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The malware signature stared back at me from the screen. I'd been looking at the same string of code for twenty minutes, trying to find the pattern. The command and control server pinged every six hours like clockwork. Predictable. Whoever built this was good, but predictable.

Movement on the security camera feed caught my attention. The blue Honda pulled into the parking lot. Katherine.

I pressed the button to unlock the front door remotely.

"I'm upstairs," I called out.

She appeared in the conference room doorway, balancing white paper bags that smelled incredible.

"I brought dinner."

I blinked at the screen, realizing I'd lost focus completely. When had that happened? The code blurred in front of me.

"You didn't have to do that."

My stomach chose that exact moment to growl loud enough to echo off the walls.

Traitor.

Katherine moved to the conference table and started unpacking containers. The smell hit me hard. Fried beef, gravy, something that reminded me of Sunday dinners at my grandmother's house in Georgia. Actual food, not the protein bars and coffee that had sustained me for the past twelve hours.

I saved my work and turned my full attention to her.

She looked different from when I’d seen her at Jase's house. Still tired, shadows under her eyes that makeup couldn't hide, if she’d been wearing any. But something had shifted. The hunted look had eased. She seemed more present, more solid. Like she'd found something today that grounded her.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

We ate in silence for a few minutes. The chicken-fried steak was perfect. Crispy breading on tender beef, white gravy that was thick without being gummy. The mashed potatoes were real, not instant. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until the first bite.

"This is really good," I said.

Katherine picked at her mashed potatoes with her fork, making patterns in the gravy. "Little Grandma said it's one of your favorites."

I paused mid-chew. "How did she know I was going to eat this?"

"She said they know everything." Katherine's lips curved slightly. "Apparently that includes what you like for dinner."

"That's terrifying."

"Or comforting, depending on how you look at it."

“Fair point.” In the Army, I'd have called it actionable intelligence. Here in Jasper Creek, it was just community. People paying attention, caring enough to remember details.

I studied her while I ate. Something may have grounded her, but she was still nervous, fingers shredding a napkin into tiny pieces. Hardly eating. But her shoulders had dropped from their defensive position. Whatever she'd done today helped.

"Long day for you?" she asked.

"Every day's long when you're hunting digital ghosts." I took another bite. "What about you? What did you do?"

She gave a sheepish laugh. "I went to Dollywood."

I set down my fork. "By yourself?"

"Needed to clear my head. Be normal for a few hours." She met my eyes. "Anonymous."