Page 57 of Silent Target

“They activated the servers.”

Caleb freezes. “Explain.”

“I intercepted a burst transmission from the bunker. They’re initiating a purge.”

My stomach drops.

“The evidence.”

“They’re destroying it,” Fathom says. “Once the wipe finishes, we may not recover anything.”

“How long?” Caleb asks.

“I don’t know. Five minutes. Maybe less.”

I focus on the bunker.

Walter Graves stands outside it with one hand pressed to his earpiece. He isn’t watching the mountain anymore.

He’s watching the door.

Protecting it.

“It was never about Mac,” I say.

Caleb nods. “Mac was how Graves brought Shadow Division here.”

“The evidence was always the real target.”

“And now he’s destroying it before we can reach it.”

I lower the binoculars. “We have to stop him.”

“We will.”

“How?”

“We split their forces.”

Caleb keys his radio.

“Rook.”

“I’m here.”

“Change of mission. You, Cobra, and Fathom hit the bunker.”

“What about Mac?”

“I’ll get him.”

Silence follows.

Then Rook asks, “You’re going in alone?”

“Yes.”

“That’s at least thirty operators.”