CHAPTER 6 — The Woman Who Refused to Die
The backup generators flickered weakly.
Red emergency lights painted the prison corridors like rivers of blood.
Out of the darkness stepped a woman dressed in a black tactical uniform.
Her face was scarred.
Her hair was shorter than Ethan remembered.
But her eyes...
He would recognize them anywhere.
"Sophia..."
She smiled through tears.
"You always were hard to kill."
Eight years ago, Ethan had watched the building explode with Sophia still inside.
He had mourned her.
He had buried her in his heart.
Now she was standing only a few feet away.
Before Ethan could speak, she handed him a pistol and a small backpack.
"There's no time."
"The memory card contains the names of every judge, senator, prison official, and billionaire who helped fake your death."
Ethan opened the backpack.
Inside were forged passports.
Stacks of cash.
Medical supplies.
And a newspaper.
The headline froze his blood.
"Federal Agent Ethan Cole Confirmed Dead — National Hero Remembered."
Today's date.
Someone had just announced his death...
Again.
Sophia looked straight into his eyes.
"Hale is preparing a second cover-up."
"This time, he'll make sure there's nothing left to identify."
Suddenly, the prison loudspeakers roared.
"Attention all units."
"Terminate Ethan Cole on sight."
"Kill the woman."
"Recover the child alive."
Ethan's face hardened.
"They don't want my son dead."
Sophia nodded grimly.
"No."
"They've spent six years raising him for one reason."
Ethan frowned.
"What reason?"
Sophia hesitated.
Then whispered the terrifying truth.
"Your son isn't just your child..."
"His DNA is the final key to unlocking a hidden fortune worth twenty billion dollars."
At that exact moment...
The little boy disappeared.
One second he was standing behind the glass.
The next...
The room was empty.
May you like
Only one sentence was written across the fogged window.
"IF YOU WANT YOUR SON BACK... COME TO CELLBLOCK D."
