Demolition Before the Bloom

the tip of a trench knife, were three crude initials.

S. T. C.

Beneath the initials was a six-digit unit identifier.

Henderson stared at the numbers. The sounds of the ballroom—the breathless whispers of the crowd, the frantic protests of David Ward, the soft reassurances of the guard tending to Emily—all faded into a dull, rushing static in his ears.continue reading …