Chapter 2: The Coordinates He Left Behind
I didn’t sleep that night.
The coordinates from Ghost’s tag were burned into my mind.
Latitude.
Longitude.
A date.
Three months after the military officially declared Ethan Cross dead.
That one detail bothered me more than anything.
Ghost wasn’t carrying a message from the past.
He was carrying something recent.
Something someone wanted hidden.
At 2:13 a.m., I sat alone in my office with Ethan’s old photograph in my hands.
He was twenty-nine in the picture.
Smiling.
Annoyingly calm.
The kind of person who could walk into chaos and somehow make everyone else feel safe.
Ghost had been sitting outside my office door for almost four hours.
Commander Hayes had insisted on staying.
I had insisted he leave.
Neither of us won.
Eventually, he sat in the waiting area with the dog.
At 2:30, there was a knock.
I opened the door.
Hayes stood there.
“You found something.””
It wasn’t a question.
I crossed my arms.
“You knew.””
His expression didn’t change.
“I suspected.””
“That’s different.””
“No.””
He looked tired.
“It's not.””
I stared at him.
“You brought Ethan Cross’s dog to my clinic knowing I knew him.””
“I brought Ghost because he chose you.””
“That doesn’t answer my question.””
Hayes looked away.
For the first time, he looked less like a commander.
More like a man carrying something heavy.
“Ethan didn’t die.””
The room went silent.
I almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because my brain couldn’t accept the words.
“What did you say?””
Hayes looked at me.
“I said Ethan Cross didn’t die seven years ago.””
My hand tightened around the edge of my desk.
“The military confirmed his death.””
“The military confirmed what they were told.””
“That’s impossible.””
“Is it?””
His voice became sharper.
“You know how many classified operations never appear in official records?””
I felt anger rise.
“You’re asking me to believe my friend faked his own death?””
“No.””
Hayes paused.
“I’m asking you to believe someone made sure everyone believed he was dead.””
I looked at Ghost.
The dog was watching us.
Waiting.
“Where is he?””
Hayes didn’t answer.
That scared me more.
“Where is Ethan?””
“I don’t know.””
“You brought me his dog.””
“Yes.””
“You showed me proof.””
“Yes.””
“And you still don’t know?””
Hayes looked down.
“Three months ago, I received a package.””
“What was inside?””
“A military identification plate. A handwritten note. And coordinates.””
“From Ethan?””
“I don’t know.””
I stepped closer.
“What did the note say?””
Hayes hesitated.
Then he reached into his jacket.
He pulled out a folded piece of paper.
The handwriting was messy.
But familiar.
I knew that handwriting.
I had seen it on mission reports.
On birthday cards.
On the coffee cup he once labeled “Captain Madison’s emergency caffeine supply.””
My hands shook.
The note contained only six words.
“Find Madison. She’ll know what to do.””
I couldn’t breathe.
Hayes watched my reaction.
“You understand now?””
“No.””
My voice cracked.
“I understand nothing.””
Ghost stood.
Slowly.
He walked toward me.
Then he nudged the paper.
A memory hit me.
Ethan sitting on a truck hood.
Ghost beside him.
Me complaining about his terrible handwriting.
“You write like a doctor,” Ethan had teased.
“I am a doctor.””
“You’re a veterinarian.””
“Same level of impossible handwriting.””
He laughed.
Then he became serious.
“Madison.””
“What?””
“If anything happens to me…”
I had interrupted him.
“Don’t say that.””
His expression changed.
“Promise me something.””
I remembered the way he looked at me.
Like he already knew something was coming.
“Promise what?””
“That you’ll trust Ghost.””
I laughed nervously.
“You’re asking me to trust your dog?””
“I’m asking you to trust the one thing that knows the truth.””
The memory vanished.
I looked at Ghost.
“Why didn’t you come to me sooner?””
The dog stared.
Of course, he didn’t answer.
But something on his collar caught my attention.
A tiny scratch.
Almost invisible.
I turned the harness over.
There was another marking.
Not on the plate.
Inside the leather.
A symbol.
A triangle with a line through the center.
Hayes saw it.
His face changed.
“Where did you find that?””
“You recognize it?””
He stepped back.
“That symbol doesn’t exist anymore.””
“What does it mean?””
He didn’t answer.
“Commander.””
His silence was enough.
“Tell me.””
Hayes looked toward the locked clinic doors.
Then lowered his voice.
“It was used by a special operations unit.””
“Ethan’s unit?””
“No.””
A pause.
“Someone else’s.””
My stomach tightened.
“Who?””
Before he could respond, every light in the clinic flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then went dark.
Ghost immediately moved in front of me.
Not scared.
Protective.
Hayes reached for his weapon.
I froze.
Because from the hallway outside my office…
came the sound of someone walking.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Someone who knew exactly where we were.
A voice came through the darkness.
“Dr. Madison Cole.””
I felt the blood leave my face.
Because I knew that voice.
Not personally.
But from seven years ago.
From the mission report.
From the list of people who were supposed to be dead.
May you like
The voice spoke again.
“You should have left Ghost alone.””
