Chapter 3 - The Dead Man’s Message
Adrian carried the envelope into a private maintenance room.
He locked the door.
The damaged phone would not power on.
The envelope contained three photographs.
The first showed Marcus standing beside Evelyn’s SUV two days before the attack.
The second showed Marcus meeting a man Adrian recognized as Owen Pike, a former Vale security contractor.
The third photograph was different.
It had been taken through a restaurant window.
Marcus sat across from a city transportation supervisor.
Between them lay a map of the service road where Evelyn’s convoy had been attacked.
On the back, Thomas had written a date.
Four days before Evelyn died.
Adrian felt something cold enter his chest.
He had spent eight months hunting enemies outside his walls.
Thomas had been pointing inside them from the beginning.
A sound came from the corridor.
Adrian slipped the photographs beneath his coat.
Footsteps stopped outside.
The handle moved.
“Maintenance.”
Adrian remained silent.
The handle moved again.
Then the footsteps disappeared.
He waited thirty seconds before leaving through another exit.
At Dr. Lena Ortiz’s private clinic, Grace was already waiting with Lily.
Lena had treated Adrian twice years earlier under circumstances neither of them discussed.
She took samples herself.
“No names in the system.”
“No billing trail.”
“No digital copy.”
Adrian nodded.
“How long?”
“I can rush the comparison.”
“Three hours.”
Grace sat with Lily against her chest.
Lily stared at Adrian.
Then she reached toward the chain around his neck.
Adrian had worn Evelyn’s small silver cross since the funeral.
Lily touched it.
Something inside him broke again.
Lena looked away.
Three hours later, she placed a printed sheet on the table.
“Probability of paternity exceeds ninety-nine point nine percent.”
Grace began crying.
Adrian did not.
He simply stared at the paper.
His daughter was alive.
Not possibly.
Not hopefully.
Alive.
He walked into the examination room.
Lily was asleep beneath a white blanket.
Adrian sat beside her.
He placed one finger inside her tiny palm.
She closed her hand around it without waking.
“I’m sorry.”
His voice cracked.
“I’m so sorry.”
His phone buzzed again.
This time it was a message from Marcus.
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE CHILD.
Adrian’s eyes hardened.
A second message appeared.
May you like
I KNOW SHE ISN’T GRACE’S DAUGHTER.
Then the lights inside the clinic went out.
