The heavy glass doors of the federal trade data hub closed behind them. The parking lot pavement was wet. Puddles reflected the overhead security lights. Traffic moved on the access road. No sirens. No blocked lanes. She walked to the vehicle. Unlocked the driver door. Sat down. Started the engine. Dashboard lit up. All gauges normal. Alexander sat in the passenger seat. Closed the door. Fastened the seatbelt. Pulled out his tablet. Screen loaded the global routing feed. Green lines spanned the map. Port clearance timestamps updated every three seconds.
"Rotterdam's clearing queue just dropped," Alexander said, tapping the screen. "Twelve minutes. Last week it sat at forty-eight."
"Fuel overhead?" Elena asked. She shifted into drive. Checked the rearview mirror.
"Down eleven percent. Customs tags matching the open protocol. Marseille just cleared the spring lot. No secondary holds."
