Ash widened his stance, shoulder muscles bunching as he folded his arms over his broad chest. Every muscle in him was coiled.
Ellory found her stare fixed on the footage as the men cleared empty offices in two different states, unable to think about them being in danger while she sat here perfectly safe.
Minutes passed, and she wiped her clammy palms on her thighs.
“Wyoming, basement?”
“Empty. Hard drives wiped. Looks like they pulled out fast.”
“Bag and tag everything. Pull the routers. I want everything they didn’t take. New York—status?”
“Server room’s a ghost town,” Con said. “Drives gone. We’ve got two desktops still live.”
“Pull them.”
Ellory’s heart jogged as she held her breath, waiting for them to find someone. But they didn’t. Cipher had moved.
Ash watched both feeds. “Any sign of recent occupancy?”
“Coffee’s still warm in New York.”
Sophie’s fingers paused, and she sucked in a low breath. Ellory reached out to touch her arm in an attempt to offer comfort.
“How warm?” Ash’s jaw flexed.
“Within the hour.”
A flicker of apprehension passed through the war room. So close.
“Wyoming?”
“Dust disturbed. No bodies.”
Ash exhaled slowly. “Both teams, listen up. Cipher’s not on site. We treat this as an intelligence recovery only. We regroup with data.”
There it was. The final order.
“Wyoming, secure and extract in ten. Denver, you’re wheels up as soon as evidence is logged.”
“Copy. Good to play again, brother.”
Ash’s face was in profile, and Ellory was looking at him when a smile ghosted across his face.
“New York, same timeline. Sinner, you’re point on transport.”
“Copy.”
Ash was still, gaze fixed on the feeds until the very last.
Ellory’s fingers took off across the keys again, and Sophie issued a low breath she’d been holding. Not far away, Opal’s head was bent as though she was giving thanks.
No fire. No casualties.
But no Cipher.
Just another move in a long game.
Ash waited until both teams confirmed they were outbound. Then he nodded once. “Good work. Stay tight. We’ll debrief when you land.”
