The victory was a heartbeat, steady and strong, in a warm room, on a Saturday morning, out of the cold at last.

Chapter 15 — The Master Strategist

Fifty long, cold, rocking hours after it first pulled out of Chicago, the silver Amtrak train finally ground to a halt at Union Depot in Minneapolis, on Sunday evening.

Julian stepped off the passenger car, I would later learn, feeling like a master strategist at the peak of his powers.

He had spent two days relaxing in a warm private sleeper cabin, sipping whiskey, enjoying Chloe’s company, entirely undisturbed.

In his mind, he had won.