Chapter 9 – The Flash Drive
Marcus had barely finished reading the news about the convoy attack when his phone vibrated.
It was Rebecca Collins.
Her voice was steady, but urgent.
"Where's the flash drive?"
Marcus's heart skipped a beat.
"It's with Khloe."
"No."
Rebecca interrupted.
"It was with Khloe."
Marcus turned toward his wife.
Khloe's face immediately lost color.
"The drawer..."
She reached for the bedside cabinet where she had last seen the silver evidence pouch.
It was empty.
Marcus searched every compartment.
Nothing.
The flash drive had vanished.
Within minutes, FBI agents flooded the hospital room.
No signs of forced entry.
No broken locks.
No damaged security cameras.
Whoever had taken the drive had entered without attracting attention.
Rebecca stared at the empty drawer.
"This wasn't a burglary."
David Sterling nodded grimly.
"It was targeted."
A forensic technician entered carrying a tablet.
"We've reviewed hallway footage."
He enlarged a still image.
A woman wearing hospital scrubs pushed a medication cart past Khloe's room less than thirty minutes before the flash drive disappeared.
"Can we identify her?" Marcus asked.
The technician shook his head.
"No employee badge."
"No facial match."
"The uniform was fake."
Rebecca sighed.
"They're adapting."
Khloe sat silently on the edge of the hospital bed.
She blamed herself.
"I should've given it to the FBI immediately."
Marcus knelt in front of her.
"This isn't your fault."
"It is."
Her voice trembled.
"I knew they wanted it."
Marcus gently held her hands.
"They wanted you dead."
"The flash drive was only the excuse."
Before Khloe could answer, David cleared his throat.
"There may be something we overlooked."
Everyone turned toward him.
"You made copies."
Khloe blinked.
"I..."
David smiled for the first time in days.
"You always make copies."
Marcus looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
Khloe slowly remembered.
Three months earlier, while helping David investigate the fraudulent accounts, she had developed a habit.
Every important file was stored twice.
One digital copy.
One encrypted backup.
Her eyes widened.
"The cloud archive."
Rebecca leaned forward.
"You uploaded it?"
Khloe nodded.
"It's protected by two-factor authentication."
"And the encryption key exists only on one device."
Marcus asked,
"Where is that device?"
Khloe smiled faintly.
"I never carried it."
"It's inside our home office."
Relief swept through the room.
The evidence wasn't gone.
It had only changed location.
Across the Atlantic, Damian Voss received another disappointing report.
"The flash drive was missing."
He smiled.
"Good."
His assistant hesitated.
"But..."
"There was no confirmation the files were destroyed."
Damian's smile disappeared.
"What do you mean?"
"The FBI believes another copy exists."
Silence filled the room.
Damian slowly walked toward the window overlooking the runway.
"I underestimated her again."
He turned back.
"Prepare the legal team."
The assistant looked confused.
"I thought we were avoiding court."
Damian's expression became unreadable.
"We are."
"But if they recover those files..."
"We'll need someone inside the courtroom."
That evening, Marcus and Khloe finally returned to the Thorne Estate under heavy federal protection.
The mansion gates closed behind a convoy of FBI vehicles.
Agents searched every room before allowing Khloe inside.
Everything looked untouched.
The family photographs.
The piano.
The nursery that still waited for their baby's arrival.
For the first time in nearly a week, Khloe allowed herself to breathe.
Then she froze.
On the polished hardwood floor beneath the nursery door...
Lay a single white envelope.
No stamp.
No address.
Only three words written in black ink.
I KNOW EVERYTHING.
Marcus slowly picked it up.
Inside was a recent photograph.
It showed Khloe standing in the nursery...
Taken earlier that very afternoon.
Someone had been inside their home.
Watching.
Waiting.
May you like
And whoever it was wanted them to know one terrifying truth—
The danger had followed them home.
