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PART 2<\/p>\n
The words didn\u2019t make sense.<\/span><\/p>\n My father had been dead for three years.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s impossible,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n Priya\u2019s face didn\u2019t change. She knew what I was about to say.<\/p>\n \u201cMy father passed away,\u201d I said louder. \u201cHe died of a heart attack in 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n Major Han leaned forward. \u201cWe verified the registration date. The account was created four months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n The temperature in the room dropped.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone used his name.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr someone has access to his personal information,\u201d Priya said gently.<\/p>\n I thought of the documents Derek had copied. My mother\u2019s maiden name. My father\u2019s birthplace. The security questions I had answered a hundred times.<\/p>\n \u201cCould Derek have done this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s possible,\u201d Major Han said. \u201cBut we\u2019re not certain yet.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at the email printout again.<\/p>\n Tell Derek his wife is asking too many questions.<\/p>\n Not \u201ctell your husband.\u201d<\/p>\n Tell Derek.<\/p>\n Whoever wrote that knew his name. Knew he was involved. Knew I was asking questions.<\/p>\n I hadn\u2019t asked any questions about the event.<\/p>\n Because I hadn\u2019t known about it until now.<\/p>\n The room felt smaller. My chest tightened.<\/p>\n \u201cColonel,\u201d Priya said, \u201cdo you think your husband knew about this event?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid he ever mention contractor receptions?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid Suzanne ever bring up defense contracts?\u201d<\/p>\n My stomach turned. \u201cShe asked about consulting pay once. I changed the subject.\u201d<\/p>\n Major Han wrote something down.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to treat this as an active threat,\u201d he said. \u201cSomeone used your identity to access a government-adjacent event. Someone replied from an account linked to your deceased father. That\u2019s not a coincidence.\u201d<\/p>\n I nodded slowly.<\/p>\n He continued, \u201cI\u2019m recommending you take administrative leave until we resolve this. For your safety and operational security.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll keep your credentials, but we\u2019ll restrict building access until further notice.\u201d<\/p>\n I swallowed. \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Priya handed me a card. \u201cIf you remember anything\u2014anything at all\u2014call this number directly. Not the main line.\u201d<\/p>\n I took it without looking.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t know what to feel.<\/p>\n Fear. Anger. Grief. All of them tangled together.<\/p>\n The drive back to the hotel was a blur.<\/p>\n I called Marisol from the parking lot.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething happened.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell me.\u201d<\/p>\n I explained the event, the badge photo of Suzanne, the email, the reply.<\/p>\n Marisol was quiet for a long moment.<\/p>\n \u201cYour father?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s gone. Three years.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone used his identity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think Derek could have done that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. He was never technical. But Suzanne\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSuzanne is more capable than she lets on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n Marisol exhaled. \u201cThis changes the legal strategy. Identity theft. Possible fraud. We need to file a police report immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlready done.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood. I\u2019ll have my investigator dig into the account registration.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cClaire?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not alone in this.\u201d<\/p>\n I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n But I felt alone.<\/p>\n The hotel room felt cold when I walked in.<\/p>\n I locked the door, checked the windows, pulled the curtains tight.<\/p>\n Then I sat on the edge of the bed and called my mother.<\/p>\n She answered on the first ring.<\/p>\n \u201cClaire? Is everything okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMom, I need to ask you something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid Dad have any accounts or passwords that you don\u2019t know about?\u201d<\/p>\n Silence.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you asking?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone used his name to open an email account. Four months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n The silence stretched.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not possible,\u201d she said finally. \u201cI closed everything after he passed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPositive. I even cancelled his old email. The one he used for bills.