Bastian read the note twice in the quiet of the war room, his expression sharpening with each pass, the particular focus of a man cross referencing a name against months of patient, half formed suspicion.
"This matches everything Rourke has been building," he said. "The access, the timing, the connection to the survey discrepancies. If Sienna's information is accurate, it closes the gap he has been unable to close for weeks."
"Can you verify it independently before anyone acts?" I asked. "I do not want Aldric removed on the strength of a note alone, even one I believe is honest. If we move too visibly and we are wrong, we lose whatever trust we have left in the council, and if we are right and he sees us coming, we lose the chance to trace whoever he has been reporting to."
Bastian look
