Page 222 of Silent Target

“I would remember.”

Fathom carefully examines the map.

“The paper and ink are older than most of the Black Banner entries.”

“How much older?” Evie asks.

“Possibly twenty years.”

Rook studies the locations.

“Then Whitmore created contingency archives long before Graves activated Black Banner.”

Evie touches the circle near Charleston.

“The First Circle expected one headquarters to fall eventually.”

A warning light flashes on Fathom’s tablet.

He checks the drives.

“They’re secure. No active transmissions.”

Rook points toward the map.

“Photograph it, then seal the journal.”

Fathom does.

Evie returns the paper to the back cover and closes the book.

The helicopter carries us east toward the private landing site Cutter arranged through one of his old contacts.

No military base.

No official agencies.

Not while the government believes Shadow Division attacked a classified facility.

For now, we have the evidence.

We have one another.

And somewhere beyond the mountains, Charles Whitmore and Walter Graves are still alive.

Evie rests her head briefly against my shoulder.

I turn toward her.

Her eyes are closed.

But her hand finds mine between us.

I hold it all the way to the ground.

52

EVIE