Chapter 7 - THE ORDER WITH MY MOTHER'S NAME
The document sat between us.
My mother's name was unmistakable.
RACHEL MILLER.
AUTHORIZED.
ABORT MISSION.
But Mom shook her head.
“I never issued that order.”
Evan looked at her.
“I believe you.”
That surprised me.
“Then why show us?”
“Because the person who forged it is close to you.”
Carter stepped forward.
“Who?”
Evan looked at him.
“You already know.”
Carter's face changed.
“No.”
“William.”
“Don't.”
Evan turned toward me.
“Your mother trusted the wrong person.”
I looked at Mom.
“Who?”
She whispered:
“Colonel Mercer.”
Carter closed his eyes.
“Evelyn Mercer.”
The woman from the photograph.
The military intelligence officer who later joined Northstar.
Evan explained.
“She had access to mission systems.”
“She could forge the authorization.”
“Why?”
“Money.”
Mom shook her head.
“That's not enough.”
“It wasn't about money.”
Evan looked at me.
“Her son had a rare disease.”
My anger faltered.
“What?”
“Northstar offered experimental treatment.”
“And she traded military information for it?”
“Yes.”
Mom whispered, “She thought she was saving her child.”
Evan nodded.
“She made one terrible decision.”
“What happened to her son?”
“He died anyway.”
Silence.
That made the story harder.
Not easier.
She hadn't betrayed people because she enjoyed hurting them.
She had made a desperate choice.
But people died because of it.
My father among them.
“Where is she now?”
Evan looked toward Carter.
“She's alive.”
Carter stared.
“Where?”
“Retired under another name.”
“Why didn't you arrest her?”
“Because I didn't have proof.”
Evan handed me the folder.
“You do now.”
Inside were financial records.
Payments.
Transfers.
And one photograph.
Colonel Mercer standing beside Northstar's CEO.
But there was another person in the photograph.
Someone I recognized.
Mr. Reynolds.
My teacher.
I stared.
“No.”
Evan looked at me.
“He worked for Northstar before becoming a teacher.”
My stomach dropped.
“That can't be.”
“He wasn't involved in the crash.”
“Then why?”
“Because he knows your mother.”
I remembered the classroom.
His smug smile.
The way he had called my story unbelievable.
He hadn't simply doubted me.
He had known exactly who she was.
Mom looked at Carter.
“We need to go.”
“Why?”
“Because if Reynolds knows about Lucas…”
Carter nodded.
“He may know about the recording.”
We drove back toward Northwood.
My phone showed twelve missed calls.
All from the school.
I called Principal Harris.
He answered immediately.
“Lucas, don't come back here.”
“Why?”
“Mr. Reynolds is gone.”
My stomach tightened.
“Where?”
“We don't know.”
“Did he take anything?”
Silence.
Then Harris said:
“Your Heroes' Week file.”
My blood ran cold.
“What file?”
“The one containing student presentations.”
“Why would he take mine?”
“He didn't.”
Harris paused.
“He took the security footage from the auditorium.”
I looked at Mom.
Someone had been watching me.
The entire time.
We arrived at the school under federal protection.
The auditorium was empty.
My desk was still there.
The stage was still set for Heroes' Week.
I walked to the podium.
The place where everyone had laughed at me.
Now it felt different.
Carter stood beside me.
“You handled yourself well.”
“I wanted to run.”
“But you didn't.”
“I thought you were going to tell everyone I was lying.”
He smiled.
“I knew the photograph before I knew your name.”
“How?”
“Your mother once showed it to me.”
I looked down.
Then I saw something under the podium.
A small envelope.
My name was written on it.
I opened it.
Inside was a school photograph from years ago.
I was four.
Mom stood behind me.
And beside her was Mr. Reynolds.
I stared.
He had been in my life long before I became his student.
On the back were five words:
ASK YOUR MOTHER ABOUT THE NIGHT.
I looked at Mom.
“What night?”
May you like
She went pale.
“The night your father died.”
