Chapter 8 - Room Seven
Emergency lights flickered red.
Ryan dropped beside Elena.
"Commander!"
"I'm fine."
The bullet had struck the wall.
Kessler wasn't as fortunate.
He lay beside the table clutching his shoulder.
Jake burst through the door with Chris behind him.
"Move!"
Another shot shattered the window.
Ryan dragged Kessler behind a concrete partition.
Elena returned fire toward the darkness outside.
Then silence.
Whoever had attacked them was gone.
Major Price reappeared seven minutes later with half the tactical unit.
Elena confronted her immediately.
"Where were you?"
"Our communications were spoofed."
"By whom?"
"We're checking."
Elena stared at her.
Price stared back.
For one uncomfortable second, Ryan wondered whether Elena trusted her.
Then Kessler laughed weakly from the floor.
"You still don't understand."
Elena turned.
Kessler was pale.
"Room Seven," she said.
He looked at the black key in her hand.
"Old hospital complex."
"Which one?"
"North Ridge."
Elena frowned.
North Ridge Military Hospital had closed twelve years earlier.
"Basement."
Kessler coughed.
"Find Room Seven."
"What is inside?"
He looked at Ryan.
"The beginning."
By sunrise, Kessler was undergoing surgery under armed guard.
By 0800, Elena had obtained authorization to enter North Ridge.
The hospital was enormous and abandoned.
Dust covered the corridors.
Old signs still pointed toward radiology, surgery, and rehabilitation.
Ryan accompanied Elena despite her objections.
"You are still facing disciplinary proceedings," she reminded him.
"I know."
"You could lose rank."
"I know."
"You don't seem concerned."
Ryan looked at her.
"Yesterday I thought rank was the most important thing I had."
Elena understood.
They descended to the basement.
Rooms One through Six were empty.
Room Seven had no number.
Only a steel door.
Elena inserted Kessler's key.
It opened.
Inside was a small office.
One desk.
One chair.
One computer.
No dust.
Ryan noticed immediately.
"Someone's been here."
Elena touched the monitor.
Warm.
The computer activated.
A single folder appeared.
GRAVES, MICHAEL.
Elena opened it.
Video.
She clicked.
Her brother appeared on screen.
Eighteen years younger.
Alive.
Elena gripped the desk.
Michael looked directly into the camera.
"If Elena ever sees this, then Sentinel survived."
Elena's eyes filled, but she didn't look away.
Michael continued.
"Kessler isn't the architect."
Ryan leaned closer.
"The architect is someone we trusted."
Michael held up a photograph.
Elena stopped breathing.
The photograph showed Michael Graves beside a woman.
Ryan looked toward Elena.
"Who is she?"
May you like
Elena whispered the answer.
"My mother."
