She Was Humiliated in Front of 200 Soldiers—Until One Red Light Made the Colonel Freeze in Terror!

"Drop the case," Ortiz ordered.

Voss pulled Nora closer. "Everybody relax. I didn't come for a fight."

Nora's cheek was swollen. Mara kept her voice low. "Nora, look at me. Are you hurt?"

"I'm standing," Nora answered. "Don't give him what he wants."

Voss lifted the gray case. "The archive and the authorization device. That's the trade."

Bell stared at him. "You were told to destroy the archive, not move it."

Voss actually laughed. "You were told a lot of things too, General. None of us gets loyalty when the paperwork burns."

For the first time, everyone could see Bell had lost control of his own scheme. Voss intended to sell the original records to whoever would pay for silence. Nora had been his insurance.

Mara held the padded pouch where Voss could see it. "Let her walk toward us. Then we'll talk."

"Put it on the pavement."

"Not until she's clear."

Ranger gave a short bark. Torres saw something Mara couldn't: Nora's wrists were tied loosely, and she had shifted her weight toward the empty side of the road.

Ortiz kept Voss talking while her team moved civilians away. "The case is worthless if you damage the evidence."

"It's worth enough."

Nora suddenly shoved the case upward against Voss's arm and stepped away. Ranger barked again, but Torres kept him back as trained officers moved in. Voss stumbled; the case struck the road and slid toward a curb. One officer restrained him while another guided Nora into cover. No shot was fired.

Mara reached her sister and wrapped both arms around her.

"You didn't come home," Nora whispered. "I hated you for it."

"I know."

"I looked for you anyway."

"I know that too."

Ortiz opened the gray case with witnesses present. Inside were paper files, an encrypted drive and Thomas's field journal. Its last page carried a handwritten note: DANIEL WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO.