Chapter 10: The Man They Were All Watching
The accusation landed harder than any bullet.
Major Ethan Brooks stood in the center of the cabin, surrounded by people who had trusted him only minutes before.
Now every weapon was pointed in his direction.
Not because anyone wanted to.
Because everyone understood the situation.
Evidence mattered.
Intentions did not.
The tablet screen still showed the same information.
Authorization.
Access.
Credentials.
His name.
Brooks looked at the screen without moving.
For a moment, nobody knew what to believe.
Olivia watched him carefully.
This was the moment where people revealed themselves.
Fear.
Anger.
Defensiveness.
A person’s first reaction often told the truth before their words did.
But Brooks did something unexpected.
He raised his hands slowly.
Not surrender.
Not panic.
Acceptance.
“You need to search everything I have.””
Whitmore immediately stepped forward.
“Major—”
“Search everything.””
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
The kind of calm Olivia had seen before.
The kind her father had.
A person who already knew the truth would eventually come out.
One agent approached Brooks and removed his equipment.
Communication device.
Tablet.
Identification.
Everything.
Olivia kept watching.
Thomas stood beside her.
“You still trust him.””
It was not a question.
Olivia looked at her father.
“I don’t know.””
“That is an honest answer.””
She looked surprised.
“I thought you would tell me not to.””
Thomas shook his head.
“Trust is not something you give because someone asks for it.””
A pause.
“It is something they earn.””
The search continued.
Nothing suspicious was found.
No hidden files.
No unauthorized devices.
No evidence of communication with anyone outside the team.
Whitmore looked frustrated.
“Then how did someone use your credentials?””
Brooks answered quietly.
“I don’t know.””
Thomas stared at him.
“Someone wanted us to think it was you.””
Everyone turned.
The room changed.
Because that possibility had been ignored.
The easiest explanation was often the one people accepted first.
And that was exactly how manipulation worked.
Olivia looked at the tablet.
“The question isn’t who used his credentials.””
Brooks looked at her.
“It’s who wanted us to stop trusting him.””
Thomas smiled slightly.
A small, proud expression.
“That’s my daughter.””
Olivia ignored the comment.
“Someone knew we would find the cabin. They knew we would find the file. They knew Brooks would be here.””
Whitmore nodded slowly.
“They planned the entire sequence.””
“Yes.””
“And they wanted us divided.””
“Exactly.””
Brooks looked at Thomas.
“Then you knew this could happen.””
Thomas was silent.
That was enough.
Olivia immediately noticed.
“You knew.””
Thomas looked at her.
“I suspected.””
“No.””
Her voice sharpened.
“You knew.””
Thomas looked away.
The answer was obvious.
“You left another message.””
Thomas did not respond.
“Dad.””
A long pause.
“Yes.””
Olivia’s anger returned.
“How many times were you going to let me walk into traps before telling me everything?””
Thomas accepted the criticism.
“I needed you to see the truth yourself.””
“That is not your decision.””
“No.””
He nodded.
“It wasn’t.””
That admission stopped her.
Because she expected another excuse.
Instead, her father was finally admitting the one thing she had wanted for years.
He had made mistakes.
Not because he did not love her.
Because he loved her so much that he believed he could control every danger around her.
And that was impossible.
Brooks looked at Olivia.
“Your father was never good at asking for help.””
Thomas almost smiled.
“Neither were you.””
The two men looked at each other.
For a second, Olivia saw something strange.
Respect.
Two soldiers who had survived things nobody else understood.
Two men who had carried secrets too heavy for one person.
Then the communication device on the table activated.
Everyone froze.
It was Brooks’ device.
The one they had just taken.
A voice came through.
Distorted.
Unknown.
“Thomas.””
Nobody moved.
The voice continued.
“You should have stayed hidden.””
Thomas stepped forward.
“Who is this?””
A quiet laugh answered.
“You still ask the wrong questions.””
Olivia felt a chill.
Because the voice sounded familiar.
Not the person.
The confidence.
The arrogance.
Someone who believed they were always in control.
The voice continued.
“Olivia Carter.””
She looked at the device.
“You have your father’s instincts.””
A pause.
“But not his patience.””
Olivia stepped closer.
“Who are you?””
The voice ignored the question.
“You think this is about exposing secrets.””
Static.
“It isn’t.””
“You think this is about your father.””
More static.
“It isn’t.””
The cabin went silent.
Then the voice said:
“This is about what your father created.””
Thomas’ expression changed.
Not fear.
Concern.
“What did you do?”” Olivia asked.
The voice laughed softly.
“What he wanted.””
The transmission ended.
Nobody spoke.
Until Brooks broke the silence.
“What did he create?””
Thomas looked at him.
Something had changed.
Something Olivia had not seen before.
Regret.
“He created a way to find the truth.””
Whitmore frowned.
“And?””
Thomas looked at Olivia.
“And a way to expose everyone who was hiding it.””
Olivia understood.
The rifle.
The messages.
The trail.
Everything had been designed to reveal something.
But someone else had been waiting.
Someone who knew the plan.
Someone who wanted control of the outcome.
“Who is this person?”” Olivia asked.
Thomas looked toward the mountains.
“Someone I thought I stopped years ago.””
“Who?””
May you like
His answer was quiet.
“Someone I trained.””
