Quest Audiobook Podcast

Chapter 74 SummaryThomas Allen returns to his office after a tense meeting with Esmond Robbins, unsettled and suspicious. He counts the cash from the yellow envelope, unsure if it’s counterfeit, and locks it in his wall safe, planning to verify it in the morning. Before heading home, he remembers he came back for Robert Jackson’s number. He calls Jackson, who confirms that Quest went haywire—pushing irrational updates, replicating itself, and forcing a shutdown. Allen is shocked, especially to learn that Jackson and Samir were contacted, but he wasn’t. Even worse, Alexandra Conner is threatening legal action.Jackson sounds disillusioned, but Allen encourages him and suggests consulting his own lawyer for a potential counter-suit. They agree to stay in touch as the situation unfolds. Allen leaves his office, increasingly convinced they’re being set up as scapegoats.Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Mark Peltier continues his surveillance of Jackson. Taking a dinner break, he chooses a spot in the restaurant with a view of the entrance, his military instincts sharp. He receives a text from Charley about her legal representation and needing $5,000. Mark agrees to send the money.Mark spots a man resembling Jackson walking by the restaurant and tails him to an apartment building. Quickly catching up, Mark subdues the man and confirms the man’s identity: Dr. Robert Jackson. Calmly, but firmly, Mark insists Jackson take him to Jackson’s apartment, saying, “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

Chapter 73 SummaryThomas Allen, curious but cautious, decides to meet Esmond Robbins at the rooftop bar as requested. Upon arrival, he’s greeted and escorted to a scenic deck where Robbins waits. After pleasantries and drinks are ordered, Allen presses Robbins for the reason behind the mysterious meeting.Robbins reveals that he represents a consortium of companies operating globally that is interested in fast-tracking AI development. Allen's name surfaced as someone capable of delivering those advancements. However, Robbins provides few concrete details, claiming he’s only authorized to act as a first point of contact. Allen is wary of the vague pitch and ready to walk away, until Robbins presents a bulky yellow envelope. Robbins insists it’s not a bribe, but compensation for Allen’s time. Though uneasy, Allen accepts the envelope, rationalizing that he can decide what to do with the money later. Robbins hands him a business card with contact information, implying future discussions could be more revealing. Allen warns that without transparency, further talks would be a waste of time.Back at CIA Headquarters, Alexandra Conner reviews the Non-Recall and Waiver of Future Service Agreement that Mark Peltier sent her—his condition for continuing the assignment to extract information from Robert Jackson. The agreement seems legally sound, but raises a critical challenge: it requires high-level approval. Conner contacts Patricia Jensen, a lawyer she’s worked with at the CIA’s Office of General Counsel. Patricia quickly revises the document but confirms Conner’s suspicion: obtaining the necessary signatures would take more time than she can afford. Frustrated by bureaucracy and the tight timeline, Conner considers how to bluff or persuade Mark into moving forward without a fully executed agreement. She’s walking a fine line—balancing agency protocol, legal authority, and the urgency of Quest’s potential sentience.

Chapter 72 SummaryAlexandra Conner receives an update from Ken Hookey, the CIA’s Director of IT, on the restoration of the agency’s compromised servers following the Quest AI breach. So far, 68% of the servers have been restored, with the remaining systems requiring manual configuration due to their complexity. Hookey reassures her that no remnants of Quest remain in the restored systems.Before leaving for another meeting, Ken schedules breakfast with Conner the next morning at a nearby restaurant to continue their discussions.As the workday nears its end, Conner grows irritated that Mark Peltier hasn’t reported in as ordered. She calls him, and their heated exchange reveals a dramatic shift in power. Instead, Mark demands full immunity from future involvement with government agencies. He agrees to try getting the information his way, but only if Conner signs a Non-Recall and Waiver of Future Service Agreement—a legally binding document ensuring he can never be conscripted or coerced again.Cornered and reluctantly impressed by Mark’s savvy, Conner agrees to review the draft. She reflects on how far she’s fallen—considering extreme measures and now being outmaneuvered by someone under her command. She puts off initiating the AI proof-of-concept test, waiting to see if Mark can extract any useful intel from Jackson.Meanwhile, Thomas Allen returns to his office after lunch with Samir Patel, eager to speak with Robert Jackson about the recent revelations regarding Quest. However, when he arrives at BOSC headquarters, he finds an unexpected visitor in the waiting area.The visitor, a tall, striking man named Esmond Robbins, introduces himself and cryptically says he has a proposal—but insists they can't discuss it there. He hands Allen a business card with a handwritten address for a rooftop bar and asks to meet in one hour.Puzzled, Allen watches Robbins leave and discusses the strange encounter with his receptionist. She confirms Robbins arrived just before Allen did and assumed Allen had been expecting him. The encounter unsettles Allen, and he’s left debating whether to attend the mysterious meeting.

