Protecting Dallas

It took me a moment to react to what he was saying. When I realized what he was driving at, I blinked.

“Can I see it?”

Slowly I reached up and unclasped the thin silver chain. The pendant gleamed, dangling heavily in my hand. For the first time since I put it on, I really looked at it.

It was never particularly pretty, but it wasn’t ugly either. It was thicker than it appeared, with edges that were sleek and rounded. And maybe it wasn’t a diamond-shape after all. Maybe it was a square on edge.

My arm shook a little as I handed it to Kane. Everyone crept in a bit closer as he turned it over and over in his palm.

“Look. It’s got hinges.”

He tried prying it open, gently at first, then adding more pressure. But his fingers were just too big, too thick and calloused.

“Here,” said Austin. “Let me try.”

We stood there in the kitchen, waiting in silence as Austin slipped two thumbnails into an almost invisible crease opposite the concealed hinges. He pushed hard for a few seconds…

CLICK.

The pendant — now locket — swung open. The four of us nearly bumped heads trying to see inside.

He shook the locket gently against his palm. On the third hit, something popped out.

“Holy shit,” Austin swore. “It’s a chip!”

Maddox squinted. “A what?”

“A memory chip!” he exclaimed.

“You mean like a SIM card?”

“No, not at all,” said Austin. He held the chip up so that everyone could see it. “This is NOR flash memory. Military grade.”

Kane took the pendant from him and closed it. With a gentle smile, he pressed it back into my hand.

“What do you think is on it?”

“Who the hell knows?” said Austin. “Something good though. Something big.”

I cleared my throat. “Something my brother died for…”

The kitchen went deathly silent again. I wasn’t trying to be dramatic, it just came out that way.

“Just sayin’.”

Everyone watched as I clasped the locket back around my neck. When they were sure I was okay, they went back to looking down at the tiny black chip.

“Wait a minute!” Maddox cried suddenly. “That’s it!”

My brows knitted together in confusion. “What is?”

“That’s what Connor meant on the recording!” he blurted. “The part that gets cut out. The part where he says ‘my sister has’…”

We all glanced at each other. One by one, our expressions crossed with the same grim realization.

“So you’ve had it all along,” Austin swore. “All this time. That’s what your brother was trying to tell us.”

I rubbed hard at my eyes. Everything was happening so fast.