Clara let him sit.
Toby rubbed his wrist.
“That hurt.”
“You entered my room in the dark.”
“Yeah. Bad plan.”
“Very.”
He reached inside his jacket.
Clara caught his wrist again.
“Slowly.”
“It’s a flash drive.”
He produced it.
Clara stared.
“Where did you get that?”
“Kaelen’s office.”
Her eyes sharpened.
“You stole it?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I borrowed it.”
“That’s stealing.”
Toby swallowed.
“He has a locked drawer.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he made me clean the office.”
Clara said nothing.
“I saw him put something inside. Later he left for the motor pool. The drawer was open.”
“You went through it.”
“Yes.”
“That was stupid.”
“I know.”
Clara looked at the drive.
“What’s on it?”
“I don’t know.”
“You brought me an unknown data device from your staff sergeant’s locked drawer.”
“When you say it like that, it sounds worse.”
“It is worse.”
Toby stared at her.
“I saw my name.”
Clara stopped.
“Where?”
“On a paper in the drawer.”
“What paper?”
“A list.”
“Who else?”
“Ramirez. Chen. Edwards.”
The transferred soldiers.
Clara felt the pattern close around them.
“What did it say?”
“I don’t know. There were numbers next to the names.”
“What kind?”
“Dates. Maybe amounts.”
“Amounts?”
Toby nodded.
“And there was another column.”
“What did it say?”
He looked at her.
“Cleared.”
Clara stared at the flash drive.
“Go back to your room.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Nothing tonight.”
“Shouldn’t we open it?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because if it has tracking software, malware, or classified material, plugging it into a personal computer would be very stupid.”
Toby looked embarrassed.
“Oh.”
Clara handed it back.
His eyes widened.
“You don’t want it?”
“I want you to put it exactly where you found it.”
“But—”
“If Kaelen discovers it missing, he knows someone accessed the drawer.”
Toby slowly nodded.
“Take a picture of the list if it’s still there.”
“With my phone?”
“No flash.”
“Okay.”
“And Toby?”
He paused at the door.
“If you get caught, you were never here.”
His face went pale.
Clara allowed the smallest hint of a smile.
“That was a joke.”
He stared.
“You joke?”
“Occasionally.”
He left.
Clara locked the door.
Then she sat on the edge of the bed.
She did not sleep again.
The photograph arrived at 0512.
Toby had taken three.
The list contained twelve names.
Each belonged to a soldier who had either transferred, separated unexpectedly, or received disciplinary action during Kaelen’s tenure.
Beside each name was a date.
A number.
And one of three words.
CLEARED.
RETAIN.
ESCALATE.
Toby’s name said ESCALATE.
Clara’s name had been added at the bottom.
Beside it, no number.
No date.
Only two handwritten words.
CONFIRM IDENTITY.
Clara stared at the image.
Kaelen knew.
Or suspected.
The question was how.
She sent the photograph to Mercer through an encrypted channel he had given her years ago and immediately deleted the local copy.
He called seven minutes later.
“Leave the base.”
“No.”
“Clara.”
“No.”
“Your cover may be compromised.”
“That means leaving confirms it.”
“Your safety matters more than the cover.”
“This isn’t about my safety.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Turn this into Syria.”
Clara became silent.
Mercer continued.
“You’re not back there.”
“I know.”
“You cannot save everyone by walking directly toward danger every time you smell it.”
“Toby’s name says escalate.”
“I saw.”
“You want me to leave him here?”
“I want you alive.”
“So did Lucas.”
Mercer stopped speaking.
Clara regretted it instantly.
But the words were already out.
Mercer’s voice became quieter.
“Lucas died because someone betrayed your team.”
“Yes.”
“And if Kaelen is connected to that, you are emotionally compromised.”
Clara shut her eyes.
“Probably.”
“That’s exactly why you need to leave.”
“No.”
“Why?”
She looked at Toby’s empty bunk across the hallway through the open common area.
“Because if I leave now, whoever brought me here wins.”
Silence.
Then Mercer asked, “What do you mean?”
Clara looked at her own name on the photograph again.
CONFIRM IDENTITY.
“This wasn’t an accident.”
At 0730, Kaelen disappeared.
He failed to report for formation.
His phone was off.
His vehicle remained in the parking lot.
His room was empty.
By 0900, military police were quietly searching.
Captain Reeves ordered the platoon to remain available.
First Sergeant Bowman paced between buildings, furious.
Clara sat in the company classroom beside Toby.
He whispered, “You think he knows?”
“Yes.”
Toby swallowed.
“About the flash drive?”
“Maybe.”
“About me?”
“Maybe.”
“That is not reassuring.”
“It isn’t supposed to be.”
At 0945, Reeves entered.
“Vance.”
She stood.
“My office.”
Inside, two men in civilian clothing were waiting.
Clara recognized neither.
That was unusual.
One showed credentials.
“Special Agent Warren. Army CID.”
The second said, “Special Agent Pike.”
Clara sat.
Warren opened a folder.
“When did you last speak with Staff Sergeant Kaelen?”
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