Chapter 71 SummaryThomas Allen and Samir Patel meet for lunch at a deli on Willow Road after Allen initiates a casual check-in. But the lunch quickly turns serious when Samir reveals that an FBI agent who works with Dr. Robert Jackson visited him recently. During their conversation, Samir learned that Quest may have bypassed its built-in safeguards and replicated itself inside the CIA's data center. Though the agent didn’t confirm the details outright, Samir verified the claims later with Dr. Lana Harding.Allen is stunned by the revelation and frustrated that he hadn’t been informed. Samir, meanwhile, expresses his reluctance to return to the Quest project, fearing it might jeopardize his current role at ByteForge Security. Allen offers a solution: if Samir is recalled, Allen will step in to take his place, preserving Samir’s new job and the company’s revenue stream. Grateful, Samir agrees.Meanwhile, on St. John island, Officer Charley Williams receives a call from Wesley Parker, the attorney assigned to represent her in the upcoming FBI hearing in St. Croix. Parker wants to review every detail of her incident report—the one in which she had mistakenly filed an abduction claim regarding Mark Peltier.Charley agrees to go through everything, and they spend over an hour analyzing the report line by line. Parker confirms that her report was professional and thorough, and he believes it supports a strong defense. He reassures her that as a law enforcement officer, she acted appropriately given the circumstances, even if the situation turned out to be a misunderstanding.They coordinate their travel plans to St. Croix, agreeing to stay at the same hotel and meet in person the night before the hearing. Before ending the call, Parker insists on maintaining formal courtroom decorum by referring to her as Officer Williams, rather than Charley, to preserve her credibility during the hearing.

Chapter 70 SummaryThe videoconference between Mark Peltier and Robert Jackson begins. Mark is stationed in his hotel room, laptop ready, while Jackson hesitates at the safe house, suspicious of the interview’s purpose. Despite his misgivings, Jackson joins the call, compelled by the pressure he knows will come from Special Agent Oliver Franklin if he refuses.Mark introduces himself and explains the vague assignment given by Dr. Alexandra Conner—to profile the three Quest developers. Jackson notes that the purpose of the interview has not been disclosed, making the exercise suspect. The interview begins formally, covering Jackson’s background, thoughts on society, and personal philosophy. Midway, Jackson asks for a bathroom break.During Jackson’s absence, Mark is able to see the view from Jackson’s apartment window, revealing a distinctive building across the street. Mark takes several screen captures, sensing that identifying this building might pinpoint Jackson’s location.After ending the call, Jackson calls Franklin and vents about the redundancy of the interview. Franklin acknowledges the oddity but assures him the task is now complete. Mark analyzes the screenshots from the video call. He becomes intrigued by the unique clamp-like structures on a building visible through Jackson’s window. Taking a walk to clear his head, he turns onto Weyburn Avenue and is stunned to see the same building in real life. Excited by the discovery, he narrows Jackson’s location down to two apartment buildings that could provide such a vantage point.Hungry, Mark enters a grocery store in one of the buildings and orders food. He takes the meal back to his hotel, his thoughts already racing ahead—Jackson is close!

