Chapter 4 - The Second Man
Ethan didn't go alone.
He called the police.
But he reached the garage first.
The door hung open.
Samuel's backpack lay on the concrete.
“Samuel?”
Nothing.
Ethan entered.
A chair had been overturned.
A phone lay smashed beside it.
Then Samuel appeared from behind an old workbench.
“Don't shoot.”
Ethan exhaled.
“What happened?”
“He came looking for me.”
“Who?”
Samuel handed Ethan a folded newspaper clipping.
A photograph showed Mercer receiving a military commendation years earlier.
Standing beside him was a younger Martin Vale.
And beside Vale stood a third man.
Ethan recognized him.
Dr. Nathan Cole.
The physician who had first treated Sophia in the emergency department.
Ethan stared.
“No.”
Samuel nodded.
“That's who I saw.”
Ethan immediately called Ortiz.
This time she answered.
She wasn't kidnapped.
Vale had spoofed her number.
Another manipulation.
Within an hour, Ortiz had begun investigating Cole.
The findings were ugly.
Cole had once served as a medical consultant for a defense contractor connected to Mercer.
Financial records showed payments from one of Vale's shell companies.
But why would a doctor attack Sophia?
They returned to the hospital.
Cole was gone.
His shift had supposedly ended hours earlier.
Then Ethan remembered the fake badge.
Someone had entered Sophia's room at 4:13 a.m.
Security enlarged the footage.
Same height.
Same walk.
Cole.
Ethan's blood turned cold.
“He went into her room.”
Ortiz nodded.
“But her medical records show no adverse event afterward.”
“What did he do?”
They searched the room.
Nothing obvious.
Then the nurse found a folded piece of paper beneath Sophia's mattress.
One sentence.
STOP LOOKING FOR VALE. HE DIDN'T DO THIS.
Ethan stared at it.
Cole was shifting blame.
Or telling the truth.
Sophia awakened again that night.
This time she remained conscious.
Confused.
Weak.
But conscious.
Ethan sat beside her.
She cried when she recognized him.
“You came home.”
“Yeah.”
“Early.”
“Two days.”
Her eyes closed.
“I tried to wait.”
“You don't have to explain anything.”
“Yes, I do.”
She squeezed his fingers weakly.
“Dad lied because I told him to protect you.”
“I know.”
“No. You don't.”
She looked frightened.
“Vale came to the house for the files.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“He grabbed me. We fought. I fell.”
Ethan controlled his breathing.
“When he left, were you standing?”
“Yes.”
“What happened after?”
Sophia's eyes filled with terror.
“Dad ran after him.”
“And then?”
“The back door opened.”
“Who came in?”
She began trembling.
Ethan leaned closer.
“Sophia.”
“I thought he was there to help me.”
“Who?”
Her lips parted.
Then alarms sounded.
Not Sophia's monitor.
The entire ICU.
Lights flickered.
Emergency power activated.
Staff rushed through the corridor.
Ortiz shouted from outside.
“Ethan!”
He stepped out.
“What?”
“Cole's badge just accessed the service elevator.”
“What floor?”
“This one.”
They ran.
The elevator doors were open.
Empty.
Inside lay a hospital coat.
And a phone.
Ortiz picked it up carefully.
A video was already playing.
Dr. Cole faced the camera.
“If Ethan Walker sees this, understand that Mercer knows Sophia survived. He will not let her testify.”
Cole looked terrified.
“I helped cover financial records. I never agreed to what happened in that house.”
He swallowed.
“Mercer ordered me to keep Sophia sedated until Vale recovered the evidence. I refused.”
The video shook.
“Mercer isn't protecting Vale.”
Cole looked behind him.
“He's eliminating everyone who can connect him to the contracts.”
The video ended.
Ethan stared at Ortiz.
“Where is Cole?”
“We don't know.”
A nurse ran toward them.
“Mr. Walker!”
Ethan turned.
“Your wife is asking for you.”
He rushed back.
Sophia's eyes were wide.
“Ethan.”
“I'm here.”
“You need to listen.”
“I am.”
“Mercer knew you were coming home.”
Ethan froze.
“Nobody knew.”
“I did.”
“What?”
“I found out from your travel paperwork.”
Sophia struggled for breath.
“And I told one person because I thought I could trust him.”
“Who?”
She looked toward the doorway.
Her face changed.
Ethan followed her gaze.
Colonel Mercer stood outside the glass.
But Sophia wasn't looking at Mercer.
She was looking at the man standing behind him.
Samuel.
May you like
Sophia whispered:
“That's not Samuel.”
