Despite his splitting headache, Karam’s mouth was dry with excitement. He panted while he was shown the way into the plush office. Having run for nearly four blocks, his t-shirt clung to his thin chest and sweat glistened in his unruly dark mop of hair. He had failed to realize how big the Pentagon was, and going to the wrong entrance had made him even more late.

“Better late than never,” frowned a bullet-headed man from behind a huge mahogany desk, making no attempt to hide his irritation.

“Yeah, sorry,” Karam replied sheepishly. “I celebrated a little too hard last night.”

“Well, I suppose I can forgive you that,” conceded the smartly-dressed man. “Los Angeles 2028 has been the most successful Olympics for the United States for half a century. The cl...

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