Chapter 7 - The Man Isabel Feared
The name Isabel had spoken was General Richard Voss.
Chairman of the military medical oversight board.
Gabriel's commanding superior.
The man who had approved his career.
Voss had access to everything.
Deployments.
Medical records.
Family information.
Classified systems.
He had protected Guardian for decades.
Gabriel wanted to confront him immediately.
Anthony stopped him.
"Evidence first."
For once, Gabriel listened to his father.
Guardian had survived because frightened people acted alone.
Gabriel wouldn't.
The FBI secured the servers.
Army investigators authenticated Isabel's files.
Mateo testified.
Elena testified.
Hale agreed to cooperate in exchange for facing his own involvement honestly.
Margaret provided financial records.
Anthony surrendered voluntarily.
"You'll go to prison," Gabriel told him.
"Maybe."
"You helped create Guardian."
"I did."
Anthony looked at his son.
"Trying to destroy something doesn't erase helping build it."
Gabriel respected that answer more than any excuse.
Voss called.
"Gabriel."
"General."
"You've created a serious problem."
"No, sir. You did."
Voss tried authority.
Then threats.
Then negotiation.
Gabriel recorded everything under federal authorization.
"You think Isabel was innocent?" Voss asked.
Gabriel's grip tightened.
"Careful."
"She stole classified material."
"She exposed murdered children."
"She endangered national security."
"She protected our son."
Silence.
Voss realized his mistake.
Our son.
He had just confirmed knowledge of Isabel's actions.
Gabriel continued talking.
Voss continued incriminating himself.
Then he said something unexpected.
"You still don't know why Daniel was selected."
Gabriel's heart tightened.
"Why?"
"Because of you."
Gabriel waited.
"Guardian needed multigenerational military families. Your father was first generation. You were second."
"And Daniel?"
"Third."
Gabriel felt disgust.
His family had been studied like laboratory animals.
Voss continued.
"Anthony ruined decades of work."
"Good."
"Isabel ruined more."
"Better."
"And now you think exposing us makes you a hero?"
"No."
Gabriel looked through the observation window.
Daniel was sitting with Elena.
Mateo was beside them.
Gabriel's son was laughing.
"I think going home with my son makes me his father."
Voss disconnected.
Federal agents were already moving.
But Voss disappeared before they reached his residence.
A nationwide search began.
Gabriel stayed with Daniel.
That decision surprised everyone.
"You aren't going after him?" Cole asked.
"No."
Gabriel looked at Daniel.
"I spent my life believing protecting people meant chasing the enemy."
He sat beside his son.
"Sometimes it means staying."
Daniel's doctors confirmed he would recover.
The diagnostic implant remained intact.
Its data provided devastating evidence.
Guardian's victims began being identified.
Families who had spent decades believing congenital disease or medical accidents had taken loved ones finally learned the truth.
Elena sat with Mateo for hours.
They exchanged stories of fourteen missing years.
It wasn't easy.
Mateo carried trauma.
Elena carried anger.
But they had time now.
Gabriel watched them from the doorway.
Elena noticed.
"Stop staring."
"I'm observing."
"That's staring with military vocabulary."
Gabriel smiled.
Daniel looked between them.
"Can Elena still come home?"
Elena laughed.
Gabriel shook his head.
"You're persistent."
"I learned from you."
That evening, Gabriel received a secure message.
Voss had crossed into Pennsylvania.
Authorities were closing in.
Gabriel didn't move.
Then another message arrived.
Not from investigators.
Unknown number.
A photograph.
Daniel's school.
Taken that afternoon.
Gabriel stood.
Voss wasn't running.
He was circling back.
May you like
And beneath the photograph were four words:
ONE MORE FAMILY MEMBER.
