Claire Sinclair tiled the four surveillance feeds on the desktop, then turned to Aiden Howkins. "Aiden, could you please have someone watch the monitors for me? If anyone suspicious shows up, this watch will vibrate. I'm stepping out for a moment."
As she spoke, she pulled the backup watch from her pocket, shoved it into Aiden Howkins's, and then hurried out the door.
"Young Madam, where are you going?" Aiden Howkins started to follow, but his eyes were caught by an alluring woman who had just appeared on one of the feeds. His gaze tightened. In a low voice, he ordered, "Shadow is here. Alert everyone. We're at a Level-S state of alert!"
On the stage at Sovereign Plaza, the first candidate was about to begin. The speaking order had been arranged by age, from oldest to youngest.
The first person to take the stage was the governor of Scylla State. As a seasoned politician, he was perfectly calm, his expression unreadable.
