CHAPTER 6 – "The Mother Who Knew Too Much"
The prison yard fell completely silent.
No one dared move.
Eleanor Cole stood between Ethan and Judge Halston as if she had never been afraid of him.
For the first time in decades...
Judge Halston looked terrified.
"Eleanor..." he whispered.
"You should have stayed dead."
She smiled bitterly.
"I almost did."
Ethan couldn't take his eyes off the woman standing before him.
All his life, he had believed his parents died in a tragic car accident.
Now his mother was standing only a few feet away.
Alive.
But carrying scars that no one could ignore.
"What happened to you?" Ethan asked.
Eleanor slowly rolled up her sleeve.
Long surgical scars covered her arm.
"They kept me alive because I refused to tell them where I hid the evidence."
Halston immediately shouted,
"Kill her!"
Several mercenaries raised their rifles.
Before they could fire—
Marcus Kane stepped in front of Eleanor.
"So this is what real monsters look like."
One by one, the inmates behind Marcus moved forward.
Murderers.
Robbers.
Gang members.
Men who had spent years fighting each other.
Now they formed a human wall around Ethan's mother.
Marcus looked at Halston and grinned.
"You may own judges."
"You may own politicians."
"But this prison..."
"...belongs to us."
The inmates erupted with deafening cheers.
Halston's guards hesitated.
They were badly outnumbered.
Eleanor reached into the lining of her old gray coat and pulled out a small silver flash drive.
"This is why they've hunted me for thirty years."
Captain Ross carefully accepted it.
"What is it?"
"The complete list."
"Every child they kidnapped."
"Every politician who approved it."
"Every judge who covered it up."
"And every person who became rich from selling children to secret government programs."
Ross connected the drive to a secure military laptop.
Thousands of classified files instantly appeared.
Names.
Photos.
Bank accounts.
Secret recordings.
Then one folder automatically opened.
PROJECT PHOENIX.
Ross clicked it.
A video recorded thirty years earlier filled the screen.
The camera showed dozens of frightened children standing in identical uniforms.
A scientist walked past them, assigning new names.
When he reached one little boy, he smiled.
"Subject 017."
"Your name is no longer Ethan."
"You belong to us now."
Ethan's knees nearly gave out.
He was watching the day his entire life had been stolen.
Suddenly...
Another face appeared in the video.
Judge Halston.
Only thirty years younger.
He leaned toward the frightened little boy and whispered,
"If your mother ever comes looking for you..."
"...I'll make sure she disappears forever."
The entire prison watched in horror.
Every inmate.
Every guard.
Every federal agent.
There was no denying it anymore.
Halston wasn't just corrupt.
He had built his entire career on stolen children.
But before anyone could arrest him...
A loud laugh echoed from the prison rooftop.
Everyone looked up.
A man in a black suit slowly began clapping.
"Excellent."
"You've finally found the evidence."
Eleanor's face instantly turned pale.
"No..."
"It can't be."
The stranger smiled coldly.
"You spent thirty years hiding from the wrong man."
Judge Halston lowered his head.
Not in fear...
In respect.
"Director..."
The mysterious man looked down at Ethan.
"Halston was never in charge."
"He was only following my orders."
Then he removed a black leather glove.
On his wrist...
Was the exact same birthmark Ethan had carried since childhood.
The stranger smiled.
"Hello, Ethan."
May you like
"I've been waiting a very long time..."
"...to meet my son."
