“You don’t talk like a rookie,” Ethan said.
“You don’t move like an adviser,” Lila replied, still focused on the monitors. Ethan almost smiled. “Fair enough.”
The maps told a story: calls closed too quickly, dispatch logs missing, response times non-existent, incidents resolved before patrols even left their stations. Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not paperwork drift.”
“No,” Lila said quietly. “It isn’t.”
Then it happened. Every camera outside the operations room went black at once. Titan growled, ears pricked. Lila stood, fingers hovering over her console. Somewhere deep inside Ironwatch Regional Command, an alarm screamed, shrill and urgent. It wasn’t just noise—it was a warning.
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