Echoes Of The Past

Jack Turner stood in the garden, the scent of damp earth filling his lungs as he stared at the horizon. The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and crimson, but he barely noticed. His mind was elsewhere—locked in the past, in the memories that refused to let him go.

His mother’s murder. His father’s unexplained disappearance. Two defining moments that had shaped his life, that had turned him into the man he was today.

A soldier. A hunter. A man seeking the truth.

The fire to find her killer had burned inside him since childhood, growing into an inferno that drove him to enlist in the military. He had climbed the ranks, from an elite Army Ranger to a top-tier military investigator. His career was nothing short of impressive, filled with solved cases, hard-earned victories, and the respect of his peers. Yet, after all these years, one case had eluded him—the one that mattered most.

His mother’s case.

For ten years, the trail had been ice cold. No leads. No breakthroughs. Just an empty file filled with unanswered questions. But yesterday, out of nowhere, everything changed.

A man had walked into the station, sweat beading on his forehead, his eyes darting wildly. He was terrified, his voice shaking as he confessed to knowing the truth behind Jack’s mother’s murder.

“They’re watching me,” he had whispered. “They know I’m here.”

Jack had barely begun the interrogation when he was pulled away for another case—a high-profile crime scene demanding immediate attention. He hadn’t wanted to leave, but duty came first.

When he returned to the interrogation room, the man was dead.

A bullet to the back of the head. A clean, precise execution.

Now, as Jack drove toward Fort Leavenworth, where the murder had taken place, his mind raced through every detail of their brief conversation. The man had been on edge, his paranoia evident, but Jack had brushed it off as guilt. Now he knew better.

“They’re going to kill me,” the man had said over and over.

And they had.

Jack gripped the steering wheel tighter as he pulled up to the military base’s gate. The uniformed guard on duty leaned down, smirking as he recognized him.

“Back for more?” the guard asked, clearly unaware of the gravity of the situation.

Jack didn’t return the smile. “No,” he said, his tone cold. “I’m here to investigate our dead witness.”

The guard’s smirk faded. He gave a stiff nod and waved Jack through.

Inside, Jack parked near the main facility and popped the trunk, retrieving his crime-processing kit. He had barely slung it over his shoulder when Sheriff Calloway approached, his face grim.

“We’ve got a problem,” Calloway said.

Jack raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? I’d say a dead witness qualifies as a problem.”

“No,” Calloway said. “A bigger problem.”

Jack frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Calloway let out a breath. “Earlier today, two black SUVs rolled in. Men in suits—    government types. They took everything. Every file, every piece of evidence we had on the guy and his murder.”

Jack’s jaw tightened. “Who authorized it?”

Calloway shook his head. “Some higher-ups called it in. They wouldn’t say more.”

Jack glanced around, his instincts kicking in. Something was off. He had been in the military long enough to recognize a cover-up when he saw one. The government didn’t just sweep a case under the rug unless there was something—or someone—they didn’t want found.

Walking back to his car, he mulled over his next move. The official investigation was dead, but Jack wasn’t about to let that stop him. He’d spent years chasing ghosts, and now that he had something tangible, he wasn’t about to let it slip through his fingers.

He slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. He needed answers. And he knew exactly where to start.

The first stop was the coroner’s office. Dr. Amelia Brooks had been working at Fort Leavenworth for over a decade, and if anyone had managed to examine the body before the government stepped in, it was her.

Jack parked outside and made his way in, flashing his credentials at the front desk before heading down the hallway. He found Dr. Brooks in her office, poring over a file. She looked up as he entered, pushing her glasses up her nose.

“I was wondering when you’d show up,” she said, closing the folder. “Figured you’d want to know what I found before they wiped the case clean.”

Jack sat down across from her. “Tell me everything.”

Brooks sighed. “It was a professional hit. Single gunshot wound to the back of the head, small caliber. No signs of struggle. Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing.”

Jack already knew that much. “What else?”

She hesitated, then pulled out a flash drive from her desk drawer. “I managed to make a copy of the autopsy report before they confiscated everything.”

Jack took the drive, his respect for her growing. “You knew they’d come for it?”

She nodded. “I’ve seen this kind of thing before. When the government wants something buried, they don’t leave loose ends.”

Jack clenched his jaw. “What aren’t they telling us?”

Brooks hesitated again. “There was something else. Something strange.”

Jack leaned forward. “Go on.”

“The victim’s body showed signs of prior torture. Old scars, healed fractures. He’d been through hell long before he ended up in that interrogation room.”

Jack frowned. “Military?”

Brooks shrugged. “Possibly. Or maybe he was part of something else.”

Jack pocketed the flash drive and stood. “Thank you, Amelia. I owe you one.”

She smirked. “Just promise me you won’t end up on my table next.”

Jack didn’t reply as he walked out. He had more questions now than when he started, but one thing was clear—this wasn’t just a random murder. Someone was tying up loose ends. And Jack was next.