Quest Chapter 32

Chapter 32 Summary

Robert Jackson wakes in a FBI-arranged safe house—a third-floor apartment in Westwood Village, ten miles from his actual home. The night before, he'd met with Oliver Franklin, who had set up the secure location.

Despite the apartment’s comforts, Jackson is uneasy. Though he’s operating on a secure government network, he’s fully aware that the CIA or other government agencies could trace his activity via his FBI-issued laptop’s IP address. He also worries about being tracked through his personal cell phone using GPS or cell tower triangulation. The paranoia leads him to reflect grimly on how hard it is to stay off-grid in the modern surveillance age—even AI-driven facial recognition systems make hiding nearly impossible.

Meanwhile, Mark finishes his shopping trip at the mall by purchasing three burner phones, activating one on the spot. He uses it to call Samantha, who answers cautiously. Their conversation reveals the full scope of what’s happened: Mark confirms he was drugged and abducted by order of Colonel Weaver and taken to Fort Liberty, where he was held in a detention cell. Weaver had used blackmail over his property purchase to force Mark into accepting a mission.

Mark assures Samantha he’s now in Virginia, safe for the moment, and officially working on a reconnaissance mission. He tells her that a letter guaranteeing immunity from prosecution has been sent to her home. Sam, who’s still staying at Mark’s house, is relieved to hear his voice and promises to update Tim, Lisa, Becky, and Officer Charley.

After the call, Sam rushes to Lisa’s to share the good news. Lisa contacts Tim and Becky, while Sam heads back to call Charley. When Sam recounts Mark’s experience, Charley is alarmed, declaring the act highly illegal. She vows to contact both the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and the FBI, explaining that while the military has internal investigation branches (like CID, OSI, and NCIS), civilian involvement necessitates FBI jurisdiction.

Charley hints that Colonel Weaver may face serious legal consequences, warning that if the truth comes out, it will not end well for him.