Chapter 3 - The Commander's Arrival
The heavy, synchronized footsteps of the military handlers echoed across the polished basketball court.
A medium close-up captured the final person stepping through the double doors. It was Evelyn Torres, Sophie’s mother.
Evelyn was a fiercely composed, athletic woman in her early forties. Her dark hair was secured tightly in a practical, military-regulation bun. She wasn't wearing an immaculate, heavily decorated dress uniform like Rourke. She wore a dark navy working-dog training polo and rugged khaki tactical trousers. She didn't need shiny medals to project absolute, lethal power.
She walked with the undeniable, bone-deep confidence of a woman who had survived multiple combat deployments in the most dangerous warzones on earth.
Evelyn entered the gymnasium behind the first K-9 team. Her sharp, highly observant eyes immediately scanned the massive crowd and locked directly onto her daughter standing in the center of the court.
"Sophie," Evelyn called out. Her voice wasn't a scream. It was firm, completely steady, and carried perfectly across the dead-silent room. "I’m here."
A tight close-up captured Sophie. The sixteen-year-old girl let out a long, heavy exhale. Her trembling fingers finally relaxed their death-grip on the folded yellow event schedule. The crushing humiliation completely vanished, instantly replaced by fierce, undeniable pride.
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A close-up captured Lieutenant Rourke. He looked from Evelyn to the massive, highly trained dogs, and back to Evelyn. The smug, arrogant, confident smile completely melted off his face.
👉 Rourke realized exactly who was standing in the gymnasium, and a cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
