Subject Identified

The woman in the suit handed Bennett another page.

“Sir,” she said softly, “you need to see the last section.”

Bennett read it, and his entire body went still.

Ryan felt dread crawl up his spine.

“What does it say?”

The general slowly turned the page around.

Ryan saw his own name printed in black ink.

RYAN ASHFORD.

Beneath it were two red-stamped words.

SUBJECT IDENTIFIED.

Ryan’s lips parted.

“I don’t understand.”

General Bennett snapped the folder shut.

“No,” he said. “But Claire did.”

Ryan’s heart began to pound.

“What are you talking about?”

The general stepped closer until only a few feet separated them.

“My daughter didn’t marry you by accident.”

Ryan stopped breathing.

“She was investigating you.”

The driveway seemed to disappear beneath him.

“No,” Ryan whispered.

Bennett’s voice stayed deadly calm.

“Yes.”

Ryan shook his head violently.

“That’s not true. Claire loved me.”

“She did,” Bennett said, pain crossing his face. “That was the problem.”

The words were worse than hatred.

They were grief.