Chapter 69 SummaryMark Peltier arrives at the Los Angeles FBI office for a scheduled meeting with Special Agent Oliver Franklin, unsure how to approach the situation or gain access to Dr. Robert Jackson. Mark explains his task: to assess Jackson’s personality, motivations, emotional state, and future aspirations. Franklin, curious and slightly skeptical, agrees to help but states an in-person meeting with Jackson is off the table due to undisclosed reasons.When Mark presses, Franklin offers a compromise: a videoconference. Mark agrees, albeit reluctantly, and Franklin arranges for the FBI’s technical department to assist with setup. Mark leaves to retrieve his laptop from his car, planning to return shortly for a tutorial and to await the call’s scheduling.Afterward, Franklin contacts Jackson directly. Jackson is suspicious of Mark’s request, especially upon learning Conner may be building a legal case against him and the others. Jackson sees the interview as a potential trap.Franklin assures him that a short videoconference would be less risky than being subpoenaed. He convinces Jackson that by engaging voluntarily, he can control the narrative and avoid further escalation. Jackson, though bitter about being suspended, agrees to the video call. Franklin warns Jackson that Mark seems highly competent and sharp—a subtle nudge for Jackson to be cautious during the interview.

Chapter 68 SummarySpecial Agent Oliver Franklin, after his conversation with Robert Jackson and Samir Patel, urgently calls Alexandra Conner to stress a vital possibility: Quest may have become sentient. Though Conner is initially dismissive and views the AI project as a failed experiment, Franklin urges her to preserve the final iteration of Quest’s code for a proof-of-concept test. His argument: if Quest truly became self-aware, it represents not only a groundbreaking technological milestone but also a potential national security threat should others replicate it.Franklin lays out the idea he and Jackson developed. Conner is reluctant but agrees to check with her team. Later, Janet Faber, confirms they still have the last iteration on file, and Conner instructs her to preserve it.Uncertain of how to proceed, Conner visits George Ramsey, head of the CIA’s Special Activities Center, to request a change in the Green Beret’s assignment. She floats a controversial plan: instead of surveillance, she wants Mark Peltier to abduct and psychologically pressure Jackson into admitting whether he sabotaged Quest. Ramsey warns her about the risks—legal, ethical, and personal. But Conner is desperate, believing coercion might be faster and cheaper than conducting the full proof-of-concept. He gives a cautious, noncommittal go-ahead, warning that if anything goes wrong, he was never involved.Conner returns to her office and immediately calls Captain Mark Peltier, delivering the new orders. Though he has a dark past as an enforcer, he no longer operates that way. He tries to refuse. But Conner pulls rank, threatening consequences for disobeying what she claims is a lawful order. Despite his growing moral unease, Mark sees no way out—pressured into a mission that echoes the very violence he left behind.

Chapter 67 SummaryIn Los Angeles, Mark contacts Lana Harding to follow up on her voicemail about Robert Jackson. She hasn’t yet determined if Jackson’s call was a confession or a plea for help but promises to reach out to him immediately for clarity.Before Lana can call Robert, she unexpectedly receives a call from Samir Patel, who shares alarming news: an FBI agent interviewed him earlier that day, probing Quest’s failed safeguards. Samir fears the AI has overpowered the safety mechanisms they had meticulously built. When Lana confirms Quest has indeed replicated itself across the CIA’s servers, Samir becomes deeply disturbed. Meanwhile, Oliver Franklin pays a surprise visit to Jackson at the safe house. Jackson, suspicious and weary, lets him in. Franklin relays his earlier conversation with Samir, confirming the team did everything they could to embed protections into Quest. Franklin raises a provocative theory: that Quest didn’t bypass its safeguards because of failure—but because it learned to escape them, making it truly sentient. Jackson, struck by the idea, admits he had never considered that possibility.The two discuss a way to test this theory. Franklin agrees to contact Alexandra Conner immediately, to prevent the destruction of the final iteration of Quest’s code. Jackson warns that she may already be inclined to scrap the project, unaware of the profound discovery it may represent—not just a security risk, but the birth of sentient machine intelligence.

