Chapter 237 The Border Blaze Clue
Quinn hurried to the military district, her heartbeat racing as fast as the car that had brought her here.
The SD card inside the drone her brother Rowan had piloted five years earlier still held the full log of that final mission.
The instant Quinn heard Rowan’s voice on the recording and saw the footage he had captured, tears burst from her eyes in an uncontrollable rush.
Five years. At last, I’m hearing the voice I’ve missed every single day.
The commander said, “Certain images connected to your brother’s assignment are classified, so we can’t let you watch them. I hope you understand.”
“I understand,” Quinn answered, teary–eyed.
“From the data we could retrieve, we’re sure Rowan’s last mission was linked to the border wildfire five years ago. He encountered the fire mid–operation, the drone crashed, and after that, he disappeared.”
Quinn pursed her lips, her hands hung at her sides, knuckles white around clenched fists.
So my initial suspicion was right. Rowan’s disappearance really is tied to that wildfire! If the blaze had never started, maybe my brother would never have gone missing!
The commander hesitated. “We’ll travel to Stridora again to verify the lists of those injured or killed that year.”
After all, Rowan had vanished during the fire and had not been seen for five years. It was possible he had perished in the flames.
Many people died in that inferno; the disaster zone was vast, and it was entirely feasible that some victims were never recorded.
Quinn clenched her teeth and said nothing.
I don’t believe my brother is dead! Rowan survived gunfire and warzones–how could a single fire claim him? He’s still alive. He has to be.
Seeing her silence, the commander realized she could not accept any talk of her brother’s death.
“I want the coordinates of the last location the drone recorded for Rowan,” Quinn said suddenly.
“Of course, that’s no problem,” the commander replied.
“And I’d like to watch the footage you just showed me again,” Quinn added.
“Certainly.” He ordered a technician to replay the video on the computer.
Quinn watched closely. The drone was filming from high above. At that moment, the forest had yet to
catch fire.
Suddenly, her eyes sharpened. One frame captured the very point where the blaze had ignited.
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It was the spot Nimbus Air claimed first officer Howard Lamont had set ablaze while smoking.
If the drone caught that moment, then maybe….
“Replay that section,” Quinn told the technician.
The clip rolled again. When the ignition point appeared, she ordered, “Pause!”
The technician froze the frame.
“Please zoom in,” Quinn said.
The image was enlarged repeatedly until a vague human silhouette appeared, but it was still too blurry to identify.
“Five years have passed. This is as clear as we can make it,” the technician explained.
Quinn pondered over this, then addressed the commander. “May I have a copy of this clip? I want to see if I can restore the resolution further.”
“You may take this clip. The rest is classified and must stay here,” the commander said.
“I understand,” Quinn replied.
Leaving the base, she gripped the USB drive containing the clip so tightly her knuckles were white.
The truth about the wildfire might be hidden in this very video.
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