Not justice.
Not truth.
Control.
And suddenly—
This room feels a lot smaller than it did when I walked in.
But not because of them.
Because now I understand exactly what I’m up against.
37
Aaron
Location: Mobile Command — Moving
Time: Same
Ronan’s screens look like chaos.
But they’re not.
They’re structure.
Layers of names, arrows, timelines, and connections stretching across jurisdictions like a living map.
“This isn’t one villain,” he says. “It’s a coalition.”
I stand just behind him, arms crossed, eyes scanning the data as it shifts in real time.
“Who benefits?” I ask.
“Everyone who profits from controlled outcomes,” Ronan replies.
He highlights nodes as he speaks.
“Financial enforcement groups.”
“Private intelligence firms.”
“Three shell NGOs presenting as anti-corruption alliances.”
I let that settle.
“Control the narrative,” I say. “Control the investigations.”
“Exactly.”
“And Peter Jenkins?”
Ronan pauses.
Then taps a node.
Jenkins’ name lights up—connected, threaded, positioned exactly where it matters most.
