The three of them crossed the grounds to the Commander’s Headquarters in silence. Leaves crunched beneath their shoes, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the compound. Abby felt every step like a countdown she wasn’t ready for. They took the elevator to the fifth floor, the soft hum of it filling the quiet as the doors slid shut.
The Commander’s office was expansive. The entire right wall was floor-to-ceiling glass, overlooking the training fields below. A large, ornate desk sat centered against the back wall, polished to a shine. In front of it were several soft leather armchairs, clearly meant to intimidate and impress in equal measure. Along the left wall sat a long table surrounded by matching chairs, the surface bare except for a neatly stacked folder at one end.
Her
