Page 28 of Rogue Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #4)

Three hours into the investigation, Finn pushed away from the terminal, stretching muscles cramped from enforced stillness.

The cabin’s walls had become a makeshift incident board—printed financials and communication logs taped in precise chronological order, red yarn connecting seemingly disparate events.

His photographic memory allowed him to spot patterns others might miss, each document imprinted permanently in his mind the moment he scanned it.

He paced the length of the evidence wall, coffee mug forgotten in his hand. Something wasn’t right. He could feel it—that indefinable wrongness that had saved his life countless times in the field. His gaze locked on a financial report, then darted to a travel itinerary three feet away.

“Wait,” he muttered, setting down his mug and pulling both documents from the wall. The timestamps. The locations. The seemingly random numbers that weren’t random at all.

The revelation hit like physical impact. Not speculation now, but evidence.

Harrison Reynolds’ digital fingerprints matched Cipher’s signature patterns perfectly.

“That can’t be right,” he muttered, rapidly cross-referencing the data against known Cipher methodologies.

But there it was—unmistakable once you knew what to look for.

A pattern of encrypted communications using protocols that matched Cipher’s signature.

Financial transactions through shell companies previously linked to Vanguard operations.

Travel records placing Harrison in three different cities within hours of confirmed Cipher activities.

If these records were accurate, Harrison Reynolds wasn’t just connected to Cipher—he was deeply embedded within the operation, possibly for years.

He could even be Cipher.

The cabin felt too quiet, the distant chirping of birds outside an incongruous backdrop to the devastating implications on his screen.

Finn ran a verification algorithm against the data, hoping for inconsistencies that might suggest fabrication or manipulation.

The system hummed softly as it processed, each passing second increasing the weight of dread settling in his chest.

The program completed with a soft ping. Verification successful. No evidence of digital tampering.

And now he had to tell Zara.

The thought sent a chill through him that had nothing to do with the cabin’s temperature. She barely trusted him as it was.

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.

Without another word, he returned to his terminal, determination hardening into resolve. If Harrison Reynolds was involved with Cipher, he’d find irrefutable proof—evidence so conclusive that even Zara would have to believe.

If Reynolds was innocent, proving that conclusively would strengthen their investigation by eliminating a false lead.

Either way, the stakes were too high to guess wrong.