The night had swallowed the sky whole. My comms watch lit up the inside of the car like a flare as I stared at the message.
Too late.
I looked up at the building through the windshield. Lights blazed from every floor, turning the glass facade into a wall of cold white fire. The street around it lay dead quiet, unnaturally still.
Whatever Bala wanted me to stay away from, I'd practically parked in its shadow.
I sat there a moment longer, one hand still resting on the wheel, weighing whether to reverse out of sight or push closer and see for myself.
[The place is surrounded. They've already seen you.]
[Every option left gets you arrested. Stay calm. Act normal.]
I exhaled slowly, fingers flexing on the wheel.
Act normal.
