At the far end stood a man in a dark suit.

He turned slowly.

Olivia recognized him from the photograph in the original archive.

It was Director Reynolds.

But he was not alone.

Standing beside him was a woman Olivia had never expected to see again.

Sarah Miller.

The former evidence assistant who had helped expose Project Nightfall.

Sarah looked directly at Olivia.

Then she raised a pistol.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered.

Walker immediately aimed his weapon.

“Sarah, put it down!”

Sarah's hands trembled.

“I can't.”

Olivia stared at her.

“Why?”

Reynolds stepped forward.

“Because Sarah has finally understood that loyalty has a price.”

Elizabeth moved in front of Olivia.

“Don't listen to him, Sarah. You know what he's done.”

Sarah's eyes filled with tears.

“You promised you could protect my brother.”

“I did everything I could,” Elizabeth replied.

“Jason is dead!”

The room fell silent.

Olivia looked at Sarah.

“What happened to Jason?”

Sarah lowered her weapon slightly.

“They found him two hours ago. They told me he was killed because I helped you.”

Olivia's heart sank.

“Sarah, I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. You don't know what it's like to watch everyone you love disappear because of one decision.”

Reynolds smiled.

“Now you understand why people cooperate, Agent Bennett. Fear is much more reliable than loyalty.”

Walker took a step forward.

“Where is Jason?”

Sarah looked toward Reynolds.

“He said Jason was taken to a secure facility.”

Reynolds smiled again.

“Jason Miller is alive. For now.”

Sarah's expression changed.

“You told me he was dead.”

“I told you what I needed you to believe.”

She turned toward him, horrified.

“You used me.”

“Of course I did.”

Reynolds gestured toward the central terminal.

“Now give me the access device, Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth tightened her grip on the black device.

“No.”

Reynolds sighed.

“Then we do this the difficult way.”

He pressed a button on his wrist.

The security doors slammed shut.

The lights turned red.

A new countdown appeared on the central screen.

NETWORK PURGE: 05:00

Elizabeth looked at Olivia.

“There's another problem.”

“What?”

She pointed toward the main server.

“The purge isn't just going to erase the records.”

The screen displayed a list of locations.

Safe houses.

Witness residences.

Private addresses.

And beside each one was a status indicator.

TARGET CONFIRMATION IN PROGRESS.

Olivia stared at the list.

“They're going to kill the witnesses.”

Elizabeth nodded.

“Everyone whose testimony could destroy Project Nightfall.”

Sarah lowered her gun.

Her face had gone pale.

“My brother's location is on that list.”

Walker rushed toward the terminal.

“Can you stop it?”

Elizabeth looked at her daughter.

“Yes. But once I start, the system will require a final authorization.”

“What authorization?”

Elizabeth swallowed.

“The account holder must approve the shutdown.”

Olivia looked at the screen.

Her name appeared at the top.

PRIMARY ACCOUNT HOLDER: OLIVIA BENNETT.

The system had been waiting for her.

For twenty years.

And now it was asking her to make a choice that could determine the fate of every remaining witness.

Olivia stared at her name on the central screen.

PRIMARY ACCOUNT HOLDER: OLIVIA BENNETT.

Below it, a second message appeared.

AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED TO TERMINATE PROJECT NIGHTFALL.

A countdown continued beneath the warning.

04:32

“Tell me what happens if I authorize it,” Olivia said.

Elizabeth moved toward the terminal.

“The system will freeze every financial account connected to Nightfall, shut down the surveillance network, and transmit the original records to independent authorities.”

“And the witnesses?”

“It will cancel the orders targeting them.”

“Then why are we waiting?”

“Because the system was designed with a final safeguard. If the account holder authorizes the shutdown, every person who has ever accessed the network will receive an automatic notification.”

Walker understood immediately.

“They'll know we're shutting them down.”

“Yes,” Elizabeth replied. “And some of them will do anything to stop it.”

Reynolds laughed from the other side of the room.

“You're making this sound like a choice, Elizabeth. It isn't. Olivia cannot authorize anything without the second authentication key.”

Elizabeth turned toward him.

“You're wrong.”

“Am I?”

Reynolds raised his hand. Between his fingers was a small silver object.

The second key.

Olivia looked at her father.

“Didn't you say you had both keys?”

Thomas shook his head.

“I had the first. Daniel had the second. But Reynolds must have taken a duplicate.”

Reynolds placed the key on the desk.

“Twenty years ago, I helped design the safeguards. I know every way around them. You cannot destroy something I helped create.”

Sarah took a step toward him.

“You told me the network was only being used to protect witnesses.”