Chapter 9: The Woman With My Wife's Face
"Who is that?""
My voice sounded unfamiliar.
Thomas Voss followed my gaze toward the monitor.
For the first time since opening the door, his confidence faltered.
"Someone who doesn't concern you.""
I stepped closer.
The woman on the screen knelt beside Blake and opened her medical bag.
Her hair fell forward.
She tucked it behind her ear.
A simple gesture.
One I'd watched my wife make a thousand times.
My knees nearly gave out.
"Claire?""
Voss turned sharply.
"Don't.""
The woman looked toward the camera.
My heart stopped.
Same dark eyes.
Same delicate nose.
Same small crescent-shaped scar above her left eyebrow.
The scar Claire had gotten falling off a bicycle when she was eleven.
But something was different.
Her face was thinner.
Older.
And there was a guardedness in her expression that my wife had never possessed.
"Who is she?"" I demanded.
Voss closed the monitor.
"Give me the card.""
I didn't move.
"Who is she?""
His jaw tightened.
Then a voice came from inside the building.
"Thomas. Enough.""
The woman stepped into the corridor behind him.
Up close, the resemblance was even more disturbing.
She stopped when she saw me.
Her eyes filled instantly.
"Oh, Damon.""
I stared.
She pressed a hand over her mouth.
"I'm sorry.""
Voss stepped between us.
"Go back downstairs.""
She ignored him.
"You look so much like your wedding photograph.""
I felt the world tilt.
"Who are you?""
She looked at me for several seconds.
Then answered.
"My name is Evelyn.""
"Your last name.""
Her chin trembled.
"Whitmore.""
I gripped the doorframe.
Claire Whitmore.
That had been my wife's maiden name.
"How do you know Claire?""
Evelyn closed her eyes.
"She was my sister.""
Claire had never told me she had a sister.
Not once in the seven years we'd been together.
She'd told me her parents died when she was a teenager. That she'd grown up with distant relatives. That she hated family reunions and preferred building her own traditions.
I'd believed her.
Because I loved her.
Because she'd never given me a reason not to.
And because I had secrets of my own.
I stared at Evelyn.
"Claire was an only child.""
"No," she whispered.
"She told you that because she was protecting me.""
"From what?""
Voss grabbed her arm.
"Enough.""
She jerked away.
"He's waited nine years, Thomas.""
"Give me the card, Damon," Voss snapped.
I looked between them.
"What is she doing here?""
Evelyn lifted her chin.
"Trying to stop him.""
Voss laughed bitterly.
"That's a generous description.""
She ignored him.
"I was working as a civilian data analyst for a defense contractor when Black Lantern happened. Claire and I weren't close anymore. We'd had a terrible argument years earlier.""
"About what?""
She looked ashamed.
"My work. The people I was involved with. Claire thought I was helping companies conceal misconduct.""
"Was she right?""
Evelyn nodded.
"Yes.""
Rain dripped from the edge of the doorway.
Behind me, I knew the police were watching.
I kept my voice steady.
"Tell me why my wife died.""
Evelyn's eyes filled.
"Because she tried to protect me.""
Voss reached for the evidence pouch.
I stepped back.
"Don't.""
He stopped.
Evelyn continued quickly.
"After Black Lantern, I discovered that communications had been deliberately altered. I copied the original logs and financial records. I wanted to go public, but I was frightened. So I sent them to Claire.""
I stared at her.
"She didn't understand what she was receiving at first," Evelyn said.
"Then she started connecting the payments to the operation. She contacted Mercer because she thought he could help.""
"Instead, he called Voss.""
Evelyn nodded.
"And Thomas was already searching for the missing files.""
Voss looked furious.
"You're forgetting a few details.""
"Then correct me," I said.
He looked at me.
I held his gaze.
"Tell me which part makes you less responsible for Claire's death.""
For a moment, his mouth opened.
Then closed.
Evelyn wiped her cheeks.
"Claire tried to meet me that morning. I was supposed to collect her and Evan at a café outside town.""
My breath caught.
"Evan was with her?""
"Initially. She changed her plans when she noticed she was being followed. She dropped him with a neighbor and drove alone.""
I closed my eyes.
Claire.
Even in her final moments, she'd been protecting our boy.
Evelyn continued.
"She called me from the car. She said she knew who was following her. Then I heard a horn, and the call ended.""
I couldn't speak.
"I've spent nine years trying to bring the evidence forward," Evelyn whispered.
"But Thomas found me before I could release the archive.""
I looked at Voss.
"You brought her here?""
"She contacted me," he replied.
"Why?""
"Because we both want the same thing.""
Evelyn shook her head.
"No. You want to destroy the original recording. I want Damon to hear it.""
Voss turned on her.
"That recording will ruin people who had nothing to do with the decision!""
"Six men died!""
"Six men die in operations all the time!""
The words echoed through the concrete corridor.
I looked at him.
And suddenly, I understood something about Thomas Voss.
He hadn't spent sixteen years feeling guilty.
He'd spent sixteen years feeling inconvenienced.
By survivors.
By witnesses.
By grieving families who wouldn't stop asking questions.
I held up the pouch.
