Chapter 2 - THE MAN IN THE ELEVATOR
Mason recognized the voice.
That was worse than recognizing a face.
Chief Warrant Officer Elias Grant.
Army CID.
The same investigator Mason had spoken to thirty-six hours earlier.
The same investigator who had asked one question three different ways:
When did you last see the six members of Echo Squad?
Mason had answered:
“After evening accountability.”
Grant had asked:
“Where?”
“Operations wing.”
Not the canteen.
Not Basement Two.
Not anywhere near those trays.
Mason stared into the narrow elevator gap.
Rachel turned toward him.
“You know him.”
Mason said nothing.
The doors opened another foot.
Grant stepped forward only far enough for the canteen lights to catch his uniform and CID credentials.
Mid-forties.
Controlled.
No weapon drawn.
Two evidence technicians stood behind him.
Mason barely saw them.
He saw the trays.
Each had a yellow evidence marker clipped to one corner.
1 through 6.
Rachel looked down.
“What are those?”
Grant ignored her question for a moment.
His eyes stayed on Mason.
“I told you not to contact potential witnesses.”
“I didn't contact her.”
Rachel almost laughed.
“He threw lunch at me.”
Grant looked around the canteen.
Ethan still held his cheek beside the drink station.
Soldiers everywhere.
One camera mounted near the register.
Another near the kitchen entrance.
Grant exhaled slowly.
“Of course you did.”
Mason's jaw tightened.
“You're in a restricted service area.”
“So were six soldiers four nights ago.”
Rachel stopped moving.
Mason looked at Grant.
“Don't.”
That word came out too quickly.
Rachel heard it.
Grant did too.
One of the evidence technicians slid the first tray fully into the light.
A small strip of green kitchen tape remained beneath its rim.
Ethan came closer.
Mason turned.
“Cole, stay back.”
Grant immediately raised one hand.
“No. Specialist Cole stays.”
Mason stared at him.
Grant asked Ethan:
“Recognize the tape?”
Ethan touched his swollen lip.
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
“Late-service coding.”
Rachel looked between them.
Ethan continued.
“Green means after-hours issue.”
Grant pointed toward the trays.
“How many did you prepare on Tuesday night?”
Ethan's eyes moved to Mason.
Then back.
“Six.”
The canteen went silent again.
Rachel looked at Mason.
Tuesday night.
The night Echo Squad disappeared.
Mason said:
“That's not what those are.”
Grant crouched beside the trays.
“Tray four still has the kitchen sequence sticker.”
Mason knew what was coming.
Grant read it.
L-6 / 2147 / REED
Rachel stared.
“Reed.”
Mason said:
“My name was on hundreds of meal issues.”
Ethan shook his head.
“No.”
Mason turned.
Ethan swallowed.
Then continued anyway.
“That code means requested by Reed.”
Mason walked toward him.
Grant stepped between them.
“Do it again.”
Mason stopped.
Grant's voice stayed quiet.
“Touch another witness in front of me.”
Nothing in his tone sounded dramatic.
That made it worse.
Mason backed off.
Rachel looked at the six trays.
“Were my people down there?”
Grant answered carefully.
“These trays were recovered from Basement Two this morning.”
“That isn't what I asked.”
“No.”
“Were they down there?”
Grant looked at Mason.
Mason knew what he was doing.
Letting Rachel understand whose answer mattered.
Mason said:
“They were being interviewed.”
Rachel slowly turned.
“You told me you never saw them after evening accountability.”
Mason's throat tightened.
“I couldn't discuss it.”
“You told me they deserted.”
“I told you what personnel status showed.”
“No.”
Rachel stepped closer.
“You called them deserters.”
Grant interrupted.
“Sergeant Carter.”
She stopped.
Good.
Grant looked at Mason again.
“We are now preserving this canteen as part of an active investigation.”
Mason's face hardened.
“You don't control the building.”
“I don't need to.”
Grant held up a signed command authorization.
Mason did not read it.
He already understood.
Then Grant said:
“You will not enter Basement Two.”
Rachel looked toward the elevator.
“What is Basement Two?”
Mason answered before Grant could.
“Old continuity storage.”
Rachel stared at him.
“You took six soldiers into continuity storage at night.”
“It wasn't like that.”
Ethan whispered:
“It was locked.”
Mason turned.
Ethan kept going.
“I tried to take the empty trays back down.”
“When?”
Rachel asked.
“Almost midnight.”
Mason said:
“You were told to go home.”
“Yes.”
“What did you see?”
Ethan looked at Grant.
Grant nodded.
Ethan answered:
“The elevator wouldn't move.”
“Why?”
“Someone had disabled the call switch upstairs.”
Rachel looked at Mason.
He could feel the entire room narrowing toward him.
Then Ethan unfolded the green-edged ticket Mason had tried to stop him from carrying.
Six names were handwritten across the back.
All six members of Echo Squad.
And beneath them—
one sentence.
May you like
KEEP THEM BELOW UNTIL CROSS ARRIVES.
Mason recognized his own handwriting.
