Chapter 5 – The Man Who Knew Too Much
Catherine didn't touch the flash drive for the rest of the afternoon.
It remained inside her purse as she drove home from the café, her eyes constantly checking the rearview mirror.
Twice, she thought she saw the same black SUV behind her.
The first time, it turned at an intersection.
The second time, it disappeared before she reached her neighborhood.
She told herself she was imagining things.
After everything that had happened, paranoia seemed almost reasonable.
Still...
She couldn't ignore the anonymous text message.
Someone is already watching you.
That evening, Rachel was bottle-feeding Emma when Catherine walked into the kitchen.
"You look pale."
Catherine placed the flash drive on the table.
"Evelyn found this."
Rachel frowned.
"What is it?"
"I don't know."
"And you haven't opened it?"
Catherine shook her head.
"I got a warning."
Rachel looked up immediately.
"What kind of warning?"
Catherine handed her the phone.
Rachel read the message twice.
Then a third time.
"I don't like this."
"Neither do I."
"So don't plug it into your laptop."
"I wasn't planning to."
Rachel thought for a moment before snapping her fingers.
"What about Daniel?"
Catherine looked confused.
"The doctor?"
Rachel nodded.
"Didn't he mention his younger brother works in cybersecurity?"
Catherine blinked.
"He did."
"It was during Emma's hearing test. I remember because you were too exhausted to pay attention."
For the first time that day, Catherine smiled.
"You remember everything."
"It's my superpower."
The next morning, Catherine called Daniel Brooks.
He answered on the second ring.
"How are my favorite girls?"
Emma cooed in the background as if recognizing his voice.
Daniel laughed.
"I'll take that as a hello."
"I actually need a favor."
His tone immediately became serious.
"Anything."
She explained about the flash drive.
The anonymous warning.
The strange feeling someone was following her.
Daniel remained silent until she finished.
Finally he said,
"Don't open it."
"I wasn't going to."
"My brother, Ethan, runs a digital forensics firm."
"He investigates corporate fraud."
"Can he help?"
"He'll know how to examine it safely."
Later that afternoon, Daniel met Catherine outside a small brick office building downtown.
A sign near the entrance read:
Brooks Digital Forensics
Inside, computers lined every wall.
Large monitors displayed streams of encrypted code.
A tall man with dark hair looked up from one of the desks.
"You must be Catherine."
"Ethan Brooks?"
He smiled.
"The less handsome brother."
Daniel rolled his eyes.
"Ignore him."
"I usually do."
The brothers laughed.
For the first time in weeks, Catherine found herself laughing too.
It felt strange.
Almost unfamiliar.
Ethan carefully accepted the flash drive using latex gloves.
"If someone warned you not to open this..."
He examined it beneath a bright lamp.
"...there's probably a reason."
He connected it to an isolated forensic workstation completely separate from the internet.
"This computer has no network access."
"If there's malware..."
He smiled.
"It stays here."
Minutes passed.
Then Ethan frowned.
"Huh."
Daniel looked over his shoulder.
"What?"
"It's encrypted."
"I expected that."
"No..."
Ethan zoomed in on the screen.
"This encryption wasn't created by Microsoft."
"It wasn't?"
"It's military-grade."
Catherine exchanged a worried glance with Daniel.
"Can you open it?"
"Eventually."
"How long?"
Ethan cracked his knuckles.
"Give me a few hours."
While Ethan worked, Catherine and Daniel walked to a nearby coffee shop.
Neither spoke for several minutes.
Finally Daniel broke the silence.
"Can I ask you something?"
She nodded.
"Why did you trust me?"
The question surprised her.
"I barely knew you."
"Exactly."
Catherine wrapped both hands around her coffee cup.
"The night Emma was born..."
She smiled softly.
"...everyone kept telling me to calm down."
Daniel listened quietly.
"You never told me how to feel."
"You just stayed."
Daniel looked down.
"My wife..."
The words caught in his throat.
Catherine looked at him gently.
"You don't have to."
"I want to."
He took a slow breath.
"Five years ago..."
"My wife was thirty-eight weeks pregnant."
Catherine's heart tightened.
"There were complications."
"I was the doctor."
His voice barely rose above a whisper.
"I couldn't save either of them."
Silence settled between them.
Daniel stared out the café window.
"I spent years believing I had failed them."
Catherine reached across the table.
Without saying a word...
She rested her hand lightly over his.
Not romance.
Not obligation.
Simply understanding.
Daniel closed his eyes for a moment.
"Thank you."
Two hours later, Ethan called.
"You both need to come back."
His voice sounded tense.
Very tense.
They hurried across the street.
When they entered the office, Ethan was staring at six different monitors.
"You were right."
Catherine's pulse quickened.
"What's on it?"
Ethan turned one screen toward them.
Spreadsheets.
Bank transfers.
Wire transactions.
Offshore accounts.
Company invoices.
Michael Harrison's digital signature appeared on dozens of documents.
Catherine's face turned white.
"Oh my God..."
Daniel leaned closer.
"What is all this?"
Ethan didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he opened another folder.
Photographs.
Michael.
Amber.
Several unfamiliar businessmen.
Private meetings.
Luxury yachts.
Cash changing hands.
Then...
One final folder.
Its title read:
PROJECT LEGACY
Ethan clicked.
The screen filled with confidential corporate documents.
Fraud reports.
Bribery records.
Fake contracts.
Millions of dollars hidden through shell companies.
Daniel looked stunned.
"This isn't just an affair."
"No."
Ethan swallowed hard.
"This is organized financial crime."
Catherine couldn't breathe.
"Michael..."
She whispered.
"...what have you gotten yourself into?"
Before anyone could answer...
Every monitor inside the office suddenly went black.
The lights flickered.
A loud alarm echoed through the building.
Then a message appeared across every screen in bright red letters.
YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT THIS ALONE.
One second later...
The office lost power completely.
Outside...
A black SUV slowly pulled to the curb.
May you like
Its engine remained running.
And someone inside was watching the front door.
