“What feeling?” Wren asks.
“That we weren’t the only ones in town.”
Adam looks back at the screen.
“Question is… what do they want with us?”
I stare at the map.
At the growing web of quiet connections stretching across the country.
And I already know the answer.
“They’re testing us.”
Russ raises an eyebrow.
“For what?”
I glance toward the dark window.
Toward the mountains beyond the cabin.
“For whatever comes next.”
Because one thing is certain now.
This network isn’t just watching the best operators in the country.
It’s waiting for the moment it needs them.
And when that moment comes—
Every name on that list will matter.
12
Boone
Iwait until the cabin is quiet again.
Not asleep.
The Brave Team doesn’t really sleep when something like this is unfolding.
But quiet enough.
The wind outside has picked up, moving through the pines like a slow breath across the mountains.
I grab my jacket and step out onto the porch.
The cold Montana air hits my face immediately.
Sharp.
Clean.
The kind that clears your head.
