Jed watched Ben pace, unsure what, if anything, he should say to interrupt the brooding—or to just remind his boss he was still in the room. He could not recall seeing the Shepherd commander this unsettled, not even when they’d learned of Victor’s plan to attack the Vatican and kidnap the pope. Jed understood Ben’s angst. It didn’t take a thought reader to know what ran through the man’s head—terrifying scenarios in which this new weapon the Dark Ones possessed could be used. Jed shifted his gaze to scan the faces of the personnel gathered at the table, which included every team leader and their respective spiritual advisers, known as tactical spiritual leaders, among them David Yarnell, Jed’s own TSL. In addition, Trinity’s senior staff were assembled—key director-level personnel he’d not had the privilege to meet, including Intelligence Director Julia Nesbitt, Chief of Security Kip Wenger, Med Ops Director Todd Wilkins, Air Logistics Commander Jack Stewart, and the headmaster of St. George’s, Jean-Baptiste Allard.

“My greatest fear, people,” Ben said, addressing the group without turning to face them, his pacing continuing, “is getting the call from Jean that a dozen of our kids have been vaporized at recess or during a soccer match. If there’s one thing I’ve always taken stock in, one thing that’s allowed me to sleep soundly at night, it’s the knowledge that our young Watchers are safe on their campus. Not only is the security robust, but trying to launch an assault on that school without telegraphing it in advance is virtually impossible. Collectively, the students at St. George’s would identify any planned attack before the Dark Ones had a chance to deploy a team and assault the campus. But this weapon changes everything. There’s the potential for zero latency between intent and action, no time necessary to mobilize. It’s a point-and-shoot weapon, and if it’s controlled via satellite, we’ll never see it coming.”

“And Trinity Loop is no more protected than St. George’s,” Security Chief Wenger said. “We don’t live and work under a dome. They could pick you off, Ben, the second you step outside. They could pick off any of us, walking from the parking lot to our office or in between buildings.”