BY THE time Sophie finished reviewing the remaining forensic data, the afternoon had already faded into evening.
The conference room had emptied hours ago, but she remained at the workstation, surrounded by digital maps, financial records, and fragmented files recovered from the damaged drive.
Project Chimera had left behind more questions than answers.
The organization had survived the loss of people. It had survived investigations. It had survived the destruction of evidence.
And now, someone had deliberately erased half of the drive before she could determine what the later phases involved.
She leaned back in her chair and rubbed both hands over her tired eyes. “You're going to make yourself sick.”
Sophie opened her eyes.
Matthew stood in the doorway.
For a moment, she simply st
