Chapter 13 · The Door Marked Seven

"You all have it."

The woman in the suit didn't ask. She stood in the doorway, one hand still on the brass handle, while her eyes moved across the room like she was counting inventory.

Mark's burned palm throbbed. Black lines had crawled over the old scars when the wall sealed, and now they twisted toward his wrist. Amy had the same marks threaded through her dragon-burn scars. Daniel's climbed from his collar. Lucas sat rigid, staring at his hands.

"Who the hell are you?" Amy demanded.

The woman pulled a laminated ID from her jacket. A government seal flashed beneath the fluorescent lights.

"Victoria Brennan. I work with a task force that investigates cross-border incidents."

"Cross-border?" Daniel gave a humorless laugh. "That's what we're calling it now?"

Victoria tucked the ID away. "Seven files. Seven people. Seven marks. That's not a coincidence."

"We didn't ask for this," Mark said. "We were trying to survive."

"I know."

"Then start explaining."

Victoria stepped closer. Her heels clicked against the linoleum. "Surviving doesn't mean you're safe."

Nobody answered. The folding chairs, peeling paint, and empty water cooler made the room feel smaller by the second.

Victoria pointed at Amy.