Arthur paused.
"I thought you wanted to speak privately."
"I want answers. I don't need privacy."
"Who will be there?"
"People I trust."
"Do you trust your mother?"
Colton looked at Rebecca.
"Not yet."
"Your father?"
"Which one?"
Arthur laughed softly.
"You have your mother's sharpness."
"Then you should be careful what you say to me."
For a moment, the line was silent.
Then Arthur said, "Very well. Bring whoever you wish. But if you want to understand what happened to Nora, you will need to hear the full story."
"Then tell me now."
"Not over the phone."
"Why?"
"Because some truths deserve to be heard in person."
Colton looked at Darren.
Darren shook his head slightly.
Arthur continued.
"I will see you at the station tomorrow at noon."
"No," Colton said. "Today."
"Today?"
"If you're serious about telling me the truth, there's no reason to wait."
Arthur's voice cooled.
"You are impatient."
"I've spent my entire life waiting for people to tell me things they should have told me years ago."
A pause.
Then Arthur said, "Three o'clock. The main entrance."
"Agreed."
The call ended.
Darren immediately reached for his phone.
"We move the meeting forward. Helen's team needs to know."
Mara looked at Colton.
"You realize he might be setting a trap."
"Yes."
"And you still want to go?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Colton looked at the map.
"Because if Arthur thinks he can control the meeting, he'll reveal more than he intends to. And because I want to see what happens when he realizes I am not there to become his son."
Mara studied him.
Then she nodded.
"Fine. But this time, we do it together."
The research station stood in a shallow canyon surrounded by red rock formations and scattered juniper trees. From a distance, it looked like an ordinary industrial building, low and gray, with a communications mast rising from the roof.
The public entrance had been sealed with a metal barrier. A faded sign warned that the facility was closed for redevelopment.
The service road on the northern side was hidden behind a line of rocks and scrub.
When the federal team arrived, they came in unmarked vehicles and parked well away from the main gate. Helen Mercer stepped out of the lead vehicle, carrying a folder and a small case.
She was in her late forties, with short dark hair and an expression that suggested she had spent years learning not to be impressed by anyone's confidence.
"Colton Hayes?" she asked.
He nodded.
"Helen Mercer."
They shook hands.
"I worked with Nora for almost a year," Helen said. "She was persistent, stubborn, and occasionally impossible."
Colton felt a painful smile touch his mouth.
"That sounds like her."
Helen's expression softened.
"I'm sorry for what happened."
"Did you believe she was dead?"
"For a long time, I believed she had been forced into hiding. Later, when the evidence suggested she had been killed, I believed we would eventually find her body. We never did."
"Do you think Arthur killed her?"
"I think he was responsible for the conditions that made her death possible. Whether he gave the final order is something we need to prove."
Colton appreciated the distinction.
He had spent too many years surrounded by people who treated suspicion as certainty whenever it suited them.
Helen opened her folder.
"We have verified the first set of files. The financial records are authentic. Several names match accounts we have been investigating. The material is significant, but we need the original archive to establish the chain of custody and determine whether additional evidence exists."
"There's also evidence of a medical program," Darren said.
Helen nodded.
"We found references in Nora's notes. We do not yet know the full extent of it."
Mara looked toward the building.
"Then let's find out."
The team approached the northern service road.
Rebecca led them to the remains of an old water tower behind a cluster of boulders. The tower's support structure was rusted, and the access ladder had been removed, but a concrete maintenance hatch lay beneath the shadow of its base.
Samuel studied the ground.
"This is it."
Helen examined the hatch.
"Can it be opened?"
Rebecca nodded.
"The lock was designed to be operated with a mechanical key. The electronic system controlled the main entrance, not the tunnel."
She reached into her coat and produced a small key.
Colton looked at it.
"You kept the key?"
"I kept several things I should have handed over years ago."
She inserted it into the lock.
The mechanism resisted at first, then turned with a dry metallic click.
The hatch opened a few inches.
Cold air rose from the darkness below.
A narrow stairway descended into the earth.
Darren switched on a flashlight.
"I'll go first."
Helen stopped him.
"Not yet. We need to confirm that the tunnel is safe and that we're not walking into an unsecured facility."