CHAPTER 5 — THE LETTER THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
CHAPTER 5 — THE LETTER THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
The cabin fell silent.
Even the roar of the jet engines seemed to fade as I stared at the white envelope.
Across the front, in David's elegant handwriting, were the words:
FOR MY WIFE, MAYA.
Agent Brooks raised a gloved hand.
"Don't touch it."
A forensic technician photographed every angle before carefully opening the envelope.
Inside was a single sheet of heavy cream-colored paper.
No fingerprints.
Only David's handwriting.
Brooks handed it to me.
I forced myself to read.
My Dearest Maya,
If you're reading this, then someone made a mistake tonight.
It wasn't supposed to happen this way.
You weren't supposed to run.
You weren't supposed to know.
Sarah wasn't supposed to survive.
But plans change.
Don't let the FBI fool you. They're protecting someone far more dangerous than me.
Ask them why your father transferred his entire empire six months before his "death."
Ask them why his body was cremated before you were allowed to identify him.
Ask them why your mother's accident file remains sealed.
If you truly want the truth...
Stop looking for me.
Start looking for your family.
— Daniel
My hands trembled.
"He... he's lying."
No one answered.
Because every question in that letter had an answer no one seemed eager to give.
Agent Brooks quietly folded the letter.
"Most of what's written here is psychological manipulation."
"Most?"
She hesitated.
"Your father's case... was unusual."
The room became still.
"What does that mean?"
"He died during an international fraud investigation."
"I know that."
"Not everything was made public."
My heart pounded.
"What wasn't?"
Before Brooks could answer, another agent rushed aboard.
"Ma'am."
"What is it?"
"We found something in the cargo compartment."
Hidden behind maintenance panels were six steel cases.
Each was packed with cash.
Gold bars.
Fake passports.
Encrypted laptops.
And one locked hard drive.
The FBI cyber team immediately connected it to a secure computer.
Minutes later, folders began appearing.
Thousands of files.
Financial records.
Politicians.
Judges.
Corporate executives.
Every payment Daniel had ever made.
Then one folder appeared.
MAYA
Brooks opened it.
Inside were hundreds of photographs.
Pictures of me.
Leaving work.
Shopping.
Meeting friends.
Jogging in the park.
Sleeping in my apartment.
Even changing clothes through my bedroom window.
Sarah covered her mouth.
"Oh my God..."
The surveillance had lasted nearly three years.
Every movement.
Every routine.
Every habit.
I hadn't fallen in love.
I'd been selected.
Another folder appeared.
ELIMINATION PLAN
Brooks clicked it.
The first page displayed a timeline.
Phase One: Gain trust.
Completed.
Phase Two: Romantic relationship.
Completed.
Phase Three: Marriage.
Completed.
Phase Four: Death during honeymoon.
Pending.
There was even a checklist.
Wedding venue.
Cake poison.
Private aircraft.
Body disposal.
Transfer inheritance.
Destroy evidence.
Every step had been prepared months in advance.
I wasn't his wife.
I was a project.
Suddenly a young cyber analyst froze.
"Agent..."
Brooks looked over.
"What?"
"The hard drive is transmitting."
"What?"
"It's remotely accessing another server."
"Can you stop it?"
"I'm trying..."
The screen flashed red.
FILES DELETING
One percent...
Five percent...
Twenty-three percent...
"Pull the drive!"
A technician yanked the cable.
Too late.
Nearly half the evidence vanished before their eyes.
The analyst looked horrified.
"It wasn't automatic."
"What do you mean?"
"Someone triggered it manually."
Brooks frowned.
"From where?"
The analyst slowly looked up.
"Inside FBI headquarters."
May you like
The room fell completely silent.
There was a mole.