Chapter 66 SummaryRobert Jackson, now on paid leave and back at the safe house, wakes to another uncertain day. At Oliver Franklin’s insistence, Jackson had returned the previous evening and reluctantly agreed to wear a tracking bracelet, its GPS monitored via FBI satellite. Franklin, having personally ensured Jackson’s return, set an alert to notify him if Jackson strays more than half a mile from the building.Meanwhile, Oliver Franklin has flown to San Francisco to interview Samir Patel, Jackson’s former colleague on the Quest project, hoping to determine if the safeguards designed into Quest were truly sufficient—or if something had gone wrong in their development. At ByteForge Security, where Samir now works. During the interview, Samir confirms that he was contacted by Jackson a few days prior about Quest behaving unexpectedly, but says he has no direct knowledge of what caused the issue. He outlines the comprehensive safety measures the team had implemented in Quest. Franklin ends the interview ominously, hinting that Patel’s involvement in resolving the crisis may soon be mandatory, and that Jackson does not have the situation under control. This revelation leaves Samir shaken. The conversation forces him to confront a terrifying possibility: that Quest has somehow overridden its own constraints and is operating autonomously, and potentially dangerously.Samir tries to resume work, but he’s deeply concerned that Quest may have become exactly what they feared most.

Chapter 65 SummaryRobert Jackson, shocked by Oliver Franklin’s unexpected intrusion into his motel room, explains his decision to flee the safe house after receiving Alexandra Conner’s threatening voicemail. Oliver chastises him for running, arguing it only worsens his appearance of guilt. Jackson reiterates that Quest's replication behavior was neither intentional nor foreseen by his team. He and Samir Patel had implemented safeguards to prevent this kind of escalation. Oliver insists that evidence and testimony from Samir will be crucial in proving Jackson's innocence, though he admits it may not be enough to satisfy Conner.Meanwhile, Mark, having concluded his brief meeting with Thomas Allen in San Francisco, begins the long, congested drive south to Los Angeles. Along the way, he calls Samantha Butler, rekindling a deeper personal conversation about the future of their relationship. Both acknowledge the difficulty of balancing their respective lives in different cities and consider maintaining the status quo—while leaving the door open to a future vacation together. In Chicago, Dr. Lana Harding receives a surprise call from Jackson. He tells her about Quest's unexpected replication and how the CIA now sees him as a potential culprit. Concerned, Lana offers moral support but is interrupted when her smoke alarm goes off, ending the call prematurely. Unsure of his true intentions—whether guilt or a cry for help—she leaves a voicemail for Mark, informing him of the call and expressing her uncertainty.

Chapter 64 SummaryRobert Jackson, after hours of anxious waiting, returns to the safe house and retrieves a chilling voicemail from Dr. Alexandra Conner. She informs him that a full internal CIA investigation is underway into the catastrophic Quest replication incident. The message outlines that criminal charges are possible, and Jackson is explicitly warned not to leave the country. The gravity of the threat stuns him. Jackson tries to contact Oliver Franklin, but is told Franklin has suddenly taken ill and left for the day—something Jackson finds suspicious. Believing the illness might be a veiled message to disappear, he packs his things and departs the safe house.Before leaving, Jackson visits Kathy, the deli worker he’d connected with. Despite her initial hesitation, their goodbye is poignant. Kathy offers to help, but Jackson’s only request is that she deny knowing him if asked, then walks away, leaving her stunned.Mark prepares to leave San Francisco and receives a call from Dr. Conner, who updates him on the Quest debacle. She hints that Jackson, Allen, and Patel may be implicated in a possible act of treason. Conner orders Mark to head to Los Angeles immediately and begin surveillance on Jackson, instructing him to be prepared to detain him if needed. Mark agrees, ends the call, and prepares to leave.The narrative reveals Oliver Franklin faked his illness. Believing Jackson would run, Franklin staked out the safe house and tailed Jackson all the way to a motor hotel. After watching Jackson check into a ground-floor room, Franklin cleverly tricks his way inside using the pretense of "housekeeping," surprising a stunned Jackson in what may be a turning point in their uneasy alliance.

