Chapter 8 - The Woman in the Black CoatI heard Sophia scream.
"Daddy!"
I moved toward her voice.
Another gunshot.
Concrete exploded beside me.
Daniel shouted:
"Left!"
I moved.
My hand found Sophia's arm.
I pulled her toward me.
But someone grabbed her from behind.
I spun.
A woman in a black coat stood there.
She wore gloves.
Her face was partially covered.
I struck her wrist.
She released Sophia.
Daniel dragged my daughter behind a concrete pillar.
The woman stepped backward.
Then she removed the covering from her face.
I froze.
Claire.
My sister-in-law's sister.
"Claire?"
She was crying.
"Michael, I'm sorry."
I couldn't speak.
"You?"
"I tried to stop them."
"You helped them."
"No."
She shook her head.
"I helped Sarah."
"Same thing."
She looked toward Sophia.
"They were going to take her."
"Who?"
Claire swallowed.
"General Cole."
I glanced toward the warehouse entrance.
Cole was gone.
"Where's Sarah?"
Claire's expression collapsed.
"They have her."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
She stepped closer.
"Sarah wasn't supposed to hurt Sophia."
"What was she supposed to do?"
"Watch you."
My blood ran cold.
"Watch me?"
"Yes."
Claire continued.
"Every argument. Every purchase. Every trip. Every conversation."
I remembered Sarah's mocking comments.
The accusations.
The complaints about money.
The constant pressure.
It had all been surveillance.
"Why?"
"Because they believed you'd find the ledger."
Daniel interrupted.
"Not believed."
He pointed at Claire.
"They knew."
Claire nodded.
"Your wife hid the original evidence before she died."
I stared at her.
"How do you know that?"
"Because she told me."
The room became silent.
My wife's name felt like a ghost passing through the warehouse.
"What exactly did she tell you?"
Claire reached into her coat.
She pulled out an old photograph.
My wife was smiling.
Behind her was a handwritten sentence.
MICHAEL WILL THINK HE FAILED ME. TELL HIM HE DIDN'T.
I couldn't breathe.
Claire continued.
"She knew someone inside the program was monitoring you."
"Then why didn't she tell me?"
"Because she was afraid you'd go after them."
I looked down.
"She was protecting me."
Claire nodded.
"And Sophia."
A loudspeaker crackled.
Cole's voice filled the warehouse.
"You finally understand."
I looked up.
"You're finished."
Cole laughed.
"No, Colonel."
The warehouse doors closed.
"You're exactly where I wanted you."
Then he played a recording.
My wife's voice.
Twelve years old.
Terrified.
"If Michael is hearing this, it means they found Sophia."
My blood stopped.
The recording continued.
"Michael, do not trust the Army."
Static.
Then one final sentence.
"Trust the man you think is dead."
Daniel looked at me.
I looked at him.
May you like
And suddenly I understood.
My wife had known Daniel was alive.
