Make sure everyone's footage is secured and distributed. " " Already on it," Evelyn assured her. " I'll have copies spread across every church computer and veterans group in the county by nightfall. No one's erasing what happened here today. " " We should move now," Daniel urged, checking his weapon. "
Use the chaos as cover while investigators have the area locked down. I have a secure vehicle two blocks over. " Nia took a final look at her father's study, at the violated panel that had protected his secrets for so long. The home that had witnessed today's siege would have to wait. There were bigger battles ahead. "
Let's go," she said, leading Tessa toward the back stairs. " Time to find out what else my father left behind. " The storage facility's concrete walls radiated afternoon heat as Daniel pulled into the gravel lot. Chain-link fencing topped with razor wire surrounded the property, and security cameras tracked their movement from metal poles. The place looked deserted, except for a bored attendant scrolling on his phone in the air-conditioned office. "
Stay alert," Daniel said, shifting into park. " They'll be checking facilities like this once they realize we left the house. He handed Nia a key. Unit 47B is in the back corner. Your father arranged access for both of us years ago.
Nia studied the key, its brass surface worn from years of waiting. You knew about this place the whole time? I knew he had contingencies, Daniel admitted. But not the specifics. Your father was careful about compartmentalizing information, especially after things went bad.
They walked down the rows of identical orange doors, gravel crunching under their feet. The sun beat down mercilessly. Tessa kept her phone ready, documenting everything while scanning for threats. Unit 47B looked like all the others. Weathered paint, heavy padlock, roll-up door.
Nia inserted the key with steady hands. The lock clicked open. Daniel helped her lift the door, metal rattling on metal. Stale air wafted out. The space inside was cramped, but meticulously organized.
File boxes lined metal shelves along both walls. A military footlocker sat against the back, and sealed envelopes were stacked on top. This is everything he couldn't keep at home, Daniel said quietly. Everything they tried to bury. Tessa started photographing the labels and contents, while Nia opened the first envelope.
Her father's familiar handwriting filled the page. Nia, if you're reading this, they finally came for the house. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you more while I was alive, but keeping you safely ignorant was the only way to protect you. What you need to know now is that everything they said about me was a lie. The instability, the paranoid accusations, it was all engineered to discredit what I discovered.
She had to pause, emotion threatening to overwhelm her. Daniel gave her space, examining the footlocker's contents. He pulled out a canvas duffel wrapped in oilcloth. " His service weapon," Daniel explained, carefully unwrapping it. " Disassembled and preserved.