Chapter 7 - Locker 214
The bus depot was nearly empty when we arrived.
Mercer sent two officers to cover the exits. Ruiz stayed with the medic, and I went to locker 214 with a small evidence team.
The key turned.
Inside was a plastic envelope, a flash drive, and a photograph of a maintenance crew standing beside a transport vehicle. I recognized the vehicle number from the report.
On the back of the photograph, someone had written: THE PART WAS NEVER ORDERED.
The flash drive contained scans of invoices, email chains, and inspection records. One spreadsheet showed that parts had been billed to the Army, delivered to a warehouse, and then redirected to a private company.
“That's enough to widen the investigation,” Ruiz said.
“Not enough to prove who approved it,” I replied.
She opened a second folder. “Maybe this is.”
The file contained a chain of authorizations. At the top was a digital approval from Colonel Peter Lang. Beneath it was a final sign-off from Hayes's office.
Mercer studied the screen.
“Lang told us he never saw the altered invoices.”
“Then he lied,” I said.
A noise came from the depot entrance.
One of the officers called out. “Military police. Identify yourself.”
A voice answered. “Colonel Lang. I need to speak to General Mercer.”
Mercer turned.
Lang entered alone, hands visible.
“I know what you're going to think,” he said.
“Then save us time,” Mercer replied. “Tell us why your approval is on these records.”
Lang looked at me. “I didn't approve the invoices. I signed a summary prepared by Hayes's staff.”
“You signed without checking.”
“I was told the supporting documents had already been verified.”
“By whom?”
Lang hesitated.
“Lieutenant Colonel Dwyer.”
Mercer exhaled slowly. Dwyer was Hayes's chief of staff, the man who had sat beside him in the conference room.
“Where is Dwyer now?” Mercer asked.
Lang's face tightened.
“He left the installation twenty minutes ago.”
Ruiz checked her phone. “His access card was used at the south gate.”
Mercer turned to the officers. “Find him. Quietly.”
Lang lowered his voice.
“General, there's another problem. Hayes has been calling the families. He's telling them the review is a political attack and that Morgan fabricated the report.”
My stomach tightened.
“He contacted the families?”
Lang nodded.
“And he told them the dead soldiers were responsible for their own deaths.”
For the first time that day, Mercer looked openly angry.
“Then we'll give those families the truth.”
Lang looked at me.
May you like
“There's one more thing. Dwyer has the original server key.”
Without it, the digital records could be erased permanently.