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about security questions? Mother\u2019s maiden name? Place of birth?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone in the family knows those.\u201d<\/p>\n Including Derek.<\/p>\n \u201cMom, did you ever give Dad\u2019s information to anyone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly the lawyer. And your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n My brother lived in Oregon. We spoke twice a year.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry to ask this,\u201d I said, \u201cbut did Derek ever ask you about Dad?\u201d<\/p>\n Another pause.<\/p>\n \u201cHe asked once,\u201d she said slowly. \u201cAbout six months ago. He said he was updating a family tree for a work thing.\u201d<\/p>\n My blood ran cold.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you tell him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverything. Birthdates. Birthplaces. Even your father\u2019s mother\u2019s maiden name. I thought it was innocent.\u201d<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t innocent.<\/p>\n Nothing about Derek had been innocent for a long time.<\/p>\n I thanked her, told her I loved her, and hung up.<\/p>\n Then I sat in the dark.<\/p>\n He had been planning this.<\/p>\n For months.<\/p>\n Gathering pieces of my life. My identity. My family.<\/p>\n Weaponizing them.<\/p>\n And I had been too busy apologizing to notice.<\/p>\n The realization cracked something deep inside me.<\/p>\n Not sadness this time.<\/p>\n Anger.<\/p>\n A clean, focused anger that made my hands steady.<\/p>\n I picked up my phone and called Elise.<\/p>\n \u201cI need a favor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cName it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI need to see the full visitor log for that event. Names. Times. Badge photos.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s classified.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence.<\/p>\n Then Elise said, \u201cGive me two hours.\u201d<\/p>\n She called back at 9:47 p.m.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sending you a file. Encrypted. Delete it after you read it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnderstood.\u201d<\/p>\n The file arrived three minutes later.<\/p>\n I opened it on my laptop, heart pounding.<\/p>\n The visitor log listed 47 attendees.<\/p>\n Suzanne Whitaker checked in at 10:14 a.m.<\/p>\n But she wasn\u2019t alone.<\/p>\n A second name appeared under her registration.<\/p>\n Guest: Derek Lawson.<\/p>\n I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n Derek was there.<\/p>\n At the event.<\/p>\n With Suzanne.<\/p>\n Using my name.<\/p>\n My husband had walked into a defense contractor reception impersonating me.<\/p>\n And someone had noticed.<\/p>\n Someone had replied to the follow-up email.<\/p>\n Tell Derek his wife is asking too many questions.<\/p>\n But I hadn\u2019t asked any questions yet.<\/p>\n I was only just learning about it now.<\/p>\n So why would anyone think I was asking questions?<\/p>\n Unless Derek had told them I was.<\/p>\n Unless he was involved in something bigger than a stolen identity.<\/p>\n I called Marisol again.<\/p>\n \u201cDerek was at the event.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe attended as my guest. With Suzanne.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s impossible. He doesn\u2019t have clearance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t need clearance for a public reception. He just needed my name.\u201d<\/p>\n Marisol was quiet.<\/p>\n Then she said, \u201cSomeone is feeding him information.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd someone wanted to warn him that you were getting close.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I wasn\u2019t close. I didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExactly. So why warn him?\u201d<\/p>\n I had no answer.<\/p>\n But I knew one thing.<\/p>\n I was going to find out.<\/p>\n The next morning, I drove to Derek\u2019s mother\u2019s house.<\/p>\n She lived in Coral Gables, in a small house with a white fence and a garden Derek had never helped maintain.<\/p>\n I parked across the street.<\/p>\n Suzanne\u2019s car was in the driveway.<\/p>\n Derek\u2019s truck was behind it.<\/p>\n I took a breath.<\/p>\n Then I walked up the path and knocked.<\/p>\n Suzanne opened the door.<\/p>\n Her face went pale.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI need to talk to Derek.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHis truck is in the driveway.\u201d<\/p>\n Her jaw tightened.<\/p>\n Behind her, Derek\u2019s voice called out, \u201cWho is it?\u201d<\/p>\n Suzanne tried to shut the door.<\/p>\n I put my hand on it.<\/p>\n \u201cDerek,\u201d I said loudly, \u201cwe need to talk about the contractor reception.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence.<\/p>\n Then footsteps.<\/p>\n Derek appeared behind Suzanne.<\/p>\n His eyes were red. He looked like he hadn\u2019t slept.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know exactly what I\u2019m talking about. You attended a defense contractor event using my name.\u201d<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t deny it.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was a misunderstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou impersonated me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho emailed you?\u201d<\/p>\n His face flickered.