Chapter 8: The Enemy Wearing a Badge
The betrayal came from the last place anyone expected.
Detective Alvarez.
She wasn’t the person who leaked information.
But she knew who was.
And she had been protecting the secret.
When we confronted her, she didn’t run.
That was the first thing that surprised me.
She simply sat down.
Like she had been waiting for this moment.
“How long?”” I asked.
Her eyes moved toward Lily and Owen.
“Since before you found them.””
My expression hardened.
“Why?””
“Because I knew what would happen if I exposed the truth too early.””
“That’s not your decision.””
“I know.””
“Then why?””
She looked exhausted.
“Because my partner died trying to investigate Daniel Cross.””
The room went quiet.
“My partner found evidence connecting Cross to Thomas Reed’s death.””
“Then why hide it?””
“Because someone above us buried the case.””
She looked at me.
“And when I found out the same people were watching those children, I realized this was bigger than a criminal investigation.””
I crossed my arms.
“Who?””
She hesitated.
Then said:
“General Marcus Voss.””
The name hit hard.
A senior military official.
Someone with influence.
Someone with power.
Someone who had attended briefings about this exact case.
Hayes stepped forward.
“That’s impossible.””
Alvarez looked at him.
“You know him.””
“Yes.””
“He knows you too.””
The silence that followed was heavy.
Because everyone understood what that meant.
The person hunting Lily and Owen had access to the people protecting them.
That was the most dangerous enemy.
Not someone outside the walls.
Someone already inside.
We moved the children to a secure location.
No phones.
No public records.
No digital trail.
For the first time since finding them, Lily slept without holding the teddy bear.
Owen sat beside me.
“Are we going to move again?””
I looked at him.
“I hope not.””
“People always leave.””
The words were quiet.
But they hurt.
I sat beside him.
“I’m not leaving.””
He studied me.
“Everyone says that.””
I nodded.
“You’re right.””
That surprised him.
“People say things they don’t always keep.””
I looked toward Lily sleeping.
“But promises mean something when you work to keep them.””
Owen looked down.
“My dad made promises.””
“What kind?””
“He promised he would come home.””
I didn’t know what to say.
Because sometimes life breaks promises even when people mean them.
So I told him the truth.
“I’m sorry.””
He nodded.
Then asked:
“Did he know you?””
I smiled slightly.
“No.””
“Then why did he trust you?””
I looked away.
Because I had been asking myself the same question.
That night, we unlocked Thomas Reed’s final file.
There was one document left.
Encrypted.
After hours of work, it opened.
Inside was a list.
Names.
Dates.
Payments.
People involved in the operation.
At the bottom was one final entry.
A payment made three days before Thomas died.
Recipient:
*Victoria Hale.*
I stared.
No one spoke.
Because it meant one thing.
Victoria wasn’t only running.
She was hiding something.
I found her the next morning.
She was waiting.
“You saw the file.””
I nodded.
“You were paid.””
Her face changed.
“I was forced.””
“By who?””
She looked at me.
“You still don’t understand.””
“Then help me understand.””
She took a breath.
“The money wasn’t for me.””
“Where did it go?””
She looked toward the secure room where the twins were sleeping.
“It was for them.””
I frowned.
“What?””
She whispered:
“Thomas discovered the children weren’t just targets.””
I stepped closer.
“Then what were they?””
Victoria’s voice shook.
“They were the reason everyone was willing to kill.””
Before I could respond, every light in the building went out.
The alarm sounded.
Then a single message appeared on the emergency screen.
May you like
A message that froze everyone.
*Bring me the children, or the colonel dies next.*
