Identification didn't begin with accusation.
It began with narrowing.
Sabotage had blinked.
Which meant it had rhythm.
And rhythm could be traced.
The audit logs compiled overnight.
Access overlaps mapped.
Workflow delays timestamped.
Routing anomalies layered against authority shifts.
"They weren't random," Adrian said, scanning the first compiled grid.
"No," I replied. "They were sequential."
Sequential meant intent.
Intent meant actor.
The pattern formed like a constellation.
Scattered points at first.
Then alignment.
Every irregularity intersected at one operational layer.
Not executive.
Not entry-level.
Middle.
"They're embedded," Adrian said quietly.
"Yes," I replied. "Close enough to influence flow."
But not close enough to control outcome.
I isolated the cluster.
Four names appeared repeatedly across misrouted documentation and redundant approval loops.
Not overt instigators.
Touchpoints.
"They're not all guilty," Adrian said.
