Chapter 6 - THE CABIN IN THE WOODS|
Rain covered the Pennsylvania mountains when Claire arrived near Daniel Price's family cabin.
Colonel Bennett had arranged a discreet search with a small protective team that reported through a restricted investigative channel.
Claire understood the precautions.
She also understood they might not be enough.
The cabin stood at the end of a narrow gravel road, surrounded by towering pines.
No lights shone through its windows.
The front porch sagged slightly beneath years of winter storms.
Claire remembered Daniel showing her a photograph of it during deployment.
He had described it as the only place where he could hear himself think.
Now it looked abandoned.
Bennett raised one hand.
“Stay behind us.”
Claire nodded.
Two investigators approached the front door.
One called out.
“Daniel Price, we're here under authorization from General Whitmore.”
Nothing moved.
Then a voice came from inside.
“Claire?”
Her heart nearly stopped.
“Daniel?”
A lock clicked.
The door opened three inches.
And a man she had mourned for two weeks looked out from the darkness.
He was thinner than she remembered.
Bruises marked his jaw.
A healing cut crossed his forehead.
But his eyes were the same.
“Claire,” he whispered.
She stepped forward.
Bennett reached to stop her, then hesitated.
Daniel opened the door fully.
Claire crossed the porch and wrapped her arms around him.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Daniel whispered against her shoulder.
“I knew you'd figure it out.”
Claire pulled back.
“You let me think you were dead.”
His expression crumpled.
“I had to.”
“I attended your memorial.”
“I know.”
“I wrote your family a letter.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Claire, I'm sorry.”
She stepped away.
“You'd better start explaining.”
Inside, the cabin smelled of old wood and coffee.
A small heater glowed beside the fireplace.
On the kitchen table sat several envelopes, medical supplies, and a battered laptop.
Daniel lowered himself carefully into a chair.
“They tried to kill me.”
Bennett sat opposite him.
“Who?”
“Men working for Northstar.”
Claire felt her pulse quicken.
Daniel continued.
“I found out the missing crates were part of a larger transfer.”
“What transfer?” Bennett asked.
Daniel looked at Claire.
“The containers weren't carrying humanitarian supplies.”
Claire nodded.
“I suspected that.”
“They were carrying something called Sentinel.”
Bennett's expression changed.
“What is Sentinel?”
Daniel hesitated.
“I don't know the complete technical specifications.”
“Tell us what you do know.”
“It's a restricted targeting-support technology.”
He swallowed.
“The equipment can process military sensor data and generate target recommendations.”
Claire frowned.
“That's why the shipment was classified.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Classification wasn't the problem.”
“Then what was?”
“Northstar had no authorization to receive the system.”
Bennett leaned forward.
“Where was it going?”
Daniel stared at the table.
“Through a network of offshore intermediaries.”
Claire felt sick.
“Who approved that?”
Daniel looked up.
“Nathaniel Voss.”
Bennett began taking notes.
Daniel continued.
“Voss and Hayes built a system for moving restricted equipment through supposedly legitimate logistics contracts.”
“How long?”
“At least four years.”
Claire's stomach tightened.
“Four years?”
Daniel nodded.
“Millions of dollars.”
“And people died protecting it?”
“Yes.”
Bennett looked toward him.
“Can you substantiate these allegations?”
Daniel pointed at the laptop.
“Most of the records are there.”
Claire studied him.
“Most?”
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“The critical evidence isn't.”
“Where is it?”
Before he could answer, headlights swept across the cabin windows.
Everyone froze.
Bennett stood.
“Were you followed?”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
Another vehicle approached.
Then another.
Claire moved toward the window.
Three black SUVs stopped along the gravel road.
Several men stepped out.
They wore dark jackets without visible insignia.
Bennett immediately contacted the protective detail outside.
“Identify those vehicles.”
Static answered.
She tried again.
Nothing.
Daniel's face turned white.
“They found me.”
Claire stepped away from the window.
“Daniel, is there another exit?”
He pointed toward the back.
“Cellar.”
Bennett examined the approaching figures.
“We're not exchanging fire unless necessary.”
Claire nodded.
The men outside spread out.
One raised a loudspeaker.
“Daniel Price.”
His voice echoed through the rain.
“This is a federal recovery operation.”
Bennett looked toward Claire.
“Don't move.”
The man continued.
“You are required to surrender classified materials and submit to custody.”
Daniel shook his head violently.
“That's the same voice.”
Claire turned.
“What?”
“The man who interrogated me before they tried to kill me.”
Bennett's expression hardened.
“Did he identify himself?”
Daniel nodded.
“He said his name was Special Agent Marcus Vale.”
Claire looked through the curtain again.
The man standing beside the lead SUV raised his face toward the porch light.
Daniel whispered, “That's him.”
Bennett immediately spoke into her secure phone.
“General Whitmore, we have an unauthorized armed presence at the Price location.”
A moment later, Whitmore answered.
“Colonel, withdraw if possible.”
Bennett looked startled.
“Sir?”
Whitmore's voice became urgent.
“Marcus Vale is not a federal agent.”
Claire felt the blood drain from her face.
Whitmore continued.
“He was dismissed from government service six years ago.”
Outside, Vale raised one hand.
The men began advancing.
Daniel grabbed Claire's arm.
“There's something I haven't told you.”
She stared at him.
“What?”
He looked directly into her eyes.
“The real evidence isn't in my laptop.”
“Then where is it?”
Daniel swallowed.
“I gave it to someone before they took me.”
“Who?”
May you like
He hesitated.
“Your father.”
