Chapter 6 - The Man Outside the Door
Mara closed the laptop and removed the encrypted drive.
The handle moved again.
She stepped beside the door rather than in front of it.
“Holt?” she said.
No answer.
The lock disengaged.
The door opened two inches.
Holt entered quickly, wearing dark training clothes and carrying no visible weapon.
Mara caught his wrist and drove him against the wall before he crossed the threshold.
“Who sent you?”
“Mercer.”
“To kill me?”
Holt’s face tightened.
“To get the drive.”
Mara released enough pressure for him to breathe.
“Did he tell you your name is on it?”
Holt stopped struggling.
“What?”
She pulled the termination roster onto the screen.
His arrogance vanished as he read.
“He said I’d receive a promotion.”
“He plans to blame you for tomorrow’s deaths.”
Holt shook his head.
“No. He needs me.”
“He needed you to search my locker. Now you know the transfer is real.”
Mara showed him the payment list.
Then the live-fire schedule.
Holt sat heavily against the wall.
He had harassed her.
Searched her belongings.
Helped Mercer isolate her.
But he had not known he was constructing his own execution.
“Why should I trust you?” he asked.
“You shouldn’t.”
Mara removed a secure transmitter from the equipment cabinet.
“Trust the files.”
They sent copies to Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the inspector general, and an off-base military judge before Mercer could block local communications.
May you like
Then Mara called Drake.
He did not answer.
