The silence after Claire’s words was suffocating. Lights hummed with a clinical hum that masked the danger beneath. Emma gripped the edge of the console, her heart slamming against her ribs as Jack moved with surprising calm, checking corners like muscle memory had kicked in. Callen’s fingers blurred across his backup drive as he hissed, “I need two more minutes!”

But they didn’t have two minutes.

Claire's voice returned, slow and indulgent. “Isn’t it poetic? You running around ...