“Blood.”
The word lands heavy, and I see it hit her even though she tries to keep it contained. Her shoulders go rigid for a fraction ofa second before she forces them back into place, her expression tightening instead of breaking.
“That doesn’t confirm anything,” she says, but her voice has an edge now.
“It confirms enough,” I reply. “He didn’t just disappear.”
Her gaze drops briefly, her mind working through it, then snaps back up.
“Location,” she says.
I give it to her, watching the way she maps it instantly, her stance shifting as she aligns it with what she already knows.
“That’s close to one of our blind zones,” she says.
“Yeah,” I reply. “Funny how that works.”
Silence stretches between us, but it’s not empty anymore.
It’s focused.
“You think they’re moving people through there,” she says.
“I think they’re removing problems,” I answer.
Her lips press together, the tension in her expression sharpening into something more personal now.
“This isn’t just Coalition,” she says. “We’ve got matching gaps on our side.”
“I figured.”
“You don’t know what that means yet,” she snaps.
“I know enough to know it’s bigger than one missing soldier,” I reply, stepping closer.
She exhales sharply, turning away for a moment before forcing herself back to me.
“You should’ve told me sooner,” she says.
“I just found it.”
“You waited.”
“I verified.”
Her eyes flash, and she steps closer, closing the space between us.
“That’s not your call,” she says.
“It is when it keeps us from walking blind into something worse,” I reply, my voice dropping.
She holds my gaze, searching for something behind the words.
“You’re taking this seriously,” she says.
“I told you I would.”
“This isn’t just curiosity anymore.”
