Chapter 1 - YOU BROUGHT HER HERE?
Sergeant Mason Reed had spent three days waiting for Rachel Carter to stop asking questions.
By lunch on the fourth day, he decided embarrassment might accomplish what orders had not.
Fort Merritt's main canteen was packed.
Long tables.
Steel counters.
Soldiers from three units moving through lunch before afternoon training.
Exactly enough witnesses.
Mason spotted Rachel alone near the center row.
Her tray sat in front of her.
She had been reading something on her phone between bites.
Probably another message about Echo Squad.
Her squad.
Six soldiers who had failed to report four mornings earlier.
Six soldiers whose barracks rooms remained half-packed.
Six soldiers whose names were now attached to an expanding personnel investigation.
Rachel had been the seventh member.
She missed the final night exercise because of an orthopedic appointment at another installation.
By the time she returned, everyone else was gone.
She refused to accept the explanation Mason had given her.
That was becoming dangerous.
Mason walked straight to her table.
Rachel looked up.
“Sergeant.”
“What are you reading?”
“My phone.”
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
Nearby conversation began thinning.
Mason saw two junior soldiers glance over.
He should have left.
Instead, something inside him tightened.
He grabbed Rachel's entire lunch tray.
She stood halfway.
“Mason—”
He hurled it into her chest.
Chicken.
Rice.
Brown sauce.
A plastic cup of vegetables.
Everything splashed across the front of her uniform.
The tray struck her hard enough to knock her backward against the bench.
Several soldiers stood.
Nobody moved toward Mason yet.
He stood over Rachel.
“Your squad deserted.”
The word came out louder than he intended.
Then:
“You're next.”
Rachel slowly looked up.
No fear.
That made him angrier.
She planted one hand on the table.
Got to her feet.
Food dripped from her sleeve.
She stepped directly toward him.
Mason grabbed her collar.
“Outside.”
Rachel twisted.
He pulled harder.
“Now.”
She tore free.
Then shoved him with both hands.
Mason stumbled backward into a dining table.
Metal cups jumped.
A tray rattled to the floor.
People were watching openly now.
Mason straightened.
His anger was still there.
But underneath it—
fear.
Rachel had seen that too.
He knew because her expression changed.
Then Ethan Cole left the drink station.
Twenty-seven.
Specialist.
Junior enough that Mason usually did not bother remembering when he was in the room.
Ethan started toward Rachel.
Fast.
He had something in his hand.
A folded receipt.
Mason recognized the green edge.
Late-meal ticket.
No.
Mason crossed the floor before Ethan reached her.
“Back to your station.”
Ethan stopped.
“Rachel needs to know—”
Mason grabbed the front of his shirt.
Ethan's eyes widened.
“Sergeant—”
Mason punched him.
One hard strike across the face.
Ethan stumbled sideways into the stainless-steel drink counter.
The metal boomed.
The canteen went completely quiet.
Mason stared at him.
“Enough.”
Then he turned.
Rachel was looking at him differently now.
Not like a bully.
Like evidence.
She stepped between Mason and Ethan.
“Why are you stopping him from talking?”
Mason reached for her collar again.
Bad decision.
Rachel caught his arm.
Pivoted.
Mason's feet left the floor.
He hit the tile hard beside the dining tables.
Pain shot across his shoulder.
Several soldiers moved back.
Mason barely noticed.
Because from where he lay, he could see the service elevator behind the kitchen.
Closed stainless-steel doors.
Small floor indicator above them.
Dark.
His stomach dropped.
The elevator had been locked out.
It had been locked out since morning.
The indicator changed.
B2
Then:
1
DING.
Mason pushed himself up.
No.
He ran.
Straight to the control panel.
Pressed CLOSE.
Again.
Again.
Nothing.
“Come on.”
Rachel reached him.
“What are you doing?”
Mason hit the button harder.
She grabbed his wrist.
Yanked him away.
Mason stumbled sideways.
The elevator doors began opening.
Only a narrow gap.
Darkness beyond.
Rachel looked inside.
“What’s down there?”
Mason said nothing.
Then something metal slid into the light.
A food tray.
CLANG.
Another.
CLANG.
Another.
Six in total.
Placed down one after another just inside the elevator opening.
CLANG.
CLANG.
CLANG.
CLANG.
CLANG.
CLANG.
No hands appeared.
No face.
Only six old stainless-steel trays.
Mason stared.
The color drained from his face.
Rachel stood beside him.
May you like
Then a calm male voice came from somewhere inside the darkness.
“You brought her here?”
