Page 38 of Aviatrix

I smile. “So, you risked life and limb just to say hi?”

She shrugs. “Trapped in a mountain with grumpy Atlas and Fox’s endless jokes? Totally worth it.”

We hug again, and I keep an arm around her shoulders as we head inside. Her warmth grounds me in a way I didn’t realize I needed. For a breath, I let myself lean into it, into her, into the comfort of someone who chose to come back.

Lark watches us, wary.

I know he doesn’t trust her unplanned arrival. But I do.

“How long will you be here?” I ask quietly, keeping my tone light.

“Heading out in a few hours,” Thea replies.

My heart sinks.

Gary’s words echo. My intel was good. You know it was. If this leads back to command—if leadership’s compromised—we need someone close to it.

Thea didn’t come just to check on me. She’s here because Gary needs answers. And I’ve got more than enough now to justify hopping on that transport and heading back to Colorado.

“Where can we talk privately?” Thea says loud enough for Lark to hear.

I glance at him, careful not to flinch.

Lark rubs the back of his neck. “My room. Only one that’s not bugged.”

Thea raises an eyebrow. “Convenient.”

He shifts his weight just enough to confirm what I already suspect. That was a lie. Everything’s bugged here. Every room. Every hallway. This base may be off the map, but nothing about it is unmonitored.

“We’ll go to my room,” I say, already turning.

Thea hesitates a second, brow furrowed, and follows without comment.

Halfway down the hall, I stop and turn back to Lark. “Can you grab my, uh, things from the Control Room?”

He nods.

I’m not sure I trust him, but if he brings me that thumb drive willingly… I might not have a choice.

“Tell me everything,” Thea says the second I shut the door to my room.

It’s warmer than Lark’s. Less bunker, more crash pad. There’s a comfy chair in the corner, a small bookcase lined with flight mechanic manuals, and the bed is actually big enough to stretch out on. Luxury, by base standards.

I point to the blinking red light in the ceiling. “We’ve got company.”

Thea follows my gaze, then lowers her voice. “How are things with… the Colonel?”

She won’t say his name. Can’t say I blame her.

“Awkward and weird,” I exhale, sinking onto the edge of the bed while she drops into the chair. “I think most people get a little distance after being cheated on. But me? I get a front-row seat to his brooding and morning runs.”

Thea snorts, tucking a curl behind her ear. “He is a broody asshole.”

“Right?” I glance around the room for something—anything—I can write on. She needs to know what I know. About the President’s ties to the Legion. About Project Aviatrix and Julian Rourke. About Gina.

But there’s nothing. No notepad, no loose paper. Just books.

So, I grab one.