“You think you stopped it, Allison,” the voice said.

My chest tightened.

“Identify yourself,” I said.

“The server in the house was just the mirror,” the voice whispered.

I froze on the bottom step of the staircase.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Look at the clock,” the voice said, and then the line went dead.

“Look at the clock,” the voice said, and then the line went dead.

I stood frozen on the bottom step of the staircase.

The smartphone felt heavy and warm against my palm.

The grandfather clock in the corner of the foyer ticked steadily, its brass pendulum swinging behind the glass panel.

The hands pointed to 6:15 AM.

“Colonel?” General Vance asked, stepping out of the study.

His boots clicked sharply on the polished marble floor.

“What did they say?” he asked, his eyes scanning my face.

“The server we seized is a mirror,” I said.

My voice sounded flat, echoing slightly in the high-ceilinged room.

“A mirror?” Vance asked, his brow furrowing.

“Yes, sir,” I said. “The caller told me to look at the clock.”