Chapter 10 - MASON MAKES IT WORSE
Mason was ordered to remain away from the canteen, Basement Two, Echo Squad witnesses, Ethan Cole, and Rachel Carter.
He lasted thirty hours.
Not because he went after Rachel.
Because Cross contacted him through an old training-app messenger investigators had not yet disabled.
LEDGER IS NOT THE PROBLEM. CAMERA BACKUP IS.
Mason stared at the message in his barracks room.
He should have called Shaw.
He did not.
Then:
KITCHEN OFFICE NAS. LOCAL COPY. IF CID PULLS RAW, THEY'LL MISREAD IT.
Mason knew the network box.
Old local video backup for kitchen loading cameras.
Thirty-day loop.
He also knew CID had already collected the main security server.
Maybe they had missed the kitchen NAS.
Mason told himself he wanted to see what Cross meant.
Not delete.
Not alter.
Just look.
That was the lie he used to put on civilian clothes and walk to the canteen at 11:40 p.m.
The building was closed.
He still had an old mechanical key.
He entered through the side kitchen door.
Two minutes later, motion lights came on.
Mason reached the office.
Opened the cabinet.
The NAS was gone.
A sticky evidence seal covered the shelf.
Mason stood there.
Then heard:
“Don't move.”
Military police.
Two of them.
Not CID.
Mason raised both hands.
Nothing dramatic.
No chase.
No fight.
The humiliation was worse.
Shaw arrived forty minutes later.
She stared at him through the glass of the station interview room.
“You went into a restricted evidence location.”
“The canteen wasn't posted.”
“The evidence cabinet was sealed.”
“I didn't touch the seal.”
“You used a key after being ordered to stay away from the canteen.”
Mason said nothing.
“Why?”
“Cross messaged me.”
Shaw stared.
“Thank God.”
Mason frowned.
“You finally brought me something useful.”
He turned over the training-app message.
Investigators preserved it.
Cross's position worsened.
So did Mason's.
He had violated a direct administrative order.
No more informal restrictions.
His commander issued a written no-entry order and removed his installation master-key privileges.
Mason was temporarily reassigned to headquarters accountability under supervision.
No training.
No canteen.
No troops.
Then CID examined the recovered NAS.
Cross had been right.
There was video.
Kitchen loading camera.
Not Basement Two interior.
Not enough to show what happened in the room.
Enough to show the rear service ramp.
10:22 p.m.
A figure exits.
Staff Sergeant Jonah Vale.
Alive.
Carrying something under his jacket.
He moves behind a dumpster.
Ten seconds later, training operations van arrives.
Driver gets out.
Major Adrian Cross.
Mason stared.
Cross had been at the rear ramp before he ever called Mason upstairs.
Video showed Cross speak to Jonah.
No audio.
Jonah stepped backward.
Cross reached toward him.
Jonah moved away.
Then crossed out of frame.
Cross opened the van.
Removed something.
A white document box.
Entered Basement Two.
Eight minutes later—
Captain Price arrived from the other direction.
So Cross's timeline collapsed completely.
But the important part came later.
11:04.
Cross returns to the van.
Alone.
11:06.
Vehicle leaves.
Jonah does not appear again.
Grant asked Mason:
“Did Cross ever tell you he saw Vale outside?”
“No.”
“Did Vale contact you?”
“No.”
“Did you know he left?”
“No.”
For once, every answer was true.
Then Grant showed the last usable frame.
11:02.
Behind Cross.
At the far edge of the loading ramp.
Another figure.
Military uniform.
Face impossible to identify.
Standing near the service stairs.
Watching Cross.
May you like
Someone else had seen what happened to Jonah after he left Basement Two.
And nobody knew who.