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what you mean.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe reply. \u2018Tell Derek his wife is asking too many questions.\u2019 Who sent that?\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at Suzanne.<\/p>\n She looked away.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re lying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen why did someone use my father\u2019s name to register the account?\u201d<\/p>\n His face went white.<\/p>\n Suzanne stepped back.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s impossible,\u201d Derek whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cIt happened. And you\u2019re going to tell me who.\u201d<\/p>\n He shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t or you won\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoth.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at him for a long moment.<\/p>\n Then I said, \u201cYou have no idea what you\u2019ve done.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou assaulted me. You stole my identity. You attended a secure event under false pretenses. You think that\u2019s nothing?\u201d<\/p>\n He said nothing.<\/p>\n Suzanne\u2019s face crumpled.<\/p>\n I turned and walked away.<\/p>\n \u201cClaire,\u201d Derek called.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n \u201cClaire, please.\u201d<\/p>\n I kept walking.<\/p>\n I heard his footsteps behind me.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n I stopped.<\/p>\n Turned.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re sorry you got caught.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I\u2019m sorry for everything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen tell me who sent that email.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen we\u2019re done.\u201d<\/p>\n I got in my car and drove away.<\/p>\n The rearview mirror showed Derek standing in the middle of the street, watching me go.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t look back again.<\/p>\n That night, I received another email.<\/p>\n This time, it was not from an unknown account.<\/p>\n It was from my father\u2019s old email.<\/p>\n The one my mother had cancelled.<\/p>\n The subject line was empty.<\/p>\n The body contained only three words:<\/p>\n Stay out.<\/p>\n I forwarded it to Major Han, Priya, Marisol, and Elise.<\/p>\n Then I called my mother.<\/p>\n \u201cMom, I need you to lock down everything. Change passwords. Freeze credit. Anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s happening?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone is using Dad\u2019s identity to threaten me.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence.<\/p>\n Then my mother said, \u201cI\u2019ll do it right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cClaire?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBe careful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will.\u201d<\/p>\n I hung up.<\/p>\n The encrypted file from Elise was still open on my laptop.<\/p>\n I looked at the photograph again.<\/p>\n Derek and Suzanne at the reception.<\/p>\n Smiling.<\/p>\n Fake badges pinned to their collars.<\/p>\n And behind them, in the background, a man I didn\u2019t recognize.<\/p>\n He was standing near a table of brochures.<\/p>\n Watching the camera.<\/p>\n Something about his face made my skin crawl.<\/p>\n I zoomed in.<\/p>\n He was wearing a lanyard.<\/p>\n The ID badge was partially visible.<\/p>\n I squinted.<\/p>\n The name read:<\/p>\n James Whitaker.<\/p>\n My grandfather\u2019s name.<\/p>\n My father\u2019s father.<\/p>\n Who had been dead for fifteen years.<\/p>\n The room spun.<\/p>\n I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n Someone had attended that event using my grandfather\u2019s identity too.<\/p>\n Another piece of my family, stolen.<\/p>\n I picked up my phone.<\/p>\n Called Priya\u2019s direct line.<\/p>\n She answered on the second ring.<\/p>\n \u201cColonel?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone in that photo is using my grandfather\u2019s name.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich photo?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe event. The background. A man in a gray suit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSend it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n I did.<\/p>\n Three minutes later, she called back.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re running facial recognition.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow long?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA few hours.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have hours.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen get some sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n I laughed without humor.<\/p>\n Sleep was the last thing on my mind.<\/p>\n At 2:13 a.m., my phone buzzed.<\/p>\n A text from an unknown number.<\/p>\n Just three words:<\/p>\n You should have listened.<\/p>\n I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n Then I typed back:<\/p>\n Who is this?<\/p>\n No reply.<\/p>\n I waited.<\/p>\n Nothing.<\/p>\n I tried calling.<\/p>\n The number was already disconnected.<\/p>\n I sat in the dark hotel room, phone in my hand, heart pounding.<\/p>\n The name on that badge.<\/p>\n James Whitaker.<\/p>\n It couldn\u2019t be a coincidence.