Mag-log inLEVI’S POVNobody slept well that night.I knew because Ray was still awake at two and I was still awake at two and we both knew the other was awake and neither of us said anything about it for a long time.Then Ray said — “How many do you think.”“I don’t know,” I said.“Guess,” he said.“Sixty,” I said. “Maybe seventy.”“That’s not a guess,” he said. “That’s a concern.”“Yes,” I said.“We bring six,” he said. “If he brings seventy—”“He won’t attack at the summit,” I said.“You don’t know that,” he said.“No,” I said. “But think about it. He sent one wolf through the gap. He sent a letter. He confirmed the location without negotiating it.” I paused. “Everything he’s done has been— it’s been measured. Controlled. He’s not Victor but he learned from Victor.”“Victor was measured and controlled too,” Ray said. “Right up until he wasn’t.”“Yes,” I said. “But Victor had a specific mechanism. The document. The bond transfer. Without those things his plan collapsed.” I paused. “Ryan doesn’
RAY’S POVShadowmoon on Saturday.Eight columns. Chris had everything ready before sunrise. Materials laid out. Base mortar mixed. The carved capstones wrapped individually in cloth and placed in order of the column positions.The order mattered. I had sent Chris the list three days ago. Every name. Every position. Every detail about where each wolf stood in relation to the others when Shadowmoon was still standing.Chris had followed it exactly.I walked the positions before we started. Levi walked beside me. Neither of us speaking.“Here,” I said. Stopping at the first position. “Sera’s column goes here. East facing. Morning light.”“Yes,” Chris said behind us.We moved to the next.“Tom,” I said. “He always stood here during morning assembly. Right side. Never moved. Twenty seven years and he never once stood anywhere else.”We moved through all eight positions. I said a name at each one. One detail. Chris listened to every word.When we finished Levi looked at me.“Ready,” he said
Three weeks.That was what we had. Twenty one days to prepare for a summit with a man who had spent months building something in the shadows while we were dismantling what his predecessor left behind.I was up at five.Levi was already at the desk.“The patrol logs,” I said.“The summit preparation,” he said.“It’s five in the morning,” I said.“I know,” he said.“Levi,” I said.“Ray,” he said.I sat down across from him. “Show me what you have.”He turned the papers toward me. A map. The eastern meadow marked. Three approach routes highlighted. Two natural chokepoints on the northern and southern edges.“Ryan will scout it before the summit,” I said.“Yes,” he said. “Which is why we send the location a week before. Give him time to scout. Let him feel comfortable.”“Comfortable people make assumptions,” I said.“Yes,” he said.“What assumptions do we want him making,” I said.“That we’re coming to negotiate in good faith,” he said. “That we’re taking his offer seriously.” He paused.
LEVI’S POVEleven o’clock came fast.The northeast yard was dark and cold. Six wolves positioned exactly where Chris had placed them. Invisible from the gap entry point. Covering every exit.Daniel stood to my left. Chris to my right. Ray beside me.We waited.“What if they don’t come,” Daniel said quietly.“They’ll come,” Ray said.“You don’t know that,” Daniel said.“The coordinator said tonight,” Ray said. “They’ll come.”“The coordinator spent four years lying to everyone,” Daniel said.“Daniel,” I said.“I’m just saying,” he said.“I know,” I said. “They’ll come.”Silence.Ten minutes passed.Then Chris said — “Gap’s open.”A figure stepped through. One wolf. Alone. Stopped when he saw us.Young. Maybe twenty five. Not a fighter.“You were expecting us,” he said.“Yes,” Ray said. “Who sent you.”The wolf looked between us. Reached into his jacket. Pulled out a folded letter. Held it out.Nobody moved.“Bring it here,” Ray said.The wolf crossed the yard. Handed it to Ray. Stepped
RAY'S POVThe briefing was at seven.Me, Levi, Daniel, Chris. The office. Door closed.Daniel looked at the map of the northeast section, looked at the gap timing, looked at the relay station information, and said — "We close the gap.""No," I said."Ray," he said. "Someone is coming through tonight with unknown numbers and you want to — what. Stand there and let them walk in.""We let them talk," I said."That's—" He stopped. "That's not a plan.""It is a plan," I said."It's not a good one," he said."Daniel," Levi said."No," Daniel said. "I'm sorry but no. We have a gap in our security. Someone is coming through it tonight. The correct response is to close it, position wolves and take them when they cross.""And then what," I said."Then we interrogate them," he said."And they tell us nothing," I said. "Because they're a messenger. Messengers don't carry information Daniel. They carry messages. The information is with the person who sent them." I paused. "We need to know who the
RAY'S POVWe slept until noon.When I woke up Levi was already reading something. Of course he was."The patrol logs," I said."No," he said."What then," I said."The summit documentation the coordinator gave us," he said. "Location. Timing. The three contact names.""You promised no work," I said."I promised no patrol logs," he said. "This is different.""It's really not," I said."Ray," he said."Levi," I said.He put the papers down. Looked at me."Fine," he said. "I was reading the summit documentation.""I know," I said. "What did you find.""The location," he said. "It's not actually neutral ground."I sat up. "What.""The summit location the coordinator gave us," he said. "I recognized the coordinates. It's inside Shadowmoon territory.""Inside Shadowmoon," I said."Yes," he said. "The outer ruins. The area just beyond the founding stone." He paused. "Someone chose that location specifically.""The successor," I said."Yes," he said."They know about the document," I said. "A







