Page 31 of Rogue Hope
Deke: Twenty says they’re planning something personal.
Kenji: Fifty says engagement within three months.
Axel: You’re on.
Despite everything, Zara smiled. The team’s ability to maintain normalcy through humor, even amid crisis, was one of their greatest strengths.
She pocketed her phone and rose from the table, ignoring the stiffness in her body. Nine hours remaining to infiltrate a black site, retrieve classified intelligence, and extract safely. Notto mention scrub the intel of anything useful before handing it to Cipher, all while working alongside the one person who knew exactly how to get past her defenses.
The irony wasn’t lost on her. Seven years ago, a mission with Finn would have felt natural, even exhilarating. Now it felt like walking deliberately into a minefield, hyperaware of every potential misstep.
Grabbing her go-bag from beneath the conference table, she headed toward the prep room. They would need specialized equipment for Blackridge—particularly if they were exploiting the security reset window. The noise of the team preparing filled the corridor ahead, a comforting reminder that despite the personal complexity, she wasn’t facing this alone.
Finn was already in the prep room, checking gear while discussing facility specs with Griffin.
“Flight plan filed,” he reported. “Weather looks clear all the way to Colorado.”
“Good,” she replied, moving to the equipment table. “What’s our cover if we’re questioned?”
“Security consulting team,” Griffin answered. “Credentials are being finalized now. You’ll be conducting a scheduled assessment of archive integrity.”
“And if someone checks with central command?”
“My contact at the oversight office will confirm the assignment,” Finn assured her. “It’s solid.”
She nodded, sorting through the specialized equipment laid out before her. Electronic bypass tools, miniaturized scanner, non-metallic extraction case for the target file—everything prepped by a team that understood precision operations.
Her phone dinged again. Her heart hammered, but it was from Izzy:
Heard you’re off to play Mission Impossible with Tall, Dark & Complicated. Nice work on the first hack! Maya’s keeping meupdated. Should I be concerned that you’re jetting off to remote locations with The Sleeze? Because I can totally ditch this beach if you need backup. Pretty sure I could take him. Well, catch him off-guard at least. Maybe with a heavy object.
The message eased something tight in her chest. Izzy’s unwavering support, wrapped in characteristic humor, provided a moment of normalcy in the increasingly surreal situation. She texted back:
Not necessary. Yet. So far, nothing I can’t handle. Enjoy your vacation. Will need full details when you return.
Finn zipped a go-bag. “The timing will be tight. We’ll need to be in position before the reset begins at 0600, access the archive during the seven-minute window, and exit before full systems come back online.”
“And if we miss the window?”
“Then we’re inside one of the most secure facilities in the country without authorization,” he replied evenly. “With a classified file in our possession.”
“Optimal outcome,” she summarized dryly.
The ghost of a smile touched his lips before disappearing. “Always.”
The familiar exchange—assessment of risk followed by gallows humor—struck an unexpected chord of memory. That easy rhythm of seasoned operatives who anticipated each other’s thoughts.
For just a moment, the years between them disappeared, the betrayal temporarily erased by the immediate demands of the mission.
Then reality reasserted itself as her phone buzzed with Cipher’s reminder:
Tick-tock. Time’s running out.
“Let’s move,” she said, shouldering her equipment bag.
As they headed toward the exit, she caught Ronan watching them with an expression she couldn’t quite interpret—concern, certainly, but something else. Something that looked almost like hope.
She dismissed the thought. Hope was a luxury she couldn’t afford right now. Not with Cipher counting down the hours. Not with Knight Tactical’s future at stake.