<\/p>\n Someone was using my family\u2019s identities.<\/p>\n Someone who knew my history.<\/p>\n Someone who had access to my father\u2019s information.<\/p>\n Someone who wanted me to stop asking questions.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n The next morning, I requested a full audit of every event my name had been used to register for in the past three years.<\/p>\n The results came back in six hours.<\/p>\n Four events.<\/p>\n All defense-adjacent.<\/p>\n All in cities I had never visited.<\/p>\n All attended by a woman matching Suzanne\u2019s description.<\/p>\n And at three of them, a man using variations of my deceased relatives\u2019 names.<\/p>\n I printed the list.<\/p>\n Laid it on the hotel desk.<\/p>\n Looked at the names.<\/p>\n James Whitaker.<\/p>\n Eleanor Lawson.<\/p>\n Thomas Whitaker.<\/p>\n All dead.<\/p>\n All used as aliases.<\/p>\n And at the bottom of the list, one more name.<\/p>\n Claire Lawson.<\/p>\n My name.<\/p>\n Used to attend an event I had never heard of.<\/p>\n Someone was building a network.<\/p>\n And I was the key.<\/p>\n PART 3<\/p>\n I sat in the hotel room with the printed list spread across the desk like a map of someone else\u2019s life.<\/p>\n Four events.<\/p>\n Six aliases.<\/p>\n Three dead relatives.<\/p>\n One living name.<\/p>\n Mine.<\/p>\n The encryption on Elise\u2019s file had expired, but I didn\u2019t need it anymore. The image of Derek and Suzanne at that reception was burned into my memory. The man in the gray suit behind them\u2014James Whitaker\u2014was still unidentified.<\/p>\n But I had a name.<\/p>\n And names could be traced.<\/p>\n I picked up my phone and called Priya\u2019s direct line again.<\/p>\n She answered on the first ring.<\/p>\n \u201cColonel.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid facial recognition return anything?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA preliminary match. It\u2019s not clean.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell me anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n She paused. \u201cThe system flagged a high probability match with a former defense contractor. Name redacted. He\u2019s been off the grid for five years.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s his connection to me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing on paper. But the system cross-referenced his last known location.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cArlington. Six months ago. Same week as the reception.\u201d<\/p>\n My throat tightened.<\/p>\n \u201cWho hired him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you suspect.\u201d<\/p>\n Another pause.<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHis last contract was with a shell company registered in Delaware. The paperwork lists a single point of contact.\u201d<\/p>\n I waited.<\/p>\n \u201cThe contact name is Eleanor Lawson.\u201d<\/p>\n My grandmother.<\/p>\n Dead for a decade.<\/p>\n The room tilted.<\/p>\n Priya continued, \u201cWe\u2019re trying to trace the registration. But shell companies are designed to hide ownership.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow deep does this go?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know yet. But someone is using your family tree as a mask.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at the list in front of me.<\/p>\n Eleanor Lawson.<\/p>\n James Whitaker.<\/p>\n Thomas Whitaker.<\/p>\n All dead.<\/p>\n All stolen.<\/p>\n And at the center of it, Derek.<\/p>\n \u201cPriya, is there any way Derek could have set this up alone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnlikely. This requires technical knowledge, financial infrastructure, and access to identity documents. Your husband had none of those.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen who is helping him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what we need to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n I hung up.<\/p>\n The hotel room felt smaller.<\/p>\n I looked at the list again.<\/p>\n The fourth event on the audit was scheduled for three weeks from now.<\/p>\n Orlando.<\/p>\n A defense logistics symposium.<\/p>\n Registration under my name was already confirmed.<\/p>\n Someone planned to attend as me again.<\/p>\n I called Marisol.<\/p>\n \u201cI need you to file a restraining order against Derek and Suzanne. Immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn what grounds?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIdentity theft. Harassment. And I have evidence they\u2019re planning to impersonate me at another event.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSend me everything.\u201d<\/p>\n I did.<\/p>\n Then I called Elise.<\/p>\n \u201cI need to attend that symposium.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely not. It\u2019s too dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t let them use my name again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen send someone undercover.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe.\u201d<\/p>\n I considered it.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. If they see you, they\u2019ll know we\u2019re onto them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what do you propose?\u201d<\/p>\n I thought for a moment.<\/p>\n \u201cI need to make them think I\u2019ve stopped.