Chapter 237 The Border ze Clue
Quinn hurried to the military district, her heartbeat racing as fast as the car that had brought her here.
The SD card inside the drone her brother Rowan had piloted five years earlier still held the full log of that final mission.
The instant Quinn heard Rowan’s voice on the recording and saw the footage he had captured, tears burst from her eyes in an uncontroble rush.
Five years. At <ist</i>, I’m <i>hearing </i><i>the </i><i>voice </i><i>I’ve </i><i>missed </i><i>every </i><i>single </i><i>day</i><i>. </i>
Themander said, “Certain images connected to your brother’s assignment are ssified, so we can’t let you watch them. I hope you understand.”
“I understand,” Quinn answered, teary–eyed.
“From the data we could retrieve, we’re sure Rowan’sst mission was linked to the border wildfire five years ago. He encountered the fire mid–operation, the drone crashed, and after that, he disappeared.”
Quinn pursed her lips, her hands hung at her sides, knuckles white around clenched fists.
<i>So </i><i>my </i><i>initial </i><i>suspicion </i><i>was </i><i>right</i>. <i>Rowan’s </i><i>disappearance </i><i>really </i><i>is </i><i>tied to </i><i>that </i><i>wildfire</i><i>! </i><i>If </i><i>the </i><i>ze </i><i>had </i><i>never </i><i>started</i>, <i>maybe </i><i>my </i><i>brother </i><i>would </i><i>never </i><i>have </i><i>gone </i><i>missing</i><i>! </i>
Themander hesitated. “We’ll travel to Stridora again to verify the lists of those injured or killed that year.”
After all, Rowan had vanished during the fire and had not been seen for five years. It was possible he had perished in the mes.
Many people died in that inferno; the disaster zone was vast, and it was entirely feasible that some victims were never recorded.
Quinn clenched her teeth and said nothing.
<i>I </i><i>don’t </i><i>believe </i><i>my </i><i>brother </i><i>is </i><i>dead</i><i>! </i><i>Rowan </i>survived gunfire <i>and </i><i>warzones</i><i>–</i><i>how </i><i>could </i><i>a </i><i>single </i><i>fire </i><i>im </i><i>him</i>? <i>He’s </i><i>still </i>alive<i>. </i><i>He </i><i>has </i><i>to </i><i>be</i><i>. </i>
Seeing her silence, themander realized she could not ept any talk of her brother’s death.
“I want the coordinates of thest location the drone recorded for Rowan,” Quinn said suddenly.
“Of course, that’s no problem,” themander replied.
“And I’d like to watch the footage you just showed me again,” Quinn added.
“Certainly.” He ordered a technician to rey the video on theputer.
Quinn watched closely. The drone was filming from high above. At that moment, the forest had yet to
catch fire.
Suddenly, her eyes sharpened. One frame captured the very point where the ze had ignited.
It was the spot Nimbus Air imed first officer Howard Lamont had set aze while smoking.
<b><i>If </i></b>the drone caught <i>that </i><i>moment</i><i>, </i><i>then </i><i>maybe</i><i>…. </i>
“Rey that section,” Quinn told the technician.
The clip rolled again. When the ignition point appeared, she ordered, “Pause!”
The technician froze the frame.
“Please zoom in,” Quinn said.
The image was erged repeatedly until a vague human silhouette appeared, but it was still too blurry to identify.
“Five years have passed. This is as clear as we can make it,” the technician exined.
Quinn pondered over this, then addressed themander. “May I have a copy of this clip? I want to see if I can restore the resolution further.”
“You may take this clip. The rest is ssified and must stay here,” themander said.
“I understand,” Quinn replied.
Leaving the base, she gripped the USB drive containing the clip so tightly her knuckles were white.
<i>The </i><i>truth about </i>the <i>wildfire </i><i>might </i><i>be </i><i>hidden </i><i>in </i>this <i>very </i><i>video</i>.