Chapter 15: The Calm Before the Storm

The safe house buzzed with a quiet urgency as Ava, Lucas, Daniel, and Mark huddled around the table, studying the documents and files they had just recovered from the USB drive. The small cabin felt like it was holding its breath, waiting for the storm that was sure to come. Ava’s mind was racing, and her emotions were a tangled mix of fear, determination, and a deep, abiding sense of resolve. Lucas leaned over the laptop, his brow furrowed as he scanned the files. “This is good,” he murmured, his voice low. “Good. But we need more than just this to nail Collins. We need to take this evidence to someone high up in the FBI—someone who Collins’s reach can’t sway.” Daniel nodded, his face serious. “Agreed. We can’t trust just anyone. Collins has contacts everywhere. We need to find someone with integrity willing to put everything on the line to take him down.” Ava took a deep breath, feeling the weight of their mission pressing down on her shoulders. “Do we have someone in mind?” Dani