Chapter 5
Colonel Pierce opened the sealed file.
The first page was a mission timeline.
The second was a radio transcript.
Pierce read from it.
“Overwatch reports four civilians in kill zone. Requests hold.”
He looked at Matthews.
“You denied that transmission existed.”
Matthews’s lips tightened.
Pierce turned the page.
“Overwatch reports secondary explosive control tower. Requests permission to engage.”
He looked back down.
“Permission denied by command.”
The room went colder.
A young sergeant whispered, “Oh my God.”
Pierce continued.
“Six seconds later, Overwatch engages tower without authorization. Secondary explosion fails. Extraction team survives.”
He placed the page on the table.
“Overwatch was Sergeant Luna Hayes.”
Luna felt the eyes turning toward her.
Not mocking now.
Not doubting.
Seeing.
Matthews snapped, “She disobeyed an order.”
Luna’s voice came quiet.
“I saved twenty-three soldiers and four civilians.”
“And got Captain Reed killed.”
For the first time, Luna’s composure cracked.
Just a little.
Her eyes sharpened with pain.
“No,” she said. “Your order did.”
The words landed with brutal force.
Matthews took one step toward her.
The MPs moved instantly.
He stopped.
Colonel Pierce pulled out another page.
“This is Captain Reed’s body-cam transcript recovered from damaged storage.”
Matthews went still.
Luna did too.
She had never known it existed.
Pierce looked at her before reading.
His voice softened.
May you like
“Luna, you should hear this.”
Read Part 6 to find out what Captain Reed said with his final breath.
