Marcus sat across from Daniel Reyes at a small café near the commission's headquarters, two days after Farrow's message had arrived, watching his old friend study tactical maps spread across the table between them.
"You're serious about this," Reyes said, not quite a question.
"Completely serious," Marcus said. "Farrow specifically mentioned me in that message. If this is personal somehow, I refuse to sit back while Elena faces it without every possible advantage."
Reyes studied him for a long moment, years of shared history passing silently between them. "You know field work's different now. Tactical response teams, specialized equipment, proper training protocols. This isn't subway tunnels and improvised survival."
"I know," Marcus said. "But I also know things those tactical teams d
