PULSING HEAT

After Max left my office, I leaned back in my chair, my mind racing through the plans we had laid out. We had to act fast. Caleb needed to reinforce the AI firewall we had set up in Comoros—there was no telling what kind of retaliation we could expect after taking out the Budapest team. And security around my family had to be tighter. Max had been smart to move Jeremy and Bernard to a safe house in Springville, away from the chaos that Salt Lake City was slowly becoming.

With a sigh, I buried myself in work, trying to keep my focus sharp. A little later, Eli messaged me, letting me know that he had started the project review meeting. He promised to brief me afterward, and I did not bother replying. I trusted Eli to handle it.

It was not until late in the afternoon that Eli finally came to my office, carrying a couple of bags filled with food. He locked the door behind him before heading to the lounge area. I stood up, pushing my chair back, and followed him, curious.