Lin Hao did not answer. Silence settled over the car for a while, broken only by the crunch of gravel beneath the SUV and the occasional sharp clatter of stones striking its undercarriage.
May scrolled through her phone, its faint glow lighting her tense face. Red rested in the back seat with his eyes closed.
Cynthia parked outside the League's temporary command center in Coronet City. "We're here. Let's head inside and rest."
The four of them got out. May trailed behind, still clutching her phone, her thumb rubbing the edge of the screen over and over. Lin Hao glanced back. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She put her phone away and hurried after them.
The command center was a temporarily requisitioned three-story building. Communications equipment and tactical maps filled the first floor, while the second served as a rest area.
Cynthia handed the three of them their room keys. "We'll meet in six hours. I'll let you know if there's any new intelligence."
Red took his key and went straight upstairs. Cynthia left as well, leaving only Lin Hao and May in the corridor.
She remained at the foot of the stairs. Her phone vibrated in her pocket again. Lin Hao leaned against the wall and watched her. "Someone looking for you?"
May pressed her lips together and took out her phone. An encrypted-channel message filled the screen. Sender: Investigator Headquarters, Director Xiao.
The message was brief: "You are ordered to disengage from Lin Hao and return to headquarters to report."
Lin Hao leaned over for a glance. "Your boss?"
"Yeah."
"Calling you back?"
May locked the screen. "They're afraid I'll get too deeply involved with you."
"Afraid of what?"
"That I'll become yours." She froze after saying it, a faint blush creeping over her ears. "Professionally, I mean."
Lin Hao