CHAPTER 7 – The Video That Changed Everything
The storm refused to let up.
Rain pounded the deserted streets as Noah and Rex hid inside an abandoned train depot on the edge of the city.
For the first time since escaping the police station, Noah dared to breathe.
His hands trembled as he untied his soaked sneaker.
The tiny microchip slipped into his palm.
"What are you hiding?" he whispered.
Nearby, Rex paced nervously, constantly looking toward the entrance.
He knew they weren't safe.
Noah found an old laptop inside a dusty maintenance office. Its battery barely had enough power to turn on.
The microchip fit perfectly.
A single video file appeared.
No title.
No date.
Only one word.
"TRUST."
Noah clicked Play.
The screen filled with static.
Then...
His father appeared.
Alive.
Bruised.
Covered in blood.
If anyone is watching this...
it means I failed.
Noah's eyes filled with tears.
"Dad..."
His father looked straight into the camera.
"Noah... if you're seeing this, never believe the official story."
"The fire wasn't an accident."
"They've infiltrated the police..."
"They've infiltrated the courts..."
"And they've even infiltrated the government."
His father reached for the camera.
"If they ever find Rex..."
"They'll kill him."
Noah looked down at the dog lying beside him.
Rex quietly rested his head on Noah's lap.
Then came the sentence Noah would never forget.
"The man hunting you isn't the leader."
"He's just the messenger."
The video glitched violently.
For a split second...
A face appeared behind Noah's father.
A woman.
Detective Mara.
She was arguing with someone off camera.
Then another person stepped into view.
Noah froze.
The person leaned toward the camera.
Smiled.
And switched it off.
Noah couldn't breathe.
Because the smiling face belonged to...
The woman who had raised him after his parents died.
May you like
His beloved Aunt Emily.
The woman he had trusted more than anyone.
