Mara meets his gaze.
“I’ve known about the system for a while.”
Russ raises an eyebrow.
“That would’ve been helpful earlier.”
“I tried to warn him,” she says, nodding toward me.
I push off the truck.
“Then start explaining.”
Adam folds his arms.
“Yeah.”
Mara hesitates for a moment.
Like she’s deciding how much to reveal.
Then she walks closer.
“The Architect built a selection model.”
“For what?” Adam asks.
“Leadership.”
Russ frowns.
“Leadership for what?”
“Of the network.”
I shake my head.
“You’re telling me someone spent years building a national emergency-response system…”
“Yes.”
Russ lets out a low whistle.
“That’s ambitious.”
Adam’s voice stays calm.
“Why us?”
Mara looks directly at me.
“Because you’ve already proven you can lead people in chaos.”
I don’t like that answer.
“Tested how?” I ask.
She gestures toward the church.
