Page 57 of Devlin

They ran through the new angles, watching the grainy security feeds. The setup looked solid.

"I’ve set up the feed to go back to the compound," Todd said, tapping the screen. "I know none of them can sit and watch everything, but maybe whoever has the night shift can check when the trucks come in."

"Sounds like a plan," Devlin acknowledged, rubbing his jaw.

He filled them in on his conversations—Percy’s insight, Moses’s and Enock’s concerns, and, most importantly, Mia’s unease after what she had overheard in Dr. München’s office.

Cole’s brow furrowed. "Do you think he was just warning somebody to be careful and not let the smuggling get out of hand?"

Todd leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on the bed. "Or he was talking about someone warning Mia."

Devlin exhaled sharply, running a hand down his face. "Or it had nothing to do with Mia. Who the fuck knows? I called Sadie and asked her to have them dig into him a little more. A thirty-year career, heading this camp—he wouldn’t risk everything over smuggling." He hesitated. "Then again, maybe he’s the perfect person for it because no one would suspect him."

“Might be padding his retirement,” Cole muttered.

"Where’s Mia now?"

"She’s back at her office with others around. The warehouse is its usual hub of activity. I told her to call me when she’s ready to head to her room."

Devlin sat on the edge of his bed, clasping his hands together. He inhaled deeply before lifting his head, first meeting Todd’s gaze, then Cole’s. They waited, giving him space to gather his thoughts.

"I need to talk to Logan," he said finally. "When he sent the three of us here, we didn’t know what we’d be walking into. We sure as hell didn’t expect to solve everything in a week. But Logan can’t afford to keep all three of us here indefinitely."

Todd straightened, dropping his feet from the bed. "Devlin, we’ll do whatever we need to do."

"I appreciate that." He exhaled slowly. "I need to make sure Logan understands that Mia and I have reconnected, and I’m not ready to leave here until I know she’s safe."

Cole shook his head with a smirk. "You do know Logan doesn’t want you to leave until she’s safe."

"I know." Devlin sighed. "It’s been four days, and we’ve made good progress. But I think we’re close. We’re closing in on which leader in the camp is behind the smuggling ring." He sat up straighter, admitting, “And the progress Mia and I have made together is also good.”

Todd nodded. "Go ahead. Make the call. We’ll back you up all the way."

Devlin dialed LSIMT, requesting a conference call with Logan and the Keepers at the compound. When the line connected, he gave a full rundown—what they had uncovered, the smuggling route, the stolen food, and the gaps they were still working to fill.

When it came to Mia, he didn’t hold back. He told them about the possible threat hanging over her head. About how close she was to uncovering something dangerous.

He wasn’t surprised when both Logan and Sisco immediately responded with the same order.

"You don’t leave until she’s safe," Logan said firmly.

Devlin swallowed the lump in his throat.

"You didn’t just find her to lose her again," Logan continued. "You do whatever you need to do to make sure she’s protected."

"Appreciate that," Devlin said, his voice rougher than he intended.

"Sadie, Frazier, and I are still running deeper checks on the camp leaders," Casper chimed in. "Moses has a clean record—no flagged financial transactions, nothing outside of his regularsalary. But for the Ugandans there, hiding money is easier. Kickbacks would be in cash, handed off to family members or funneled outside traditional banking systems."

Devlin nodded to himself. "I’m going to talk to Robert and Charlie tomorrow. Just like with Percy, I want to look them in the eye and see what my gut tells me." After wrapping up the call, he checked his watch. He had no idea when Mia would call, so for now, he’d stay close.

The three Keepers reviewed the surveillance feeds for the next few hours, studying the camera angles and discussing patterns.

Devlin couldn’t explain it, but something in his gut told him they were close. And he never ignored that sixth sense.

23

Mia had always greeted her staff, the refugees, and all the workers with the same warm smile every day. It was second nature, a part of who she was. But now, that effortless kindness had turned into something else—something laced with quiet wariness. She studied faces more intently, searched for fleeting expressions of deceit, tuned into conversations with sharper ears, and filtered every interaction through a lens of suspicion.

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