Chapter 26 - The Symbol
Thomas photographed the engraving.
Within seconds his phone displayed a match from an offline archive.
The same symbol appeared on dozens of classified files recovered from the underground vault.
Every document connected to one organization.
Project Meridian.
Emily whispered,
"Daniel..."
Still under guard nearby, Daniel slowly lifted his head.
"You've seen it before."
He didn't deny it.
"My father wore the same ring."
Emily's voice shook.
"So marrying me wasn't enough."
Daniel closed his eyes.
"The ring wasn't meant for me."
"It was meant for you."
No one spoke.
Richard Hale's earlier words echoed in Emily's memory.
The rightful heir.
Evelyn opened another section of the leather folder.
Inside lay several faded photographs.
One showed Emily's parents on their wedding day.
David wore the identical symbol.
Another showed Jonathan.
The same ring.
Another showed Richard Hale decades earlier.
Again...
The same emblem.
Thomas looked at David.
"Were you all in the same organization?"
David answered quietly.
"We were in the same family."
Emily stared.
"Family?"
"Not by blood."
"Then what?"
"By oath."
Margaret slowly lowered her lantern.
"Project Meridian recruited children whose families had lost everything."
"They raised them together."
"They educated them together."
"They taught them loyalty before they taught them freedom."
Emily's thoughts raced.
"My father..."
"...was one of them."
David nodded.
"So was Jonathan."
"So was Richard."
Thomas finished the sentence.
"And someone wanted you to become the next generation."
Before Emily could respond, every light inside the chamber flickered.
The portraits began rotating one after another.
Hidden compartments opened behind each canvas.
Inside every compartment rested another photograph.
Each one showed a different Director.
Each Director held the same wooden box Emily now carried.
May you like
And in the final unopened compartment...
Something knocked from the inside.
