Chapter  335

 XENOIS   "Then we negotiate while our other teams move into position," I said. "Buy time, keep them talking, make them think we're willing to trade or compromise. Meanwhile, our extraction team finds an alternative entry point and gets Samuel and Silvia out before the negotiation breaks down."   "That's a lot of moving parts," Lake observed. "A lot of things that could go wrong."   "Which is why we're taking twelve hours to plan instead of rushing in immediately," I said. "To identify potential problems, create backup plans, prepare for contingencies. The more we plan now, the better our chances of success later."   I turned away from the map to look at them directly.     "I know you want to help. I know you feel helpless and scared and frustrated that you can't do anything. But the reality is that the best way you can help is by staying safe and trusting me. Can you do that?"   They exchanged glances----some silent communication passing between them that I couldn't quite interpret. T