Chapter 1
The first insult landed before the room even stopped smelling like gun oil.
Luna Hayes stood in the armory with grease on her hands, dust on her face, and a half-disassembled rifle spread across the metal table in front of her.
Bolts.
Springs.
Magazines.
Optics.
Everything was laid out with perfect care.
The kind of care that came from years of building a weapon blindfolded, in the dark, while men were screaming over the radio and the world was falling apart around her.
But to General Arthur Matthews, she looked like a mistake.
A young woman in a dirty uniform.
Quiet.
Tired.
Too calm.
And worst of all, wearing a sniper badge on her chest.
Matthews stepped so close that his shadow fell over the table.
The soldiers inside the armory stiffened.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
The general lifted one gloved finger and pointed directly at the badge on Luna’s uniform.
His voice cut through the room.
“You’re wearing a lie on your chest.”
The room went silent.
A few soldiers in the back gave low, nervous laughs.
Not because it was funny.
Because powerful men expected people to laugh when they were cruel.
Luna felt the words hit somewhere deep.
Not because she doubted herself.
Because she knew exactly what that badge had cost.
But none of that showed on her face.
Luna only looked at General Matthews.
Her voice was low.
Steady.
“Check the record.”
Matthews gave a sharp, ugly laugh.
“The record?” he said. “I’ve seen the record.”
He stepped even closer.
“Remove it.”
Luna did not touch the badge.
She did not take a step back.
Instead, her eyes lowered to the open folder beside the rifle parts.
Old photographs.
Mission maps.
A casualty report.
Half the pages were blacked out with classified redactions.
Then Luna placed one finger on a blacked-out line.
May you like
“Open the sealed file.”
Read Part 2 to find out why those three words made the general stop smiling.
