Two days after the woman rejected his invitation, a scout raced into Gu Han's office without stopping to knock.
The door struck the wall hard enough to rattle the framed picture hanging beside it, and both men standing over the dining table looked up. Maps covered most of the wood between them, held flat beneath ammunition boxes, an empty mug, and the knife Chen Bo had been using to point out possible expansion routes.
The scout braced one hand against the doorway while he tried to catch his breath. Dirt covered the knees of his pants, and a fresh tear ran from the hem of his jacket to the middle of one sleeve.
Gu Han straightened slowly. "What happened?"
"There's another group moving into the eastern streets," the scout answered. He swallowed, then forced the rest out before either man could interrupt him. "At least four vehicles and more than twenty people. Most of them are armed, and they're clearing the houses as they move."
