Chapter 13: The Woman Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
The woman standing outside the security room looked exactly like the impossible.
Like a ghost that had walked out of a memory.
Emily stared at her.
The woman stared back.
And then she whispered the one word that made my entire world collapse.
“Emily.””
My daughter stepped closer to me.
“Mom?””
I grabbed her hand.
I didn’t know whether to protect her from this woman or protect this woman from what was about to happen.
Because everything about her felt impossible.
The woman looked at Michael’s wings on Emily’s backpack.
Then tears filled her eyes.
“He kept them.””
My voice was cold.
“Who are you?””
She looked at me.
And for a second, I saw something familiar.
The same sadness Michael carried when he looked at old photographs.
“I’m Laura.””
The room went silent.
Captain Harris stood immediately.
“Laura?””
She looked at him.
“Hello, Daniel.””
His face went pale.
“You’re alive.””
She gave a small, painful smile.
“Apparently.””
I looked between them.
“You knew?””
Captain Harris looked at me.
“No.””
The answer came too quickly.
And that made me suspicious.
Laura stepped into the room.
“I need to explain.””
I laughed softly.
“Explain?””
My voice shook.
“My husband had a secret wife.””
She looked down.
“I know.””
“He lied to me.””
Her eyes filled.
“He protected you.””
I almost shouted.
“Don’t tell me what my husband did for me.””
Emily squeezed my hand.
“Mom.””
I stopped.
Because she was watching Laura.
Not with fear.
With curiosity.
“Did you know my dad loved me?””
Laura looked at her.
And the pain on her face answered before her words did.
“Yes.””
“How?””
Laura slowly approached.
But she stopped several feet away.
“Because Michael talked about you every single day.””
Emily’s eyes watered.
“He did?””
Laura nodded.
“He showed me every picture. Every video. He told me about your first flight.
Your favorite ice cream. The way you hated thunderstorms but loved watching lightning.””
A tear fell down Emily’s cheek.
“That sounds like Daddy.””
“It was.””
Laura looked at the wings.
“He wanted you to have those.””
I stared.
“Why?””
Laura looked at me.
“Because Michael never stopped believing people deserved the truth.””
Captain Harris stepped forward.
“Laura, you need to tell them everything.””
She nodded.
“I will.””
She sat down.
“The woman you thought was dead wasn’t me.””
I frowned.
“What?””
Laura took a breath.
“Five years ago, my car went off a bridge.””
My stomach tightened.
“But I survived.””
“Then who died?””
Laura looked at the floor.
“A woman they made look like me.””
Nobody spoke.
“They needed everyone to believe I was gone because I had proof.””
“Proof of what?””
She looked at the flash drive.
“The company was covering up dangerous aircraft defects.””
Captain Harris nodded.
“Flight 417.””
Laura looked at him.
“Yes.””
My mind raced.
“So Michael wasn’t investigating you.””
“No.””
Laura looked hurt.
“He was trying to find me.””
I swallowed.
“Why didn’t he tell me?””
“Because he believed someone was watching your family.””
She looked at Emily.
“And he was right.””
The room felt colder.
“Who?””
Laura looked at the door.
“Thomas.””
My heart sank.
“His friend.””
“Yes.””
Captain Harris clenched his jaw.
“Thomas knew Laura was alive.””
Laura nodded.
“He found me first.””
“And Michael?””
“He helped me disappear.””
I looked at the photograph.
The one showing Michael and Laura.
“Six months before he died.””
Laura nodded.
“That picture was taken when he came to tell me he had found the final evidence.””
“Then why hide it?””
“Because he knew if anyone saw him with me, they would know he was close.””
My voice softened despite myself.
“Why didn’t he trust me?””
Laura looked at me sadly.
“He trusted you more than anyone.””
“Then why?””
“Because he knew you would fight beside him.””
She looked at Emily.
“And he couldn’t risk both of you.””
Before I could answer, every phone in the room buzzed at once.
Security officers checked their screens.
Captain Harris looked down at his.
Then his face changed.
“What?””
I looked at him.
“What happened?””
He turned the phone toward us.
A news alert appeared.
*BREAKING: Evidence Released Linking Captain Michael Brooks to Flight 417 Cover-Up*
My blood ran cold.
Laura whispered:
“They moved faster than I expected.””
Captain Harris looked at me.
“Thomas is controlling the story.””
And then another notification appeared.
A live video.
Thomas Reed.
May you like
Standing in front of cameras.
Saying my husband’s name.
