Chapter 11 - Reed Finally Talks
They moved us into a briefing room.
Reed sat at the end of the table with both hands wrapped around a bottle of water he never opened.
Captain Ward sat across from him.
Commander Hayes stood by the door.
I was told I could leave.
I stayed.
Reed stared at the tabletop.
“Three months ago,” he began, “Briggs made Specialist Carter repeat a wall obstacle after Carter said his shoulder was hurt.”
Ward asked, “Why?”
“Because Carter beat Briggs’ time the week before.”
Nobody spoke.
Reed continued.
“Briggs changed the safety line. Carter fell wrong.”
“Who was present?”
Reed listed six names.
“Did anyone report it?”
“Carter tried.”
“What happened?”
Reed looked at Hayes.
Ward wrote something down.
“Who handled the statement?”
Reed hesitated.
“Captain Mason.”
Mason, sitting two chairs away, looked like he had been punched.
“I never saw a statement.”
Reed blinked.
“I watched Briggs hand it to you.”
Mason stood.
“No. He handed me an envelope. He said it was equipment paperwork.”
Ward raised her voice. “Sit down, Captain.”
Mason sat.
Reed took a breath.
“There’s more.”
He described altered rosters, punishment details, late-night “corrective sessions,” and one training event where Briggs had ordered a soldier to continue despite signs of heat illness.
“Why didn’t you report this before?” Ward asked gently.
Reed looked ashamed.
He looked at me.
“Because you didn’t laugh.”
Ward closed her notebook.
“Private Reed, you did the right thing.”
Reed gave a small, bitter laugh.
“Three months late.”
He looked older.
Hayes said nothing.
Mason stared at him.
“You think I covered for Briggs.”
Mason flinched.
Then an investigator entered with a laptop.
“We recovered deleted messages from Briggs’ phone backup.”
Ward looked up.
“How many?”
“Enough.”
MAKE SURE MITCHELL REACHES THE FINAL.
The second was worse.
May you like
IF SHE GETS HURT, SHE GETS HURT.
And the sender was not Briggs.
