Chapter 6: The Investigation Against Her
Captain Walter Voss held the document like it was a weapon.
Maybe it was.
Sarah had spent enough time around investigations to know that paper could destroy people just as effectively as anything else.
A report.
A signature.
An accusation.
Sometimes that was all it took.
“What am I being investigated for?”” Sarah asked.
Voss stepped fully into the room.
The security personnel behind him remained silent.
Waiting.
Watching.
“Theft of classified material.””
Sarah almost smiled.
“Interesting.””
Voss’s expression didn’t change.
“What is?””
“You lost evidence, and somehow I’m the suspect.””
“You were in possession of unauthorized material.””
“I was given that material.””
“By a Marine who stole it.””
Sarah looked at him.
“And who ordered him to steal it?””
The question landed.
Voss ignored it.
“Private Hayes will answer for his actions.””
Sarah noticed something.
He said Hayes’s name without hesitation.
No concern.
No curiosity.
Just punishment.
“What about Staff Sergeant Brennan?””
Voss looked at him.
“What about him?””
“He was there.””
“Yes.””
“He knew about the documents.””
“Yes.””
“He was involved in the original incident.””
Voss’s eyes narrowed.
“Careful.””
Sarah stepped forward.
“No.””
Her voice stayed calm.
“You keep saying that.””
The room became still.
“You keep warning people to be careful. You keep suggesting consequences. But you never answer the questions.””
Voss looked at her.
“You’re emotional.””
“No.””
Sarah pointed at the document in his hand.
“I’m interested in why every time someone gets close to the truth, the person asking questions becomes the problem.””
For the first time, Voss’s calm expression cracked.
Not much.
But enough.
Brennan saw it.
Morgan saw it.
Sarah saw it.
That was the thing about powerful people.
They spent so much time controlling their reactions that the smallest mistake became obvious.
Voss recovered quickly.
“You have no authority here.””
Sarah nodded.
“Correct.””
She looked at Morgan.
“But she does.””
Morgan stiffened.
Voss turned toward her.
“Lieutenant.””
Morgan didn’t answer.
“You understand the seriousness of this situation.””
“Yes, sir.””
“Then escort Ms. Garrett to administration.””
Sarah watched Morgan carefully.
The order.
The hesitation.
The conflict.
Morgan was caught between two worlds.
The one she worked in.
And the one she knew was wrong.
“Lieutenant,” Voss said.
Morgan looked at him.
“Are you refusing a direct order?””
A long silence.
Then Morgan moved.
But not toward Sarah.
Toward Brennan.
Everyone noticed.
“Staff Sergeant Brennan,” Morgan said, “you need to step away from this situation.””
Brennan looked at her.
“Meaning?””
“Meaning if you continue interfering, they’ll make you the entire story.””
Brennan gave a tired smile.
“They already did.””
Morgan lowered her voice.
“You still have a chance.””
Brennan looked toward Sarah.
“No.””
The answer surprised everyone.
“No, I don’t.””
Sarah looked at him.
Brennan continued.
“But she does.””
The room went quiet.
Voss’s expression hardened.
“Take them both.””
The security officers moved.
Sarah prepared herself.
Not physically.
Strategically.
She looked at the people in the room.
At their faces.
Fear.
Doubt.
Uncertainty.
She knew something.
The truth didn’t always win because it was stronger.
Sometimes it won because enough people saw it at the right moment.
As they escorted her away, Sarah noticed one officer staring at Brennan.
Not with suspicion.
With respect.
A witness.
Another person who might remember.
The administration building was colder than the training rooms.
The walls were covered with awards and photographs.
Smiling officers.
Successful missions.
Perfect stories.
Sarah sat across from an investigator she had never met.
Commander Daniel Price.
Not related.
At least she hoped not.
He opened a folder.
“Ms. Garrett.””
“Yes.””
“Do you understand why you’re here?””
“Yes.””
“Tell me.””
“Because someone wants me to stop asking questions.””
Price looked at her.
“That’s not an answer.””
“It is.””
He wrote something down.
Sarah watched him.
“Are you recording this?””
“Yes.””
“Good.””
His eyes lifted.
“Why?””
“Because I want there to be a record.””
A small pause.
“You believe this is unfair?””
“I believe facts matter.””
Price leaned back.
“Let’s discuss facts.””
He opened the folder.
“At 1430 hours, you entered a restricted training area.””
“Yes.””
“You participated in an unauthorized physical demonstration.””
“No.””
His eyes lifted.
“No?””
