I walked to the shattered window and stared into the rain-slicked city.

My father had raised me on cryptography and threat assessments. He taught me to find the lie in a balance sheet before he taught me to ride a bike.

Liars deal in words, Claire, he always said. Truth deals in data.

Eleven years ago he’d been investigating a massive leak of defense funds. Then his transport went down in the mountains.

The investigation was closed fast — handled by the Pentagon, handled by a rising star named Harrison Vance.

Chapter 6 — The Dog Tags

That night, after Rachel’s trusted contacts had moved Maya to a safe house, I locked myself in my office.