Walten Files Mortality Novels & Stories

Formal notification to all pack records systems within thirty days. Thomas Harper-Wren's record would be correct now. The correct cause of death. The correct classification. The correct history of a man who had been trying to build something and had been stopped, available in the permanent record for anyone who looked. Riley walked out ahead of me. I gave her the lead and followed into the corridor. She stopped at the window at the far end, looking at the January light. I waited. "The record is correct," she said finally. "Yes." "He has his name in the right places. The reclassification. The framework. The criminal referral that's going to follow." She paused. "The file that was supposed to

“She wiped it.” “But she couldn’t wipe everything,” I said. I went to the physical filing cabinets. Fourth floor. Section D. Year 2022. I opened the drawer. Empty. My heart sank. Then I noticed something. A folder misfiled in the wrong section. Not under R. Under M. “Morrison.” But the date matched. My hands trembled as I pulled it out. Inside were partial records. Vitals. Nurse notes. Medication logs. But no final cause of death.

The kind of tiredness that sleep wouldn’t fix. “Miss Chavez,” Celeste said carefully. “Whitney says you have answers.” “I have questions,” I corrected. “And documents that might explain why those questions matter.” I pulled out the casualty statistics from Eugene’s research. The numbers for the Wall. The monthly death rates that the Houses never published. Celeste read in silence. Her hands started shaking. “My sister died six months ago. On defense duty. They said it was honorable. That she died protecting Lenore.” Her voice cracked. “But this says they knew. That the death rate is planned. That they need bodies for the Wall and Stage Ones are easiest to replace.”

Careful in a way that told me before he even said the words that whatever he’d found had shaken him. “I finally got into the sealed hospital records,” he said. “The ones connected to Evelyn Ward’s disappearance. Most of it’s exactly what we expected. Admission records. Then nothing for weeks.” A pause. “Then a discharge file. Dated three days after a birth record matching Milly’s date of birth.” “And.” “The discharge file lists Evelyn Ward as deceased.” The words landed in the quiet of my office like something physical. “Three days after Milly was born,” I repeated.

Sarah exhaled. “Potentially very.” Lena moved toward the screen quickly. “Who had access?” “That’s the problem,” Sarah said. “The login credentials belonged to someone dead.” Silence. Sebastian frowned. “What?” Sarah pulled up another file. “The access code belonged to Walter Greene.” Recognition flashed across Lena’s face instantly. “My father’s former legal archivist.” Sarah nodded grimly. “He died eleven years ago.” A heavy silence followed. Because dead people did not log into corporate archives.

Upon hearing that, Michael said nonchalantly, “I’m not allowed to disclose further… However… “My kind reminder to you is that the Allens have suffered quite a loss with numerous deaths recently, Mr. Walton.” “So you’re saying that…” Michael smiled nonchalantly and said, “I haven’t said anything. Oh right, one more thing. Mr. Yarde hopes that no harm will come to the Wolfendens.” Hogan was enlightened. Soon afterward, he said in gratitude, “Thank you so much for your reminder, my friend!”