The buzzing of Leah’s phone broke the quiet of her living room. She expected a routine message — maybe an update from Jason, maybe a new lead from the precinct, maybe even some echo of the lingering threats they had faced. But when she glanced at the screen, her breath caught.

It wasn’t a number she had saved, but she recognized it instantly. Captain Grant.

Her heart thudded against her ribs as she answered.

Leah: “Hello?”

The voice on the other end was familiar — deep, steady, once gruff with exhaustion but now carrying a different tone, something weightier.

Grant: “Leah, it’s Grant.”

No small talk. No pleasantries. Just straight...