Chapter 6

The federal search of Mercer’s house began before sunrise.

They found money first.

Forty-two thousand dollars in cash inside a tool chest.

Then three unregistered encrypted radios.

Then photographs.

Vehicles.

License plates.

Military convoys.

Officers entering secure installations.

A photograph of my car had been taken six days earlier.

That destroyed any remaining possibility that my traffic stop had been spontaneous.

But the most disturbing item was a printed page taped beneath the bottom drawer of Mercer’s desk.

My name.

My photograph.

My unit.

My vehicle.

My promotion date.

My ceremony location.

And one instruction.

Recover envelope before 2200.

Under that:

If subject contacts federal line, switch to containment.

They had known about the emergency number.

That meant the leak went deeper than local police.

Much deeper.

Vale came into the conference room carrying the printout.

“You need protection.”

“I need answers.”

“You need both.”

“Where is Rainer?”

“We don’t know.”

“Where is Voss?”

“We don’t know.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because it’s true.”

I looked out through the narrow reinforced window at dawn breaking above the city.

I had not slept.

My promotion ceremony felt as if it had happened weeks earlier.

“What was Rainer trying to tell me in the letter?”

“We’re attempting reconstruction.”

“From ash?”

“Partial chemical imaging.”

I turned.

“You can do that?”

“Sometimes.”

“How long?”

Vale did not answer.

I almost smiled.

Military people hate answering questions involving uncertain timelines.

At 8:12 a.m., they got a result.

Not the full letter.

Eight partial lines.

The reconstructed message appeared on a secure monitor.

I read it twice.

Then a third time.

Naomi,

If you are reading this, events have moved faster than I hoped.

There are people around you who are not what they appear.

Your father discovered the truth before I did.

I have spent years trying to finish what he started.

If anything happens tonight, do not trust—

The rest was gone.

My eyes stayed on the last line.

“Do not trust who?”

Vale shook his head.

“No recovery.”

“Could be you.”

“Yes.”

“Could be Rainer.”

“Yes.”

“Could be anyone.”

“Yes.”

I stared at him.

“You’re very comforting.”

“It’s not my assignment.”

For the first time all night, I nearly laughed.

Then the secure phone rang.

Vale answered.

Listened.

His face changed.

“Where?”

He stood.

“I’m bringing Carter.”

He hung up.

“What happened?”

“They found General Rainer.”

“Alive?”

“Yes.”

Relief hit me before suspicion could stop it.

“Where?”

Vale looked at me.

“Inside a church.”