Checking In

Andrew cleared his throat, drawing their attention back to the task at hand. "We need to be smart about this. If we go in guns blazing, we risk tipping them off and losing everything."

"Agreed," Matt said, his voice low and steady. "We have one shot at this, and we need to make sure we hit our target."

The room fell into a tense silence as everyone processed the gravity of the situation. Claire sat with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her knuckles white. Mia could see the conflict written all over her face—how torn she was between her father and the people she now called her family. It wasn't an easy position for anyone to be in, but the stakes were higher than they had ever been.