Jack’s boots struck the stone floor in heavy, deliberate steps that echoed through the vaulted hall leading to the command center. The morning light filtering through the high windows was pale, almost cold, making the shadows in the room seem sharper than usual. The air carried the faint scent of pine smoke from the hearth in the adjoining room, but it didn’t cut the edge of tension that had settled over the space in recent weeks.
The long, scarred wooden table dominating the center of the room was already cluttered—stacks of transfer forms, maps layered with colored pins, and printouts scrawled over in red pen. Some were rumpled from being handled too many times, as though sheer contact might make the stories they told easier to stomach.
Tyler stood at the far end, one palm braced on th
