Chapter 5 - Whoever Used My Name Knew My Previous Unit
There were only six people at Fort Talbot who could access my incoming personnel summary before arrival.
Vale gave me the list because by then pretending I wasn't part of the investigation would have been insulting.
Captain Nora Sloan.
Sergeant Mason Briggs.
An admin NCO named Staff Sergeant Dena Price.
A civilian registrar.
A medical liaison.
And Specialist Jonah Lee, assigned temporary administrative duty after a knee injury.
“Specialist?”
I asked.
“He scans packets.”
“Why would a trainee have access?”
“Because armies are powered by bad staffing decisions.”
First joke from Vale.
I almost missed it.
Then he added:
“Your previous unit also transmitted the packet.”
“Who there?”
“More people.”
Great.
The note bothered me more than the forged complaints.
CARTER WON’T FILE ON HER OWN.
That line came from somewhere.
Two years earlier, at Fort Evans, a squad leader had damaged my personally purchased training equipment during an argument.
My platoon sergeant urged me to make a formal complaint.
I refused.
Fixed it myself.
The incident became a counseling note:
Carter prefers direct conflict resolution and may underreport interpersonal issues.
I had forgotten it existed.
Vale hadn't.
“That wording is in your packet?”
“Similar.”
“So anyone here could've inferred it.”
“Yes.”
Not personal.
Yet.
Then Price arrived with access logs.
One file download stood out.
My full incoming packet had been opened three times before I arrived.
Sloan.
Registrar.
Jonah Lee.
Briggs had only seen the roster.
“Where is Lee?”
Price hesitated.
“Medical appointment.”
Vale looked at the clock.
“At four-thirty?”
Price’s face changed.
No.
We found Jonah in the motor pool parking lot trying to leave.
He was twenty-four.
Lean.
Knee brace.
The expression of a man who had already imagined this conversation and disliked every version.
Vale called his name.
Jonah stopped.
Did not run.
Good.
“Building Four.”
Jonah looked at me.
Then at Vale.
“Am I under arrest?”
“No.”
“That bad?”
Vale didn't answer.
Twenty minutes later we sat around another table.
Jonah saw the complaints.
His face gave nothing away.
Vale asked:
“Did you access Sergeant Carter’s packet?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Processing.”
“Three times?”
Jonah looked at him.
“One scan failed.”
“And the third?”
Silence.
Vale waited.
Jonah finally said:
“I checked her arrival date.”
My pulse changed.
“Why?”
He looked at me.
“I needed someone who wasn't here yet.”
Vale leaned forward.
“For what?”
Jonah stared at the complaints.
Then:
“I wrote the first one.”
I had expected relief when we found the person.
Instead I felt colder.
“Using my name.”
“Yes.”
“Why me?”
“You weren't here.”
“That’s your reason?”
“At the time.”
“Try again.”
He looked ashamed.
“Because Briggs couldn't retaliate against someone who hadn't arrived.”
Vale asked:
“What about the other three?”
Jonah frowned.
“What other three?”
Vale spread them out.
Jonah’s face changed.
“I didn't write those.”
“You expect us to believe—”
“Yes.”
He grabbed the first complaint.
“This one.”
Then pointed to the others.
“Not these.”
I watched him.
He wasn't acting relieved anymore.
He looked scared.
“Who did you copy the first complaint from?” Vale asked.
Jonah stared at the table.
“I didn't make it up.”
“Whose complaint was it?”
Long silence.
Then:
“Specialist Aaron Pike.”
Vale’s face tightened.
I knew the name.
It appeared in the first complaint.
One of the trainees Briggs allegedly targeted.
“Where is Pike?”
Jonah looked at me.
“Officially?”
I didn't like that word.
Vale asked:
“Where is he?”
Jonah swallowed.
“Still on this base.”
May you like
Then:
“But his course file says he left four months ago.”
