Page 256 of Silent Target

“I know.”

“You said it without arguing.”

“Progress.”

Her smile warms me more than the coffee.

She reaches beneath her sweater and touches the silver Shadow Division coin hanging from a chain around her neck.

Senator Vance’s classified investigation has cleared our team of the West Virginia attack, but the public story remains complicated. Graves is missing. Grayson is overseas. Whitmore is a ghost with access to more money and influence than most governments.

Black Banner is wounded.

Not destroyed.

Archive Seven never activated.

Two days before the deadline, Fathom severed its remote communications. By the time a trusted team reached Charleston, the location had been emptied.

Whitmore knew we were coming.

He left one thing behind.

A message.

I know what your fathers found.

Fathom has been trying to trace it ever since.

Evie rests her head against my shoulder.

“You’re thinking too loudly.”

“That isn’t possible.”

“It is for you.”

I set down my coffee and turn toward her.

“Stay with me tonight.”

“I’ve stayed every night.”

“Stay tomorrow.”

Her expression softens.

“I was planning to.”

“And after that?”

She pretends to consider it.

“I’ll need coffee.”

“I can arrange coffee.”

“No exploding safehouses.”