*Chris' POV*
The room erupted the moment the line went dead. Chairs scraped.
Someone swore. The steady hum of electronics, once background noise, grew loud and razor-sharp in the sudden panic of movement. One of the techs yanked his headset off, muttering curses under his breath.
"We almost had it, just a few more seconds, and we would've locked the tower."
Almost.
That word hit hard. I stood there, hands braced on the edge of the table, chest heaving. The world around me moved fast—maps unfolding, pens scratching, radios clicking on—but inside my head, everything slowed to a thick, metallic haze.
I didn't care about the map.
I cared about her voice.
Audra's voice.
My pulse was still racing, hammering every syllable she'd said straight into my ribs. The anger in it. The break. The tremble that wasn't fear.
"What Audra said…" My voice cracked, dry and uneven. "None of it made sense."
Anne didn't look away from the monitors. "I think she was trying to tell us something."