"This is Claire's copy. You want it?""
Voss's eyes followed the movement.
"Yes.""
"Release Blake.""
He hesitated.
Then turned toward Evelyn.
"Bring him up.""
She disappeared downstairs.
Voss stepped closer.
"You still don't understand, Damon. Your wife didn't know the whole truth.""
"Then tell me.""
He looked at the ceiling.
A long silence passed.
Finally, he said, "Black Lantern wasn't compromised by enemy intelligence. The mission was designed to recover a financial ledger.""
"Whose ledger?""
"A classified procurement network. Private contractors. Senior officials. Offshore accounts.""
"And the six men?""
"They were never supposed to see it.""
My skin went cold.
I remembered the two supposed intelligence assets we'd been ordered to retrieve.
Two men carrying a steel case.
One of them had died before reaching us.
The other had handed Peter a small storage device.
Peter had tucked it inside his vest.
I stared at Voss.
"What was in the case?""
He smiled faintly.
"The ledger.""
I felt my heartbeat slow.
"And who authorized the route diversion?""
Voss looked past me.
Toward the police vehicles in the distance.
"Someone who knew your team would never surrender the evidence voluntarily.""
"Name.""
His eyes returned to mine.
"Not until I have the card.""
Behind him, footsteps echoed.
Evelyn appeared.
Blake stumbled beside her.
His wrists had been freed, but his face was bruised, and he walked with difficulty.
He saw me.
His expression changed.
For the first time since I'd met him, Blake Haron looked like a frightened young man rather than a self-appointed king.
"You," he whispered.
I nodded.
"Me.""
His eyes dropped.
"Where's my dad?""
"Outside.""
Blake looked toward the open doorway.
His breathing quickened.
Voss placed a hand against his shoulder.
"Easy. We're not finished.""
I looked at Blake.
"Walk toward me.""
He hesitated.
Voss tightened his grip.
"Not yet.""
"Tom," I said.
"You asked for the card. Let him go.""
Voss looked at the pouch.
Then slowly released Blake.
Blake stumbled forward.
I steadied him with one hand.
For a moment, he stared at my face.
Then he whispered, "I'm sorry.""
I looked at him.
"For what?""
His eyes filled.
"For Evan.""
I didn't answer.
He swallowed.
"Voss told me you were dangerous. He said you were pretending to be some harmless single dad. He told me if I embarrassed you enough, you'd show everybody what you really were.""
"And you decided kicking a thirteen-year-old was the way to do it?""
Blake lowered his head.
"He said your son wouldn't get seriously hurt.""
I stared at him.
"You knew?""
A tear slipped down his cheek.
"I didn't know he wanted the footage sent to Washington. I thought it was just supposed to make you lose your temper.""
My chest tightened.
Blake looked up.
"I was jealous of you.""
That surprised me.
"What?""
"My dad kept talking about you. Damon Cross. The survivor.
The man who walked away. The man who had something worth protecting.""
He wiped his face.
"He never talked about me like that.""
I held his gaze.
"Your father failing to make you feel loved doesn't excuse what you did to my boy.""
"I know.""
"Then prove it. Tell the police everything.""
Blake nodded.
"I will.""
I guided him toward the entrance.
He stepped into the rain.
Two officers moved forward to escort him to safety.
Through the downpour, I saw Richard Haron break away from the command position.
He reached his son and wrapped both arms around him.
Blake collapsed against his father.
I watched for one second.
Then turned back.
Voss was staring at me.
"Now the card.""
I held it out.
Evelyn suddenly shouted.
"Damon, don't!""
Voss moved.
His hand disappeared inside his jacket.
I stepped backward.
A loud report cracked through the corridor.
Concrete dust burst from the wall beside me.
I dropped behind the doorway as officers outside shouted commands.
Voss retreated deeper into the building.
Evelyn screamed.
Then another sound came from the monitor room.
An electronic chime.
A recorded voice announced:
"Archive transfer initiated.""
I looked up.
The screen flickered back to life.
A progress indicator appeared.
Voss had connected something to the system before opening the door.
Evelyn stared at the monitor.
"Oh, God.""
"What?""
She pointed toward the display.
"He's not trying to recover Claire's recording anymore.""
The progress indicator climbed.
Thirty percent.
Forty.
Fifty.
"Then what is he doing?""
Evelyn turned toward me.
Her face had gone white.
"He's deleting the master archive.""
I looked at the screen.
"Can you stop it?""
"Not from here.""
"Where?""
She pointed toward a heavy steel door at the end of the corridor.
"The lower communications room.""
I stared at the door.
The exact replica of the bunker entrance from Black Lantern.
Sixteen years ago, six men had died because somebody ordered me away from that room.
Now, standing beneath the same yellow symbol, I understood that everything had led back to one locked door.
Evelyn caught my sleeve.
"Damon. There's something you need to know before you go down there.""
"What?""
Her voice trembled.
"Claire didn't just leave a recording.""
I looked at her.
"She left a message for Evan.""
My throat tightened.
Evelyn continued.
May you like
"And if Thomas destroys that archive, your son will never hear his mother's voice again.""
Then, from somewhere below us, the building's emergency alarm began to sound.
