"I'm coming with you to Myanmar."
Julian felt a jolt, as if struck by lightning. No. Absolutely not. His silent vow to protect Liam screamed in his mind. The air crackled with unspoken tension. Liam, his civilian anchor, was stepping onto the battlefield, blurring the lines Julian had desperately tried to maintain.
Elara stepped forward, her voice sharp with concern. "Liam, that is entirely out of the question. This is not a corporate retreat. This is a highly volatile, active combat zone. Your presence would compromise the mission and put you in immediate, mortal danger."
Liam held up his tablet. "And my data says your plan for a 'small, agile, stealthy' team is going to walk straight into a human intelligence network that's already looking for outsiders. Julian, you're an architect. E
