Chapter 4 - The Phantom Voice
I stared at the empty parking space, realizing Carter had played the role of a sympathetic detective perfectly.
He was obviously part of the conspiracy, and he had used my trust to kidnap Eli.
I quickly scanned the surrounding streets for any sign of his vehicle, but the morning roads were empty.
I broke into a parked civilian car, hot-wiring the ignition in less than thirty seconds.
I drove aggressively toward the nearest military surplus store to establish a secure communication line.
I broke the glass door, grabbed an encrypted satellite radio, and left a stack of emergency cash on the counter.
I dialed the only person in the world I could completely trust with my life.
Jackson was a former sniper from my unit who now ran an underground intelligence network.
The radio clicked twice before his deep, gravelly voice echoed through the small speaker.
I quickly explained that my parents had abandoned me, my identity was stolen, and Eli was kidnapped.
Jackson remained completely silent for a long moment before letting out a heavy sigh.
He told me that my story was impossible because he was currently looking at me.
He explained that he was sitting in a diner in New Mexico, and I was sitting in the booth across from him.
The woman impersonating me had already tracked down my closest ally to eliminate him.
I screamed at him to pull his weapon and shoot the woman under the table immediately.
Before Jackson could respond, the sound of shattered glass and rapid gunfire exploded through the radio.
The communication line went dead, leaving me completely alone in a stolen car.
I traced the satellite signal of Jackson's phone, determined to reach New Mexico before it was too late.
When I finally arrived at the diner hours later, the building was surrounded by police tape.
I sneaked through the back alley and found Jackson's encrypted radio lying in a pool of blood.
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The screen suddenly lit up with a text message sent from my own missing cell phone.
The message contained a single GPS coordinate and a warning that my parents were waiting for me there.
