Page 142 of The 9th Man

“What do you know about the proposed book?”

“I wrote it.”

He was shocked.

“None of the men had the skills to put it together,” she said through her tears. “I did. So over the course of the last three years I wrote the manuscript, using David’s, Benji’s, and Ray’s research.”

“Who knew that?”

“Only David. I never met Ray or Benji. David handled all that.”

“Is it finished?”

She nodded. “It’s in my office.”

Okay. Things just escalated.

“You don’t know me at all,” he said. “But I’m going to ask you to trust me. I have David’s film, some drawings, and notes. All of which he gave me. What I don’t have is their complete research. I’m assuming all that is laid out in the manuscript. To get Rowland I’m going to need that manuscript.”

She stared at him, still crying.

He found his phone and dialed Stephanie, placing the call on speaker.

“I’m here with Victoria Sandberg. Ms. Sandberg, this is Stephanie Nelle, head of the Magellan Billet, a unit of the Department of Justice.”

He and Stephanie had already discussed contingencies before he came.

“We’re going to need that firepower,” he said.

“Sit tight,” Stephanie said. “I’ll be back to you.”

He ended the call.

“I never thought Rowland was a violent man,” Victoria said. “But we all thought he’d guard his reputation through legal action. David actually welcomed being sued. He said he had the evidence to make his case.”

“I’ve seen the film. It’s pretty powerful.”

“It is. But there is plenty of science to back up what you saw, along with witness testimony. It’s all detailed in the manuscript.”

“Which I’m going to need. But I wouldn’t expect you to just hand it over, and I would never take it.”

His phone buzzed.

He answered and accepted the special video link. The small screen split into thirds. One part held Stephanie. The other two the faces of the U.S. attorney general and the director of the national archives. He saw that Victoria recognized both.

“Ms. Sandberg,” the director said. “We’ve never met, but I’ve been told that you have served the archives faithfully for a long time. I need your cooperation here. I understand you are privy to some information that could change history.”

“I am. We’ve been working on this for a long time.”

“That’s what we’ve come to know,” the attorney general said. “Sadly, all of your partners are now dead. Only Thomas Rowland remains. We need to arrest him. Can you help us right this wrong?”

The tears had abated.

Victoria Sandberg was focused on the moment.

And in her eyes he saw resolve.

“I can do that,” she declared.

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