He slowly reached for his radio.
"Colonel, I think you should wait outside while we clarify a few details."
Morgan's expression hardened.
"You're making a serious mistake."
"Maybe," Hayes replied. "But I'm responsible for the safety of everyone in this room."
Two officers moved toward the doorway.
Morgan looked at them, then at Hayes.
For the first time, the confidence in his expression seemed to weaken.
Before leaving, he turned toward Michael.
"You should have stayed where you were, Bennett."
Michael stared back.
"I tried."
Morgan said nothing.
He walked out.
The door closed.
But nobody in the room felt relieved.
Because Michael knew something the others did not.
Morgan had not come to check on him.
He had come to make sure that he would never speak again.
CHAPTER 2: SIX YEARS OF SILENCE
After Morgan left, Emily returned to Michael's bedside.
His breathing had become irregular again.
"Michael, look at me."
He slowly opened his eyes.
"You're safe for now," she whispered.
He looked toward Rex.
The dog was still standing beside him.
"He's... here?"
Emily smiled gently.
"He's not going anywhere."
Michael's eyes filled with tears.
For several seconds, he simply watched the dog.
Then he whispered:
"I thought I'd never see him again."
Emily gently adjusted his blanket.
"Tell me what happened."
Michael looked toward the ceiling.
The memories were difficult.
Not because he had forgotten them, but because he remembered too much.
"I remember the explosion," he began. "I remember the smoke. I remember trying to reach David. Then everything went dark."
He paused to catch his breath.
"When I woke up, I was somewhere underground. I couldn't see anything. My hands were tied, and I could barely move."
Emily listened.
"They told me my team was dead. They said David had died. They said Rex had been killed during the operation."
Michael closed his eyes.
"I didn't believe them."
"Why?"
"Because I knew Rex."
He looked at the dog.
"I knew he wouldn't leave without trying to find me."
A tear moved down his cheek.
"For months, I kept thinking about him. I wondered whether he had escaped. Whether someone had taken care of him. Whether he was still waiting."
Emily held his hand.
"He's here now."
Michael nodded.
But there was pain behind his expression.
"Six years, Emily."
"I know."
"Six years of believing that everyone I loved had disappeared."
He turned toward her.
"I used to count the days. Then the months. Eventually, I stopped counting."
His voice broke.
"I didn't want to forget their faces."
Emily felt tears forming.
She had imagined many possible explanations for Michael's disappearance.
She had imagined that he had moved away, that he had chosen another life, or that something terrible had happened.
She had never imagined that he had spent six years imprisoned while believing that everyone he loved was gone.
"Why didn't you give up?" she asked quietly.
Michael looked at Rex.
"Because of him."
The dog gently placed his head on Michael's hand.
Michael continued.
"Whenever things became unbearable, I remembered the day we first met. He was just a puppy. Nobody wanted to train him because they thought he was too sensitive."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I remember telling him that being sensitive wasn't a weakness."
He looked down.
"I suppose I needed to hear that myself."
Emily squeezed his hand.
"You survived, Michael."
He shook his head.
"We survived."
Rex wagged his tail once.
And for the first time in years, Michael allowed himself to believe that the worst part of his life might finally be over.
But the truth was only beginning to emerge.
CHAPTER 3: THE SECRET HIDDEN IN A COLLAR
Sergeant Hayes had not stopped thinking about Rex's behavior.
He examined the dog's identification tag carefully.
Beneath the official service number was an older military identification plate.
The engraving was almost impossible to read.
Hayes had seen it before but never considered it important.
Now, he noticed a small irregularity.
The plate seemed slightly thicker than a normal identification tag.
"Michael," he called.
Michael turned.
"Yes?"
"Did you ever modify Rex's collar?"
Michael stared at the metal plate.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then his eyes widened.
"Take it off."
Hayes carefully removed the collar.
Michael watched as he examined the underside.
"There's a compartment," Michael whispered.
Hayes looked closer.
Using a small tool, he released a tiny hidden mechanism.
Inside was a folded piece of waterproof material.
Emily leaned forward.
"What is it?"
Michael swallowed.
"A message."
Hayes carefully unfolded it.
The handwriting was faded but recognizable.
The message read:
If you're reading this, then Rex has found his way back to you.
Beneath it was another sentence.
The truth is not in the reports. It is where the innocent were forgotten.
A series of numbers followed.
Hayes looked at Michael.
"What does it mean?"
Michael closed his eyes.
"David."
"David Miller?"
Michael nodded.
"He's alive."
Hayes stared at him.