Chapter 2: The Daughter He Lost
For nine years, Daniel Harris had believed his daughter hated him.
Now he wondered whether she had been afraid of him instead.
He stood alone in his office with the eviction notice spread across his desk.
Outside the window, soldiers moved between buildings with practiced precision.
Inside, Harris couldn't hear any of it.
He was seventeen again.
He could see Amelia sitting on the hood of his old car.
She had been seventeen too.
Angry.
Beautiful.
Crying so hard she couldn't hide it.
“You always choose them,” she'd screamed.
Harris remembered gripping the steering wheel.
“Choose who?””
“The Army.””
“That isn't fair.””
“You missed Mom's funeral.””
“I was deployed.””
“You missed my graduation.””
“I was overseas.””
“You missed everything!””
He had thought she was being dramatic.
Young.
Emotional.
He had promised they would talk when he returned.
But when he came home, Amelia was gone.
Her mother had refused to tell him where she'd moved.
Harris had searched.
He'd called.
He'd written letters.
Nothing.
Then one day, a lawyer contacted him.
Amelia didn't want contact.
Harris had believed it.
Because believing it was easier than accepting that his daughter might have needed him.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
Major Thomas Reed entered.
“Sir?””
Harris looked up.
“That's your wallet.””
Reed nodded.
“I heard the child found it.””
“She did.””
“Then why do you look like you've seen a ghost?””
Harris pushed the eviction notice across the desk.
“Read the name.””
Reed looked down.
His eyebrows rose.
“Amelia Harris?””
“My daughter.””
Reed stared at him.
“I didn't know you had a daughter.””
“Neither did I.””
Reed's eyes moved back to the paper.
“What happened?””
“I don't know.””
The phone on Harris's desk rang.
He answered.
“General Harris.””
A woman's voice spoke.
“Daniel?””
He froze.
He knew that voice.
He had spent nine years trying to forget it.
“Amelia?””
Silence.
Then a shaky breath.
“You saw Ruby.””
Harris gripped the desk.
“Where are you?””
“Please don't come.””
“Amelia, I need to see you.””
“You shouldn't have found us.””
“Found you?””
His voice rose.
“You think I stopped looking?””
“You did.””
“No.””
“You did after Dad died.””
Harris closed his eyes.
“Amelia, that's not true.””
“It doesn't matter anymore.””
“Where are you?””
Another silence.
Then she whispered:
“Ruby wasn't supposed to go there.””
Harris's stomach tightened.
“Why did she?””
“She thought returning that wallet was the right thing.””
“She was right.””
“You don't understand.””
“Then help me understand.””
Amelia's voice trembled.
“You're dangerous to us.””
Harris stared at the phone.
“I'm your father.””
“That doesn't make you safe.””
The line went dead.
Harris immediately called back.
No answer.
He turned toward Reed.
“Find her.””
Reed hesitated.
“Sir, with respect, if she doesn't want contact—”
“I don't want her contacted.””
Harris grabbed his coat.
“I want to know why my daughter thinks I'm dangerous.””
Twenty minutes later, Harris stood outside the headquarters.
The same guards who had watched Ruby arrive were waiting.
“Did the girl leave alone?”” Harris asked.
“Yes, sir.””
“Which direction?””
The younger guard pointed toward the bus station.
Harris stopped.
“Bus station?””
“Yes.””
Harris looked down at the wallet in his hand.
“Did she say anything else?””
The older guard shook his head.
“She only said her mother was waiting.””
Harris nodded.
Then the younger guard spoke.
“Sir?””
“What?””
“There was a man watching her.””
Harris turned.
“What man?””
“I don't know. Gray coat. He was across the street.””
“Why didn't you stop him?””
“He left when you came outside.””
Harris's jaw tightened.
“Did you get a plate number?””
“No, sir.””
Reed arrived moments later.
“We found something.””
Harris looked at him.
“Talk.””
“Security camera footage from the gate.””
Reed handed him a tablet.
The footage showed Ruby approaching the entrance.
Then, across the street, a man in a gray coat.
Harris paused the video.
“Zoom in.””
Reed did.
The man's face remained partially hidden.
But his hand was visible.
There was a distinctive black ring on his index finger.
Harris's expression changed.
“I know that ring.””
Reed looked at him.
“Who?””
Harris didn't answer.
He took out his phone and opened an old photograph.
It showed him and Amelia standing beside an Army vehicle.
Behind them stood a younger man.
Harris zoomed in.
The same black ring.
Reed stared.
“Who is he?””
Harris's voice was almost inaudible.
“Colonel Marcus Vale.””
Reed stiffened.
“That can't be possible.””
“Why?””
“Vale died eight years ago.””
Harris looked back at the footage.
The man in the gray coat was gone.
“Then someone is wearing his ring.””
His phone buzzed.
A text message appeared.
*You should have left the past buried.*
A second message arrived.
*Now your granddaughter is in danger.*
Harris's blood went cold.
He typed:
*Where is she?*
Three dots appeared.
Then vanished.
His phone rang.
This time, it wasn't an unknown number.
It was Amelia.
Harris answered immediately.
“Amelia!””
Her voice came through in a terrified whisper.
“Dad…”
He hadn't heard her call him that since she was seventeen.
“I'm here.””
“Listen to me carefully.””
“Where are you?””
“Don't ask.””
“Amelia—”
“Someone has been following Ruby.””
Harris stood completely still.
“How long?””
“I don't know.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because the last time I trusted someone in uniform, they took everything from me.””
Harris swallowed.
“Who?””
Amelia began crying.
Then she whispered three words that made Harris's heart stop.
“Your best friend.””
May you like
The call suddenly ended.
And somewhere across the city, Ruby was standing beside a man wearing a black ring.
