Chapter 287
Dafa stood up and walked to the window. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the base. The soldiers outside were winding down, their voices muffled in the distance.
"I'm going to assign a guard to you," he said. "Someone I trust. They'll watch your house. They'll watch your mother's house. They'll make sure nothing happens."
I shook my head. "That's too much."
"It's not enough." He turned to face me. "Alayna, I just want to make sure you're safe."
"I can take care of myself."
"I know you can. But that doesn't mean I don't worry."
I walked toward him. The fading sunlight caught his face, illuminating the sharp lines of his jaw, the worry etched into his brow.
"Tell me the plan," I said. "The real plan. Not just guards. What are you going to do?"
He looked at me for a long moment. Then he nodded slowly.
"The man who delivered the bird," he said. "He's the key. He was paid. He knows who hired him. And he's still out there."
"So we find him."
