Or a quick return.

The progress bar hit fifty percent.

A file directory bloomed onto the screen.

My father’s logs from his final days in intelligence were organized by date.

But there was a nested folder at the bottom of the root directory.

It was labeled *Operation Gray Wolf – Financials*.

This was the operation Cole had commanded in the Kunar Province.

The one where his unit had supposedly been ambushed, leading to his medals.

And my father’s forced retirement when he questioned the official report.

I clicked the folder.

The files were encrypted with a different, stronger protocol.

I started the secondary decryption tool, the cooling fan of the laptop whirring to life.

The text began to render on the screen, line by line.

It wasn’t just military logistics.

There were bank routing numbers.

And a name that repeated in every transaction log.

*Apex Horizon.*

I stared at the name.

They were one of the largest defense contractors in the country.

The files showed millions of dollars moving through offshore accounts.

I scrolled down, my eyes skimming the transfer dates.