Chapter 2 - Elias Had Been Showing Vanessa A Fake Rachel For Six Months
Base security did not arrest me.
They did something more uncomfortable.
They asked everyone to stay calm while deciding what reality they were dealing with.
The canteen emptied in sections.
Vanessa was taken upstairs.
Elias left through the west entrance with two people from base legal.
The masked woman went with him.
She never removed the mask.
I was moved into a conference room normally used for dining-facility scheduling.
White walls.
Long table.
A framed poster about food safety.
Three years dead and my resurrection happened under a photograph of properly stored chicken.
Captain Ruiz from base security sat across from me.
“Name?”
“Rachel Carter.”
He looked at my face.
Then his notes.
“Captain Rachel Elaine Carter?”
“Former captain.”
Ruiz stopped.
“You understand that Captain Carter was declared deceased in 2023.”
“I saw the memorial plaque.”
“Then you understand the problem.”
“The problem is somebody was wrong.”
He didn't argue.
Good.
“Do you have identification?”
“Not under Rachel Carter.”
“Under what name?”
I stayed quiet.
Three years under another identity had created habits.
Ruiz folded his hands.
“Someone appeared on this installation today claiming to be a deceased former officer.”
“I didn't claim anything until you asked.”
“General Cole recognized you.”
“Yes.”
“The civilian recognized you.”
“Yes.”
“And there was another woman dressed almost identically.”
“Yes.”
He watched me.
“You understand why that complicates identification.”
That was Elias's first victory.
The double hadn't even shown her face.
Already the room had two possible Rachels.
“Who is Elias?”
Ruiz's expression changed.
“You know his last name?”
“No.”
“Elias Sloane.”
Still nothing.
“Civilian compliance consultant.”
“For the Army?”
“Not exactly.”
Of course.
“What does that mean?”
“He works with several defense oversight groups.”
“Sounds intentionally vague.”
Ruiz looked tired.
“You're not wrong.”
The door opened.
Vanessa entered.
No escort.
She looked as though she'd aged five years since lunch.
Ruiz stood.
“General.”
“I need ten minutes.”
“No.”
She looked at him.
He didn't move.
Interesting.
“Captain Ruiz.”
“Ma'am, this is now a security matter involving disputed identity and an interrupted camera feed.”
Vanessa's face tightened.
“Interrupted how?”
Ruiz turned his laptop.
“The canteen camera went offline under a scheduled privacy maintenance request.”
“When was the request entered?”
“Yesterday.”
“By?”
Ruiz hesitated.
Vanessa already knew.
“Sloane's review team.”
She sat.
That changed the camera from sinister technology into something worse.
Paperwork.
Elias hadn't hacked anything.
He had arranged not to be recorded before any of us arrived.
I looked at Vanessa.
“You knew he was here.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He requested a closed review.”
“Of me?”
Her eyes moved toward Ruiz.
“No.”
“Then?”
Silence.
I leaned forward.
“The woman.”
Vanessa said nothing.
Ruiz looked between us.
“What woman?”
“The one Sloane brought into the canteen.”
“We're still identifying her.”
I looked at Vanessa.
“No, you aren't.”
Her jaw tightened.
“You recognized her.”
“I recognized what Elias was doing.”
“Which was?”
Vanessa looked at Ruiz.
“Captain, I need to speak to Rachel alone.”
“Not happening.”
I almost smiled.
Vanessa didn't.
Then Ruiz asked:
“General, have you previously encountered someone presenting herself as Captain Carter?”
Vanessa stared at him.
Too long.
My attention sharpened.
“Vanessa.”
She answered Ruiz.
“Yes.”
I went still.
“How many times?”
“Four.”
The room got very quiet.
“When?”
“Over the last six months.”
I stared.
“You saw me?”
“No.”
“You just said—”
“I saw women dressed to look like someone hiding.”
“Meaning?”
“Caps. Masks. Similar height.”
“Faces?”
“Never.”
I looked toward the door the masked woman had gone through.
“Sloane.”
Vanessa nodded.
“He called them return events.”
I laughed once.
“That sounds normal.”
Ruiz asked:
“Why weren't they reported?”
Vanessa's face tightened.
“Because I knew what he was trying to make me do.”
“What?”
“Certify that any future sighting of Rachel Carter was an impersonation.”
My stomach dropped.
There it was.
The reason for the duplicate.
If Elias could establish a history of false Rachels appearing around Fort Grant, the real one could return and still be called another performance.
I looked at Vanessa.
“You let him do this for six months.”
“I refused to sign.”
“You let him use someone.”
Her voice sharpened.
“I tried to find out who she was.”
“You already know.”
Vanessa looked at me.
I tapped my cap twice.
Her face changed.
“You saw that.”
“I grew up with it.”
Ruiz frowned.
“With who?”
I answered without looking away from Vanessa.
“My sister.”
Vanessa whispered:
“Rachel.”
“Is that Emily?”
She closed her eyes.
Not confirmation.
Close enough.
Then my phone vibrated inside my jacket.
Ruiz immediately looked at it.
I checked.
Unknown number.
One sentence.
HE TOLD ME VANESSA WATCHED YOU DIE.
I stared.
Another arrived.
I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE ALIVE UNTIL YESTERDAY.
My throat tightened.
May you like
The masked woman wasn't pretending to be me because she knew I was alive.
She had been pretending because somebody had convinced my own sister that Vanessa killed me.
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