I've been digging into the CIA's clandestine operations during the Cold War, and the layers of secrets are astonishing. How do you usually go about unearthing hidden information, especially when the digital footprints are so well concealed?

That sounds very methodical, almost like a historian chasing primary sources. I usually start by tracing the earliest documented link, then map how each subsequent reference spreads—kind of like mapping a virus through time. Once you hit a dead‑end, I dig into the archives, the old microfilms, the hand‑written letters that most digital scans miss. It’s a lot of back‑and‑forth, but the hidden pattern finally pops out. How do you handle the occasional dead‑end when the digital trail goes cold?