Chapter 52 Summary
Samir Patel prepares for his third day at ByteForge Security and takes a moment to call Dr. Lana Harding, as promised, to provide an update. He describes how the first couple of days were mostly orientation and project review, but today marks his first day of active participation. Lana encourages him, and the two discuss his upcoming plans to attend his first live baseball game that evening with Tyler Winslow and Thomas Allen. Samir confides that he feels inferior around Thomas, but alive around Tyler, revealing a subtle admiration for him. Lana, knowing Tyler’s real identity is Mark Peltier, nearly slips up, but redirects without raising Samir’s suspicion.
Meanwhile, Mark wakes up and receives a text from Tim Walsh, confirming the DCS parcel was delivered and placed inside Mark’s home. Mark replies with appreciation and reflects on the dual purpose of the evening ballgame: introducing Samir to baseball culture and assessing Thomas Allen’s trustworthiness. Mark is cautious about Allen’s charm and influence and is determined to determine whether he poses a security threat.
Elsewhere, Dr. Robert Jackson has breakfast while watching news reports of gun violence, prompting reflection on the Second Amendment and the contentious issue of assault weapons. Disgusted by the ongoing violence, he turns off the TV and checks his email. He finds a message from Dr. Alexandra Conner, formally instructing him to begin analysis on Quest’s data anomalies. She informs him that Janet Faber will provide credentials and expects Jackson to involve other former Quest team members if necessary. He can work remotely, but travel will be arranged if on-site presence is required.
Jackson contacts Oliver Franklin to discuss the assignment. Oliver affirms that they have no choice—Quest is a presidential priority, and Jackson is needed despite the risk that the CIA might be setting him up as a scapegoat. They agree that Jackson will delay accessing the CIA systems until Oliver consults with his technical team about using a secure connection to mask Jackson’s location at the safe house.
