Chapter 4 The Edge of Trust

The diner’s neon glow had faded by noon, swallowed by Port Haven’s overcast sky, but the air inside remained thick with the scent of stale coffee and secrets. Lena Carver sat in the same corner booth, her fingers tracing the rim of a fresh mug, her green eyes fixed on the door. The USB drive from Sarah Lin burned in her pocket, a silent challenge to the threats piling up You can’t save them all, Lena. Riley Voss was due any minute with answers, but Lena’s instincts churned. Sarah’s revelations about Nexus DataCorp’s surveillance empire and Ethan’s death had cracked something open inside her, a wound she’d thought long scarred over. Trust was a currency she couldn’t afford to spend lightly, not when everyone Marcus, the chief, even Sarah felt like a potential fracture in her armor.

The precinct had been a hornet’s nest when she’d left, whispers of her suspension gaining traction. Chief Ramsey’s warning rang in her ears: You’re on thin ice. He’d always been a political animal, but his quickness to bury Wells’ case felt personal, like he was hiding more than just campaign donations from Nexus. Marcus, too, had been cagey, his hesitation in the bullpen a red flag Lena couldn’t ignore. And then there was the black SUV, idling like a predator outside the precinct. Someone was watching, and they wanted her to know it.

The door jangled, and Riley slid into the booth, her purple hair damp from the drizzle, her laptop bag slung across her shoulder. Her usual smirk was gone, replaced by a tightness around her eyes that set Lena on edge. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Lena said, her voice low, steady.

“Not a ghost. A nightmare.” Riley pulled out her laptop, her fingers flying across the keys as she spoke. “That USB? It’s a goldmine, but it’s bad, Lena. Really bad.” She glanced around the diner, her voice dropping. “Nexus isn’t just tracking people they’re weaponizing data. Blackmail, extortion, targeted hits. They’ve got files on everyone: judges, cops, even the mayor. And your brother? He was onto their prototype, a system that predicts behavior, manipulates it. They killed him to keep it quiet.”

Lena’s chest tightened, but she kept her face neutral, her years on the job a shield against the pain. “Names. Who’s running it?”

Riley hesitated, her fingers pausing. “The drive mentions a fixer Victor Kane. No photo, but he’s their enforcer. Cleans up messes, makes people disappear. And there’s a bigger player, someone coded as ‘The Architect.’ No name, just a shadow pulling strings.” She slid the laptop toward Lena, a decrypted file open on the screen. “This is what Ethan died for. Wells, too. They were both trying to leak it.”

Lena scanned the file, her pulse quickening. Lists of targets, surveillance logs, encrypted communications it was a blueprint of control, Nexus’ grip on Port Haven laid bare. One line caught her eye: a reference to a “clean-up” at the docks, dated the night Ethan died. Her fingers clenched, nails biting into her palms. “This ties Nexus to Ethan,” she said, her voice barely controlled. “What else?”

Riley leaned closer, her voice a whisper. “There’s a meeting tonight. Nexus execs, some politician, at their headquarters. The drive mentions a data transfer something big. If you want answers, that’s where you’ll find them.”

Lena’s mind raced. A meeting at Nexus’ glass monolith was a trap waiting to happen, but it was also a chance to catch Kane, maybe even the Architect. She glanced at Riley, searching for cracks in her story. Riley had been Ethan’s friend, but grief made people desperate, and desperation made them dangerous. “You’re sure about this?” Lena asked, her eyes narrowing.

Riley met her gaze, unflinching. “I owe Ethan. I’m sure.”

Lena nodded, but doubt lingered. She handed Riley the burner phone she’d given Sarah. “Use this if you find anything else. No personal devices. Nexus is watching.” Riley took it, her expression unreadable, and Lena wondered if she’d just handed a lifeline to an ally or a noose to herself.

Back in her sedan, Lena drove toward the precinct, the city’s skyline looming through the drizzle. Her phone buzzed a new message from the unknown number: You’re digging your own grave, Carver. Attached was a photo of her leaving the diner, Riley’s laptop visible. Her grip tightened on the wheel, her jaw set. They were closing in, and she was running out of moves.

At the precinct, she avoided the bullpen, slipping into the evidence room instead. The microchip from Wells’ penthouse was still being processed, but she needed answers now. She found the tech, a wiry kid named Patel, hunched over a terminal. “Carver,” he said, startled. “You’re not supposed to ”

“Save it,” Lena cut in, her voice sharp. “What’s on the chip?”

Patel hesitated, then pulled up a file. “It’s partial, but it’s a key part of Nexus’ encryption protocol. Could unlock their servers, but we’d need more data. And, uh, the chief asked about it. He’s pushing to transfer the case to the feds.”

Lena’s blood ran cold. Ramsey was covering tracks, and the feds’ involvement meant Nexus had deeper hooks than she’d feared. “Keep that chip off the books,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. “And don’t talk to anyone but me.”

Patel nodded, his hands trembling. Lena left, her mind a storm of connections Nexus, Ramsey, the Architect. She needed to get into that meeting, but going in blind was suicide. She texted Sarah on the burner: Need details on Nexus HQ. Tonight. Reply fast. No response came, and Lena’s gut twisted. Sarah was either scared or compromised.

As dusk fell, Lena parked near the waterfront, watching Nexus’ headquarters from a distance. The glass tower glowed, a beacon of power in the darkening city. She checked her gun, her resolve hardening. Ethan’s death, Wells’ murder, the threats they all led here. But Marcus’ warning echoed: They’ve got more pull than the mayor. She thought of Daniels, the rookie, too green to trust, and Riley, who knew too much. Even Sarah, the dame who’d dropped into her life like a lit match, felt like a puzzle piece that didn’t fit.

Her phone buzzed Sarah, finally: North entrance, 9 p.m. Security’s light. Be careful. Lena exhaled, her breath fogging in the cold. She didn’t trust Sarah, not fully, but she had no choice. The truth was buried in that tower, and she’d dig it up, even if it meant walking into a trap. Port Haven was a city of predators, and Lena Carver was no one’s prey. She started the engine, the night closing in, ready to face whatever Nexus was hiding or die trying.