Page 35 of Rogue Hope
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Knight Tactical’sprivate hangar emerged from the early evening twilight like an island of light amid the surrounding darkness. Finn watched through the cockpit window as Ronan expertly guided the sleek Pilatus PC-24 jet toward its designated spot. The aircraft’s engine purred as they taxied across the tarmac, its polished exterior gleaming under the runway lights.
“Home sweet home,” Griff announced from the co-pilot’s seat, already running through the shutdown sequence.
In the cabin behind them, Finn felt the tension in his shoulders ease fractionally as the wheels settled into their final position. Beside him, Zara sat straight-backed and silent, the classified file clutched protectively in her lap. They hadn’t spoken more than operational necessities since her command to forget her lupus revelation.
“Life is rough,” Finn murmured, gesturing toward the multi-million-dollar aircraft as Ronan killed the engines. “Private jets, state-of-the-art equipment. Knight Tactical spares no expense.”
“We invest in the tools that keep us alive,” Zara replied coolly, unbuckling her harness. “Sentiment doesn’t.”
Through the cabin windows, several figures emerged from the main building, moving purposefully toward theaircraft. Even from a distance, Finn recognized the distinctive silhouettes of the rest of Zara’s team, approaching with unmistakable eagerness.
“Welcoming committee,” he observed as Griff lowered the passenger stairs.
Zara nodded once, her expression softening almost imperceptibly. “They worry.”
As they prepared to disembark, Ronan paused momentarily, hand resting on the bulkhead. “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer,” he said quietly, a private ritual that caught Finn’s attention.
“Psalm 18:2,” Finn supplied automatically. “My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Zara’s head snapped toward him, surprise evident in her expression before she quickly masked it.
“Didn’t figure you for a Bible scholar, Novak,” Ronan remarked, one eyebrow raised.
Finn shrugged, uncomfortable with the attention. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” he added, meeting Zara’s gaze directly.
“And even more reasons not to care,” she retorted sharply, brushing past him toward the exit.
The sting of her words lingered as he followed her down the aircraft steps. Ronan cast him a sympathetic glance but remained silent.
“Package secured?” Axel asked immediately.
Zara patted the case. “No complications.”
“No complications, she says,” Axel grinned, clapping her gently on the shoulder. “Just casually infiltrating one of the most secure facilities in the country before breakfast.”
“Speaking of food,” Kenji interjected, studying Zara with a medically trained eye that Finn now recognized was assessingmore than just general fatigue, “I’ve got protein shakes and those disgustingly healthy energy bars you pretend to enjoy waiting in the lab.”
The easy banter continued as they moved inside, Finn trailing slightly behind. He observed the subtle ways they oriented around Zara—protective without being obvious, supportive without hovering. They knew nothing of her condition, yet instinctively accommodated her needs. The realization sparked an unexpected pang of longing in his chest.
“Novak.”
Finn turned to find Griffin regarding him with measured assessment.
“Your intel on the security reset was accurate. Clean extraction. Good work.”
“Just doing my job.”
Griffin’s mouth quirked slightly. “Funny thing about jobs—most people don’t risk federal prison breaking into classified archives.”
“Most folks have more sense,” he responded dryly.
A ghost of a smile crossed the man’s face before he moved ahead, leaving Finn with the distinct impression he’d passed some unspoken test.
They gathered in the tech lab, the secured file now positioned centrally on the workstation. Deke had already prepared specialized equipment for analyzing the contents without compromising their integrity.
“First we need to create a perfect digital copy,” Zara explained, her voice slipping into the confident tone of a team leader. “Then we clean the data. No way we’re giving Cipher any real intel. After that, we embed the traceable markers before transmitting to Cipher. Maybe it’ll work this time.”
