The terminal speakers crackled.<\/p>\n
Rebecca Lane\u2019s voice remained calm.<\/p>\n
Too calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cSarah, step away from Mark.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stood between him and Noah.<\/p>\n
Mark did not move.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat exactly are you accusing him of?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cSabotaging Daniel\u2019s vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a lie.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca continued as though she had expected him to say it.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel discovered Mark was connected to Westbridge. Twelve hours later, someone altered the steering controls in his car.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Mark.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca answered for him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had access.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn\u2019t proof.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark looked at me, surprised.<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t defending him.<\/p>\n
I was refusing to let another confident voice replace evidence.<\/p>\n
Rebecca seemed to understand.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood. Daniel taught you better than most investigators.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never met Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. But your sister did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark touched the keyboard.<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s voice sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe system is recording every input.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark almost laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cSarah, Daniel built the archive because he knew the investigation was compromised. He suspected Mark.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily\u2019s recording said someone in your office betrayed him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Just half a second.<\/p>\n
But enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe never proved it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re asking me to trust you while admitting your office was compromised.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m asking you not to trust Mark.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThose aren\u2019t the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark looked at me again.<\/p>\n
I ignored him.<\/p>\n
The archive screen displayed dozens of folders.<\/p>\n
I searched Daniel\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
One file appeared.<\/p>\n
LAST VEHICLE RECORDING.<\/p>\n
Mark inhaled sharply.<\/p>\n
Rebecca said immediately, \u201cDo not open that.\u201d<\/p>\n
I froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt may contain malware.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark stared at the speaker.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what you\u2019re going with?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSarah, Daniel embedded destructive code in several decoy files.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark stepped toward the terminal.<\/p>\n
I raised a hand.<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you know?\u201d I asked him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat file didn\u2019t exist the last time I saw the archive structure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen was that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore Daniel died.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you had access then.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca cut in.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had complete access.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark snapped toward the speaker.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo did you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
There it was.<\/p>\n
Two people accusing each other.<\/p>\n
Both had access.<\/p>\n
Both had motive to manipulate me.<\/p>\n
Neither deserved trust.<\/p>\n
Noah tugged my sleeve.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom said recordings don\u2019t argue.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said if grown-ups tell different stories, find what was recorded before they knew they needed to lie.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost smiled.<\/p>\n
That was Emily.<\/p>\n
Practical even under terror.<\/p>\n
I opened the vehicle recording.<\/p>\n
Rebecca shouted, \u201cSarah, no!\u201d<\/p>\n
The screen went black.<\/p>\n
Then video appeared.<\/p>\n
Dashboard camera.<\/p>\n
Daniel Reynolds behind the wheel.<\/p>\n
Date stamp.<\/p>\n
The night he died.<\/p>\n
I had never seen him moving before.<\/p>\n
Noah stared.<\/p>\n
His biological father looked younger than I expected.<\/p>\n
Tired.<\/p>\n
He drove along a dark highway.<\/p>\n
Then spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this file reaches Emily, it means I was right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark leaned closer.<\/p>\n
Daniel continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone accessed the witness identities after I locked the system.\u201d<\/p>\n
He glanced toward the mirror.<\/p>\n
\u201cI traced the access to Rebecca Lane\u2019s credentials.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went silent.<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s voice from the terminal speaker became very quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t prove I used them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel seemed to answer from the recording.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know whether Rebecca knows her account was used.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked toward the speaker.<\/p>\n
Rebecca said nothing.<\/p>\n
Daniel continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe login originated from Terminal Seven.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark whispered, \u201cYour office.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca responded.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone in the unit could reach Terminal Seven.\u201d<\/p>\n
The recording continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also discovered Mark Harris has been feeding the network information.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
Noah looked at him.<\/p>\n
Daniel said, \u201cI confronted him tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
The video changed.<\/p>\n
Daniel was parked.<\/p>\n
The passenger door opened.<\/p>\n
Mark entered.<\/p>\n
Younger.<\/p>\n
Cleaner.<\/p>\n
Terrified.<\/p>\n
I looked at the man beside me.<\/p>\n
He stared at his former self.<\/p>\n
On the recording, Daniel said, \u201cTell me again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Young Mark looked toward the camera.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou recording this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I\u2019m dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe. Tell me anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWestbridge knows you found the child identities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho told them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noah made a small sound.<\/p>\n
Mark\u2019s eyes closed.<\/p>\n
Daniel asked, \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have files on me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMoney?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy brother.\u201d<\/p>\n
I glanced at present-day Mark.<\/p>\n
He did not react.<\/p>\n
