Chapter Sixty-One
Amber
Back in my living room, I tear the edge from the small yellow envelope Martha gave me. Reaching my index and middle fingers inside, they emerge holding a single, unmarked thumb drive.
What in the…
I look at the turquoise drive, twisting it over and over in my hand, finding nothing to suggest what information it holds. My heart races as I stare at the mysterious device. What secrets could Martha have entrusted to me? And why the cloak-and-dagger routine?
With trembling hands, I reach for my laptop and power it on. The startup chime seems deafening in the tense silence of my apartment. I glance nervously through my windows, half-expecting to see shadowy figures lurking outside.
When the system finishes booting, I hesitate for a moment before plugging in the drive. A file explorer window pops up automatically, revealing a single folder labeled "Declan Roberts."
My cursor hovers over the folder. Do I really want to know what's inside? Martha's words echo in my mind. "The contents of that envelope will tell you all you need to know."
Taking a deep breath, I double-click the folder, revealing a single video file. I hesitate once more, my finger poised over the trackpad. The file's innocuous name, "Meeting_transcript.mp4," belies the weight of all that weighs on me. With a final deep breath, I click play.
The video is grainy as it stutters to life.
I don’t recognize much as the footage plays.
The room is barely lit, with black walls and no decor that I can make out.
After a few seconds, the camera shifts, landing on a man.
Oh god, it’s Declan. He’s sitting on a folding chair, motionless, with his face and arms battered to hell.