Chapter 7 - The Badge NumberDaniel drove to Lake Briar with Marcus.
Neither spoke for the first twenty miles.
Finally Marcus said, “You were twenty-two.”
Daniel kept his eyes on the road.
“Doesn’t matter.”
“You didn’t know.”
“My credentials were used.”
“That is not the same thing.”
“Tell that to Ryan.”
Marcus watched him.
“If Ryan believes you knowingly helped…”
“He came into my station armed.”
“Yes.”
“But he didn’t shoot me.”
Marcus frowned.
Daniel continued.
“He wanted Evan.”
“Maybe leverage.”
“Maybe.”
Daniel thought about Ryan’s first words.
That boy belongs to me.
Not “Give me the kid.”
Not “He’s my son.”
Belongs.
Possession.
Or something else.
They reached the cabin after dark.
The front door stood open.
No police unit was supposed to be there.
Daniel drew his weapon.
Marcus did the same.
They entered.
The basement had been ransacked.
Cabinets open.
Computer drives removed.
But the central evidence wall remained.
Daniel heard a noise.
He turned.
Keller stood at the bottom of the stairs.
Gun raised.
Daniel’s entire body went rigid.
His former mentor looked older than he had three days earlier.
Tired.
Defeated.
“Put it down, Tom.”
Keller laughed quietly.
“You always did use my first name when you were angry.”
Marcus aimed.
“Drop the weapon.”
Keller looked at him.
“You shoot me, you lose Michael.”
Daniel’s pulse jumped.
“He’s alive?”
Keller’s eyes moved back to Daniel.
“For now.”
Daniel lowered his weapon slightly.
Marcus hissed, “Daniel.”
“Where is he?”
Keller smiled.
“Your brother always knew you’d come.”
“Where is Michael?”
“Ryan has him.”
Daniel stared.
“Ryan?”
“Not Northstar.”
“Then why are you helping him?”
Keller’s face changed.
“I’m not.”
Daniel gestured toward the destroyed archive.
“What do you call this?”
“Cleaning up Michael’s mess.”
“You helped him escape custody.”
“I needed him to lead me to Michael.”
Daniel’s anger rose.
“You could have told us.”
Keller laughed.
“Tell the department?”
“Yes.”
“The department that’s been leaking information to Northstar for nine years?”
Daniel stopped.
Keller continued.
“You still don’t know who the leak is.”
“You.”
“No.”
The answer came instantly.
“I helped frame David Mercer.”
Daniel stared.
“So Michael told the truth.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Keller looked ashamed.
“Money at first.”
“And after?”
“Fear.”
Marcus asked, “Who ordered it?”
Keller looked toward the evidence wall.
“Northstar’s internal director.”
“Name.”
Keller shook his head.
“Not yet.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“You don’t get to negotiate.”
“I do if you want Michael alive.”
Daniel’s jaw clenched.
Keller continued.
“Ryan found out the truth six months ago.”
“About you?”
“About everyone.”
“He learned Michael was alive.”
“Yes.”
“And started hunting him.”
“Yes.”
“What does Evan have to do with it?”
Keller’s eyes changed.
“More than you know.”
Daniel felt dread.
“What does that mean?”
Keller hesitated.
Then he said, “Evan isn’t Michael’s biological son.”
Daniel froze.
Marcus looked at him.
“What?”
Daniel took one step forward.
“Who is his father?”
Keller looked away.
“I don’t know.”
“Then how do you know Michael isn’t?”
“Because Michael told me.”
Daniel thought of Evan.
The boy who looked at Michael’s photograph with complete certainty.
The boy who called him Dad.
Biology suddenly felt irrelevant.
“Why would that matter to Ryan?”
Keller’s voice dropped.
“Because Evan’s mother was David Mercer’s wife.”
Silence.
Daniel’s heartbeat slammed.
“Ryan’s sister-in-law?”
“Yes.”
Daniel stared.
“Then Evan could be David’s son.”
Keller nodded.
“Ryan believes he is.”
Daniel remembered Ryan screaming:
That boy belongs to me.
Not because he was the kidnapper.
Because he believed Evan was the last piece of his brother.
Marcus whispered, “Does Evan know?”
“No.”
“Does Ryan have proof?”
“I don’t know.”
Daniel’s head spun.
Michael had raised the child of the innocent man he helped send to prison.
Guilt.
Redemption.
Punishment.
All wrapped inside one eight-year-old boy.
Daniel asked, “Where’s Michael?”
Keller lowered his gun.
“Abandoned Northstar facility outside Millbrook.”
Marcus immediately reached for his radio.
Keller shouted.
“No!”
Marcus stopped.
“They monitor police channels.”
Daniel looked at Keller.
“How many people?”
“Ryan. Maybe two others.”
“Northstar?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Keller’s mouth tightened.
“Families of people destroyed by Northstar.”
Daniel stared.
“Ryan built his own group.”
“Yes.”
“Why kidnap a child?”
Keller looked sick.
“Because grief makes people believe terrible things are justice.”
Daniel understood that more than he wanted to.
Keller stepped aside.
“There’s a vehicle behind the cabin.”
Marcus said, “You’re coming with us.”
“No.”
Daniel raised his weapon again.
“You’re under arrest.”
Keller looked at him.
“If I go with you, Ryan kills Michael.”
“Why?”
“Because Ryan thinks I’m the only reason you haven’t learned the final truth.”
Daniel’s pulse changed.
“What final truth?”
Keller looked at him for a long moment.
Then said:
“Michael didn’t take Evan to protect him from Ryan.”
Daniel frowned.
“He took Evan because the boy’s mother begged him to.”
May you like
Keller swallowed.
“Right before Michael killed her.”
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