Chapter 5 - The Paper Trail
Whitaker stood and walked to the window. Outside, the sun was dipping low, painting the sky in bruised purple and gold. “So you removed her from the record. You presented it as a solo flight gone wrong. A hero’s last stand. And no one could contradict you — because the only witness was erased.”
“For the family,” Hayes said, a little too quickly. “To spare them… you… the truth would have been harder. That he sent her away. That he chose to stay behind.”
Whitaker turned. “You thought it would be easier to believe he died alone?”
“I thought—”
“You thought it would be safer for you.” Emily leaned forward. “Because if the investigation looked too closely, they would find out the recall order came from your desk. And that you had already been warned the valley was compromised.”
May you like
Hayes flinched.
“You knew,” she said. “And you sent us anyway. Then you pulled the plug so no one could prove it.”
