Chapter 4 - The Man Who Made Me
For twenty years, Thomas Everett had been one of the names I associated with honor.
Now he was standing behind my kidnapped brother.
"Let him go."
Everett smiled sadly through the video.
"I wish it were that simple."
"You have no idea how simple I can make it."
Cole moved beside me.
Everett noticed.
"Nathan."
Cole's face tightened.
"Sir."
"Still loyal."
"To the Constitution."
Everett almost smiled.
"Good answer."
I stepped closer to the screen.
"What do you want?"
"The drive."
"It's gone."
"The copy."
I glanced at Daniel.
Everett laughed.
"Come on, Alyssa. Ryan chose you because he knew you'd make a copy."
He was right.
The isolated machine had mirrored the drive automatically.
"What happens if I give it to you?"
"Ryan goes home."
"And if I don't?"
Everett placed a hand on my brother's shoulder.
Ryan flinched.
"You know how these negotiations work."
I hated that he was right.
"Warehouse?"
"Midnight."
"I'm coming."
"Alone."
The video ended.
Cole immediately said, "Absolutely not."
"I know."
Harrison looked at me.
"You can't go."
"I'm going."
"He'll kill you."
"Maybe."
My mother grabbed my arm.
"No."
I looked at her.
"I've brought soldiers home from places worse than a warehouse."
"You're my daughter."
For the first time that night, those words sounded uncomplicated.
I covered her hand with mine.
"And Ryan is my brother."
We built a plan.
Not a heroic one.
A practical one.
Cole coordinated with federal investigators he trusted.
Daniel provided warehouse layouts.
My father gave us access codes.
At 11:52, I entered the warehouse carrying the copied drive.
Alone, as far as Everett could see.
The building smelled like dust and machine oil.
One light burned over the center floor.
Ryan sat beneath it.
Everett stood beside him.
No army.
No squad of mercenaries.
Just an old general and a gun resting on a crate.
"You're early," he said.
"I was taught punctuality."
"By me."
"No. By people who deserved the credit."
His smile disappeared.
"Untie him."
"The drive."
I held it up.
"Ryan first."
"Alyssa."
"General Dawson."
He studied me.
Then nodded.
Ryan's restraints were cut by a man who emerged from behind a pillar.
My brother stumbled toward me.
I caught him.
"You okay?"
"I've had better alumni weekends."
Even now.
Ryan.
I almost laughed.
Everett held out his hand.
"The drive."
I tossed it onto the floor halfway between us.
He stared.
"Pick it up."
"No."
"Alyssa."
"You want it. You pick it up."
He sighed.
"You were always difficult."
"You were watching me."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because your father wouldn't stop you."
"Stop me from serving my country?"
"From getting close to Lantern."
Ryan whispered, "He's lying."
Everett looked at him.
"Still doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"Thinking you understand grown men's mistakes."
I stepped in front of Ryan.
"Talk to me."
Everett's expression changed.
For the first time, I saw exhaustion.
"Lantern was supposed to save lives."
"Three soldiers died."
"Three soldiers died during a prototype failure. We had a war coming. We needed the system."
"So you buried them."
"I buried a failure."
"They had families."
"I know."
"Did you?"
His jaw tightened.
"I attended every funeral."
"Under false pretenses."
"Yes."
That single admission made the warehouse feel colder.
"Why pay my father?"
"He found the original test data."
Harrison hadn't taken a bribe to create the cover-up.
He had been paid to remain silent afterward.
Cowardice instead of conspiracy.
Not better.
Different.
"Why keep Lantern alive for twenty years?"
"Because it worked."
"After killing three men."
"After we fixed it."
"And Echo Directive?"
"Necessary."
"You abused emergency authority."
"I used authority to protect soldiers."
"You protected yourself."
Everett's eyes hardened.
"Careful."
"No."
I stepped closer.
"You spent my entire career deciding how much truth I was allowed to know. You manipulated my family. You watched me. You pushed my promotion while secretly hoping you could control what I found."
"I pushed your promotion because you earned it."
That stopped me.
Everett looked almost angry.
"Do not insult yourself because you hate me. Every star on your uniform is yours."
"Then why try to stop me twenty years ago?"
"Because I knew exactly what kind of officer you'd become."
"And what kind is that?"
"The kind who would choose the truth over me."
Silence.
It was the closest thing to honesty he'd given me.
Ryan leaned toward my ear.
"Keep him talking."
I knew why.
Cole was listening.
Everett glanced toward the ceiling.
Then smiled.
"Nathan always did like backup plans."
He reached for the gun.
"Don't."
His hand stopped.
Red targeting dots appeared across his chest.
Federal tactical officers emerged from the darkness.
Cole walked forward.
"It's over, sir."
Everett looked around.
Then at me.
"Is it?"
"Step away from the weapon."
He did.
Agents moved in.
For one second, I thought we had won.
Then Everett said:
"Ask Harrison who the fourth casualty was."
My stomach dropped.
"What?"
Cole handcuffed him.
Everett looked directly at me.
"There weren't three victims."
Ryan stared at him.
"You're lying."
"Ask your father."
"What fourth casualty?"
Everett smiled without humor.
"The one who survived."
He was taken away.
Ryan and I returned to Hawthorne just after 2:00 a.m.
My father was waiting.
I walked directly toward him.
"Who was the fourth casualty?"
All color left his face.
My mother looked between us.
"What is she talking about?"
Harrison sat down.
"Tell me."
He whispered, "It wasn't supposed to happen."
"Who?"
He covered his face.
I grabbed the chair opposite him and pulled it closer.
"Who survived Lantern?"
He looked up.
"Someone who should never have been at the test."
"Name."
His eyes filled.
"A civilian engineer."
"NAME."
My mother suddenly stood.
"Harrison."
He looked at her.
She understood before I did.
Her hand went to her mouth.
"No."
I turned toward her.
"Mom?"
She backed away.
"No."
Harrison began crying.
I had never seen my father cry.
Not once.
"Who was it?"
He whispered the name.
"Emily Dawson."
I froze.
My aunt Emily.
My father's younger sister.
The woman I had been told died in a car accident when I was fourteen.
My mother shook her head.
"Emily died."
Harrison looked at her.
"No."
The room became silent.
"Where is she?" I asked.
He couldn't answer.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
No one spoke.
Then a woman's voice whispered:
"Alyssa?"
I stood.
"Who is this?"
She started crying.
I already knew.
"Emily?"
The line went quiet.
May you like
Then my dead aunt said:
"Your father knows where I am."
