When Sam finally returned indoors, his face was tight, and he seemed to have aged a decade in the short span of that phone call. He sank into an armchair, his eyes meeting John’s. There was an unspoken understanding that passed between them in that moment – that they were in this together, however strange ‘this’ turned out to be.
“I’ve just spoken to an old friend, a former colleague,” Sam began, his voice betraying a hint of strain. “He’s with the government, high up. He’s going to send someone over, someone who can help us understand what we’re dealing with here.”