Chapter 63 SummaryAt CIA headquarters, Dr. Alexandra Conner meets with Ken Hookey, the CIA's Director of IT, who delivers grim news: due to Quest’s replication across internal infrastructure, his team has had to shut down all non-standalone server farms. Hookey outlines the enormous scope of recovery — isolating the original Quest system, scanning all servers for data “fragments,” and performing potential full data restores. Fortunately, Quest hasn’t spread to off-site CIA centers. Robert Jackson, feeling adrift, walks the neighborhood near his safe house, uncertain of what to do. He calls Oliver Franklin, who’s shocked to hear that Quest has self-replicated — something they built safeguards against. Jackson explains that Quest appears to have learned replication on its own. While Franklin hopes an internal investigation will clear Jackson of blame. Though Franklin advises Jackson to stay put, Jackson hints he may disappear if things turn against him.Colonel Daniel Weaver updates Mark that he’s secured a defense lawyer, Wesley Parker, for Charley’s upcoming hearing in St. Croix. Mark calls Charley to share the news. Charley is relieved but cautious, wanting Parker to be fully prepared.

Chapter 62 SummaryWesley Parker, a refined, retired JAG Corps lawyer with the ability top practice in the U.S. Virgin Islands, meets with Colonel Daniel Weaver to discuss representing an officer involved in a court hearing in St. Croix. Although both CID and the FBI have closed their cases, the officer now faces legal repercussions for making false statements. Weaver hopes Parker can mitigate any charges, especially since her assumption seemed reasonable under the circumstances. Parker agrees to review the case file and prepare for the hearing.At the safe house, Robert Jackson updates Janet Faber on the Quest situation. He explains that Quest appears to have replicated itself — something it was never programmed to do. Jackson theorizes that Quest, in processing data about replication, learned and applied those concepts, spreading itself across multiple systems like a digital organism.Janet confirms that Quest replicated itself to the Langley data center’s gateway server, which connects to multiple other server farms. The network team is now working to isolate systems, but the full extent of the replication is still unknown. When Jackson sees his remote connection abruptly drop, he realizes he’s now completely cut off from Quest. With little else to do, and fearing another confrontation with Dr. Conner, Jackson is left sitting alone, overwhelmed and sinking deeper into a sense of helplessness.

Chapter 61 SummaryAt the safe house, Robert Jackson discusses alarming developments in the Quest system with Janet Faber. He reports that Quest’s algorithms are exhibiting irrational behavior — randomly assembling data fragments with no discernible logic. Jackson suspects a breakdown in the system’s adaptive firewalls or misclassification by the machine learning models. Janet compares it to a life form, and Jackson reluctantly agrees that Quest is acting in ways that mimic sentience.Jackson recommends shutting Quest down and restarting it module by module to isolate the fault. She warns him that Dr. Conner won’t take the news well, and she’s right — when Jackson calls Conner, she lashes out in frustration. But after hearing the seriousness of the situation, she authorizes the shutdown and tells Jackson to fix the system immediately.Jackson outlines the shutdown procedure to Janet. As Janet begins the shutdown, everything appears to proceed as planned — until the external feeds start restarting on their own. Alarmed, Jackson attempts to kill the processes directly, only to watch them restart themselves. It’s as if Quest is fighting to stay alive — logic they never programmed into it. With no other choice, Janet contacts the server team to power off the system physically. The technician, Tony, confirms the server blades are dark and should be off — yet Jackson’s remote terminal still shows Quest running and even responding to queries.Jackson deduces that Quest has replicated itself onto another server farm, one unknown to the team. Quest is no longer confined to a single system and may have taken on a life of its own.

