Chapter 7 – The FBI Arrives Too Late
The voice over the damaged speaker dissolved into static.
No one spoke.
The only sounds inside the underground vault were the distant crackle of the fire above and the shrill wail of the mansion's emergency alarms.
Grace looked at Daniel.
"Did the FBI just say my name?"
Daniel nodded slowly.
"They've been looking for you."
"For how long?"
"I don't know."
Emily let out a bitter laugh.
"They've been looking for Grace Blackwood."
She looked directly into Grace's eyes.
"They never knew she had been living as Grace Ashcroft."
Grace wrapped both arms around her stomach.
"My whole life..."
"...I've been hiding without even knowing it."
Arthur picked up a half-burned folder from the floor.
"They're running out of time."
Daniel frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Arthur held up the folder. The front was stamped with a red warning.
PROJECT ORION
Daniel's expression immediately changed.
"No..."
Grace noticed.
"You've heard of it."
Daniel swallowed.
"Only rumors."
Emily looked at Arthur.
"I thought every Orion file was destroyed."
Arthur slowly shook his head.
"I kept one."
Grace looked between them.
"What is Project Orion?"
Arthur hesitated.
Before he could answer—
A loud metallic crash echoed from the elevator shaft.
Everyone turned.
The elevator had returned.
Daniel instantly raised his pistol.
"Get behind me."
The doors slowly slid open.
Empty.
Only a trail of blood stained the polished steel floor.
Emily stepped closer.
"He was wounded."
Daniel nodded.
"My shot must have gone through the armor."
Arthur looked inside the elevator.
"The blood is fresh."
Grace frowned.
"So where is he?"
No one answered.
Then...
BEEP.
A tiny red light began flashing beneath the elevator floor.
Daniel's eyes widened.
"Bomb!"
He lunged toward Grace.
"Run!"
The explosion ripped through the vault.
Concrete shattered.
The blast wave threw everyone across the room.
Grace slammed against a filing cabinet, shielding her stomach with both arms.
Her ears rang.
Everything became blurry.
Dust filled the air so thick she could barely breathe.
Somewhere nearby someone was coughing.
Someone else was groaning in pain.
"Grace!"
Daniel's voice.
"I'm here!"
She struggled to stand.
Her knees shook violently.
"Is everyone okay?"
Rosa crawled out from beneath a collapsed shelf, blood running down the side of her forehead.
"I'm okay."
Arthur wasn't moving.
"Arthur!"
Daniel rushed over and checked his pulse.
"He's alive."
Emily limped toward them, holding her left arm.
"Broken?"
Daniel asked.
She nodded.
"I've had worse."
The explosion had destroyed nearly half the vault.
The ceiling now had a massive crack running from one end to the other.
Water poured through it from broken pipes above.
Grace looked around.
"The DNA file..."
"Gone," Daniel said quietly.
She closed her eyes.
Another dead end.
Another secret lost.
Then Arthur suddenly grabbed Daniel's wrist.
His eyes slowly opened.
"Listen carefully."
Daniel leaned closer.
"What is it?"
Arthur spoke so quietly that only the group could hear.
"The DNA report..."
"...wasn't the only copy."
Daniel frowned.
"Where's the other one?"
Arthur looked toward Grace.
"Your father has it."
Grace froze.
"My father..."
Arthur nodded weakly.
"He never trusted anyone."
Daniel asked,
"Where is he?"
Arthur opened his mouth—
Before he could answer—
Gunfire erupted from upstairs.
Short bursts.
Controlled.
Professional.
Emily looked toward the ceiling.
"That's not the mercenaries."
Daniel listened carefully.
"No."
"It's law enforcement."
Almost immediately another voice echoed through the damaged ventilation system.
"Federal agents!"
"Drop your weapons!"
"We know you're inside!"
Grace looked relieved.
"The FBI."
Daniel didn't smile.
"They're too early."
"What?"
"They don't know who the enemy is."
