THE three of them were led to a meeting room. A long table sat in the center with chairs already arranged. The walls were bare, save for a few glowing interface panels set into the surface. Four men in black suits stood inside, positioned around the room. None of them spoke as the three of them entered.
Noa was already at the head of the table. He didn't stand when they entered, just gestured toward the empty chairs. The four men in suits deferred to him without needing any instruction. It was clear to anyone watching that Noa was the one in charge.
Remi immediately noticed it. He had spent the last few hours trying to match the boy he grew up with with the man in the interrogation room. Now there was this version of Noa, calm at the head of a table with four men in suits standing around him. He carried himself like he had always been in charge. It didn't fit with the image of the boy in his mind.
