Page 230 of Broken Oath

Fathom opened the security expenditures.

Millions of dollars.

Year after year.

Private aircraft.

Armed personnel.

Encrypted communications.

Remote facilities.

“One program spent enough money securing four men to protect a head of state,” Reef said.

“Security can work in two directions,” Rook warned. “Keeping threats out and prisoners in.”

Sarah stared at the numbers.

“Either way, Wade and the others are valuable.”

Fathom nodded.

“The question is why.”

He opened a heavily encrypted file recovered from the cargo ship.

The progress indicator moved slowly.

Nobody spoke.

Finally, the document opened.

One paragraph survived.

Rook read it.

Then read it again.

SURVIVING OPERATORS RETAIN CRITICAL KNOWLEDGE OF PROJECT NIGHTFALL. CONTINUED ISOLATION REQUIRED UNTIL FINAL PHASE AUTHORIZATION.

The warehouse fell silent.

“What is Project Nightfall?” Sarah asked.

No one answered.

But the document clarified one thing.

Wade and his surviving teammates weren’t being held only because they witnessed a crime.

They possessed knowledge someone still needed—or feared.

“Final phase of what?” Maverick asked.

Fathom searched the document.

“Nothing else survived.”