Page 20 of Rogue Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #4)

Zara shouldn’t have worried.

After a sleepless night, stressing about the coming mission, and most definitely NOT thinking about how Finn Novak might actually have changed, the transmission to Cipher had gone flawlessly.

Exactly as planned, the traceable markers embedded within the encryption algorithm activated the moment the file was accessed, sending back precise geographic coordinates to Knight Tactical’s secured servers earning them the first real lead on Cipher’s physical location in seven years.

“Trace confirmed,” Deke had announced, his normally relaxed demeanor intensely focused as coordinates materialized on the command center’s main display. “Southern Germany. Black Forest region. Signal stability at ninety-seven percent.”

“That’s it then,” Ronan had said quietly, the weight of the moment evident in his voice. “We’ve got our first good clue.”

“You mean the start of one,” Finn had cautioned. “We need to give the trace time to stabilize before we make plans.”

“Time to punch out,” Kenji insisted. “As team physician, I’m ordering everyone out of here for the rest of the day.”

Hours later, Reed Lake stretched before them like a sheet of polished silver, catching the late afternoon light in dazzling fragments.

Zara sat on the edge of a weathered wooden dock, bare feet dangling above the water’s gentle ripples.

Behind her, laughter and animated conversation drifted from the rest of the team as they set up the impromptu celebration.

A volleyball net appeared between two carefully positioned poles.

Griffin methodically arranged the portable grill while Kenji unpacked coolers filled with sparkling water, craft sodas, and enough food to sustain a small tactical unit for weeks.

The summer day was perfection—azure sky uninterrupted by clouds, temperature hovering in the comfortable mid-eighties, a light breeze carrying the scent of pine from the surrounding forest. It should have been restorative, this brief respite before tomorrow’s mission planning session that would determine their approach to the Black Forest location.

Instead, a persistent tension coiled through her muscles. It had nothing to do with her physical condition and everything to do with the way Finn was ingratiating himself with her team.

Now, for example, he hovered, helping Maya unpack beach towels and chairs from the SUVs.

The invitation had come from Ronan directly after the successful trace, his tone making it clear this wasn’t something she could veto.

So here they were, playing happy family with the man who’d betrayed her so thoroughly she still felt the cracks seven years later.

“Earth to Khoury,” Axel called, dropping onto the dock beside her with his characteristic lack of subtlety. The wooden planks vibrated beneath them. “Your face is doing that thing again.”

“What thing?” She kept her gaze on the horizon.

“That thing where you’re smiling on the outside but plotting something on the inside.” He nudged her shoulder gently. “The trace worked perfectly. We’ve got a solid lead on this Cipher idiot. Even you need downtime occasionally.”

“I’m fine.”

He followed her gaze to where Finn was now helping Deke assemble a complicated contraption that apparently transformed into a portable shade structure. “For what it’s worth, I think Ro’s right about this one.”

No, he wasn’t.

“Novak’s solid. Whatever happened between you two?—”

“Is none of your business,” she interrupted, more sharply than intended.

Axel raised his hands in surrender. “Fair enough. Just saying, the guy knows his stuff. That embedding technique he developed for the file? Pure genius. Without it, we wouldn’t be celebrating here.”

Before Zara could respond, Griff called from the grill. “Food’s ready in fifteen! And someone please tell Ronan to stop reorganizing the coolers by content temperature!”

Axel grinned, rising to his feet. “Duty calls. You coming?”

“In a minute.”

Alone again, she closed her eyes briefly, drawing in a deep breath of the clean lake air. The medications Kenji slipped her were working effectively, providing blessed relief. Physically, she felt almost normal—a deceptive state that never lasted long enough.

When she finally rejoined the group, they had transformed the shoreline into something resembling a magazine spread for “Tactical Operators on Vacation.” A long table covered with a checkered tablecloth held an impressive spread of grilled vegetables, lean proteins, and Kenji’s infamous “performance-optimizing” sides that somehow managed to be both nutritionally perfect and surprisingly tasty.

“There she is!” Maya called cheerfully, waving Zara over. “We’re debating teams for volleyball. Griff thinks age and experience trump youth and enthusiasm.”

“Incorrect,” Griffin responded calmly, flipping kabobs. “I said strategy trumps chaotic energy, which certain members of this team possess in abundance.” He nodded meaningfully toward Axel, who was demonstrating what appeared to be an unnecessarily acrobatic serving technique to an amused Finn.

Zara accepted the plate Maya handed her, carefully positioning herself in the only available space—which happened to be directly across from Finn.

Deke forked up a mouthful of salad. “Finn was telling me about a communications setup he developed for solo operations in non-permissive environments. Completely off-grid, minimal electronic signature.”

Zara watched as her teammates leaned forward with interest while Finn explained the technical aspects with understated competence.

The conversation flowed comfortably, her team accepting his expertise without reservation.

Somewhere during the explanation, she noticed the thin silver chain around his neck, partially visible beneath his casual Henley.

“That’s beautiful,” Maya observed.

