CHAPTER 2 – "The Secret They Buried"
Chaos erupted across Blackridge.
Gang members who had ruled the prison for years suddenly looked terrified.
Nobody had ever seen armed federal agents storm the prison.
Marcus grabbed Ethan by the collar.
"What did you do?"
Ethan didn't answer.
He simply looked toward the steel entrance as dozens of black SUVs rolled into the prison yard.
The vehicles carried no state markings.
Only a silver eagle insignia.
Captain Ross's breathing became heavy.
He had seen that symbol once during military service twenty years earlier.
It belonged to a classified federal unit that officially...
didn't exist.
The prison warden rushed outside, demanding answers.
"I wasn't informed about any inspection!"
The lead agent ignored him.
Instead, he unfolded a photograph.
It was Ethan.
"We're taking him."
The warden laughed nervously.
"He was sentenced yesterday."
The agent's expression never changed.
"He was never supposed to reach prison."
Inside the cafeteria, Marcus dragged Ethan backward, hoping to use him as a bargaining chip.
"If you move another step, I'll snap his neck!"
The tactical team raised their weapons.
For a brief second...
everyone thought a massacre was about to begin.
Then Ethan quietly spoke.
"Marcus."
"You've made enough bad decisions today."
Marcus tightened his grip.
"What are you going to do?"
Ethan slowly turned around.
For the first time since entering prison...
he smiled.
"You think I'm the prisoner."
"I'm actually the bait."
Before Marcus could react, explosions echoed outside the prison walls.
Smoke filled the watchtowers.
Power failed.
The emergency lights flickered.
A mysterious armed group had launched an attack from outside.
Their objective wasn't to free inmates.
Their objective was Ethan.
Captain Ross finally opened the sealed file that had arrived hours earlier.
Inside was only one sentence.
DO NOT ALLOW SUBJECT ETHAN COLE TO FALL INTO ENEMY HANDS.
Below it was another line that stopped his heart.
Civilian identity: FALSE.
Government identity: CLASSIFIED.
As Marcus stared at Ethan in disbelief, Ethan calmly whispered,
"I told you someone more dangerous was coming."
Marcus shook his head.
"No..."
Ethan looked toward the collapsing prison gates.
"They're not here to rescue me."
"They're here to finish the mission I survived."
Outside, dozens of masked soldiers crossed the prison yard.
Leading them...
was a woman holding a photograph of Ethan.
She smiled as she whispered,
"Found you."
But what nobody realized...
May you like
was that she wasn't coming to save him.
She was the one who betrayed him years ago.