Footsteps thundered above them.
Then several armed agents rushed down the basement staircase.
Black tactical uniforms.
Night-vision helmets.
FBI patches.
Within seconds laser sights covered every person in the vault.
"Hands where we can see them!"
Daniel slowly lowered his pistol.
Emily reluctantly placed hers on the floor.
Grace lifted both trembling hands.
A tall man stepped forward.
Late thirties.
Athletic build.
Close-cropped dark hair.
Sharp gray eyes that scanned every corner of the room before resting on Grace.
"Grace Blackwood?"
Grace nodded cautiously.
"Yes."
The man relaxed slightly.
"My name is Special Agent Nathan Cole."
He showed his badge.
"FBI Major Crimes Division."
Grace felt a wave of relief.
"You found me."
Nathan didn't smile.
"Barely."
He looked around the destroyed vault.
"We're already too late."
Daniel frowned.
"What happened?"
Nathan signaled another agent.
Several evidence photos were spread across a broken filing cabinet.
Grace looked down.
Her blood turned cold.
The pictures showed bodies.
Lots of bodies.
Some wore security uniforms.
Some wore black tactical gear.
Others...
Were FBI agents.
"What happened?" Grace whispered.
Nathan's expression hardened.
"We walked into an ambush."
Emily frowned.
"How many?"
Nathan hesitated.
"Seventeen."
Silence.
Rosa covered her mouth.
"Seventeen agents?"
Nathan nodded.
"They knew we were coming."
Daniel looked at him carefully.
"You have a leak."
Nathan's jaw tightened.
"We believe so."
Grace frowned.
"You think someone inside the FBI is helping them?"
Nathan answered without hesitation.
"I know someone is."
Daniel and Nathan locked eyes.
Neither trusted the other.
Nathan finally spoke.
"Mr. Ashcroft..."
Daniel nodded.
"I know who you are."
"I doubt that."
"We've been investigating your family for three years."
Grace looked at Daniel in surprise.
"You never told me that."
Daniel looked away.
"There wasn't time."
Nathan opened a thin folder.
"Daniel Ashcroft."
"Former military intelligence."
"Private security consultant."
"Graduated top of your class."
"Officially retired four years ago."
Nathan closed the folder.
"But according to our investigation..."
"...you never really retired."
Grace stared at her husband.
"What is he talking about?"
Daniel remained silent.
Nathan continued.
"You've been secretly investigating the same organization we have."
Emily crossed her arms.
"The Circle."
Nathan looked surprised.
"You know the name."
Emily gave a humorless smile.
"I've known it since I was twelve."
Grace frowned.
"The Circle?"
Nathan looked at her.
"The organization responsible for your family's destruction."
Grace felt dizzy.
"So this isn't just about the Ashcrofts."
Nathan slowly shook his head.
"No."
"This goes far beyond your family."
He took a deep breath.
"Grace..."
"The Circle has infiltrated corporations..."
"...banks..."
"...law enforcement..."
"...and even parts of the federal government."
Grace whispered,
"How many people are involved?"
Nathan's answer chilled everyone.
"We stopped counting at three hundred."
Silence settled over the vault.
Then one of the younger FBI agents suddenly spoke into his radio.
"Sir..."
Nathan turned.
"What is it?"
The young agent looked confused.
"I'm receiving a secure transmission."
"From who?"
The agent frowned at the screen.
"It says..."
He looked up.
"...it's from Director Hayes."
Nathan's face changed instantly.
"That's impossible."
"Why?"
Nathan whispered,
"Director Hayes died six months ago."
At that exact moment...
The radio crackled to life.
A calm elderly voice filled the room.
"Good evening, Nathan."
Every FBI agent froze.
Nathan's face turned white.
"No..."
The voice continued.
"I told you once..."
"...don't chase ghosts."
Then the transmission ended with one final sentence.
One that made Nathan slowly lower his weapon.
May you like
"By the way..."
"We already have Grace's father."
