Page 57 of Hard Pass

“Current betting line has them winning by six and a half,” he says.

So that means if the Rebels win by seven points or more, the bettors lose.

On screen, the ball is snapped. Cole drops back in complete control. He steps into the pocket, scans the field, and releases for a perfect, twelve-yard gain.

“They’re driving,” I murmur.

“Yeah,” Manny says. “And that’s the problem.”

And he’s right because if the Rebels score here, then they cover the spread. And covering the spread means someone loses a lot of money.

“But this all looks pretty normal,” Manny says. “No outlier bets. No large, last-minute wagers.”

“Hmm.” My eyes stay locked on Cole. His performance seems steady and more composed than one would expect given the maelstrom swirling around him.

The announcers fill the lull while an injury is tended to.

“. . . you have to wonder how much all the outside noise is affecting Valor . . .”

“. . . questions about performance, consistency and even integrity come into play and by the sizable hits he’s taken today, it’s clear the Cougars defense feels the same.”

“. . . that’s a lot of pressure for any quarterback. And to have to perform while your future is left in question.”

The injury is cleared and the game resumes. Cole’s next play, a handoff to the running back, and then the one after, a five-yard gain on a screen pass, earn the Rebels another first down.

Manny’s words repeat in my head—because they’re right. The scrutiny Cole’s under, this intensity of pressure? It would break most people. Hell, it would break me.

And yet he’s on the field shutting it out and moving the ball like none of it exists.

My fingers tighten on my phone because for some reason it matters to me that he is, which is a problem.

It’s only because you’re watching the fallout in real time and feel guilty, Dub. You’ve never had a leak during an investigation before. Quiet murmurs within an organization but never a full-blown media campaign where you’ve had to witness the repercussions play out.

And why am I rooting for his innocence when I’ve remained indeterminately neutral in every other investigation I’ve ever done? Well, since the Murdoch case anyway.

But if he isn’t the source, then someone is doing it to him—using him—and who the hell could that be? And why?

“Any luck on tracking the accounts?” Manny asks.

I sigh. “Nope. Garcia’s working on it, but it’s as you’d expect.”

“VPN masking?”

“Of course. Offshore betting platform. Likely a crypto-based—no personal documentation. No traceable trail.” I pause. “Multiple accounts too.”

“As usual,” Manny says.

“They’ll slip,” I say. “This whole situation feels sophisticated but not polished. Amateurish. The feeler bets at the end of last season, the escalation pattern now. It’s not as clean as they think.”

“They always make mistakes.”

The Cougars fail to convert on third down and punt.

“Our boy is back up,” Manny says.

And he is. He secures ten yards in the first throw. Then they struggle with two stalled rushing attempts. The last one Cole is hit so hard, I gasp as his helmet smacks the ground.

But he gets back up and completes the next pass for another first down.