Chapter 78 False Trail

• Xavier emerged from treatment with bandaged ribs and strict orders to rest. Orders he had no intention of following.
• Murphy had set up a secure communication hub in the clinic's back office—old-fashioned whiteboard, paper notes, nothing digital that Lila could intercept.
• "Here's what we know," Xavier said, writing names and connections on the board. "Lila's spying through Gerald's devices. Harold thinks he's getting reliable intelligence. Both believe they're ahead of us."