Arrow follows without hesitation.
I lower my voice. “Salem’s father said something before we got him out.”
Arrow’s eyes sharpen. “What did he say?”
“He said Serafina found out he hired Maddox because someone sold him out,” I say. My throat feels tight. “He thinks there’s a mole close to Maddox.”
Arrow’s face goes still. “Salem told you,” Arrow says.
I nod. “She told me right before the ambulance doors closed. He warned her again after.”
Arrow exhales slowly, gaze flicking down the hall to where our people are clustered. “He said a mole inside Maddox.”
“Or someone close enough to leak contracts,” I say. “Either way, it’s bad.”
Arrow’s jaw clenches. “Yeah.”
My stomach twists. “It can’t be one of us.”
Arrow looks at me like he already knows I need that reassurance. “It’s not us. You know us, Oz. We grew up together. You, me, Render, Poe, Gage, and Knight. We’re brothers.”
I swallow hard. “You’re sure.”
Arrow’s eyes hold mine, steady and certain. “As sure as I can be about anything.”
That helps. A little.
I watch him pull his phone out and step a few paces away, posture tightening as he makes a call. His voice stays lowand controlled, but I can still catch pieces. “Dean. We have a problem.”
My pulse kicks up.
Arrow listens, his face changing slightly. Not panic. More like something just confirmed a suspicion. Then Arrow says, “When?” He pauses again, eyes narrowing. I hear him say, “Copy.” When he ends the call, he looks back at me with a grim expression.
“What?” I ask, bracing.
Arrow’s voice is flat. “Dean says their whole system just went down.”
My blood turns cold. “Went down how.”
“Hacked,” Arrow replies. “Total blackout. Comm interruptions. Access points compromised. Rae got kicked off the secure channels and had to switch to backups.”
My stomach drops. “Do they know who did it?”
Arrow shakes his head. “Dean doesn’t.”
I clench my fists at my sides, forcing myself not to pace because pacing in a hospital makes you look guilty or unhinged, and right now I need to look like a man in control.
“They hit Maddox right after Salem’s father said there’s a mole,” I mutter.
Arrow nods. “Timing isnota coincidence.”
My heart pumps rapidly through my system, anger and fear mixing again. “So what now?”
Arrow’s gaze flicks toward the exam room. “We get Salem out of here. We get her back to HQ. We keep her close, and we keep our mouths shut in public. We assume anyone listening is already listening.”
I swallow hard. “And her father?”
Arrow’s face hardens. “Dean will take care of him. Sawyer already has a protective detail on him. He’s a priority now.”