Chapter 3
The armory door suddenly opened.
Hard.
Every head turned.
Colonel Daniel Pierce walked in carrying a brown classified folder under one arm.
Behind him came two military police officers and a legal officer from command.
The soldiers snapped upright.
Even General Matthews straightened, though the color drained from his face.
Colonel Pierce did not salute first.
He walked straight to the table and placed the folder beside Luna’s hand.
Then he looked at Matthews.
“General,” he said, “that badge isn’t fake.”
The whole room held its breath.
Pierce opened the folder just enough to show the red seal.
“Your report is.”
Nobody moved.
Matthews’s mouth opened.
No words came out.
Luna stood still, her eyes locked on him.
For seven years, she had waited for someone else to say it.
For seven years, she had carried a truth so heavy it changed the way she breathed.
Now it was lying on the table in a brown folder.
And everyone could see the general’s hands shaking.
Colonel Pierce turned to the room.
“This armory is now under command review. No one leaves until statements are taken.”
The nervous laughter from earlier was gone.
The soldiers who had smiled at Luna’s humiliation now looked ashamed.
Matthews recovered just enough to speak.
“This is outrageous,” he said. “Colonel, you are overstepping.”
Pierce’s face did not change.
“No, sir. I am following orders from the Inspector General’s office.”
That silenced him.
The legal officer stepped forward.
“General Matthews, you are required to remain present while the sealed Ridge Nine file is reviewed.”
Matthews glanced at Luna.
For one second, his mask slipped.
Hate.
Panic.
A desperate calculation.
Luna knew that look.
May you like
She had seen it the night Ridge Nine burned.
Read Part 4 to find out what really happened on Ridge Nine seven years ago.
