Chapter 14 - THE SECOND BROOKS
The man in the video was Michael Reed, the original identity behind Brooks’s file.
He had not died.
Voss kept him as a reserve replacement.
Michael believed Ethan had stolen his military life.
He freed Voss in exchange for the promise of restoration.
The system had turned identity into scarcity.
Only one name.
One rank.
One marriage.
One legal existence.
Brooks refused to fight Michael for the file.
He offered to testify openly and separate both records.
Michael hesitated.
Then surrendered Voss’s location.
An abandoned base cafeteria.
The first continuity mess hall.
Voss planned one final public demonstration.
He had gathered originals and replacements around the same tables.
Each pair would be forced to compete for recognition.
We entered under court authority.
Every chair was occupied.
Every tray untouched.
Then the service line opened.
A man wearing Logan Mercer’s face stood behind it.
Young.
May you like
Uninjured.
Read Chapter 15 to discover why every Marine stood up again.
