PART 3 — THE MAN BEHIND THE OPERATION
Victoria stared at her superior officer, Director Marcus Hale, as he stood beside the black SUV.
For years, she had trusted him without question.
He had recruited her.
He had trained her.
He had taught her how to recognize lies, follow evidence, and never trust appearances.
And now he was standing in front of her, surrounded by armed agents, telling her she had discovered something she was never supposed to find.
Victoria slowly lowered her weapon.
Not because she trusted him.
Because she wanted to hear him speak.
“What exactly wasn’t I supposed to discover?”
Marcus removed his sunglasses.
“The truth.”
The two traffic officers remained frozen beside the patrol car.
Victoria glanced at them, then back at Marcus.
“You sent these men to stop me?”
Marcus shook his head.
“No.”
“Then why did they have orders to intercept me?”
“Because someone inside the department leaked your route.”
Victoria’s eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
Marcus didn’t answer.
Instead, he looked at the officer standing beside her.
“Get away from her.”
The man immediately stepped backward.
Victoria noticed something strange.
Marcus wasn’t looking at him with anger.
He was looking at him with fear.
That changed everything.
Victoria turned toward the suspicious officer.
“What’s your real name?”
He remained silent.
Marcus answered for him.
“Daniel Cross.”
The first traffic inspector stared at him in disbelief.
“Cross?”
Marcus nodded.
“Former intelligence operative.”
Victoria’s grip tightened around her weapon.
“Former?”
Marcus looked at her.
“Officially.”
Victoria understood.
“Unofficially?”
Marcus’s face hardened.
“He never left.”
Daniel suddenly laughed.
“You people really believe everything written on paper.”
Victoria took a step forward.
“Where is the evidence?”
Daniel smiled.
“You’re still asking the wrong question.”
“Then give me the right one.”
Daniel looked directly at Marcus.
“Ask him why your father disappeared.”
Victoria froze.
For the first time that day, her confidence cracked.
“My father?”
Marcus’s expression changed.
Daniel continued.
“You were told he died twelve years ago.”
Victoria stared at Marcus.
“You told me he died.”
Marcus said nothing.
“Say it.”
Silence.
Victoria’s voice became sharper.
“Did you lie to me?”
Marcus finally looked away.
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
“Not when your father was involved.”
Victoria felt her heart pounding.
Her father had supposedly died during a classified operation overseas.
She had never been allowed to see the body.
Never been allowed to ask questions.
Marcus had been the person who delivered the official report.
She had believed him.
For twelve years.
“Where is my father?”
Marcus took a slow breath.
“Alive.”
The word hit her harder than any bullet could have.
Victoria’s lips parted.
“What?”
“He’s alive.”
She stared at him.
“Where?”
Before Marcus could answer, Daniel suddenly reached for the transmitter beneath his jacket.
Victoria raised her weapon again.
“Don’t.”
Daniel stopped.
Then he smiled.
“You’re too late.”
A loud explosion suddenly echoed from somewhere behind them.
Everyone turned.
Victoria saw a column of black smoke rising in the distance.
Her car.
Her entire vehicle was engulfed in flames.
“The evidence!” the first inspector shouted.
Victoria’s face went cold.
She had left the envelope inside.
Marcus looked at the burning vehicle.
“That was the point.”
Victoria turned toward him.
“What?”
“The people who ordered this operation didn’t want the evidence.”
He paused.
“They wanted you to believe the evidence was destroyed.”
Victoria stared at him.
“Then where is it?”
Marcus looked directly into her eyes.
“With you.”
Victoria suddenly remembered.
The moment she had been dragged from the vehicle, she had placed her phone inside her jacket.
The recording.
But there was something else.
A tiny encrypted storage device hidden beneath the phone case.
Her eyes widened.
Daniel saw the realization.
“Yes.”
He smiled.
“That’s what they came for.”
Victoria immediately reached for her phone.
Marcus shouted.
“Victoria, don’t!”
Too late.
Her phone screen went black.
Then a message appeared.
TRANSFER COMPLETE.
Victoria looked up.
“What did you do?”
Marcus’s face was grim.
“Nothing.”
The phone vibrated again.
A second message appeared.
YOUR FATHER IS WAITING.
Then a location appeared.
An abandoned railway station nearly two hundred miles away.
Victoria stared at the screen.
Marcus stepped toward her.
“Don’t go there.”
“Why?”
“Because if that message is real, it’s a trap.”
Victoria looked at him.
“And if it’s not?”
Marcus lowered his voice.
“Then your father has been waiting twelve years for you.”
Suddenly, Daniel laughed.
Everyone turned toward him.
“You still don’t understand.”
Victoria aimed her weapon at his chest.
“Explain.”
Daniel’s smile disappeared.
“Your father isn’t the victim.”
Victoria’s expression hardened.
“Then what is he?”
Daniel looked toward Marcus.
“He’s the reason this entire investigation exists.”
Before anyone could ask another question, the black SUV behind Marcus suddenly exploded.
The shockwave threw everyone to the ground.
Victoria hit the pavement hard.
Her ears rang.
Smoke filled the highway.
She pushed herself up.
“Marcus!”
No answer.
She searched through the smoke.
Then she saw him.
Marcus was lying several meters away.
Blood covered his shoulder.
Victoria rushed toward him.
“Stay with me!”
Marcus grabbed her wrist.
His breathing was weak.
“Listen to me.”
“I’m listening.”
“Your father…”
He struggled to speak.
“Your father wasn’t kidnapped.”
Victoria leaned closer.
“He…”
Marcus’s eyes filled with fear.
“He disappeared because he wanted to.”
Victoria stared at him.
“Why?”
Marcus looked toward the burning SUV.
“Because he discovered who was really controlling the Official Investigations Unit.”
Victoria’s blood ran cold.
“Who?”
Marcus opened his mouth.
But before he could answer, a gunshot cracked through the smoke.
Marcus’s eyes widened.
His grip on Victoria’s wrist went limp.
Victoria spun toward the sound.
Daniel was gone.
And on the ground beside Marcus was a single piece of paper.
Victoria picked it up.
There were only four words written on it:
TRUST NO ONE, VICTORIA.
Then her phone vibrated again.
A new message appeared.
THIS TIME, COME ALONE.
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