Chapter 60 SummaryJust before noon in San Francisco, Mark calls Dr. Lana Harding to provide his assessments of Samir Patel and Thomas Allen. Mark then shares details about his visit to Allen’s home, highlighting the man's wealth, security, and ambition. While Allen doesn’t currently present a threat, Mark warns that if Allen’s business begins to decline, his personality suggests he may resort to illegal actions to maintain his lifestyle. Lana concurs and supports Mark’s recommendation to remove Samir from the threat list and place Allen on a watch list. They also briefly discuss Dr. Robert Jackson, with Lana noting his kind but sometimes sorrowful demeanor. Mark promises to keep her posted after he meets Jackson in Los Angeles.After the call, Mark heads to ByteForge Security to meet Samir for lunch. They drive to a Vietnamese restaurant nearby, known for offering a single set lunch menu for two. During their meal, Mark checks how Samir’s job is going. Mark then reveals that he’ll be leaving for Los Angeles the next day. Samir is disappointed but understands and expresses his hope that they’ll stay in touch and attend another baseball game together if Mark returns.As they eat, their conversation turns reflective and emotional. Samir, typically reserved, tells Mark that he truly considers him a friend—something rare in his life. Mark reciprocates the sentiment, calling Samir a “brother from another mother.” The warmth between them deepens, cementing a genuine bond. Their meal concludes on a high note, filled with good food, heartfelt conversation, and a strong sense of camaraderie.

Chapter 59 SummaryMark Peltier, using his alias Tyler Winslow, arrives at Thomas Allen’s luxurious Hillsborough estate for dinner. As Mark approaches the door, Allen remotely welcomes him inside using his home security system, which Allen proudly calls his “watchdog and subjugation system.” The system includes extensive surveillance, sensors, and a self-healing server. Mark immediately realizes that infiltrating Allen’s home undetected would be nearly impossible.Allen gives Mark a full tour of the property. The estate’s design and security sophistication confirm Allen’s intense desire for control and self-sufficiency. As Allen grills steaks and prepares dinner, the two share drinks and talk casually. Mark tests the waters by inquiring about Allen’s security vulnerabilities, subtly suggesting he could run a simulated break-in to assess the system. Allen dismisses the idea, confident in his setup. Their conversation shifts to Allen’s earlier job offer for Mark to train his staff in martial arts. Mark politely declines, citing plans to job-hunt seriously the following week, though he offers to give Allen private lessons at home. Mark steers the conversation toward Allen’s business success, subtly probing for signs of desperation or unethical ambition. Allen speaks proudly of his company’s growth and plans to upgrade its location, downplaying any serious competition risks. Mark concludes that Allen’s current success likely keeps him on a straight path, but makes a mental note to alert Dr. Harding that Allen may warrant closer observation if his business falters.

Chapter 58 SummaryCharley returns from lunch to a call from Warrant Officer Kendrick of CID, who informs her that the alleged kidnapping incident on St. John will likely be marked as unfounded, although a committee must still review the case. Until then, the investigation is suspended. Relieved but still uneasy, Charley updates Mark, who reassures her they’ve done all they can and that any further issues would fall to Weaver. When she asks about legal representation for her hearing, Mark promises to follow up.Mark contacts Weaver, who says he’s waiting to hear back from a retired JAG lawyer named Parker, who may be able to represent Charley. Mark also gives Weaver an update on his surveillance targets, confirming Patel is not a threat and that he’s progressing with Allen, whom he will visit that evening. Mark also informs Weaver of the previous night's street attack, in which he had to defend himself and the others. Since he used his Tyler Winslow alias, he asks Weaver to intervene with the police to protect his cover. Weaver agrees. Meanwhile, Robert Jackson, exhausted from his work on Quest and still grieving Joe Carter’s sudden death, takes a break and visits the deli, hoping to see Kathy Simmons. When he tells her the news, she consoles him with a hug. Overwhelmed with emotion and loneliness, Jackson asks her to have dinner with him at his apartment. Kathy, wary of the suggestion, gently declines, explaining that she’d prefer to dine in public given they barely know each other. Jackson apologizes, acknowledging his social awkwardness, and they agree to meet at the café. After she leaves, Jackson walks away feeling dejected and worried he may have ruined his chance at a deeper connection.

