I rescued an abandoned dog off the street, and he ended up saving my life
CHAPTER 7
Ethan and Scout drove west.
They reached Denver three days later.
They found Lily living under another name.
She was nineteen.
Quiet.
Suspicious.
When Scout saw her, he jumped from the truck.
Lily froze.
Then screamed:
“Scout?”
The dog ran toward her.
She dropped to her knees.
Scout pressed his face against her chest.
Lily cried.
“You came back.”
Ethan watched.
He finally understood.
Scout hadn’t saved Ethan by accident.
He had been trying to finish Jack’s last command.
Protect Lily.
Lily told them what happened.
Her father had discovered a group inside his security company selling client information.
When he tried to expose them, they came after his family.
Jack sent Lily away.
He kept Scout with him.
Then he disappeared.
“But where is my father?”
Lily whispered:
“I don’t know.”
Ethan showed her the photograph.
“Was there evidence?”
She nodded.
“My father said Scout carried it.”
“Where?”
Lily touched the collar.
“He told me never to remove it.”
Ethan stared.
The capsule.
The paper.
The phone number.
It was only half the message.
He opened the capsule again.
Behind the number was another line.
M-14 / NORTH STORAGE
Lily knew what it meant.
“His old storage unit.”
They found it that night.
Inside were boxes.
Documents.
Photographs.
And one hard drive.
Ethan connected it.
The files revealed everything.
Private security contracts.
Payments.
Names.
And one name appeared again and again.
Jack Mercer had been investigating a man named Richard Vale.
Vale wasn’t a security contractor.
He was a major defense executive.
And he had ordered Jack’s disappearance.
Before Ethan could copy the files, the lights went out.
Scout growled.
Someone had entered the building.
