DAVE
Territory Reclaimed
Daniel Archer stands in formation beside the hangar like he never left military service, leopard stillness making the pre-dawn cold look comfortable despite Kentucky's November bite. Behind him, his core team maintains positions that speak to weeks of drilling—Alpert with her tablet glowing in the darkness, Johnson coordinating communications across headset, Clover positioned at Daniel's right shoulder with three raccoons perched on his own shoulders because apparently my beta's second has fully embraced his role as critter liaison, Santorini and Gamboa flanking with weapons that probably violate several federal regulations but I'm not asking questions.
Cheryl appears before the aircraft door fully opens, somehow managing to look put-together at three AM. Her bl
