Buckley stood back, satisfied. "Tomorrow will be historic. The death of private military companies, the birth of a new defense paradigm. All thanks to you and Griffin Hawkins."
He left, the door slamming shut with finality. Darkness swallowed the room except for a sliver of light beneath the door.
"Sarah, we're here," Ronan said immediately. "You're not alone."
The tears came then, hot and desperate. Griff might be dying. They were both going to be executed tomorrow. And for what?
"Both systems are down. Buckley’s plan is dead in the water," Zara said, as if reading her thoughts.
Thank you, Jesus,she whispered silently. "But Griff..."
"Is tough as nails," Axel cut in. "I've seen him take a sledgehammer to the skull and walk it off."
"That's not true," Maya said.
"Fine. Okay, so it was a regular hammer," Axel admitted. "But still."
Despite everything, she almost smiled. Her fingers had gone numb, the zip-ties cutting off circulation. Every time she moved, Tank's tags shifted against her skin—a physical reminder of sacrifice and duty.
"We need to discuss tomorrow," Ronan said, his voice shifting to command mode. "Buckley's planning a public confession. That means cameras, media, witnesses."
"Perfect," Doc said. "The more public, the better."
"How is that perfect?" Sarah asked.
"Because we're going to turn his show against him," Finn said. "I've already got media contacts ready. Zara's preparing a data dump. The moment he puts you on camera?—"
Light flooded the room again. Sarah forced her expression neutral as Buckley reappeared, this time with a tablet.
"Show nothing," Maya whispered.
"I thought you should see the schedule," Buckley said, holding up the screen. "Tomorrow, 3 PM. My closing address. You and Ghost will confess to plotting my assassination, how Knight Tactical was using you to infiltrate the summit."
Sarah kept her face blank, but her mind raced. The team had less than eighteen hours.
"After your confession, you'll try to escape. You won't succeed." His smile was cold. "Two terrorists, shot while fleeing justice. Tragic but necessary."
"You're insane," Sarah said quietly.
"I'm a patriot. And tomorrow, I'll be a hero." He turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, and Ms. Winters? That was clever, hiding the USB. We found it, of course. But clever nonetheless."
The door closed again. Sarah's heart sank.
"He's lying," Finn said immediately. "I've been monitoring their internal comms. No mention of finding any USB."
"Fishing expedition," Ronan agreed. "He wanted to see if you'd react."
Sarah slumped against the pipe, Tank's tags shifting with the movement. "I don't know if I can do this."
"Yes, you can," Doc said firmly. "You've already done the impossible. You stopped two assassination systems while being hunted by professionals."
"That was with Griff."
"And you'll have him again," Ronan promised. "We don't leave people behind. Ever."
"Even if it means walking into Buckley's trap?" Sarah asked.
"Especially then," Deke said. "That's what family does."
