Chapter 3: The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
He didn't look like the man I had imagined.
Ryan was younger than Dad.
Maybe forty.
Dark hair.
Gray eyes.
A thin scar ran from the corner of his mouth toward his jaw.
He wore no uniform.
No badge.
Just a black coat darkened by rain.
Mom stood perfectly still.
"Ryan," she whispered again.
He looked at her.
"Hello, Sarah.""
Agent Cole raised his weapon.
"Hands where I can see them.""
Ryan slowly lifted both hands.
"I'd rather not make this difficult.""
"You broke into a federal facility.""
"I walked through the front door.""
Cole glanced toward the hallway.
The security officers were gone.
The cameras were still black.
"What did you do?""
"Nothing permanent.""
Ryan looked at me.
"Emily.""
I stepped behind Mom.
He noticed.
"That's fair.""
Mom's voice shook.
"You're supposed to be dead.""
"I was.""
She stared at him.
"For seven years.""
"Seven years, three months, and twelve days.""
I looked between them.
"Mom?""
Neither answered.
"Who is he?""
Ryan looked at her.
"She never told you?""
"No.""
He nodded slowly.
"Of course she didn't.""
Mom stepped forward.
"Ryan, you need to leave.""
"No.""
"You promised.""
"I promised to protect you.""
"You promised you'd stay away.""
"I stayed away.""
He pointed toward the folder.
"Until your husband found you.""
Mom's face hardened.
"You don't understand.""
"I understand perfectly.""
Ryan walked toward the table.
Agent Cole blocked him.
Ryan stopped.
"I'm not here to hurt anyone.""
"Then start explaining.""
Ryan looked at me.
"Your father has been searching for your mother because he knows what she took.""
I looked at Mom.
"Took what?""
Mom closed her eyes.
Ryan answered.
"Evidence.""
"Evidence of what?""
"A murder.""
My stomach dropped.
"Whose murder?""
Ryan looked at Mom.
She whispered,
"His.""
I stared at Ryan.
"What?""
Mom's eyes filled with tears.
"Ryan was an FBI agent.""
Ryan gave a small nod.
"He was.""
"You were killed?""
"Officially.""
"How?""
"A car explosion.""
I looked at the scar on his face.
Ryan touched it.
"Somebody wanted everyone to believe I was dead.""
I shook my head.
"Why?""
"Because I discovered something I wasn't supposed to discover.""
Agent Cole's expression changed.
"You were part of the Walker case.""
Ryan looked at him.
"Before you were assigned to it.""
Cole lowered his weapon slightly.
"What case?""
Ryan pointed at Mom.
"Ask her.""
I turned.
"Mom.""
She wouldn't look at me.
"Ask her.""
Mom sat down.
Her hands were trembling.
"When I met your father, I thought he was just another accountant.""
Ryan laughed bitterly.
"He wasn't.""
"What was he?""
Mom finally looked at me.
"An investigator.""
"FBI?""
"No.""
"Police?""
"No.""
"Then what?""
She swallowed.
"Private intelligence.""
The words meant nothing to me.
Ryan explained.
"Your father worked for a private network that sold information to people who could afford it.""
"Information about what?""
"People.""
He paused.
"Judges. Witnesses. Prosecutors. Agents.""
I stared at Mom.
"And you?""
"I worked in their records department.""
"You helped them?""
"I didn't know what they were doing at first.""
"And when you found out?""
She looked at Ryan.
"I tried to leave.""
Ryan said quietly, "That's when they killed my partner.""
Mom's eyes closed.
"Ryan discovered the network.""
"And you helped him?""
"I gave him the records.""
"What records?""
"Names.""
Mom's voice broke.
"Addresses. Payments. Orders.""
I looked at the phone.
"The phone.""
Ryan nodded.
"The phone contains the only surviving copy.""
"But you said there was nothing on it.""
Mom looked at me.
"I lied.""
My chest tightened.
"Why?""
"Because if your father ever found out you had it...""
She couldn't finish.
Ryan did.
"He would have killed you.""
Silence filled the room.
I looked down at the phone.
"Why only one number?""
"Because the phone wasn't meant to store evidence," Ryan said.
"It was meant to unlock it.""
I looked up.
"Unlock what?""
Ryan's eyes moved toward Mom.
"Your mother knows.""
Mom shook her head.
"Ryan, no.""
"She has to.""
"Not here.""
"We don't have time.""
Agent Cole stepped forward.
"What are you two talking about?""
Ryan looked at him.
"The archive.""
Cole frowned.
"What archive?""
Mom whispered,
"The Black Ledger.""
Ryan nodded.
"It's still active.""
I stared at him.
"What is the Black Ledger?""
Neither answered.
Then the lights came back on.
Every monitor flickered.
One screen displayed a single image.
Dad.
He was sitting in an interrogation room.
His face was bruised.
His hands were cuffed.
But he was smiling.
A message appeared beneath the image.
*YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES.*
Agent Cole rushed to the monitor.
"What the hell?""
The image changed.
A list appeared.
Dozens of names.
Some were crossed out.
Some were highlighted red.
Then I saw one name near the bottom.
*EMILY WALKER.*
My blood turned cold.
"Why is my name there?""
Mom grabbed my shoulders.
"Don't look.""
But it was too late.
A second line appeared beneath my name.
*STATUS: ACTIVE TARGET.*
Then another.
*AUTHORIZED BY: THOMAS WALKER.*
My father's name.
I backed away.
"Mom...""
She pulled me into her arms.
"I'm sorry.""
"No.""
I pushed away.
"You knew.""
"I knew he was dangerous.""
"You knew he was targeting me.""
"I was trying to protect you.""
"By lying to me?""
Her face crumpled.
Ryan stepped between us.
"Emily, listen to me.""
I looked at him.
"Why should I trust you?""
"You shouldn't.""
That answer stopped me.
Ryan reached into his coat.
Agent Cole immediately raised his weapon again.
Ryan slowly removed a photograph and placed it on the table.
It showed Mom.
Me.
And Dad.
But we were standing somewhere I had never seen before.
Behind us was a brick building.
Above the entrance were three words:
*WALKER FAMILY ARCHIVE.*
I looked at Mom.
"Where is that?""
She whispered,
"Our old house.""
I shook my head.
"We've never lived there.""
Ryan looked at me.
"That's what your father wants you to believe.""
My phone vibrated again.
This time, there was a text.
*LOOK UNDER THE FLOORBOARD IN YOUR BEDROOM.*
I stared at it.
Ryan's face became grim.
"Emily...""
"What?""
"Don't go there.""
Another message arrived.
*YOUR MOTHER HID THE FIRST KEY THERE.*
Mom grabbed the phone.
"Ryan, it's begun.""
He nodded.
"What has?""
Mom looked at me.
"The part of the story I prayed you'd never have to know.""
Then, from somewhere deep inside the building, an alarm began screaming.
Agent Cole ran toward the door.
"We've been breached!""
Ryan grabbed my hand.
Mom grabbed my other.
And as the hallway filled with running footsteps, Dad's voice suddenly came over the building's speakers.
Calm.
Almost cheerful.
"Emily?""
I froze.
His voice continued.
"If you're listening...""
May you like
A pause.
"...ask your mother who your real father is.""