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI go dark. No calls. No emails. No movement. They\u2019ll think I gave up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then I show up uninvited.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s insane.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the only way to catch them in the act.\u201d<\/p>\n Elise was quiet.<\/p>\n Then she said, \u201cYou\u2019re going to get yourself killed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe. But I\u2019m not going to let them steal my life.\u201d<\/p>\n The line went silent.<\/p>\n Finally, Elise spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m coming with you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not a request.\u201d<\/p>\n I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n The next three weeks were a strange purgatory.<\/p>\n I stayed off social media. Changed my phone number. Used only encrypted messaging with Marisol and Priya.<\/p>\n Derek tried to call my old number twice. Then stopped.<\/p>\n Suzanne sent one text: \u201cYou\u2019re making a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t reply.<\/p>\n I spent hours studying the symposium schedule. The venue. The security protocols. The attendee list.<\/p>\n Priya sent me a list of confirmed vendors and speakers.<\/p>\n One name caught my eye.<\/p>\n James Whitaker.<\/p>\n Listed as a \u201cspecial guest.\u201d<\/p>\n No biography. No affiliation.<\/p>\n Just a name.<\/p>\n A dead man attending a logistics symposium.<\/p>\n I showed it to Elise.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s going to be there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen we\u2019ll be ready.\u201d<\/p>\n The morning of the symposium, I woke before dawn.<\/p>\n I put on civilian clothes, a plain blazer, and low heels. Nothing that would attract attention.<\/p>\n Elise picked me up at 6:30.<\/p>\n She was wearing a similar outfit, but I knew she was armed.<\/p>\n \u201cRemember,\u201d she said, \u201cwe\u2019re just attendees. We don\u2019t engage. We observe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if we see them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe call it in.\u201d<\/p>\n I nodded.<\/p>\n The drive to Orlando was quiet.<\/p>\n I watched the highway unspool, the palm trees thinning into office parks and strip malls.<\/p>\n The symposium was held at a convention center near the airport.<\/p>\n We parked in the garage and walked to the entrance.<\/p>\n Badges were checked at the door.<\/p>\n I used a fake name Priya had arranged.<\/p>\n Elise used another.<\/p>\n We passed through security without incident.<\/p>\n The main hall was cavernous.<\/p>\n Rows of booths displayed everything from ballistic vests to satellite systems. Attendees wandered between them, carrying coffee and brochures.<\/p>\n I scanned the crowd.<\/p>\n No Derek.<\/p>\n No Suzanne.<\/p>\n No gray suit.<\/p>\n Elise touched my arm.<\/p>\n \u201cOver there.\u201d<\/p>\n I followed her gaze.<\/p>\n A man stood near the registration desk.<\/p>\n Gray suit.<\/p>\n Short gray hair.<\/p>\n He was talking to a woman in a blue blazer.<\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t see her face.<\/p>\n But I could see the badge she wore.<\/p>\n Claire Lawson.<\/p>\n My name.<\/p>\n My heart stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cElise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do we do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe wait.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman in blue turned slightly.<\/p>\n It was Suzanne.<\/p>\n She looked older, sharper. Her hair was pulled back. She wore glasses she didn\u2019t need.<\/p>\n But it was her.<\/p>\n And she was wearing my name.<\/p>\n I wanted to walk over. To grab her. To scream.<\/p>\n But I stayed still.<\/p>\n The man in gray handed Suzanne something.<\/p>\n She nodded.<\/p>\n Then they both walked toward a side door marked \u201cExhibitors Only.\u201d<\/p>\n Elise grabbed my arm.<\/p>\n \u201cWe follow.\u201d<\/p>\n We moved through the crowd, keeping our distance.<\/p>\n The side door led to a long corridor lined with meeting rooms.<\/p>\n Suzanne and the man stopped outside room 214.<\/p>\n He unlocked it.<\/p>\n They went inside.<\/p>\n Elise pulled me into an alcove.<\/p>\n \u201cGive them five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen we find out what they\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n The minutes crawled.<\/p>\n I could feel my pulse in my throat.<\/p>\n Finally, Elise nodded.<\/p>\n We walked to room 214.<\/p>\n The door was closed, but not locked.<\/p>\n I put my ear to the wood.<\/p>\n Voices.<\/p>\n Suzanne\u2019s voice, low and urgent.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re getting suspicious. We need to accelerate the timeline.\u201d<\/p>\n The man\u2019s voice. Deep. Measured.<\/p>\n \u201cThen you need to finish the job.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about Derek?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s served his purpose. Cut him loose.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence.<\/p>\n Then Suzanne said, \u201cAnd Claire?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cClaire is the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou want me to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot here. Wait until she\u2019s isolated.\u201d<\/p>\n I stepped back.<\/p>\n Elise moved in front of me.<\/p>\n The door opened.<\/p>\n The man in gray stood there.