Finn’s hand moved to the necklace, a subtle gesture that seemed almost unconscious. “Thanks. Had it about five years now.”

“Since your conversion?” Ronan asked casually, the question revealing previous conversations Zara hadn’t been privy to.

“Afterwards. Found my way back to faith in a small church in Croatia, of all places. After years of ...” he paused, glancing briefly at Zara before continuing, “darkness, I suppose.”

Was he saying he’d come to the Lord?

She couldn’t believe it. Or rather, she wanted to believe it so badly, she couldn’t let herself.

The conversation shifted naturally to Axel’s hilarious story about attending church with his grandmother in Louisiana, then to Maya’s experience growing up the daughter of an LAPD detective.

Zara felt herself drifting to the periphery of the conversation, unsettled by this new dimension to the man she’d convinced herself she knew completely.

After the meal, the usual games began. First, volleyball.

Zara found herself partnered with Griff and Maya against Deke, Axel, and—inevitably—Finn. Despite her reluctance to engage, her natural competitiveness soon had her fully involved, calling plays and strategizing with her teammates.

“Cross-court!” Griff warned as Axel set the ball high.

Zara moved instinctively, intercepting Finn’s powerful spike with a perfect dig that Maya converted into a return attack. The point went to their team, prompting genuine celebration from Griff—a rare sight that momentarily distracted Zara from her awareness of Finn’s presence.

As the sun began its descent toward the treeline, casting the lake in amber and gold, the group migrated to a circle of chairs around a small firepit. The conversation flowed easily from topic to topic—missions carefully referenced in code, shared experiences, future plans.

Ronan and Maya exchanged concerned glances before quietly stepping away from the group, their heads bent together in worried discussion.

“Everything okay?” she asked when they returned, noting the tension in Ronan’s shoulders.

“Just trying to reach my dad,” Maya explained, her casual tone not quite masking her distress. “He was supposed to check in yesterday. Probably lost track of time again.”

“He always does,” Ronan added reassuringly, though something in his eyes suggested deeper worry. “Unlike my mother, who’s internal clock is never wrong.”

Zara’s phone vibrated with an incoming message. The team group chat illuminated her screen:

Izzy: Satellite confirms optimal beach weather. Require photographic evidence that none of you drowned during whatever competition Axel designed. Also, did Griffin actually wear shorts? This is crucial intelligence.

Axel immediately responded with a series of increasingly ridiculous group photos, including one perfectly timed shot of Griff mid-eye-roll that would certainly become team legend. The exchange momentarily lightened the mood, drawing everyone’s attention away from Maya and Ronan’s concern.

As twilight deepened, Zara found herself increasingly aware of Finn’s integration with her team.

He’d somehow managed to find common ground with each of them—discussing the successful trace methodology with Deke, advanced tracking techniques with Griffin, theological questions with Ronan, medical innovations with Kenji.

The ease with which they accepted him felt like a small betrayal, though she recognized the irrationality of the feeling.

“I should get back,” she announced finally, rising from her chair. “Early planning session tomorrow.”

“I’ll drive you,” Kenji offered immediately, his medical instincts likely noting signs of fatigue she thought she’d hidden.

“I’m fine,” she insisted. “The walk will do me good.”

Kenji gave her a skeptical look.

“Headquarters is only a mile down the trail,” she added. “I’ll text when I arrive.”

As she gathered her things, she felt Finn’s eyes on her but deliberately avoided his gaze.

The careful distance she’d maintained throughout the day felt insufficient.

She needed space—from the team’s easy acceptance of him, from his apparent redemption arc, from the complicated emotions his presence continued to evoke.

“Zara,” Finn’s voice stopped her at the edge of the clearing. He’d followed her a short distance from the group.

She turned, maintaining careful neutrality. “What?”

“I just ...” he hesitated, uncharacteristically uncertain. “Thank you. For the opportunity today. The trace wouldn’t have worked without both of us.”

The simple sincerity in his voice caught her off guard. For a moment, she glimpsed the man she’d once known—the one who’d shared her dreams and fears before Paris changed everything.

“It was the right approach,” she replied evenly. “Nothing more.”

“Still,” he persisted quietly. “Your team is ... they’re good people.”

“Yes,” she agreed, allowing a hint of warning into her tone. “They are.”

The unspoken message hung between them. Don’t hurt them like you hurt me.

Finn nodded once, understanding evident in his expression. “See you tomorrow, Zara.”

She turned away without responding, following the familiar trail through pine-scented woods as darkness settled fully around her.

Behind her, laughter and conversation continued around the fire, her team and Finn forming a tableau of comfortable camaraderie that she couldn’t bring herself to rejoin.

Tomorrow they would begin planning the mission to the Black Forest, setting in motion events that would likely escalate the danger significantly.

Tonight, she needed solitude to rebuild the emotional walls that Finn’s presence had begun to erode—walls she couldn’t afford to lose, not with so much at stake.

Not just the mission, but her carefully constructed life after Paris. After him.