Chapter 7: The Secretary's Hidden File
Nobody looked at Secretary Daniel Mercer at first.
That was the strangest part.
Everyone looked at the screen.
At the name glowing in red letters.
FINAL WITNESS RECORD.
DANIEL MERCER.
But no one wanted to turn around and see his face.
Because once we did, we would have to accept the possibility that the man standing beside us—the man who had ordered generals detained, the man who had protected me inside the Tribunal chamber—might have been part of the same nightmare.
Mercer stared at the screen.
He didn't move.
He didn't deny it.
That was worse.
Marcus slowly reached for his weapon.
“Secretary.””
Mercer finally looked at him.
“Don't.””
The single word carried more weight than a command.
Marcus stopped.
But his hand remained close to his weapon.
I stared at Mercer.
“What does that mean?””
He didn't answer.
“Secretary Mercer.””
Still nothing.
I stepped closer.
“What does that file mean?””
His eyes moved toward the photograph sitting inside the wooden box.
The photograph of my father.
Marcus.
Evan.
And the man nobody was supposed to remember.
Mercer whispered:
“Your father found everything.””
My stomach tightened.
“Everything about what?””
He looked at the screen.
“About me.””
The room went silent.
Evan Cole stepped forward.
“You knew this would happen.””
Mercer looked at him.
“No.””
“You knew Sector Nine would expose you.””
“No.””
Cole's voice hardened.
“Then why did you bring us here?””
Mercer looked at him.
“Because I didn't know I was the final file.””
That answer confused me.
“You expect us to believe that?””
Mercer looked back at me.
“I expect you to listen.””
I almost laughed.
“Listen?””
My voice shook.
“You want me to listen after finding your name in my father's secret archive?””
Mercer didn't flinch.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because your father put it there.””
The room went still again.
I looked at the recorder.
At the letter.
At the files.
“My father trusted you?””
Mercer looked away.
“No.””
The answer surprised me.
“He didn't trust me.””
“Then why is your name here?””
“Because he suspected me.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“Suspected?””
His expression hardened.
“Your name is attached to a final witness file.””
Mercer nodded.
“Because Nathan Jenkins believed I was connected.””
“Were you?””
A long silence.
Then:
“Yes.””
The word hit harder than any accusation.
Marcus raised his weapon.
I grabbed his arm.
“Wait.””
He looked at me.
“He admitted it.””
“I know.””
“Then why are you stopping me?””
Because something was wrong.
The Mercer standing in front of us didn't look like a man caught in a lie.
He looked like a man finally reaching the end of a road he had been running down for years.
I turned back.
“What were you connected to?””
Mercer walked toward the desk.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like every step carried a memory.
“Twenty years ago, before I became Secretary of Defense, I worked in military intelligence.””
Cole nodded.
“We know.””
Mercer looked at him.
“No, you know the version written in public records.””
He touched the photograph.
“The truth is I was assigned to investigate Black Lantern.””
The lights hummed above us.
“Your father was already investigating it.””
I looked at the picture.
“You worked together.””
“Yes.””
Marcus lowered his weapon slightly.
“Then why did Colonel Jenkins think you were dangerous?””
Mercer closed his eyes.
“Because I was.””
Nobody spoke.
He continued.
“Black Lantern wasn't created as a military weapon.””
Evan frowned.
“Then what was it?””
“A contingency.””
“For what?””
Mercer looked at me.
“For when the government itself became compromised.””
The words sounded impossible.
But after everything we had seen, impossible was starting to feel normal.
My father's voice played in my head.
I wasn't trying to save the country.
I was trying to save it from the people who already owned it.
Mercer continued.
“Black Lantern identified officers, intelligence officials, and political figures who had begun operating outside lawful authority.””
Cole crossed his arms.
“And you were one of them?””
Mercer looked at him.
“No.””
“Then why was your file hidden here?””
“Because Nathan thought I might become one.””
I stared.
“Might?””
Mercer nodded.
“My job was to investigate Black Lantern.””
He paused.
“Then my orders changed.””
Marcus narrowed his eyes.
“Changed by who?””
Mercer looked toward the ceiling.
“By the people who created it.””
The answer made no sense.
“Black Lantern was supposed to expose corruption.””
“Yes.””
“Then why would its creators use it?””
“Because every system built to fight power eventually attracts people who want power.””
The servers around us hummed.
Files began appearing across the monitors.
