Chapter 2 - A NAME ON THE DEAD LIST
Colonel Hale cleared the yard in under a minute. Mercer sent Ethan to the duty office under escort and ordered the other recruits back to formation. Olivia pulled on a spare jacket over the tattoo she'd hidden for nine years.
In Hale's office, he placed a thin folder on the desk, then left it closed.
"I won't ask you to break a lawful restriction," he said. "But a person who was officially killed has just walked through my gate. I need enough to protect you."
"You could start by telling me who had access to that alert."
"Too many people. That's what worries me."
He asked whether she wanted counsel before making a formal statement. She did. While they waited for an Army lawyer, Hale brought her water. She held the cup without drinking.
"You were in Veyra Province," he said. "Civilian interpreter. Twenty years old."
"Relief worker first. Interpreter because nobody else could speak to the families."
"Captain Mara Quinn led the extraction."
Olivia watched rain begin to spot the window. "She led them out. That's different."
"I signed the final casualty summary," Hale admitted. "I was told the schoolhouse collapsed with everyone inside."
"It didn't collapse until after we got the children out."
His eyes sharpened. "Children? The report listed three adult civilians."
"There were twelve kids. Mara counted them twice."
Hale sat down slowly. "How many survived?"
"All twelve got through the rear passage. Eleven reached the safe house. I found the last one later."
"Where is that child now?"
She finally drank. The water tasted like metal.
"His name is Jonah Bell. He was six. He's fifteen now, and he lives with the nurse who took us in. At least he did last week."
Hale leaned forward. "What happened last week?"
"Someone sent him a photograph of me in uniform. Under it, they wrote, WE REMEMBER THE LANTERN."
"Did you report it?"
"I tried. The officer who took my call told me Jonah had already been reported missing."
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Outside, footsteps hurried down the hall. Hale's aide appeared, holding a phone.
"Sir, the boy's guardian just called. She says there's a new demand. They want Olivia delivered to them by midnight."
