POV: Caius

The interview room still holds the faint trace of Calder’s presence when we return to it an hour later. The chair he sat in has not been moved. The table is bare except for the thin file of access logs and the short list of drop points he already gave us. I take the same seat I used before. Ryker remains standing. Zane leans against the wall with his arms crossed. Ayla stays near the door this time, close enough to hear every word, far enough that Calder will not mistake her presence for softness.

They bring him back in. The restraints are lighter now that the first...