Page 141 of Fractured Allegiance
Cipher: Can't say for certain. Different number. But same procurement order. Could be Marrow using multiple phones from the batch. Could be someone else with access.
Wraith: But the timing fits.
Cipher: Yeah. It fits.
I exhale slowly.
Wraith: Anything else? Known associates from his last operation?
Cipher: Hold on. Let me pull what I can from his operational file.
The dots appear and disappear. A minute passes.
Cipher: Most of it's redacted, but I found a few names and surveillance photos from his last assignment. People he was embedded with before he went dark.
Wraith: Send them.
A moment later, files appear in the chat.
Four surveillance photos. Grainy, timestamped from 18 months ago.
The first: a man in his forties, lean, sharp features. Caption reads: Adrian Cole - Financial handler.
The second: a woman, mid-thirties, dark hair. Caption: "Lena" - No last name. Possible informant or asset.
The third: a younger guy, early thirties, standing near a shipping container. Caption: Jaime Soltero - Mid-level facilitator. Logistics and transport.
Wraith: I need to take this to my handler. But I need proof. Can you send me what you found?
Cipher: Are you seriously asking me for this right now?
Wraith: Yeah. Screenshots, files—anything that proves Marrow's name is on that procurement order and that he's listed as KIA.
The dots appear and disappear for a long moment.
Cipher: If I send this and you get caught with it, they'll trace it back. I’m done for.
Wraith: I'll protect you. Your name doesn't come up unless there's absolutely no other choice.
Cipher: What does that mean?
Wraith: I'll tell her I have a trusted source inside Bureau cyber. Someone who knows about the leak and ran this off-book. I won't give your name unless she absolutely needs verification—and only as a last resort.
Cipher: And if she demands it?
Wraith: Then I'll tell her it's you. But I'll make it clear you took the risk to help expose a rogue agent and I had to ask you to help me because of the leak. You're the good guy here. She'll protect that.
Cipher: You better be right.
Wraith: I am. And if the intel checks out—which it will—she won't need to verify the source. The evidence speaks for itself.
Another long pause.
Cipher: Alright. I'll scrub the metadata first. Send it through this app. But you need to save it to a separate device immediately—before the auto-delete kicks in.
Wraith: Understood.
Cipher: And after this, we don't talk about it again. Not until it's over. If this blows back on me, we're both done.
