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“You need to disappear,” he said, sternly.

“I am already dead.”

“More.”

“That is not useful.”

“I am serious.”

“So am I.”

I moved farther from the table. “Explain.”

“I ran the designation through old military routing. Nothing.”

“Expected.”

“Then I checked external security flags.”

My grip tightened slightly around the communicator. “And?”

“It is active.”

“That does not answer the question.”

“It has been flagged for noncompletion.”

I went still.

Talia’s fingers stopped over the terminal.

“By whom?” I asked.

“No name.”

“Authority level?”

“High enough that I stopped checking.”

“Orun.”

“I enjoy my remaining organs,” he stated.

“Authority level.”

He exhaled sharply. “Above local security. Above ordinary military recovery. Cross-restricted.”

That narrowed very little. It also narrowed too much.

“How long?” I asked.

“Flag was raised before I accessed it.”

“Time.”

He gave me the timestamp. I knew it immediately. Less than an hour after I confirmed Talia at Bren. Before I brought her to the safehouse. Before I reported anything except target confirmation and negative recovery. Someone had already anticipated delay.

“Anything else?”