Chapter 7 - The Fifth Name
There were five maintenance complaints.
Only four dead soldiers.
The fifth name belonged to Staff Sergeant Lena Ortiz.
Olivia turned from the screen.
"When did you file yours?"
Ortiz looked genuinely confused. "Last year. A batch of emergency beacons arrived with duplicate serial numbers. I reported it. Nothing happened."
Hale swore.
"You're going into protective custody."
Ortiz shook her head. "No."
"That wasn't a suggestion."
"Then write me up after this is over."
Olivia understood her instantly. "She stays with me."
Hale stared at both women. "I hate competent people."
Before dawn, they moved Ortiz into an unused communications suite with no public roster listing.
At 5:17 a.m., somebody tried to access the room.
The electronic lock rejected the card.
Olivia opened the door from inside with her weapon ready.
Major Felix Ward stood in the hallway, hands raised.
"Good," he said. "You're finally suspicious of everybody."
Hale pushed past Olivia. "Where were you during the cafeteria incident?"
"Observation level."
"Why?"
"Because I was watching Pike."
Ward handed Olivia a sealed envelope.
Inside were printed messages from Pike's anonymous handler.
"I intercepted three yesterday," Ward said. "I didn't tell you because I wanted to trace the source."
Olivia read them.
MAKE HER REACT.
FORCE CONTACT.
CONFIRM TRAINING PROFILE.
She looked up. "They suspected I was Ghost Division."
"They weren't sure."
"The tattoo confirmed it."
Ward nodded grimly. "And now whoever is running Black Lantern knows exactly who you are."
A warning tone sounded from Ortiz's terminal.
Someone had just accessed the logistics archive using Colonel Hale's credentials.
All three of them turned toward him.
Hale's expression went flat.
"I haven't touched a terminal since midnight."
Olivia looked at the screen.
May you like
The access was happening live.
And the user was deleting files.
