Chapter 8 - Jason Came Back
Jason did not go home to Valerie.
He checked into a motel near Sky Harbor under his own name.
That was either arrogance or exhaustion.
Agents arrested him before midnight.
No shootout.
No chase.
He was eating takeout when federal officers knocked.
His laptop was open.
Current shipping manifests covered the screen.
Jason had not returned for family.
He had returned for business.
Northstar Clinical Procurement was moving another shipment.
This time using a charitable route.
Monroe Children’s Relief.
Valerie’s foundation.
I stared at the name.
Valerie started the charity after Dylan was born.
Medical supplies for rural clinics.
Some real.
Apparently some useful for cover.
The scheduled load contained diagnostic equipment bound for Eastern Europe.
Legal.
Except weight records did not match.
The same pattern Julian found eight years ago.
Commander Reed could not discuss all details with me because I was now personally entangled.
But he gave me what I was cleared to know.
Controlled microprocessors had been hidden inside legitimate medical modules.
High value.
Export restricted.
Current network had restarted using humanitarian freight because inspections were lighter.
“Did Valerie know?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“Does Helen?”
“Her phone records suggest she spoke to Jason three times this month.”
My stomach tightened.
Then:
“Why would Jason come back if he knew Ellison had been arrested?”
“To fix something.”
“Redline?”
“Maybe.”
Jason’s devices gave answer quickly.
Search history:
MONROE HOUSE SEARCH
JULIAN HALE RED CAR
CLARA HALE ARMY
My name.
He knew about my rank?
A recent military leak.
Someone had searched personnel data tied to my identity two weeks earlier.
Not my classified assignment.
Basic record.
Jason apparently learned I was not a civilian office worker.
Maybe that changed his plan.
Then one document on his laptop:
CONTINGENCY: ATTRIBUTE SHIPMENT AUTHORIZATION TO C.H.
My initials.
A fake authorization sheet contained my military credential number.
If the charity shipment was caught, somebody planned to make it look like I had authorized transport.
Not as an Army order.
As a security liaison.
Enough to muddy the first hours.
Again:
They needed delay, not perfect proof.
My life seemed full of people who believed temporary confusion could become permanent escape.
Then agents intercepted the shipment before departure.
Inside:
Legitimate medical analyzers.
And concealed controlled chips.
The national security case was no longer historical.
Then Valerie’s signature appeared on weight declaration.
She cried when confronted.
“I signed what Jason emailed.”
“Did you verify?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“He said the charity had a deadline.”
Same mistake again.
Different decade.
Valerie had supposedly learned nothing.
Or almost nothing.
Then investigators showed her another message.
JASON:
Need your signature. Helen already cleared it.
VALERIE:
Is this like before?
JASON:
No.
VALERIE:
Promise?
JASON:
Yes.
She knew enough to ask.
Then signed anyway.
Responsibility.
Then Jason’s phone.
A saved contact:
M.
Only one letter.
Messages:
M:
Captain is complication.
Jason:
Handled.
M:
Do not touch child.
Jason:
Not my issue.
Who was M?
Helen?
No.
Her messages came under her own number.
Mark Ellison?
Already arrested.
Someone else.
Then the current military credential leak came back.
Access terminal:
Army logistics support office.
User:
Staff Sergeant Michael Voss.
M.
He had viewed my basic personnel file without authorization.
May you like
Voss disappeared from duty before agents could question him.
Now there was someone inside my world too.
