Chapter 189
Raven
Ethan nodded immediately. Katya's eyes had locked onto the folder like a cat watching a laser pointer.
"I mean it," Reeves pressed. "That folder contains information that could start wars. Plural. It's here because I was supposed to hand-deliver it to JSOC command tomorrow morning, but now—" He made a frustrated gesture. "Now I have to deal with this clusterfuck. So I'm trusting you three—the same candidates I just watched demonstrate excellent judgment—to resist your curiosity for one night."
His eyes met mine for just a second. And I saw it—the slight crinkle at the corners. The microscopic upturn of his mouth.
Fake, I realized immediately. Obviously fake.
"Understood, sir," I said evenly.
He nodded once, sharp and decisive. "Good. I'll return in a few hours. Stay put."
Then he was gone, the tent flap swinging shut behind him.
Silence descended.
Ethan stared at the folder.
Katya stared at the folder.
I examined my fingernails, already bored.
"It's fake," I announced.
They both turned to stare at me.
"What?" Ethan blinked.
"The folder. Fake. Bait. A test." I leaned back in my chair. "Convenient emergency, dramatically abandoned documents, explicit orders not to look? Come on. This is Psychological Manipulation 101."
"But his face—" Katya protested. "The panic was real."
"Or he's good at his job." I shrugged. "Either way, I'm not wasting time on it."
Ethan pushed his glasses up, his analytical brain clearly churning. "Even if it is fake... I'm training to be an intelligence analyst. I can't pass up the opportunity to examine classified document structure. Real or not, the format alone would be valuable study material."
"Knock yourself out," I said.
"And honestly," Katya added, "what's the harm in looking? We're already here. It's not like we can un-see it if it turns out to be real."
"Your funeral," I observed mildly.
Ethan reached for the folder. His fingers trembled slightly—half excitement, half nerves.
He flipped it open.
The first page made him freeze.
"Oh," he breathed.
Katya leaned over his shoulder. Her eyes went wide.
"That's—" She swallowed hard. "Ethan. Tell me I'm reading this wrong."
"You're not." His voice had gone very quiet. Very flat. "This is—"
He flipped to the second page.
Katya gasped. Actually gasped, one hand flying to her mouth.
"No," she whispered. "No, that can't be—"
"It is." Ethan's hands were shaking now. "It's all here. Everything. Everyone."
They looked at each other. Some wordless communication passed between them—pure shock mixed with dawning horror.
Then they both turned to me.
"Raven—" Katya's voice was urgent. "You need to see this. Right now."
"Pass." I stood, heading for the exit. "I'm going to the beach. You two have fun with your bedtime reading."
I wasn't about to waste my precious free time sitting around waiting for Reeves to drag his ass back here. The ocean was calling, and unlike classified briefings, it actually delivered what it promised.
"No, you don't understand—" Katya's voice rose. "What we just saw—"
"Raven, trust me!" Ethan scrambled to his feet. "As someone who's been training in intelligence analysis for years, this is really—"
"Even if it is real—which it definitely isn't—" I continued, examining my nails, "I seriously doubt it would be interesting enough to pull me away from beer and a beach view."
They both stared at me.
"Raven—" Katya's voice was incredulous. "You didn't even look—"
"Don't need to." I smiled. "Trust me, whatever you think you saw? I've seen more interesting grocery lists."
Ethan's jaw dropped. "You—that's—you can't possibly—"
"Can't I?" I raised an eyebrow.
NATO's black site locations in Eastern Europe. Mossad's assassination protocols for high-value targets. The actual identities of every Bloodline operative embedded in European intelligence agencies. Chinese submarine deployment patterns in the South China Sea.
I'd memorized documents that could trigger World War III before breakfast.
This little test folder? Child's play.
"You're bluffing," Katya said, but there was uncertainty in her voice.
I just smiled wider. "Maybe. Maybe not."
"Raven, I know you're a genius at... well, everything," Ethan said carefully. "But this level of classified information... you're only seventeen. How could you possibly—"
"Going to the beach," I finished. "You two enjoy digesting your big discovery. Take your time. Process it." I turned toward the exit. "But when you join me, we're dropping this topic. Completely. Deal?"
I didn't wait for an answer, striding toward the exit with purposeful steps.
Behind me, there was a moment of stunned silence.
Then:
"You know what? Fuck it—we trust you over Reeves!" Ethan's voice rang out.
"Every word you just said!" Katya added. "That intel back there? Total bullshit!"
Footsteps scrambled after me as they hurried to catch up.
Good.
Crisis averted.
Beach time secured.