“That simple?” she asked.
“That simple,” I said.
She didn’t believe me.
Not entirely.
And I didn’t blame her.
The ground crew signaled.Five minutes.
Aaron approached, a folder in his hand, wind ruffling the edges.
“The brass is impatient,” he said. “They want your brain on a platter as soon as possible.”
“Tell them it’s already overcooked,” I said.
He snorted.
Then his gaze softened, just a fraction, as it shifted to Julia.
“You did good work, Marlow,” he said. “We don’t walk out of that place without you.”
She nodded once. “Thank you, sir.”
“You heading back home on the next bird?” I asked her.
“Yeah. My captain’s been blowing up my phone. I fo.rgot to tell him I wouldn’t be in for a few weeks”
“I feel left out,” Aaron muttered. “No one blows up my phone unless they’re yelling about budgets.”
Miles jogged up, breathless, holding out a small black rectangle. “Jensen. Before you go.”
I took it. “What is it?”
“Encrypted sat device,” he said. “Piggybacks off a couple of private nodes. Not fully secure—nothing is—but it’s offthe main grid. Use it if you need to reach us. Or if you…” His gaze flicked to Julia. “You know.”
“Thanks,” I said quietly.
He shrugged. “Hey. Somebody’s gotta keep the soap opera alive. I guess that's Delta Five.”
Julia let out a choked laugh.
The crew chief waved from the ramp. “We’re wheels-up in three!”
Aaron clapped my shoulder. “Go make them nervous.”
“That part I can do,” I said.
He moved off. Miles followed. Boone and Logan hung back, pretending to check gear, really giving us a bubble of space.
It wasn’t enough.
But it was all we had.
Julia stared up at me, eyes bright, jaw tight.
“Last chance to run,” I said softly.
