Chapter 16 - The Dead Man Walking
Lewis froze completely at the sound of my voice.
He didn't reach for a weapon, nor did he attempt to trigger an alarm.
He slowly raised his hands to shoulder height and turned around to face me.
The scar through his eyebrow was more prominent under the harsh fluorescent lights, and his eyes carried a profound, heavy sorrow that had never been there before.
He looked at me, taking in the blood-soaked tactical gear and the unwavering assault rifle aimed at his chest.
He offered a sad, tired smile and softly said my name.
The sound of his voice, a voice I had mourned for over a thousand days, sent a massive shockwave of conflicting emotions crashing through my system.
I demanded to know how he was alive and why he had let me stand crying over an empty casket in Arlington.
He lowered his hands slowly, completely ignoring the barrel of my weapon.
He explained that the IED blast in Kandahar had been entirely staged by a rogue faction within the highest levels of American intelligence.
They had discovered that Lewis had uncovered a massive, treasonous money-laundering pipeline that was selling highly classified military technology to foreign adversaries.
The aquifer under my grandfather’s farmhouse had been identified as the perfect geographic front to funnel the cartel's dirty money directly to this Siberian black site.
Lewis revealed that he hadn't defected; he had intentionally embedded himself deep undercover to dismantle the syndicate from the inside.
He had allowed the world to believe he was dead because it was the only way to protect his family, and more importantly, to protect me.
My parents hadn't just been greedy fools; they had been carefully selected and manipulated by the rogue American intelligence directors because of my direct connection to Lewis.
The revelation was staggering.
My entire life, my family's betrayal, and my military career had been pawn pieces in a massive, shadow war.
I slowly lowered my weapon, the anger draining from my body, replaced by a profound, terrifying understanding.
Just as I took a step toward him, a massive, deafening alarm siren began wailing throughout the underground bunker.
The heavy blast doors at the end of the atrium slammed shut, sealing us inside.
Lewis looked at the flashing red emergency lights and cursed loudly.
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He quickly grabbed an assault rifle from a nearby weapon rack and tossed me a fresh magazine.
He stated that his cover was completely blown, and the man who had orchestrated the entire conspiracy was currently taking the elevator down to our level to permanently silence us both.