Daniel said, \u201cWhat about him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe killed someone when we were nineteen. Drunk driving. My father buried it. Westbridge found the police report.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel\u2019s voice remained cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you sold witness identities to protect your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told myself nobody would get hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel laughed once.<\/p>\n
Without humor.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sold locations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know what they were doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you touch my car?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know who did?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you tell them where I was tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noah looked at him.<\/p>\n
Present-day Mark whispered, \u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
The recorded Daniel sat back.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to get out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, you can.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ll kill me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ll kill Emily too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark realized what he had revealed.<\/p>\n
Daniel leaned toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know Emily?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark said nothing.<\/p>\n
Daniel\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve been watching her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was assigned to monitor you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd she was part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt sick.<\/p>\n
So Mark had known Emily even before their marriage.<\/p>\n
Not romantically.<\/p>\n
Operationally.<\/p>\n
Daniel continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf anything happens to me, stay away from her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark looked ashamed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause they already decided I\u2019m going to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey want someone near her after you\u2019re gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noah gripped my hand.<\/p>\n
The implication was monstrous.<\/p>\n
Mark\u2019s future marriage had been planned.<\/p>\n
Maybe not every detail.<\/p>\n
But proximity had been.<\/p>\n
Daniel leaned toward the camera.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you go near her, I will expose you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark almost smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think you\u2019ll get the chance?\u201d<\/p>\n
The recording jolted.<\/p>\n
A vehicle struck Daniel\u2019s car from behind.<\/p>\n
The dashboard tilted.<\/p>\n
Daniel grabbed the wheel.<\/p>\n
Mark shouted.<\/p>\n
Another impact.<\/p>\n
Then chaos.<\/p>\n
The passenger door flew open.<\/p>\n
Mark disappeared from view.<\/p>\n
Daniel fought the wheel.<\/p>\n
The car left the road.<\/p>\n
The image spun violently.<\/p>\n
Branches.<\/p>\n
Darkness.<\/p>\n
Metal.<\/p>\n
Then silence.<\/p>\n
The screen remained active.<\/p>\n
Daniel groaned.<\/p>\n
Several seconds later, footsteps approached.<\/p>\n
Not Mark.<\/p>\n
Someone else.<\/p>\n
A woman\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s voice from the live terminal speaker said, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
We all heard it.<\/p>\n
The woman in the recording opened the driver\u2019s door.<\/p>\n
Daniel whispered, \u201cRebecca?\u201d<\/p>\n
My skin went cold.<\/p>\n
The live connection went silent.<\/p>\n
On the video, Rebecca Lane crouched beside him.<\/p>\n
Younger.<\/p>\n
But unmistakable.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t move,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cCall an ambulance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMark?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel tried to lift his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cTerminal Seven.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca froze.<\/p>\n
Daniel saw it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew someone was using my credentials.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you didn\u2019t tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I reported it, they would have known we were onto them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you let them keep using it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was tracing access.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel coughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou gambled with witnesses.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was trying to find the leak.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel laughed weakly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou found it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca looked away.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen they found me first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Headlights appeared behind her.<\/p>\n
Rebecca looked toward the road.<\/p>\n
Fear crossed her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to move you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel caught her sleeve.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake the drive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat drive?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy coat.\u201d<\/p>\n
She reached inside.<\/p>\n
Removed a small storage device.<\/p>\n
The same shape as Mark\u2019s key.<\/p>\n
Daniel whispered, \u201cTwo halves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere\u2019s the other?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot telling you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another car approached.<\/p>\n
Rebecca stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone\u2019s coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked directly at the dashboard camera.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I die, don\u2019t trust anyone who says they were trying to protect me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then the recording cut.<\/p>\n
The archive room was silent.<\/p>\n
Rebecca finally spoke through the terminal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI made mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou let him die.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI called emergency services.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou left before they arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause armed men were coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou took his drive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo protect it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca did not answer.<\/p>\n
I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you still have it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was stolen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cConvenient.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s voice sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are not in a position to judge anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. But I know what guilt sounds like.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Mark.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou gave them Daniel\u2019s location.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew they were going after him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought they would threaten him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is impossible to believe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was what I told myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was different.<\/p>\n
Not innocence.<\/p>\n
Self-deception.<\/p>\n
I understood that more than I wanted to.<\/p>\n
