Chapter 43 - Elizabeth
Kevin immediately searched every recovered database for Elizabeth.
Thousands of results appeared.
Too many.
Marcus narrowed the search.
"Cross-reference with Thomas Hale's files."
The list shrank.
"Now only people connected to Family Court."
Smaller again.
Rachel suddenly remembered the old photograph from Room 214.
"The woman."
Everyone looked at her.
"The woman standing beside Judge Lawson."
Kevin quickly opened the scanned photograph.
Rachel pointed without hesitation.
"Her."
The forensic software enhanced the image.
A hidden inscription slowly emerged from the edge of the photograph where years of fading had almost erased the ink.
Elizabeth Ashcroft
Marcus read the name aloud.
Kevin searched again.
One match appeared.
Former Child Welfare Policy Director.
Retired twenty-four years ago.
Official status:
Deceased.
Rachel frowned.
"But if she's dead..."
Kevin interrupted.
"Wait."
Another file had appeared.
It wasn't public.
It had been recovered from Evergreen.
Personnel Status:
ACTIVE
Silence filled the room.
Marcus looked toward Ortega.
"They've been using dead identities."
Before anyone could continue, every monitor in Phase Two flickered.
A live security camera feed appeared automatically.
The image showed an elegant conference room somewhere deeper inside the underground complex.
At the far end of a long table sat a single woman dressed in a dark gray suit.
Silver hair.
Calm posture.
Hands folded neatly.
She looked directly into the camera.
Then smiled.
"My name..."
Her voice filled every speaker inside Phase Two.
"...is Elizabeth Ashcroft."
Rachel stared at the screen.
"But..."
"You died."
Elizabeth's smile widened ever so slightly.
"That..."
She tilted her head.
"...was one of our more successful records."
The video did not disconnect.
Instead, Elizabeth calmly looked straight at Marcus Hale as though she had been expecting him for decades.
May you like
"Welcome, Detective."
"I've been waiting for Thomas Hale's son."
