Chapter 18 - THE WOMAN WHO DIED TWICEBy dawn, naval aircraft destroyed the NIGHTGLASS transmitter.
The immediate crisis ended.
The larger one began.
Federal agents surrounded the island.
Mara expected rescue.
Instead, they arrested Thomas.
Then Eleanor.
Then they ordered Mara to surrender her weapon.
Inspector Reyes read the warrant twice.
“This was issued three hours before the blackout.”
Mara understood immediately.
Someone had known where they would be.
Someone inside the government had prepared to control the aftermath before the attack even began.
The agents transported them separately.
Halfway to the mainland, Eleanor whispered through the partition:
“Your deputy inspector general.”
Mara turned.
“What about him?”
“He isn't Black Tide.”
“Then why is his picture in Thomas's folder?”
“Because Black Tide wants you looking at him.”
Mara felt cold.
A false suspect.
A deliberate trail.
Someone had planted evidence inside Thomas's files.
Which meant someone close enough to Thomas to alter his intelligence.
She looked at her father.
Thomas understood her expression.
“You think my information was compromised.”
“I know it was.”
His shoulders sank.
Fifteen years of hiding.
Fifteen years of gathering names.
And Black Tide had still reached inside his network.
At the naval air station, Eleanor was placed in one aircraft.
Thomas in another.
Mara and Nathan stood behind the security barrier watching.
Then Eleanor's aircraft exploded on the runway.
Nathan screamed.
Thomas collapsed against the fence.
Mara did neither.
She stared at the burning aircraft.
Then at the security camera above Hangar Four.
The camera had moved ten degrees away from the explosion thirty seconds before it happened.
Someone had known.
Again.
Mara turned to Reyes.
“Get me the passenger manifest.”
“Mara—”
“Now.”
Five minutes later Reyes returned.
May you like
Her face had changed.
Eleanor Vance had never boarded the aircraft.
