Chapter 4: The Message From The Dead
Ethan’s voice filled the clinic.
For seven years, I had imagined hearing it again.
In my dreams, he was always calling my name from somewhere I couldn’t reach. Sometimes he was angry. Sometimes he was laughing. Sometimes he was just saying goodbye.
But I never imagined hearing fear in his voice.
“Whatever you do, don’t let the military know I’m alive.””
The video froze.
Static swallowed the screen.
I stared at the monitor, unable to move.
Beside me, Ghost sat perfectly still.
Like he had been waiting for this exact moment.
Commander Hayes looked like someone had punched the air out of him.
“Play it again.””
I turned toward him.
“You knew.””
“No.””
“You knew something.””
His eyes stayed on the frozen image of Ethan.
“I knew Ethan left something behind.””
“That’s not an answer.””
Hayes looked at me.
“Because I don’t have one.””
I stepped closer.
“Seven years ago, I watched the military tell me the man I trusted most was dead. I watched them close a file and move on. Now I’m standing here watching him tell me not to trust them.””
My voice broke.
“Do you understand what that feels like?””
Hayes didn’t look away.
“Yes.””
The answer surprised me.
“No, you don’t.””
“Yes, I do.””
His voice became quieter.
“Because I was the one who was supposed to bring him home.””
Silence filled the room.
I looked at him.
“What?””
Hayes sat down slowly.
“Ethan wasn’t killed during the mission.””
My heart stopped.
“Then what happened?””
He rubbed his hands over his face.
“He disappeared.””
“That’s impossible.””
“He made it out.””
“How?””
Hayes looked toward Ghost.
“Because of him.””
The dog lifted his head.
“He saved Ethan’s life.””
I remembered every night Ethan spent training Ghost.
Every hidden command.
Every strange ritual.
I had thought it was just the bond between a soldier and his dog.
Maybe it was more.
“What was Black Hollow?”” I asked.
Hayes was silent for a long time.
Finally, he said, “An extraction operation.””
“For what?””
“To recover stolen intelligence.””
“And Ethan found the person leaking information.””
“Yes.””
“Who?””
Hayes looked at the door.
Like he was afraid someone might hear.
“That’s the problem.””
“What?””
“The person wasn’t working alone.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“You’re saying there was a group?””
“I’m saying Ethan discovered something bigger than a traitor.””
My phone suddenly vibrated.
The sound made all three of us jump.
Unknown number.
I stared at the screen.
Hayes immediately stood.
“Don’t answer.””
“Why?””
“Because whoever sent that video knows we have it.””
The phone kept ringing.
I looked at Ghost.
The dog was staring at it.
Not scared.
Alert.
I answered.
“Hello?””
For several seconds, there was only breathing.
Then a distorted voice spoke.
“Dr. Cole.””
My blood turned cold.
“Who is this?””
“You should have left the past buried.””
I looked at Hayes.
He was already reaching for his own phone.
“How did you get this number?”” I demanded.
The voice ignored me.
“You have something that belongs to us.””
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“What did you do to Ethan?””
A pause.
Then:
“Ethan Cross made a mistake.””
My chest tightened.
“He trusted you.””
The call ended.
I stared at the screen.
Hayes looked disturbed.
“They know where you are.””
I looked around the clinic.
The familiar walls suddenly felt different.
Unsafe.
“How?””
He didn’t answer.
Because we both knew.
Someone had been watching.
Ghost suddenly stood and walked toward the front entrance.
He stared at the door.
Then he growled.
A second later, headlights appeared through the window.
A black SUV had stopped outside.
No markings.
No license plate visible.
Hayes moved immediately.
“Get away from the windows.””
“What?””
“Now.””
The calm commander from earlier was gone.
This was the soldier.
The one Ethan trusted.
Ghost moved beside me.
The front door handle slowly turned.
Someone was trying to enter.
Hayes reached for the emergency exit.
“We’re leaving.””
I grabbed the memory card.
“What about Ethan?””
Hayes looked at me.
“If they found this clinic, they already know Ethan’s message reached you.””
The lock on the front door cracked.
A man outside whispered something.
Then came a sound I recognized.
The sound of someone forcing entry.
Hayes pulled open the back door.
“Madison.””
I looked at Ghost.
The dog stared at the front entrance.
Then at me.
Waiting.
Following.
Just like Ethan taught him.
We stepped into the rain.
And as we ran into the darkness behind my clinic, I heard the front door finally break open.
But the person who entered didn’t chase us.
May you like
Because they weren’t looking for me.
They were looking for Ghost.
