The Fourth Street penthouse held two workstations. One faced the window. One faced the wall. Elena claimed the window desk. Alexander took the wall desk. A shared terminal sat between them. It held the routing portal. It held the treasury logs. It held the audit response draft. They did not speak when they first arrived. They did not arrange furniture. They plugged in laptops. They logged in. They worked.
Elena arrived at five a.m. She unlocked the door. Turned on the overhead light. The floor was quiet. She made coffee. Set a mug on the shared terminal. Pulled up the morning dispatch schedule. Verified the dock assignments. Checked the customs queue. Logged the dye lot clearance. She typed fast. Keys clicked. Screen scrolled. She did not look at the other desk. Alexander slept in the back room. The door stayed closed. The routine held.