“I participated in a demonstration that became unauthorized when Staff Sergeant Brennan refused to release after a clear surrender signal.””
Price studied her.
“You’re accusing him.””
“I’m stating what happened.””
“And afterward?””
“I received information from Private Hayes.””
“Stolen information.””
“Information that revealed inconsistencies.””
“Information he had no right to access.””
Sarah looked at him.
“Is that your concern?””
“What do you mean?””
“Access.””
Price frowned.
“Yes.””
“Not whether the information was true.””
Silence.
Small.
But there.
Sarah noticed.
“So nobody wants to know if Daniel Garrett’s death was properly investigated.””
Price closed the folder.
“This is not about your brother.””
Sarah leaned forward.
“It always was.””
The door opened.
Morgan entered.
“Commander.””
Price looked annoyed.
“We’re conducting an interview.””
“I know.””
“Then why are you here?””
Morgan placed a document on the table.
“Because you need to read this.””
Price looked down.
Sarah watched his expression.
Confusion.
Then concern.
“What is it?””
Morgan didn’t answer.
Price read the page.
His face changed.
“Where did you get this?””
Morgan looked at Sarah.
Then back at him.
“That doesn’t matter.””
“It absolutely matters.””
“No.””
Morgan’s voice was firm.
“What matters is whether it’s true.””
Price looked at the paper again.
Sarah couldn’t see it.
“What is it?””
Morgan hesitated.
Then said:
“A transfer authorization.””
Sarah frowned.
“For who?””
Morgan looked at her.
“For Daniel.””
The room became silent.
“What kind of transfer?””
Morgan’s expression was grim.
“The kind that never happened.””
Sarah stared.
“Explain.””
Price looked at Morgan.
“You can’t just bring this in here.””
Morgan ignored him.
“Three days before Daniel died, he was scheduled to transfer out of Brennan’s unit.””
Sarah’s heart raced.
“Why?””
“Because he requested it.””
“Why wasn’t that in the report?””
Nobody answered.
Because they all knew.
Sarah stood.
“What happened to the transfer?””
Morgan looked at the document.
“It was canceled.””
“By who?””
Another silence.
Then:
“Captain Voss.””
Sarah closed her eyes.
Of course.
Everything returned to him.
The report.
The investigation.
The cover-up.
The missing records.
But one thing still didn’t make sense.
If Voss wanted Daniel silent, why allow Brennan to talk?
Unless…
Sarah looked at the clock.
“How long until Brennan is questioned?””
Morgan looked at her.
“He already is.””
Sarah froze.
“What?””
“They took him twenty minutes ago.””
“Where?””
Morgan didn’t answer.
She didn’t need to.
Sarah knew.
The same place where people disappeared into paperwork.
The same place where stories changed.
“The training building.””
Morgan nodded.
Sarah stood.
“Then we need to go.””
Price shook his head.
“You’re not going anywhere.””
Sarah looked at him.
“Commander.””
“No.””
“Then answer one question.””
He waited.
“If Daniel Garrett’s transfer was approved, and Captain Voss canceled it, why?””
Price remained silent.
Sarah stepped closer.
“Because he was about to leave?””
No response.
“Because he was about to expose something?””
Still nothing.
Sarah looked at Morgan.
Morgan’s expression confirmed it.
That was exactly the answer.
Then the building alarm sounded.
Everyone turned.
A voice came over the speaker.
“Security breach. Training facility seven.””
Sarah’s blood went cold.
Training facility seven.
The same building where Brennan was being held.
Morgan immediately grabbed her radio.
“What’s happening?””
A distorted voice replied.
“Unknown personnel inside.””
Price stood.
“Lock down the building.””
Sarah moved toward the door.
Morgan grabbed her arm.
“Wait.””
But Sarah saw something through the glass window.
People running.
Security moving.
And one figure walking calmly in the opposite direction.
Captain Voss.
Except he wasn’t heading toward the emergency.
He was leaving.
Sarah stared.
“He started this.””
Morgan looked.
Then froze.
Because Voss wasn’t carrying a weapon.
He wasn’t carrying documents.
He was carrying something much smaller.
A phone.
And on the screen was a live recording.
Of Brennan.
Sarah whispered:
“He wants everyone to see something.””
Morgan looked at her.
“What?””
Sarah watched Voss disappear down the hallway.
“He wants to decide the story before the truth gets out.””
Then Sarah’s phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
One sentence.
*Your brother didn’t die because Brennan failed. He died because Brennan tried to save him.*
Sarah looked at Morgan.
May you like
The message continued.
*And now Brennan is about to finish what he started.*
