Page 24 of Lethal Sins

“Lassiter’s been neck-deep in Consortium filth for years,” Mason growled, his scowl deepening the cracks in his weather-beaten face. “Could be feeding us a crock of horse manure.”

Kate and Fenn exchanged glances, a silent conversation passing between them. Kate shrugged, her voice measured. “It’s a risk, sure. But what if he’s telling the truth?”

Fenn nodded, adding, “We can’t afford to ignore potential intel, even if the source is ... questionable.”

Paige listened to the back-and-forth, her mind whirring like an overclocked computer. The skepticism was valid, but something in her gut—a feeling she couldn’t quite shake—whispered that Cody might be on the level.

She opened her mouth to voice her thoughts, but before she could speak, a shrill ring cut through the air. Bridger fished the satellite phone from his pocket, his eyebrows shooting up as he checked the display.

“It’s Jason,” he announced, pressing the speaker button. The team fell silent, collective breath held as static crackled through the speaker.

“Bridger?” Jason’s voice, tinny and distant, filled the air. “You there?”

Paige’s heart leapt into her throat. After days of radio silence, hearing Jason’s voice was like a gulp of cool water in the desert. She leaned in, straining to catch every word as the conversation that could change everything began to unfold.

The team huddled around the phone like moths to a flame, their faces bathed in the eerie glow of the screen. Jason’s deep voice sounded tinny through the speaker, each word a lifeline in the static sea. “Guys, the intel you gave me on Lassiter checks out. One of my sources overheard Consortium chatter confirming that he’s gone rogue.”

Paige caught Bridger’s eye, saw her own surprise mirrored there.

Jason continued, his voice tight with urgency. “Listen, intel aside, we can’t be sure whose side Lassiter’s playing for. Watch your backs.”

Suddenly, a cacophony of noise burst through the speaker—shouts, crashes, the unmistakable sound of pursuit. Jason’s next words came in ragged bursts. “Gotta go. Don’t come after me. Too dangerous. Don’t know who to trust.”

Tai leaned in, his face a mask of concern. “Jason, man, we can help?—”

“No!” Jason’s shout was sharp enough to make them all flinch. “I kicked this hornet’s nest. It’s my mess to clean up.”

The team erupted in protests, their voices overlapping in a symphony of concern. But Jason’s next words silenced them all.

“I’m sorry. I have to do this alone. Stay safe. And ... goodbye.”

The line went dead with a finality that sent chills down Paige’s spine.

For a moment, the only sound was the creaking of the old porch and their collective, stunned breathing. Then, as one, they turned towards the house where Cody waited.

They moved inside. The stakes had just skyrocketed from personal to global, from her heart to lives on the line.

She glanced at Cody through the window, his profile outlined by the warm light inside. Trust him, and potentially save Jason, the team, maybe even the world. Doubt him, and risk losing everything.

As her hand touched the doorknob, cool metal against her palm, Paige took a deep breath. She was walking into a minefield blindfolded, with the lives of everyone she cared about hanging in the balance.

“Well,” she muttered to herself, twisting the knob, “no pressure or anything.”

14

Cody’s musclesscreamed in protest as he hefted the cast-iron pan, its weight suddenly rivaling that of a small car. He bit back a groan, determined not to show weakness in front of Graham, who was eyeing him with the intensity of a hawk spotting a particularly juicy field mouse.

“You’re gonna be feeling that taser for a few days,” Graham observed, his voice gruff but not unkind.

Cody managed a wry smile. “Not my first dance with electricity. I’ll live.”

Graham nodded, a flicker of respect crossing his weathered features. Before Cody could bask in this small victory, the rest of the team filed back into the kitchen, their faces a mosaic of determination and barely concealed worry.

Paige’s gaze locked onto Cody, her eyes a storm of emotions he couldn’t quite decipher. “Alright, Cody. Spill. Why is Jason such a threat to the Consortium?”

Cody set the pan down, his fingers tingling from the effort. “He stumbled onto their dirty little digital secret. He’s gotten closer to their operation than anyone before him. They know he’s aware of the virus.”

Tai leaned against the counter, his massive frame making the kitchen seem suddenly smaller. “So they want to shut him up permanently?”

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