Against all protocol, Dan convinced Mike to divert their route and head to the park, leaving the rest of the team to deal with the package on the road.

When they arrived, the park seemed ordinary—lush green trees swayed gently in the wind, children laughed on swings, and joggers made their rounds. It was almost serene, but the urgency in Dan’s expression betrayed the reality.

“Alright, spill it,” Mike demanded. “Why the hell are we here?”

Dan hesitated. “The Engineer called me. He told me to come here.” their rounds. It was almost serene, but the urgency in Dan’s expression betrayed the reality.

“Alright, spill it,” Mike demanded. “Why the hell are we here?”

Dan hesitated. “The Engineer called me. He told me to come here.”

Mike stared at him, incredulous. “And you didn’t think to mention this before dragging me into your mess? Are you out of your damn mind?”

Dan crossed his arms defensively. “It’s not like I had a choice! This guy’s dangerous, Mike. He made it clear—”

“Dangerous? He’s playing you, Dan! You just led us away from the real threat to chase ghosts in a park!”

Dan’s ego flared. “You think I’m stupid? You think I can’t handle this? You’re not the only one with instincts, Carter!”

Before Mike could reply, Dan stormed off. “We’ll cover more ground if we split up. You take that side. I’ll take this one.”

Mike wanted to argue, but time was slipping through their fingers. “Fine. Just don’t screw this up.”