Chapter 13 - The Pattern
Patterns are dangerous things.
One event can be explained.
Two can be coincidence.
Seven names become a system.
Captain Ward’s team worked through the night.
I gave my statement at 1900.
Owen Reed gave a second statement at 2030.
Ward asked, “Easier than what?”
By midnight, three more soldiers agreed to speak.
Fear was still doing its job.
I sat outside the interview room with a cup of terrible coffee.
Commander Hayes joined me.
“You should sleep.”
“So should you.”
“I outrank sleep.”
He looked at me.
Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.
It lasted two seconds.
Then he became serious.
“Vance is claiming you engineered this because of the Virginia incident.”
“Of course he is.”
“He says you came here planning to provoke Briggs.”
“Did he explain the pink tiara?”
“No.”
“The medical file?”
“No.”
“The kick?”
“No.”
Hayes looked down at his coffee.
“I know.”
“People will protect careers.”
“I know.”
“Some will attack yours.”
“I know.”
He looked annoyed. “Do you know any other phrase?”
“I know several.”
That almost got another smile.
At 0130, Captain Ward opened the door.
“We found something.”
Security footage.
A hallway.
Briggs entering Mason’s office.
Then, nine minutes later, Lieutenant Colonel Vance.
Not together.
But close enough.
Twenty minutes later, Briggs left carrying a folder.
My medical intake packet.
Ward froze the frame.
“This puts Vance there.”
Hayes nodded.
Ward tapped the screen.
“No.”
Then she opened an audio file.
“One of the hallway cameras was being tested after a maintenance upgrade.”
She pressed play.
Static.
Footsteps.
A door opening.
Then Vance’s voice.
“Make sure she gets Briggs.”
Briggs answered.
“And if she doesn’t?”
A pause.
May you like
Then Vance said the sentence that changed everything.
“Then make sure she doesn’t leave here looking untouchable.”
