Page 291 of Rangers Mountain Rescue

---

“They are now.”

Wrong answer.

I look up.

Meet his eyes.

And I let him see it.

Every bit of it.

“You don’t get to decide that.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Then—

“They tie directly into an active federal operation,” he pushes.

“They tie directly into people who just tried to kill his family,” I fire back.

That lands harder.

Because now it’s personal.

Because now it’s real.

Behind me, Aspen steps closer.

I feel her hand brush my back.

Not stopping me.

Backing me.

Always.

The agent’s voice lowers.

“You’re compromising the investigation.”

I shake my head once.

“No,” I say. “You already did that.”

His eyes narrow.

And there it is—

The shift.

No more polite.

No more controlled conversation.

This is pressure now.

---