Dylan's voice carries that particular steadiness he maintains even in chaos. "Kane. Status update. The family is secure. Private contractors from Cross's network are maintaining coverage with rotating shifts. No Committee activity detected."
"Good." Kane glances at Rachel. "Your sister wants to talk to you. Dylan arranged a secure video call for later today."
Relief flashes across Rachel's face. "Thank you."
"Rachel." Dylan's voice gentles. "I know what it's like to protect a kid when the world feels dangerous. You're doing everything right. Trust your instincts, trust the team. Fear doesn't make you weak. It makes you careful."
Rachel swallows hard. "How do you do it? How do you keep Khalid safe while still operating?"
"By accepting that I can't control everything," Dylan replies. "I can't make the world safe for Khalid. Can't eliminate every threat. But I can teach him to be strong, surround him with people who care, and trust that he's more resilient than my fear gives him credit for."
"Lucas is little," Rachel says quietly.
"Khalid was younger when I found him in Syria. Traumatized, terrified, convinced he was going to die." Dylan pauses. "Kids are stronger than we think. Lucas has you. He has Stryker. He has this entire team willing to burn the world down to keep him safe."
Rachel nods even though Dylan can't see her. "Thank you."
"Stryker." Dylan's voice shifts. "Walk her through the protocols. Make sure she knows every exit, every safe room, every contingency. And remember that protecting family isn't the same as running a mission. Sometimes the best tactical decision is the one that keeps everyone together."
Family. The word lands heavier than it should.
"They're not—" I start.
"They are now," Dylan cuts me off. "The moment you brought them to Echo Base, they became part of this. So treat them like family, not assets."
"Don't lecture me about how to protect them," I say, voice sharper than intended. "I know what's at stake."
"Good. Then you know that keeping Rachel and Lucas safe means more than just tactical planning. It means being there. Actually being there, not just standing guard." Dylan pauses. "Don't fuck this up the way you did eight years ago."
The line goes quiet, then disconnects.
The transmission ends. Kane dismisses the briefing with efficient instructions, and I take Rachel on a tour of emergency protocols that might save her life if everything goes wrong.
We start at the main entrance, tucked deep inside the mountain and accessible only through concealed passages that look like natural cave formations. Rachel follows me through the corridors, memorizing landmarks with the focus of someone who understands that details matter.
"This passage leads to the secondary exit," I explain. "If the primary entrance is compromised, you take Lucas this way. Follow the blue emergency lights to the exterior access point."
"Where does it lead?" Rachel asks.
"Mountain trail system. Unmarked, difficult terrain, but it connects to a service road. Kane has vehicles staged there with emergency supplies."
We walk the route together. Rachel asks questions about distance markers, terrain obstacles, weather considerations. Practical concerns from a mother calculating how to carry her son through wilderness if necessary.
The safe rooms come next, scattered throughout the facility. Reinforced walls, independent ventilation, communication systems, emergency supplies. I show Rachel how to access each one, how to seal the doors, how to contact the team.
"You memorize these locations," I tell her. "If alarms sound, if you hear gunfire, if anything feels wrong, you get Lucas to the nearest safe room and lock down. Don't wait for instructions. You secure Lucas first."
"And then what?" Rachel stands surrounded by supplies that represent worst-case scenarios.
"Then you wait. The team handles the threat, and we come get you when it's clear."
"What if you don't come?" The question is quiet but direct.
I move closer, close enough that she has to look up. "Then you use the emergency beacon. It transmits directly to multiple failsafes including Cross's network. Someone will extract you and Lucas even if the entire team is gone."
"You've planned for your own deaths."
"We've planned for every contingency. That's what keeps us alive." I hold her gaze. "But Rachel, the Committee isn't getting into Echo Base. This facility has survived years of them searching. The mountain conceals us, the security systems are state-of-the-art, and every person on this team would die before letting Kessler reach you or Lucas."
