"It's like he didn't even exist before he joined the team. No birth certificate. No school records. No medical history. Nothing."
"That's just not possible," Zayden said, moving behind her chair. His hands landed on her shoulders, his thumbs working to ease the tightness. "Even undercover agents have basic identities."
"Not Alexander." Aylin pulled up a timeline on her screen.
"Look, Dad, Mom, Charles, and Mehmet Demir all have solid backgrounds, info about their childhoods, families, and jobs before getting recruited. But Alexander?" Aylin pointed to the thin file in front of her.
"He just seems to show up out of nowhere at twenty-eight, already trained, vetted, and put on the team without the usual trial period."
Zayden leaned in closer, checking out the details. "That's not how it usually goes."
"No, it's not." Aylin's mind was racing as she connected the dots. "This means someone pretty high up helped him get on the team, someone who can skip standard procedures."
