FIRST BLOOD Marcus hit the obstacle course at a dead sprint. His lungs burned. Legs screamed. But the Warden System's countdown pulsed in his vision: [MISSION ONE DEPLOYMENT: 2 HOURS, 17 MINUTES]. Two hours until three cadets died on this exact course. "Chen!" Instructor Kane's voice cut across the training field. "You're not on the schedule until 0900!" Marcus didn't slow. He vaulted over the first barrier, landed, rolled, came up running. His eighteen-year-old body felt foreign—lighter, faster, but without the muscle memory of a decade of combat. His mind knew how to move. His body had to relearn. Kane appeared in his path, arms crossed. Forty-five, built like a tank, with a gray beard and eyes that missed nothing. "I said you're not scheduled." "Couldn't sleep, sir." Marcus stopped, forcing his breathing to steady. "Thought I'd get familiar with the course." "Familiar." Kane walked a slow circle around him. "You ran that sequence like you've done it a thousand times." I ha

SMOKE AND MIRRORSMarcus reached the live fire range in eight minutes flat.Smoke billowed from the ammunition storage building. Sirens wailed. Cadets scattered like ants, some running toward the chaos, others running away. Instructors shouted orders that nobody followed.Fire suppression systems had activated, but the smoke was too thick, too black. That wasn't just ammunition burning. That was something chemical.Marcus pushed through the crowd. His mind raced through possibilities. The mission had accelerated. Something he'd done changed the timeline. But what?"Chen!" Kane's voice cut through the noise. The instructor stood near the main building, coordinating evacuation. "Get back to the barracks! Now!"Marcus ignored him. The system displayed overlay information: [CASUALTIES CURRENT: 2 CRITICAL, 7 INJURED. STRUCTURAL COLLAPSE IMMINENT IN 4 MINUTES, 32 SECONDS.]Two critical. That means two dead if I don't move.He ran toward the smoke."Chen! That's an order!"But Marcus was alr

SAFE HOUSES AND SECRETSAria's apartment was small, clean, and completely sterile.No photos. No decorations. Just functional furniture and blackout curtains. The kind of place someone lived but didn't inhabit. Marcus recognized it immediately—a safe house mindset. Never get comfortable. Never leave traces."Sit." Aria gestured to the couch. "I'm getting coffee. You look like death."Marcus collapsed onto the cushions. Every muscle ached. The system's emergency enhancement had burned through his reserves, leaving him hollow and shaking. He checked the countdown: [MISSION THREE: 68 HOURS, 43 MINUTES.]Less than three days. And he had no idea how to complete it while Director Vance was hunting him.Aria returned with two mugs, sat across from him. She'd changed into civilian clothes—jeans, a fitted black shirt. Without the uniform, she looked younger. More human."Drink," she ordered.Marcus obeyed. The coffee was strong, bitter, perfect. He wrapped his hands around the mug, absorbing t

THE DAUGHTERThe warehouse district was empty at this hour. Abandoned buildings. Rusted fences. The kind of place where people disappeared and nobody asked questions.Marcus crouched behind a dumpster, scanning the target location through binoculars. Elena Torres had led them here—a three-story industrial building with minimal windows and heavy security. Two guards at the entrance. Cameras on every corner. Professional setup."That's a lot of firepower for one eight-year-old girl," Aria whispered beside him. She'd changed into tactical gear, her blonde hair tied back, face smeared with dark paint. "We're looking at minimum six hostiles inside. Maybe more.""Seven," Marcus corrected. The system highlighted heat signatures through the walls. "Three on the ground floor. Two on the second. Elena Torres and one more on the third with the hostage."Aria looked at him. "How do you know that?""Thermal overlay. Part of the system." Marcus lowered the binoculars. "The girl's in the northwest c

THE ALGORITHM OF CHAOSMarcus woke to the smell of burnt coffee and desperation.Four hours had passed in what felt like four minutes. His body screamed protest as he sat up. Every muscle ached. His head felt stuffed with cotton. The system pulsed weakly: [MISSION THREE: 13 HOURS, 41 MINUTES.]Aria stood at the kitchen counter, surrounded by empty energy drink cans and three laptops. Her hair was a mess. Dark circles under her eyes. She looked beautiful and terrifying at the same time."Please tell me you slept," Marcus said."Sleep is for people who aren't planning elaborate cyber heists." She didn't look up from the screen. "Dr. Reeves and Mercer finished the false intelligence package two hours ago. It's perfect. Completely believable. Will take enemy analysts at least a week to realize it's garbage.""Where are they now?""Mercer took his daughter to a safe house. Dr. Reeves is monitoring the system remotely in case you have a seizure or, you know, explode." Aria finally looked at