Chapter 3 - THE MAN BENEATH THE BASEThe maintenance tunnel smelled of rust and stagnant water.
Avery moved without a flashlight.
Every breath aggravated her injured ribs.
Eventually, she found Briggs.
He sat tied beneath a flickering fluorescent light.
When he recognized her, disbelief replaced terror.
“You came?”
“Don't make me regret it.”
Avery questioned him.
Briggs finally admitted that Captain Marcus Vale had approached him two weeks earlier.
Vale told Briggs that Avery was dangerous.
He encouraged Briggs to pressure her.
Embarrass her.
Make her quit.
Briggs had eagerly obeyed.
Then footsteps echoed behind Avery.
Captain Vale emerged.
Elias Ward followed.
His weapon was pressed against Hayes.
Colonel Vance stood beside them, disarmed.
Avery understood instantly.
Ward had betrayed them.
Vale smiled.
Black Meridian had never cared whether Briggs won the fight.
Briggs had simply been useful.
Vale needed Avery discredited before anyone investigated her history.
Instead, Briggs’ public humiliation had caused exactly the opposite.
Five hundred cameras had created scrutiny.
And scrutiny was poison to Black Meridian.
Vale raised his weapon.
Hidden cameras illuminated around the tunnel.
Ward explained their plan.
They would edit the footage.
Avery would appear to murder Briggs and attack superior officers before being killed while resisting arrest.
Avery glanced at Briggs.
His arrogance was gone.
For the first time, he understood how completely he had been manipulated.
May you like
Vale aimed at him.
Avery dropped.
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