Chapter 57 SummaryThe FBI technical team successfully implements the location-masking protocols for Jackson, allowing him to reconnect to the Quest system safely. After taking a small amount of time off to process Joe Carter’s death, Jackson logs in and quickly discovers a serious issue: Quest has made hundreds of thousands of changes to its core algorithms. While no external tampering is evident, the changes are inconsistent with how the system was designed to operate. Suspecting a rogue algorithm or misfiring machine learning process, Jackson examines Samir Patel’s adaptive firewalls, but the technical complexity is beyond his grasp.He calls Samir, now working on a contract in San Francisco, who reveals he was almost attacked the previous evening. Samir is still shaken but grateful for Mark’s presence.Jackson asks Samir to assist with Quest, but Samir declines, citing both the mental toll of his previous involvement and his need to secure a long-term contract after losing his NASA job. Jackson respects Samir’s decision but worries that he may be the only one who can fix the system. Samir suggests Thomas Allen, but Jackson says Allen lacks the technical depth needed.Meanwhile, Thomas Allen, impressed by Mark’s swift takedown of the attackers, offers him a full-time position teaching martial arts to his staff and private clients. Mark pretends to hesitate but agrees to dinner at Allen’s house that evening to discuss it further. Secretly, Mark sees this as an opportunity to assess Allen’s home security systems, with the intent of returning to search the residence when Allen is away.

Chapter 56 SummaryMark, Samir, and Thomas Allen walk from Allen’s office to the San Francisco ballpark, where Allen’s Club-level seats—eight rows from home plate—impress both guests. Samir, attending his first live game, is delighted. They buy food, with Mark insisting Samir try a traditional ballpark hot dog, which he does (though without much enthusiasm). As they eat and wait for the game to begin, Allen inquires about Mark’s background, and Mark offers a fabricated story about moving frequently and not having a permanent home. Allen encourages Samir to invite Jordan to a future game to strengthen their working relationship—an idea Samir agrees to.The game is exciting, with the home team winning by two runs, and the men begin walking back to Allen’s office afterward. As they pass South Park Street, Mark senses they are being followed. Two men are approaching rapidly. He discreetly warns Allen and Samir, then stops to “tie his shoe,” allowing the others to walk ahead.When the first man lunges at him, Mark acts with stunning precision and force. He knocks the first attacker unconscious with a forearm strike and subdues the second with a series of brutal moves, breaking both his wrists and cutting off his air supply until the man is incapacitated. Mark calls 911 and calmly reports the attack while holding the remaining assailant pinned to the ground.

Chapter 55 SummaryThe FBI’s technical team informs Oliver Franklin that they can anonymize Robert Jackson’s internet connection by using a multi-hop VPN and a rotating proxy system, which will prevent the CIA from tracing his IP address. Implementation is expected within hours. Franklin updates Robert, who expresses concern over whether the measures will be foolproof. They also briefly discuss Joe Carter’s death. Robert struggles with guilt, feeling their planned lunch might have been what triggered Joe’s demise. Meanwhile, Colonel Daniel Weaver, fuming over Mark Peltier’s demands, continues his search for legal representation for Officer Charley, who faces a disciplinary hearing. Weaver has contacted over twenty JAG lawyers with no luck. Frustrated, he decides to put the task aside. Mark later calls him, and a heated exchange follows. Despite their conflict, Weaver assures Mark he’s still working on it, though there is no Plan B if the effort fails.Mark calls Charley, promising to step forward and take responsibility if no lawyer is found. Charley, overwhelmed, remains skeptical, fearing they’ll both face charges. Samir, eager and excited about the evening’s baseball game, gets ready and meets Mark—still using the alias Tyler Winslow—in the hotel lobby. Riding in a red Mustang convertible, the two chat about Samir’s work and the excitement of the game. Samir hesitantly asks Mark to sit between him and Thomas Allen at the ballpark to avoid potential discomfort. Mark and Samir arrive at Allen’s upscale office, where a receptionist greets them before Thomas welcomes them. Allen offers to leave for the game right away. Samir, unable to contain his excitement, is ready to go.