Chapter 49 - The Woman Behind Brooks
Officer Liam Brooks remained unaware that someone had stopped only a few feet behind him.
The live surveillance feed from the terminal inside Thomas Hale's preserved office showed every movement in real time. Brooks was focused on the entrance corridor, his attention fixed on the reinforced blast doors that sealed Archive Level One from the upper levels.
Marcus Hale stepped toward the monitor.
"Brooks."
He reached for his radio.
Nothing.
Only static.
Kevin Ross checked the frequency scanner.
"Our radios are being jammed."
Detective Susan Ortega immediately searched for another communication channel.
"Nothing."
The interference affected every emergency frequency inside the Evergreen complex.
Rachel Carter stared at the woman in the gray coat.
"It really is her."
The woman remained perfectly still.
She appeared to be in her late sixties, perhaps early seventies. Silver hair rested neatly beneath a dark rain hood. She carried no visible weapon and made no attempt to hide her face.
Instead...
She slowly removed a folded paper butterfly from her coat pocket.
The exact same kind she had handed Lily only days earlier.
Rachel felt her heart sink.
"Lily kept it."
Marcus looked at her.
"What?"
"The butterfly."
Rachel's voice trembled.
"It's still in Lily's bedroom."
Kevin quickly searched the recovered Evergreen records.
A file unlocked automatically.
Observer Communication Methods
Most of the page remained encrypted.
Only one paragraph was visible.
> Observers must establish harmless familiarity before active monitoring begins.
Marcus clenched his jaw.
"She wasn't introducing herself."
Rachel nodded.
"She was establishing contact."
On the surveillance feed, the woman finally moved.
Not toward Brooks.
Toward the security camera.
She stood directly beneath it and looked upward.
Then, very deliberately, she smiled.
She knew they were watching.
Slowly, she raised one finger.
Not to threaten.
To point behind Brooks.
Marcus's eyes widened.
"Brooks!"
The camera suddenly shook violently.
The image distorted.
Brooks spun around, drawing his weapon.
The screen went black.
Only static remained.
Nobody in Thomas Hale's office spoke.
May you like
They had just watched their only connection to the upper levels disappear.
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