Chapter 7 - THE MAN WHO TAUGHT ME EVERYTHINGMarcus Vale had pinned my first major commendation onto my uniform eleven years earlier.
He had taught me never to confuse rank with integrity.
Now I wondered whether every lesson had been camouflage.
I couldn't confront him.
Not yet.
Instead, I called Washington.
Vale answered personally.
“Elena.”
Warm.
Concerned.
Perfect.
“I heard about your injury.”
“I'm fine.”
“You did excellent work.”
The compliment made my skin crawl.
“Thorne is cooperating.”
Silence.
Only a fraction too long.
“Is he?”
“Yes.”
Another pause.
“What has he given you?”
There it was.
Not how are the victims.
Not what happened.
What has he given you?
“Nothing useful yet.”
Vale relaxed.
I could hear it.
“Come home.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Good.”
“Elena?”
“Yes?”
“Don't trust Sterling.”
I looked through the observation window.
Sterling sat inside interrogation.
“He's desperate.”
Vale continued.
“Desperate men invent monsters.”
I almost smiled.
“Understood.”
We disconnected.
Five minutes later, Sterling was being moved to another facility.
The convoy never arrived.
A military transport truck struck the escort vehicle on an isolated road.
The driver claimed brake failure.
Sterling survived.
Barely.
One guard didn't.
Someone had tried to silence him.
That ended my doubts.
I called the only person I trusted completely.
Sergeant Hayes.
“Pack a bag.”
“Where are we going?”
“Washington.”
“Why me?”
“Because you're afraid of doing the wrong thing.”
Hayes sounded confused.
May you like
I continued.
“Right now, that's the quality I trust most.”
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