Chapter 7 - What Miller Did in 1993
Hannah had never heard the story.
Neither had Laura.
Jack sat in Laura's office with both women across from him.
"Rick Danner was twenty-two."
Jack looked toward the window.
"I was thirty-two."
A younger instructor.
Still proving himself.
"Danner was strong. Fast. Smart."
"Like Dustin?" Hannah asked.
Jack nodded.
"More disciplined."
"What happened?"
"He believed fear was the best way to train people."
Jack's expression hardened.
"He targeted weaker recruits."
"Bullying?"
"Worse."
One recruit named Anthony Webb began missing formations.
Jack investigated.
He discovered Danner and three others had created unofficial night sessions.
Beatings disguised as conditioning.
Sleep deprivation.
Forced fights.
Hannah stared.
"Private fights."
Jack nodded slowly.
A pattern.
Thirty-three years old.
Different building.
Same psychology.
"Anthony collapsed during training."
"Did he survive?"
"Yes."
"What happened to Danner?"
"I testified."
"He was discharged?"
"Administrative separation after disciplinary proceedings."
Laura frowned.
"Not criminal?"
"Different time. Different institution. Different decisions."
"Did he blame you?"
"Absolutely."
Hannah whispered:
"So he knew who you were before Dustin met me."
Jack nodded.
Laura stood.
"That gives us motive."
"For what?"
"For targeting Hannah."
Jack's face changed.
He had considered it.
Did not want to believe it.
Hannah looked sick.
"He dated me because of you."
"We don't know that," Jack said.
She laughed.
"Dad."
"We do not know."
Laura agreed.
"Not yet."
But evidence came the following morning.
Investigators recovered old messages from Dustin's deleted cloud backups.
Seven months before Dustin's first date with Hannah:
Rick Dalton:
Found him.
Dustin:
Who?
Rick:
Miller's daughter.
Dustin:
The Marine?
Rick:
The one who ruined my career.
Then another message.
Dustin:
She's pretty.
Rick:
Then make him regret raising her.
Hannah left the room.
Jack did not follow immediately.
He stared at the message until the words blurred.
Laura spoke quietly.
"Jack."
He breathed.
"I know."
"Do you?"
"Yes."
"What are you going to do?"
He stood.
"Talk to my daughter."
Hannah was in the hallway.
She leaned against the wall.
Jack approached.
She looked at him.
"This is because of you."
He did not defend himself.
"Partly."
Her eyes filled.
"If you hadn't testified..."
"Rick might have hurt more people."
"That's not what I mean."
"I know."
She looked away.
Jack continued.
"I will carry my part of this for the rest of my life."
Hannah looked back.
"But Dustin made his own decisions."
She said nothing.
"So did Rick."
"You don't feel guilty?"
"I feel enormous guilt."
"Then why do you sound calm?"
"Because guilt isn't useful if I hand it to the wrong person."
Hannah stared at him.
Jack touched her shoulder.
"I testified because somebody was being hurt."
She nodded slowly.
"And now?"
"Now we tell the truth again."
Laura appeared at the doorway.
"You may get that chance sooner than expected."
Jack turned.
"What?"
"Dalton knows we found the memory card."
"How?"
"We don't know."
"Leak?"
"Possibly."
"What happened?"
"Forge warehouse is being emptied."
Jack looked at her.
"Can you stop it?"
"We're moving."
Laura grabbed her jacket.
"Stay here."
Jack almost smiled.
"You know I'm not going to the warehouse."
"Promise."
"I promise."
Laura left.
Hannah looked at him.
"You really won't?"
"No."
She seemed surprised.
Jack sat.
"I'm learning restraint."
Ten minutes later his phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
"Jack Miller?"
Rick Dalton.
Jack recognized the voice from an old interview recording Laura had played.
"Rick."
Silence.
Then Dalton laughed.
"So you do remember."
"Now I do."
"You destroyed my life."
"No."
Jack's voice remained calm.
"You did that yourself."
"You always loved speeches."
"What do you want?"
"Your daughter took something that belongs to me."
"Evidence belongs to the police now."
"You think police can protect her?"
Jack's eyes hardened.
"Be careful."
"No. You be careful."
Dalton lowered his voice.
"You stole thirty years from me."
Jack answered:
"I reported what you did."
"You made me weak."
"You were afraid of accountability."
Rick laughed.
"We'll see who's afraid."
The line disconnected.
Seconds later Hannah's phone buzzed.
A photograph appeared.
Taken through the hospital window the previous night.
Hannah sleeping.
Jack sitting beside her.
May you like
The caption contained four words.
WE CAN STILL REACH YOU.
