Chapter 5

"...Tomorrow, the annual Carmoria National Science and Technology Awards will honor scientists for outstanding work in their fields.

"Professor Calvin Cooper, chief designer of the Tempest missile series, is expected to attend and speak for the award recipients..."

Evan's face filled the screen—exactly like mine five years ago.

In a suit, he smiled at the camera and spoke with ease.

Blood rushed to my head.

"No! He's a fake! A fraud!"

I lunged at the cell door and shook the bars.

"Quiet!" Officer Reed snapped, hitting the bars with his baton.

"I need to see your chief! I need a phone call! I have something urgent to report!"

"What? That you think you're a scientist again?" Officer Reed scoffed and turned to leave.

"Wait."

Officer Miller approached slowly, a cup of hot tea in hand, and looked through the bars.

"Is this about the awards ceremony?"

I stared at him, breathing hard, and forced myself to calm down.

'Yelling won't help. Neither will getting angry. I need him to trust me.'

"Officer Miller, would you want someone who spent five years risking his life for his country to come home to this?"

Officer Miller studied my bloodshot eyes, then my radiation-damaged face.

"The law needs evidence, not stories," he said slowly.

"Okay." I nodded. "I'll give you evidence."

I pointed at the TV. Another news segment showed a bridge under construction across the river in our city.

"That bridge has a fatal design flaw," I said quickly. "They got the curve of the main cable saddles wrong.

"The angle between the cables and towers is off by three degrees.

"It's fine under normal conditions. But if crosswinds reach force eight or higher, or traffic exceeds 120 percent of its designed peak capacity, resonance will build within thirty seconds.

"The bridge will collapse. People will die."

Officer Miller stared at me.

Officer Reed sneered. "Are you nuts? Arlencian experts designed that bridge. It's a major national project."

"Arlencian experts can't make mistakes?" I laughed coldly. "Don't believe me? Call the city engineer's office.

"Ask if they've found small, unexpected shifts in anchor foundations seven and eight."

"We don't understand any of that. Besides, it's a national project. The data's classified!"

Officer Reed thought I was just causing trouble.

"To me, it's basic knowledge." My voice stayed quiet but firm. "One call will tell you if I'm right. That's not too hard, is it?"

Officer Miller's expression changed.

He stared at me for a full minute, then turned to Officer Reed. "Stay here. Watch him."

He hurried out.

Ten minutes later, he returned, his forehead slick with sweat, his eyes full of shock and awe.

He unlocked the cell without a word.

"Come with me."

In an empty office, he pushed a red secure phone toward me.

"You have five minutes."

My hands shook as I picked up the phone and dialed from memory.

One ring.

"This is Sentinel," a steady voice answered.

Tears filled my eyes.

"Sentinel, this is Tempest," I rasped, giving my code name. "I... need backup."