Chapter 19 Summary

Tension thickens in Austin as Bravo and Larry endure the monotony of their enforced confinement. Breakfast in silence underscores their hostility; Bravo barely restrains his impulse to deal with Larry permanently. While Bravo showers, Larry secretly contacts an associate, confirming the Director’s plans are nearing execution, but insisting that he and Bravo remain invisible. Larry distracts himself with television, his thoughts drifting to his troubled past and the loss of his mother, before Bravo returns, suspicious of his phone call. Their exchanges reveal growing resentment, each man chafing under the waiting game.

Meanwhile, in St. Louis, Jeffrey Kruger schemes to secure temporary admin access to the company’s email servers. By manipulating IT manager Scott Gray, Kruger positions himself to comb through Jenkins’s emails, intending to erase anything that might draw Morris’s suspicion. At the same time, Javon Morris prepares for a high-pressure press conference with little new evidence to present. Forensic reports tend to support the authenticity of the Jenkins video, although doubts persist. Facing an unexpectedly large media turnout, Morris delivers his cautious update, managing the barrage of questions until frustration boils over. Drained and irritable, he escapes the swarm of reporters, realizing the strain of the case is already beginning to wear him down.