<\/p>\n He looked at us.<\/p>\n Then he smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cColonel Lawson.\u201d<\/p>\n My blood froze.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been expecting you.\u201d<\/p>\n He stepped aside.<\/p>\n The room behind him was empty except for a table and two chairs.<\/p>\n Suzanne was gone.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is she?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlready left. Through the service exit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo offer you a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat kind of deal?\u201d<\/p>\n He gestured to the chairs.<\/p>\n \u201cSit. We have a lot to discuss.\u201d<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n Elise\u2019s hand was inside her jacket.<\/p>\n The man\u2019s smile never wavered.<\/p>\n \u201cYour husband,\u201d he said, \u201cis in over his head. Your sister-in-law is a liability. And you, Colonel, are the only one who can walk away from this clean.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWalk away from what?\u201d<\/p>\n He sat down.<\/p>\n Slowly, I sat across from him.<\/p>\n Elise stayed standing.<\/p>\n \u201cWho are you?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m the man your husband called when he ran out of ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t know people like you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour husband doesn\u2019t know a lot of things.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen why are you helping him?\u201d<\/p>\n He leaned forward.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not helping him. I\u2019m using him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor access.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo your security clearance. Your network. Your position.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n He sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you are the key to something bigger than a domestic dispute, Colonel. And I need you to stop asking questions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr your mother will be the next name on the list.\u201d<\/p>\n The words hit like a punch.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t flinch.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re bluffing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCheck your phone.\u201d<\/p>\n I pulled out my phone.<\/p>\n A text from my mother.<\/p>\n \u201cClaire, someone broke into the house. I\u2019m fine. But they left a note.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did it say?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStop asking questions.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked up.<\/p>\n The man was watching me.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was a courtesy,\u201d he said. \u201cNext time, it won\u2019t be.\u201d<\/p>\n Elise moved.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re under arrest.\u201d<\/p>\n The man laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cOn what charge? I\u2019m a registered attendee. I haven\u2019t touched anyone. I haven\u2019t threatened anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cImpersonating a government official.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t impersonated anyone. That\u2019s your sister-in-law\u2019s hobby.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s right,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cHe\u2019s careful.\u201d<\/p>\n Elise glared at him.<\/p>\n The man stood.<\/p>\n \u201cColonel, you have three days. After that, I start taking things you can\u2019t replace.\u201d<\/p>\n He walked to the door.<\/p>\n Paused.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, and Colonel?\u201d<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n \u201cYour grandfather\u2019s watch. The one with the inscription. I know where it is.\u201d<\/p>\n He left.<\/p>\n I sat in the empty room.<\/p>\n Elise\u2019s voice was distant.<\/p>\n \u201cClaire?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet Priya on the line.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s already calling.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell her to find that watch.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" PART 2 The words didn\u2019t make sense. My father had been dead for three years. \u201cThat\u2019s impossible,\u201d I whispered. Priya\u2019s … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-amomama-post"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amomama.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amomama.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amomama.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amomama.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amomama.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4374"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/amomama.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4376,"href":"https:\/\/amomama.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4374\/revisions\/4376"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amomama.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amomama.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amomama.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amomama.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/div>\n