— Of course. Take whatever time you need. The offer stands indefinitely.
After Harris departed, Morrison appeared from the direction of the SEAL training compound, walking with that distinctive operator bearing—superficially relaxed but fundamentally alert, casually lethal in the way that comes from years of combat experience.
— Morning, ma’am. Sleep okay?
— Better than I expected. The nightmares stayed away for once.
— You look like a dead man. Turns out flying with a living legend is emotionally exhausting.
He grinned, but his eyes were serious.
— Got a message for you. Razor 6 and his team are flying in tomorrow afternoon. 1400 hours. They want to meet you face to face. Properly.
Grace felt her stomach tighten involuntarily.
— Sergeant, that’s really not necessary. They already thanked me over the radio. I don’t need—
— Ma’am. With all due respect, this isn’t about what you need. It’s about what they need.
Morrison’s voice gentled but remained firm.
