Chapter 4: The Voice From the Past
The emergency lights flickered on.
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
Nobody was there.
But the voice had been real.
Cole knew it.
His body knew it before his mind accepted it.
Marcus grabbed a metal coffee pot from the counter.
“Tell me I’m imagining things.””
Cole didn’t answer.
Because he wasn’t.
The voice had belonged to Daniel.
His old partner.
Maya’s father.
The man who had vanished.
Reynolds pulled his weapon.
“Everyone stay back.””
Cole moved toward the door.
Maya grabbed his hand.
He looked down.
She signed quickly.
“No.””
Cole studied her face.
She wasn’t afraid of Daniel.
She was afraid of what Daniel wanted.
“What is it?””
Maya hesitated.
Then she signed.
Cole went still.
“He’s not alone.””
The words barely left his mouth before the back door slammed.
Everyone jumped.
Marcus whispered, “How did they get inside?””
Cole looked around.
The diner had one front door.
One back door.
Windows too high to enter.
Unless someone had a key.
His eyes moved to Marcus.
The manager noticed.
“Are you accusing me?””
Cole said nothing.
That was answer enough.
Marcus stepped back.
“After everything I’ve done for this place?””
Cole looked around.
“Who else has access?””
Marcus opened his mouth.
Then stopped.
Because he remembered.
“My brother.””
Reynolds looked at him.
“You have a brother?””
Marcus nodded slowly.
“He helped me renovate the building years ago.””
“What’s his name?””
Marcus swallowed.
“Daniel.””
The room froze.
Maya covered her mouth.
Cole closed his eyes.
The pieces finally connected.
Daniel Voss hadn’t come back randomly.
He had been preparing.
Waiting.
Watching.
And he had been closer than anyone realized.
A sound came from the storage room.
A slow clap.
Everyone turned.
A man stepped out from the shadows.
Older.
Thinner.
But unmistakable.
Daniel.
Maya froze.
Cole raised his weapon.
Daniel lifted both hands.
“Still protecting everyone except yourself, Cole.””
Cole stared.
“You’re alive.””
Daniel smiled sadly.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Daniel looked at Maya.
“Because I needed my daughter safe.””
Maya’s eyes filled with tears.
She signed something.
Daniel looked at her.
His expression broke.
“She hates me.””
Cole watched.
“She doesn’t hate you.””
Daniel laughed quietly.
“You don’t know what she remembers.””
Maya stepped forward.
Her hands moved.
Daniel looked away.
Cole watched his face.
Then he realized something.
Daniel wasn’t afraid of Cole.
He was afraid of his daughter.
“What did you do?”” Cole asked.
Daniel looked back.
“I made one mistake.””
“What mistake?””
Daniel’s voice lowered.
“I trusted the wrong person.””
The diner went silent.
Reynolds stepped forward.
“Who?””
Daniel looked directly at Cole.
And Cole knew before he said it.
The name.
The betrayal.
The person who had ruined everything.
Daniel whispered:
“The person who told you I was dead.””
Cole’s face changed.
Because only one person had delivered that message.
Only one person had stood beside him at the grave.
Only one person knew where Daniel was supposed to be.
His closest friend.
His old commander.
Victor Hale.
Then Daniel said the words that made Cole’s blood run cold.
“Victor didn’t kill me.””
May you like
A pause.
“He killed everyone who knew I survived.””