Noah asked, \u201cDid you know he was my dad?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot then.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen did you find out?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you were four.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you hate me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark\u2019s face broke.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noah\u2019s eyes filled.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom said you got angry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI got scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause if Westbridge knew who you were, they would use you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noah wiped his face angrily.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t protect me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark\u2019s voice dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cI failed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noah turned away.<\/p>\n
The building shook again.<\/p>\n
A deeper explosion this time.<\/p>\n
Dust drifted from the ceiling.<\/p>\n
Rebecca spoke urgently.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re breaching the outer level.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cMinutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can see the building?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have remote security feeds.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you get us out?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark interrupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t take her route.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause she\u2019ll direct us to federal teams.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca answered immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. That\u2019s exactly what I\u2019ll do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTeams from your compromised office.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI cleaned the unit after Daniel\u2019s death.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence again.<\/p>\n
I hated that every answer created another question.<\/p>\n
Then the archive screen changed.<\/p>\n
A new folder opened automatically.<\/p>\n
DANIEL \u2014 CONTINGENCY THREE.<\/p>\n
Text appeared.<\/p>\n
IF REBECCA AND MARK ARE BOTH PRESENT, PLAY FILE.<\/p>\n
All three of us stared.<\/p>\n
Mark whispered, \u201cHe planned for this.\u201d<\/p>\n
I opened it.<\/p>\n
Daniel appeared on screen again.<\/p>\n
This recording had been made earlier.<\/p>\n
He looked directly into the camera.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re watching this, then somehow Rebecca Lane and Mark Harris have both survived long enough to reach the archive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark exhaled.<\/p>\n
Rebecca said nothing.<\/p>\n
Daniel continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou both betrayed me in different ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neither argued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat does not mean either of you is beyond use.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost laughed.<\/p>\n
Daniel had apparently been as practical as Emily.<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca, you were too willing to sacrifice people for the investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her breathing became audible through the speakers.<\/p>\n
\u201cMark, you were too willing to sacrifice people for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cSarah, if you are there, trust neither of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n
Daniel added, \u201cBut use both.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was somehow worse.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey each hold something the other cannot replace.\u201d<\/p>\n
The screen split.<\/p>\n
Rebecca Lane: external authorization.<\/p>\n
Mark Harris: internal network credentials.<\/p>\n
Then:<\/p>\n
Noah Reynolds: biological authentication.<\/p>\n
And finally:<\/p>\n
Sarah Bennett: independent custodian.<\/p>\n
My name.<\/p>\n
My full name.<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
Daniel had known who I was.<\/p>\n
Long before tonight.<\/p>\n
Noah stared at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cSarah, Emily told me you were the one person she would trust with Noah if everything failed.\u201d<\/p>\n
My eyes burned.<\/p>\n
The recording continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe archive will not release its master evidence unless all four roles authenticate.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Mark.<\/p>\n
Then at the speaker.<\/p>\n
Rebecca whispered, \u201cHe built a quorum.\u201d<\/p>\n
Foster would have called it that too.<\/p>\n
Daniel said, \u201cIf one role is missing, the evidence stays sealed.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we need Rebecca.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark nodded reluctantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd she needs us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The archive screen displayed a new prompt.<\/p>\n
BEGIN MASTER RELEASE?<\/p>\n
Below it:<\/p>\n
FOUR AUTHENTICATIONS REQUIRED.<\/p>\n
Then another sound shook the building.<\/p>\n
Gunfire.<\/p>\n
Much closer.<\/p>\n
Rebecca said, \u201cSarah, you need to initiate now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you authenticate remotely?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShould I trust that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her answer surprised me.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Daniel built the system so none of us has enough control alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Noah.<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
Mark inserted his hand beneath a scanner.<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s remote credentials began loading.<\/p>\n
The screen asked for Noah.<\/p>\n
He placed his palm on the plate.<\/p>\n
Then it asked for me.<\/p>\n
I hesitated.<\/p>\n
Outside the archive room, metal screamed.<\/p>\n
Someone was cutting through a security door.<\/p>\n
Mark looked toward the sound.<\/p>\n
\u201cSarah.\u201d<\/p>\n
I placed my hand on the scanner.<\/p>\n
The screen flashed.<\/p>\n
AUTHENTICATION COMPLETE.<\/p>\n
MASTER RELEASE INITIATED.<\/p>\n
Then:<\/p>\n
ESTIMATED TIME: 09:00.<\/p>\n
Nine minutes.<\/p>\n
We did not have nine minutes.<\/p>\n
A camera feed appeared.<\/p>\n
Armed men flooded the corridor above.<\/p>\n
At their center walked someone I recognized.<\/p>\n
Not because I had met him.<\/p>\n
Because his photograph had been in Daniel\u2019s files.<\/p>\n
The senior official whose name had been circled.<\/p>\n
He looked directly into a security camera.<\/p>\n
Then smiled.<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s voice changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh God.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at the man.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is he?\u201d<\/p>\n
She answered with the first genuine fear I had heard from her all night.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy director.\u201d<\/p>\n
The terminal speakers crackled. Rebecca Lane\u2019s voice remained calm. Too calm. \u201cSarah, step away from Mark.\u201d I stood between him and Noah. Mark did not move. \u201cWhat exactly are you … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":581,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feel-every-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=588"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/588\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":618,"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/588\/revisions\/618"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}