Chapter 49.
Lower Falls had been scrubbed and polished until it shone with a frantic, patriotic luster. The town square was a sea of bunting flag colors draped over every storefront, fluttering in a crisp wind that carried the scent of woodsmoke and the sharp, metallic tang of the coming winter. The Hundredth Anniversary Gala wasn’t just a party; it was a transition, a final, grand flourish before the military presence that had defined the town for decades moved on. For Briar, the festive atmosphere felt like a funeral shroud. Twenty days. The countdown had moved from a low hum to a deafening roar. In less than three weeks, the transport planes would begin their rotation. In twenty days, Victor Bennett would become a coordinate on a map she wasn't allowed to see. The legal document he had press
- Writer
