Hunter leaned against the railing, eyes tracking movement below. "Fragmentation is the first step toward consolidation. Someone always figures out how to stitch pieces together. Usually with force."
Cain didn't respond immediately. He was watching a convoy moving through the flooded street below—armored transports bearing no official markings, escorted by drones running on independent command loops. They weren't helping anyone. They were harvesting. Supplies, equipment, people who looked useful.
"There," Cain said quietly. "That's the next phase."
Roselle followed his gaze. "Private interests?"
"Or something that used to be private," Cain replied. "The moment oversight vanished, every contingency plan people joked about became active."
Thunder rolled again, closer this time. Not just atmospheric. Something deep and structural groaned beneath the city, like a giant adjusting its stance.
