“Ten minutes.”
Nikki stands beside the guardrail, arms crossed.
Watching the empty highway.
Her expression is calm.
Focused.
But Lyon knows her well enough to see the storm underneath.
Sentinel left scars on her friend Scout.
Cyclone glances at the map.
“Boone’s helicopter is closing fast.”
Nikki looks up.
“You hear that?”
At first River hears nothing.
Then—
A distant rumble.
Rotor blades.
Cyclone grins.
“Right on time.”
36
The Architect
The Nevada desert disappears behind them.
California now.
Almost there.
The command truck hums softly as the convoy speeds south.
Ninety miles per hour.
Exactly as instructed.
The Architect studies the infrastructure map again.
Los Angeles glows brighter on the screen.
The cascade is accelerating now.
Traffic systems adjusting.
Emergency routing protocols activating.