Thousands of names.
Military officers.
Government officials.
Intelligence personnel.
Some highlighted green.
Some red.
Some black.
Evan stepped closer.
“What are those?””
Mercer answered quietly:
“People Nathan tracked.””
I looked at the names.
Then one appeared.
GENERAL THOMAS VANCE.
RED.
Another.
GENERAL ADRIAN CROSS.
RED.
Then more.
Hundreds.
My chest tightened.
“How long has this been happening?””
Mercer looked at the files.
“Years.””
“And nobody stopped it?””
“Nobody knew.””
I shook my head.
“My father knew.””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn't he expose them?””
Mercer's face changed.
“Because exposing them would have gotten everyone killed.””
I looked at him.
“He died anyway.””
Mercer didn't respond.
That silence told me everything.
My father hadn't lost.
He had been hunted.
The recorder on the desk clicked again.
All of us turned.
A second audio file activated.
My father's voice returned.
“Daniel.””
Mercer froze.
The recording continued.
“If you are hearing this with Sarah, then you failed.””
Mercer's face went pale.
My father's voice was calm.
Almost gentle.
“I know you will want to explain.””
A pause.
“But don't.””
Mercer looked down.
The message continued.
“Sarah needs to hear the truth before she hears your version.””
My heart pounded.
The room felt smaller.
My father continued:
“Daniel Mercer was never my enemy.””
Mercer closed his eyes.
Then my father's voice said:
“But he was the reason I disappeared.””
Everyone looked at Mercer.
He didn't move.
I whispered:
“What?””
The recording continued.
“Daniel, you protected my family.””
A pause.
“But you also made the decision that destroyed it.””
Mercer opened his eyes.
There was pain there.
Real pain.
My father’s voice continued.
“You chose to erase my identity.””
The room went silent.
“You chose to make the world believe I was dead.””
My hands went cold.
“What is he talking about?””
Nobody answered.
Then Mercer spoke.
“I made your father disappear.””
I stared at him.
“Why?””
He looked at me.
“Because he was about to expose Black Lantern.””
“That doesn't explain anything.””
“No.””
His voice broke slightly.
“It doesn't.””
He walked to another console.
Pressed a button.
A file opened.
VIDEO ARCHIVE.
DATE: ELEVEN YEARS AGO.
My father's last day.
My breathing stopped.
The screen showed a security recording.
A younger version of my father walking through a government facility.
Beside him was Daniel Mercer.
They were arguing.
No audio.
Then Mercer stopped.
My father turned away.
And someone else entered the frame.
A man wearing a military uniform.
The camera quality was poor.
But I recognized the posture.
The medals.
The way he stood.
General Cross.
The three men talked.
Then Cross left.
My father turned toward Mercer.
Mercer grabbed his arm.
And then my father handed him something.
A small drive.
The screen froze.
Mercer looked at me.
“That was the last time I saw him.””
“Then why did he disappear?””
Mercer's voice became barely audible.
“Because two hours later…”
He swallowed.
“…someone tried to kill both of us.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“Someone?””
Mercer nodded.
“The person who ordered Blackridge.””
The room went quiet.
Evan stared.
“But Cross wasn't the commander behind it?””
“No.””
Mercer looked at the screen.
“Cross was just following orders.””
My heart sank.
“Then who gave the order?””
Nobody answered.
The lights flickered.
A new alert appeared.
NOTIFICATION:
EXTERNAL ACCESS DETECTED.
SECTOR NINE BREACH.
Mercer looked at the screen.
His face changed.
“No.””
Cole turned.
“What?””
Mercer whispered:
“They found us.””
The main door behind us locked automatically.
Then a voice came through the speakers.
A voice I had never heard before.
Calm.
Older.
Almost amused.
“Sarah Jenkins.””
Everyone froze.
The voice continued.
“You finally opened your father's little hiding place.””
Marcus raised his weapon toward the ceiling speakers.
“Identify yourself.””
A soft laugh echoed through Sector Nine.
Then:
“You already know me.””
The monitors went black.
One by one.
Except one.
A single image appeared.
A photograph.
My father.
Standing beside the person speaking.
The person everyone thought had died twenty years ago.
Below the photograph, a name appeared.
COLONEL NATHAN JENKINS.
STATUS:
ALIVE.
My blood turned cold.
May you like
Because beneath that message was one final line.
AND HE IS COMING FOR HIS DAUGHTER.
