Page 56 of Rogue Hope
For a millisecond, he considered keeping the intel to himself. That’s what the old Finn would have done. Finn the criminal hacker. Finn the selfish.
Not Finn the faithful. Finn the man who’d finally accepted Christ into his heart.
The man who’d do anything … including put his own life on the line, to protect Zara.
He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the confrontation ahead.
Zara strode back down the hallway. Her posture shifted subtly—shoulders squaring, stance widening slightly. Field posture. Ready for threat assessment.
Her gaze flickered to his monitor. “What?”
He didn’t soften the blow. “I found something about Reynolds. Evidence linking him directly to Cipher.”
Her expression hardened instantly, eyes narrowing. “Show me.”
He stepped aside, allowing her access to the terminal. Zara scanned the information, her breathing becoming more controlled with each passing second.
Not good, he was coming to learn.
The more tightly she controlled her breathing, the more intensely she was reacting internally.
“This is fabricated,” she said finally, her voice dangerously calm.
“The verification protocols?—”
“Can be manipulated. This is too convenient, too clean. Someone wants us to suspect Harrison.”
Despite his efforts to remain analytical, frustration caught at the back of his throat. “Or the evidence is clear because your guy has been careless.”
“Harrison Reynolds is not careless. And he’s not Cipher.”
“The evidence?—”
“Is exactly what someone wants us to find.” She straightened, arms wrapping around her waist, gaze intent. “Think about it, Finn. Why would these breadcrumbs show up now, when we’re actively investigating? It’s too perfect.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Sometimes evidence appears because you’re looking for it. That’s how investigation works.”
“Or because someone wants to direct your attention away from the actual target.” She gestured at the program’s output. “You’re not considering the possibility of manipulation.”
“Yes, I am. I’m considering all options. Including the one where your trust in Harrison is blinding you to his potential involvement.”
The moment the words left his mouth, he knew he’d crossed a line.
“Only where you’re concerned, Novak. You have to know I question everything that comes out of your mouth. And when it concerns someone I’ve trusted my entire career? Yeah. You’re not my go-to guy.” She swept a hank of dark hair off her face with an impatient gesture. “I can think of a million reasons you’d want to drive a wedge between me and someone I trust. And I’m not even trying.”
The accusation stung more than Finn wanted to admit. “This isn’t about damaging your relationship with Reynolds. It’s about following evidence, whether you like where it leads or not.”
“Evidence that conveniently appeared the moment you started looking,” Zara pointed out. “Don’t you find that suspicious?”
“What I find suspicious is your immediate rejection of legitimate intelligence because it implicates someone you trust,” Finn replied, unable to fully suppress his frustration. “Emotional attachment compromises analytical objectivity.”
Zara jerked back as if he’d struck her.
He smacked his forehead. “I didn’t mean that. Zara, what I meant was?—”
Hands up, she backed away, moving to her own workstation. “It’s the truth. Don’t mind me if I verify your intel,” She bracketed the word with air quotes. “I wouldn’t want to be accused of letting my emotions get in the way.”
Finn eyed her rigid back. Once, he would have known exactly how to navigate that defense system. Now he felt like he was trying to recall the combination to a lock he’d once known by heart.
