He arrived at ten forty-seven.
Same vehicle as the library visit. Same alone. But different from the library arrival in one specific way — the library arrival had carried the quality of someone who had been deciding for weeks and had finally decided. This arrival carried the quality of someone who received a call at nine in the evening and had been on the road within twenty minutes.
He had not had time to prepare.
That was the point.
Roan was at the gate.
He looked at Callum's vehicle.
At me, standing at the compound's main entrance with Darius beside me and Cole three steps back.
He opened the gate without speaking.
Callum came through.
He walked toward us.
The Read hit at fifteen meters.
His intent landscape was nothing like the library.
The library had been the fear-and-reli
