," Marcus said quickly. "Nobody hit, just a lot of adrenaline and a very fast drive back."
"That's not reassuring, Dad." Elena crossed her arms, old fear resurfacing despite her professional composure. "You promised full protocols, no unnecessary risks."
"It was reconnaissance," Reyes said, stepping in to defend the mission's original intent. "We didn't anticipate that level of security response. That's actually valuable intelligence itself."
Elen
