“It’s won with systems.”
“Exactly.”
We start walking again.
But Boone suddenly stops.
Turns toward me.
“Why me?”
The question hangs there between us.
Because the truth is dangerous.
Because Boone Grant has never believed in halfway measures.
Because if he sees the shape of this operation clearly—
he won’t stop until it burns.
And part of me is afraid of what happens when he does.
“Because whoever’s doing this,” I say carefully, “is recruiting through trust.”
He waits.
“Shared history. Shared values. Shared pain.”
Understanding flickers in his eyes.
“And you think I’m bait.”
I meet his gaze.
“I think you’re a mirror.”
He tilts his head slightly.
“And mirrors scare people who don’t want to be seen.”
A long beat passes.
Then Boone nods once.
Slow.
Decisive.
“Alright,” he says.
He closes the file.
“Let’s scare them.”
We move toward the aircraft.
But as the ramp looms closer, I feel it.
