"Second floor. Last door on the right."
He walked slowly upstairs.
Locker 19 was at the end of a narrow hallway.
The key turned easily.
Inside were three boxes.
The first contained old financial records.
The second contained photographs.
The third contained a laptop.
Walter opened the laptop.
A video file appeared on the desktop.
He clicked it.
The screen showed a young man sitting in a dark room.
Walter stopped breathing.
It was Michael.
His son looked older than the last time Walter had seen him, but his eyes were the same.
"Dad," Michael said.
Walter moved closer to the screen.
"If you're watching this, then I hope you're still alive."
Michael swallowed.
"I know you think I died fifteen years ago. I know what they told you."
He paused.
"But I never died."
Walter's eyes filled with tears.
Michael continued.
"The people who arranged the accident were trying to silence me. I discovered that several police officials were secretly selling witness identities. I copied the records and hid them."
He leaned toward the camera.
"One of those identities belonged to Emily."
Walter covered his mouth.
"They were planning to kill her before she could testify."
The recording continued.
"I managed to get her out. But I couldn't save myself. They caught me before I could reach you."
Michael looked down.
"I spent years believing you had abandoned me. They showed me documents proving that you had signed an agreement to stop searching."
Walter shook his head.
"No, son. No..."
Michael looked back at the camera.
"Now I know those documents were fake."
The recording ended.
Walter stood motionless.
Then he heard footsteps behind him.
A familiar voice spoke.
"Emotional, isn't it?"
Walter turned.
Chief Harold Bennett stood in the doorway.
He was supposed to be in federal custody.
But he was smiling.
Walter stared at Bennett.
"How did you get out?"
Bennett laughed.
"Did you really think a few federal charges would keep me locked away?"
Walter reached for his phone.
Bennett raised his hand.
"Don't."
Two men appeared behind him.
Both were armed.
Walter slowly lowered his hand.
Bennett walked into the storage unit.
"You've caused a lot of trouble, Walter."
"You've caused enough."
Bennett glanced at the laptop.
"Did you enjoy the family reunion?"
Walter clenched his fists.
"Where is Michael?"
Bennett smiled.
"That's the interesting part. Michael isn't the person you should be worried about."
"What do you mean?"
Bennett leaned closer.
"Your son has been working with us."
Walter stared at him.
"You're lying."
"Am I?"
Bennett pulled out his phone and showed Walter a photograph.
It showed Michael standing beside Thomas Vance.
Both men were smiling.
Walter felt his stomach tighten.
"That's impossible."
"Your son made a deal years ago. In exchange for his life, he agreed to help us locate the remaining witnesses."
Walter shook his head.
"No."
Bennett shrugged.
"People change when they spend fifteen years running from death."
Walter looked at the photograph again.
He wanted to believe his son.
But the evidence was difficult to ignore.
Then Bennett said something even more disturbing.
"Do you know why Emily was allowed to survive?"
Walter stared at him.
"Why?"
"Because someone needed her to lead us to you."
Walter felt the room spinning.
Bennett smiled.
"And now you're here."
Suddenly, the lights went out.
A loud crash echoed through the hallway.
Someone shouted.
Then a gunshot rang through the building.
When the emergency lights came on, Bennett was gone.
The two armed men lay on the floor, disarmed.
And standing in the doorway was a young man wearing a dark jacket.
Walter looked at him.
The young man slowly removed his hood.
"Dad."
Walter could barely speak.
"Michael?"
His son nodded.
"I'm sorry it took so long."
Walter rushed toward his son.
He grabbed him by the shoulders and examined his face.
"Are you really here?"
Michael smiled sadly.
"Yes, Dad."
Walter embraced him.
For several moments, neither man spoke.
Then Walter stepped back.
"Why did Bennett say you were working with them?"
Michael looked down.
"Because I was."
Walter felt his heart sink.
"Tell me the truth."
Michael took a deep breath.
"After the accident, I was taken to a private medical facility. They told me that you had died in an explosion during the investigation."
Walter closed his eyes.
"I never knew."
"They showed me photographs. Documents. Even a recording that sounded like your voice."
Michael's eyes filled with tears.
"I believed them for years."
"What changed?"
"I met someone."
"Who?"
"An accountant named Laura Mitchell. She had been working for the organization. She discovered that they were planning to eliminate several witnesses."
Michael explained that Laura had secretly helped him escape.
But he had been forced to pretend that he was cooperating with Bennett and Vance.
He had spent years gathering evidence from inside the organization.
The photograph Walter had received was real.
But it had been taken during an undercover operation.
"I couldn't contact you because they were monitoring every communication," Michael explained.
Walter nodded slowly.
"Why didn't you tell Emily?"
"I tried. But I didn't know whether she was being watched."
Walter looked at his son.
"Then why did you call her last night?"
"Because I finally found the person who could bring the entire organization down."
"Who?"
Michael hesitated.
Then he answered.
"Samuel Grant."
Walter stared at him.
"The former Deputy Director?"
Michael nodded.
"He's the one who created the witness information network."
Walter felt a cold anger rising inside him.
"Then we finish this."
Michael looked at his father.
"Together?"
Walter placed his hand on his son's shoulder.
"Together."
That evening, Walter and Michael met Emily at Rebecca's office.
Emily ran toward her brother.
For a long moment, the siblings embraced.
"You idiot," she whispered through tears.
Michael laughed.
"I know."
"You let me believe you were dead."
"I didn't have a choice."
Emily pulled away and slapped his shoulder.
"Don't ever do that again."
Michael smiled.
"I promise."
Rebecca entered the room carrying a folder.
"We have a problem."
Walter turned.
"What now?"