07:12 (Local Time)
Watson Industries US HQ, Between Fort Stockton & Pecos County
The private jet's wheels kissed the runway with a muted thump, the roar of the reverse thrusters filling the cabin. Annabelle Watson was already on her feet before the engines began to spool down, her heels clicking against the polished aisle as she headed for the lowering ramp. Aura and Kate followed, silent shadows at her back.
The ramp hissed and descended. Through the widening gap, a line of US soldiers came into view — twelve of them in full combat gear, rifles slung, helmets glinting under the overcast sky. Their formation didn't shift as she emerged, but the weight of their collective stare settled on her like an unspoken warning.
Annabelle shook her head, almost in amusement, and stepped onto the tarmac. The smell of jet fuel hung in the cool air.
The squad leader, a clean-cut lieutenant, broke formation and strode forward. Boots hit the pavement in perfect rhythm until he stopped before her, extending his hand.
"Welcome to the States, Your Highness."
Annabelle took the handshake, her gaze fixed not on his face but on the faint green text hovering in the corner of her augmented glasses.
Lieutenant Nathan James. 4th Recon, U.S. Army.
"What brings you here… Lieutenant Nathan?" She asked, her tone cutting clean through his greeting.
Nathan didn't flinch. "I see what they say about you is true — the all-knowing princess. I'm here as your escort. You won't be harmed, given you're not SNA. But it can't be ignored that you may be… aligned with them."
Her mouth curved into a mock smile. "So basically, you're here to stalk me in person."
"If that's how you'd like to see it."
She brushed past him, the faint click of her heels on concrete punctuating each step. "Whatever. Just stay out of my way. I won't be here long. Come on, Kate."
Behind her, Nathan exhaled through his nose, a breath that might've been irritation or amusement.
"What a lady," he murmured under his breath before turning to his men. Louder now: "Spread out. Sam, Graham — with me. We'll shadow our princess. Everyone else, eyes sharp for anything unusual. Report every change."
As the squad moved into position, Annabelle didn't look back — but she knew they'd be right behind her.
Annabelle stepped out of the elevator, heels clicking against the polished corridor. The nameplate at the far end read:
Samuel Clark
Chief R&D Officer – Watson Industries, USA
She didn't slow her pace. "Coming in, Sam," she called as she pushed the door open.
Kate and Aura followed her inside. The space was sleek but lived-in — grey carpet underfoot, a massive secretariat desk anchoring the far wall beneath a wide screen, wall cabinets stacked floor-to-ceiling to the right. On the left, an entire wall of glass looked out over the barren desert, its emptiness stretching to the horizon. A couch and tea table faced the glass, the only spot in the room that seemed designed for conversation.
Behind the desk, Sam sat with his laptop, tapping away. He closed it slowly, leaning back in his chair as he said, "Saying you're coming in after you've already barged in doesn't really help much, you know?"
Annabelle dropped onto the couch like she owned it. "Yeah, whatever. It's my office anyway. Aura, drinks for everyone — and take care of our shadow outside."
"Yes, Princess." Aura left with mechanical precision.
Sam moved to the couch opposite her. "So? I'm guessing you didn't fly all this way to chat."
Annabelle reached into the snack basket on the tea table, tearing open a pack of peanuts. "Me? No. She's the one with business." She nodded toward Kate.
Kate didn't look up right away, her eyes still fixed on something on her phone. Annabelle's lips twitched as she watched the corner of her AR display — Aura, all grace and clumsiness at once, spilling a full cup of steaming coffee onto Nathan and two of his men. Their startled curses were almost worth the trip.
Kate finally lowered the phone, still rattled.
Sam studied her. "And you are…?" A pause. "Ma'am, who exactly are you?"
Kate straightened slightly. "Lieutenant General Kate Hiddleton, SNA. We want you to—"
"No," Sam cut in, his tone flat. "You can go home now."
"At least hear me out—"
"There's nothing to hear." He stood, shrugging into his suit coat. "What's happening now, you brought on yourselves. If you hadn't interfered with our mission five years ago, Berlin wouldn't have happened. If you'd been honest about Project Spectre from the start, people might still trust you."
"But we—"
"Enough." His voice snapped like a whip, louder now. "Two million people died because your cowardly asses couldn't take responsibility. You ruined five lives to cover it up. And now you have the audacity to ask me to come back?"
Silence stretched. Sam's breath steadied, his voice dropping low. "Tell me, General… Does the name Operation Deep Impact mean anything to you?"
Kate frowned, searching her memory. "No."
"Thought so." He headed for the door. "Ann, take her back. I've got a new cluster grenade to test."
His hand touched the door handle when Kate's voice caught him mid-step.
"Sergeant Jacob Williams is dead. KIA last night, when FNA attacked New Eden."
Sam froze, the door handle under his hand suddenly cold.
The memory slammed into him — that cramped concrete room, the stench of gunpowder and blood. A dying enemy soldier, eyes wild with spite, pulling the pin from a grenade.
"Grenade!" Sam had shouted.
Jacob was already moving, snatching it from the ground and hurling it toward the hall. He was fast — just not fast enough.
The explosion had ripped through the doorway, hurling Jacob backward in a haze of smoke and dust. Sam remembered the force knocking him into the wall, the ringing in his ears, and then — Jacob lying there, vest shredded, breathing shallow as Mitali tried to give first aid.
That was the last time Sam saw him. Hours later came the accusations, the trial, the disgrace. And Jacob — stuck in a hospital bed — couldn't be there to speak for him.
Sam's knuckles whitened around the handle.
"…Get out," he said quietly.
He stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him.
Annabelle and Kate sat in silence. Outside, the desert wind whispered against the glass.