The next day. Monday morning.
Ryan packed. He'd fly out to Ceris that afternoon—Tuesday, away, against the Ceris Shadows.
Eleven a.m., the whole team in the film room for a quick walkthrough. No superstar on that roster; they sat sixth in the West on rotation and team basketball, plain and simple. Three games left, two up on the Roarers. To pass them, the Roarers didn't just have to win out—they needed the Shadows to slip somewhere down the stretch. Only then did the math open up.
The meeting broke. Ryan walked out of the Iron City Roarers Training Center, got into his K3, and had barely turned the key when the passenger door swung open and Sloan slid in.
"Give me a ride. Parking's a pain."
Ryan didn't say anything, just pulled out. They had somewhere to be—Raymond, their dedicated rep from Vantix, had set up a meet at a restaurant.
Raymond was already there when they walked in.
