Chapter 7 - The General’s Offer
Darkness swallowed the east wing.
Emergency lights flickered red along the hallway.
Reyes grabbed my shoulder.
“Move.”
We ran.
Gunshots cracked behind us.
We reached the central stairway.
General Vale stood below.
Alone.
No visible weapon.
“Victoria.”
I stopped.
Reyes raised his gun.
“Don't move.”
Vale looked at him.
“Agent Reyes.”
“Hands where I can see them.”
Vale slowly raised his hands.
Then looked at me.
“Your daughter is in danger.”
“She already was.”
“More than you understand.”
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Emily.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about David.”
His face tightened.
“Yes.”
I stepped toward the stairs.
“You watched them hurt my daughter.”
“No.”
“You let them.”
“I was trying to keep her alive.”
I laughed.
“You call that protection?”
“I call it containment.”
That word changed everything.
Reyes stared at him.
“Containment of what?”
Vale looked at me.
“Victoria, your husband discovered a program that was never supposed to exist.”
“What program?”
“Not here.”
“Then where?”
“Somewhere secure.”
“I don't trust you.”
“You shouldn't.”
At least he was honest.
He motioned toward a side door.
“Come with me.”
“No.”
“Then your daughter dies.”
The room went cold.
Reyes aimed his weapon.
“Explain.”
Vale's voice broke.
“They took Emily because they knew she was David's daughter.”
I stared at him.
“What does that mean?”
“It means David wasn't investigating Prescott Holdings.”
He pointed at me.
“He was investigating you.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
Vale's expression was grim.
“David discovered that your Army records had been altered before your marriage.”
My breath caught.
“My records?”
“Assignments. Psychological evaluations. Deployment history.”
“Why?”
“Because someone wanted you positioned exactly where they needed you.”
Reyes lowered his gun slightly.
“What are you saying?”
Vale looked at him.
“Colonel Victoria Hart wasn't chosen for several of her commands because she was the best candidate.”
I stared at him.
“Then why?”
“Because someone was watching what she could access.”
My chest tightened.
“Who?”
Vale answered:
“Operation Meridian.”
“You've already said that.”
“You never understood what it was.”
He stepped closer.
“It was a network built around defense procurement, intelligence contractors, political influence, and blackmail.”
“And Margaret?”
“An asset.”
“Ethan?”
“A useful heir.”
“Brandon?”
“Cleaner.”
“And my husband?”
“An investigator.”
I looked at him.
“And me?”
Vale was silent.
“Tell me.”
“You were leverage.”
“For whom?”
He whispered:
“David.”
Everything inside me went numb.
Reyes stepped forward.
“Where is David?”
Vale looked away.
“I don't know.”
“You just said they have him.”
“I said someone has him.”
“Who?”
Vale reached inside his jacket.
Reyes raised his weapon.
“Slowly.”
Vale removed a phone.
He placed it on the floor.
“Play this.”
I picked it up.
A video opened.
David appeared.
Older.
Thin.
Beaten.
Still unmistakably my husband.
My knees almost gave out.
“Victoria,” he said.
The recording was shaky.
“I don't know when you'll see this.”
He swallowed.
“I failed to protect you.”
My hand covered my mouth.
“I'm sorry.”
The video cut.
Then a second recording began.
David was speaking to someone.
A person off-camera.
“You can't keep her under control forever.”
A woman's voice answered.
“We don't need forever.”
Then I recognized it.
My own voice.
Calm.
Cold.
Unmistakable.
“David, you should have known better.”
I dropped the phone.
Reyes stared at me.
“That wasn't you.”
“I know.”
But it sounded exactly like me.
Vale stepped closer.
“Now you understand.”
“No.”
“You have an impersonator.”
Reyes frowned.
“What?”
“Someone has been using recordings, doctored documents, biometric data.”
“Why?”
“To make it look as though Victoria was involved.”
I looked at Vale.
“Who?”
He didn't answer.
The mansion lights suddenly returned.
Every window was dark.
No guards.
No gunfire.
Only silence.
Then my phone rang.
It was Emily.
I answered.
“Mom?”
Her voice sounded strange.
“Emily?”
“I need you to listen carefully.”
“Where are you?”
“I was moved.”
My heart stopped.
“Moved where?”
She whispered:
“I'm with Ethan.”
The call cut off.
Reyes looked at me.
“What happened?”
I stared at him.
Then Vale's phone rang.
He answered.
His expression collapsed.
“She's gone.”
“Who?”
“Marisol.”
I felt something click.
The disappearance.
The recordings.
The fake voice.
The blue room.
The hidden passage.
I looked at Vale.
“You knew the entire time.”
He didn't deny it.
“I knew enough.”
“Then tell me where Ethan took my daughter.”
Vale looked at me.
“I can't.”
I grabbed his jacket.
“Why?”
“Because Ethan isn't working for Margaret anymore.”
The front door opened.
Brandon walked in.
Blood covered his shirt.
He looked directly at me.
“Victoria.”
“What happened?”
He raised his hands.
May you like
“I came to warn you.”
Then he collapsed.
