Page 45 of A Moment Never Forgotten
Matthew and Elizabeth exchanged a look of pure and lasting love. Part of Micah wished that he could find someone to love as much as his friends had found each other.
“I’m glad you’re aware of the mission.” Micah glanced at Matthew who nodded. He’d take that as an okay to proceed. “I’m not sure any of you are aware, but fifteen hours after we bugged out of there, a team of SEALs entered the area.”
Micah took a deep breath and watched his friend Elizabeth carefully. “They found not only debris, but an American man.” To his surprise, she showed no shock, only slid a glance to Matthew. Maybe she already knew. Had Matthew discovered this and not shared?
He kept on going, “They medevac’d John Doe and he was sent to the American hospital in Germany. From there, I lose him. I’m sorry, Elizabeth, I can’t find any trace, including a death certificate, of that man.”
Elizabeth nodded to her husband.
Matthew stared at Berit who seemed totally wrapped up in the story. “Berit, what you’re about to hear is for your ears only. To be honest, I don’t even know if I should trust you. Not everyone we work with, or for, is to be trusted.”
“The CIA has several double agents.” Berit glanced down at her folded hands. “For your ears only, I have been tasked to dig out a mole. I promise to keep whatever you’re going to tell me confidential. I’ll try to help you in any way that I can. Perhaps we can help each other.”
“Good enough.” Matthew slid his gaze to Micah. “I think I know where John Doe is. I think I know who John Doe is. But you have to hang with me, brother, because this is a fucking crazy story.”
“I’m listening.” Micah prepared himself for anything, or so he thought.
“Do you remember drinking a bottle of Jamison one night with Matthew Sinclair?”
Micah chuckled. “Mason loved his Irish whiskey. He’s the one who got me hooked on scotch.”
Matthew smiled. “Yes, exactly. You were both pretty drunk, but I’m hoping you remember when Mason told you that he and Elizabeth were engaged.”
Micah sat up straight. How could Matthew know that? Had their quarters been bugged? Had he read the transcript of that night?
“Mason also told you that he planned to marry Elizabeth before they were sent on the Syrian mission.” The two men stared at each other without blinking.
“How the fuck do you know that?” Micah leaned forward, perched on the edge of the chair.
“Brace, brother. I was there. I am Mason Sinclair.” Matthew didn’t look away.
He couldn’t listen to the shit anymore. Mason had been one of his best friends. They’d bonded like brothers. Called each otherbrother. Argued like siblings over nothing, but stood side by side, ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for the other against an enemy. Anger overtook him. Micah leapt out of the chair and grabbed Mason by the collar. “You’re a lying son of a bitch. He’s dead. We buried him.”
Matthew didn’t try to move his hands away. In a calm voice he reminded him, “No, you buried an empty casket.”
“You look nothing like Mason.” Micah pointed out the obvious.
“My medical records start about a week after Syria. In an undefined overseas accident, my face had been completely bashed in and had to be reconstructed.” Matt went on to explain, “I think it was a shock to everyone that my hair grew back in white. Weirdly, my beard stayed black.”
“Elizabeth, you believe him?” He loosened his grip and stared at the woman he’d known for over a decade. One of only two female friends he’d ever had. He loved her like a sister. Helped her like a brother, in an attempt to replace Mason as a positive male role figure in the boy’s life. “Is that why you married this man? He’s got you convinced that he’s Mason?”
“Micah, take a deep breath.” Her hand on his arm calmed the riled beast within him. “Matthew is Mason.” She glanced at Berit. When her gaze returned to him, it was filled with fury. “The fucking CIA has fucked with his brain. It’s a long story, but I guarantee you, Matthew and Mason are one in the same.”
Her gaze flew to Berit. “You cannot tell anyone. His life, my life, depend on it. Until we can figure out who tried to kill me, besides Gabriel, we’re not safe. Someone in the CIA, with Gabriel’s assistance, put some kind of a memory cap on Mason Sinclair, embedded fake memories, and created Matthew Saint Clare. Hell, even the name has brainwashing signs, different but close enough to maintain neural associations.”
Elizabeth took a deep breath. “We haven’t told anyone…until now. Not even Austin. Even though Matthew is his biological father, as well as his Dad now, we don’t dare tell him. One slip in the wrong place and we all could be dead. Someone inside the CIA wants whatever is locked inside Matt’s brain.”
Matt patted his wife’s hand. “For the last year, the Mason Sinclair memories have been leaking through. Once I met Lizzie, whatever they did to my brain, cracked. The gaps are getting wider and wider as memories shoot through me. At first, they were just nightmares. Now they happen during the daytime, anytime.”
Oh, fuck. “The other day, the flashback. It wasn’t to a war zone.” Micah released Matthew’s collar.
“No.” He shook his head in disgust. “It’s still unclear, flashes of memory, but I was back in the hut in Syria. I went to place a charge along the wall. A floorboard flies up into my face.” He grimaced before letting out a long sigh. “It’s there, but it’s not.”
Lizzie grabbed his hand. “Don’t fight it. It’ll come, in time.” She nodded. “Tell him the rest." When he didn't answer, she continued, "About the gold."
Gold? Someone had mentioned gold months ago, but Micah had passed it off as the ranting of a madman.
"Sweetheart, I'm not even sure that's real." Matthew pleaded with her.
