Chapter 3: The Soldier Nobody Suspected
The next morning, Sergeant Nia Carter walked into the dining hall again.
The same room.
The same metal tables.
The same security camera hanging above them.
But everything felt different.
Yesterday, she had entered carrying an injury.
Today, she entered carrying a secret.
Soldiers stopped talking when they saw her.
Not because they pitied her.
Because they knew something bigger was happening.
Nia hated attention.
Especially this kind.
She adjusted her grip on her crutches and moved forward.
Captain Marcus Reed walked beside her.
“You don’t have to be here.””
Nia looked ahead.
“Yes, I do.””
Marcus studied her.
“Why?””
“Because whoever did this wanted me to feel alone.””
She stopped.
“I’m not giving them that.””
Marcus nodded.
“That’s the answer I expected.””
They reached the table where the incident happened.
The exact spot.
The same floor.
Nia looked down.
For a second, she remembered the impact.
The pain.
The silence.
Then she pushed it away.
A soldier approached carefully.
“Sergeant Carter?””
She turned.
It was the same soldier who had spoken up yesterday.
“Yeah?””
He looked nervous.
“I wanted to apologize.””
Nia frowned.
“For what?””
“For not saying something sooner.””
She looked at him.
He lowered his eyes.
“I saw Harris acting strange before. I thought it wasn’t my business.””
Nia softened slightly.
“Most people think that.””
The soldier looked guilty.
“I should have helped.””
“You’re helping now.””
Before he could respond, Marcus received a notification on his phone.
His face changed.
Nia noticed immediately.
“What?””
Marcus didn’t answer.
He stared at the screen.
Then he turned it toward her.
A message.
From the investigation team.
*The footage has been reviewed. Additional subject identified.*
Nia looked at him.
“Who?””
Marcus locked the phone.
“Not here.””
That answer made her more nervous.
“Captain.””
He looked around.
Then lowered his voice.
“The person standing next to Cole wasn’t just another soldier.””
Nia waited.
“They had access to restricted areas.””
Her expression hardened.
“Meaning?””
“Meaning whoever helped him knew exactly what they were doing.””
A sound came from behind them.
A chair scraping.
Both turned.
Cole Harris stood across the dining hall.
He looked exhausted.
No arrogance.
No smile.
Just anger.
“Captain.””
Marcus faced him.
“What?””
Cole walked closer.
“I need to talk to Sergeant Carter.””
Nia immediately shook her head.
“No.””
Cole looked at her.
“You deserve the truth.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“Whatever you have to say can be said here.””
Cole glanced around.
Then looked back at Nia.
“I didn’t know it would go this far.””
Nia’s eyes narrowed.
“That’s your defense?””
Cole looked away.
“I was told it would just scare you.””
The words hit harder than she expected.
Scare her.
Not hurt her.
Not break her.
Just scare her.
As if that made it acceptable.
“Who told you?”” Marcus demanded.
Cole stayed silent.
“Who told you?””
The dining hall waited.
Cole’s hands tightened.
“I can’t.””
Marcus’s expression turned cold.
“Can’t?””
Cole looked at him.
“You don’t understand.””
“Then explain.””
Cole shook his head.
“If I say the name…”
He stopped.
Nia felt the air change.
Because for the first time, Cole looked afraid of someone else.
Not Marcus.
Not punishment.
Someone higher.
Someone closer.
“Say the name,” Marcus ordered.
Cole opened his mouth.
Then his phone rang.
Everyone heard it.
Cole looked at the screen.
His face went pale.
Marcus saw the reaction.
“Answer it.””
Cole didn’t move.
“Answer it.””
Slowly, Cole picked up.
“Hello?””
Nobody could hear the voice on the other end.
But they could see Cole listening.
His eyes moved toward Nia.
Then Marcus.
Then the security camera.
The call ended.
Cole lowered the phone.
Marcus stepped closer.
“Who was that?””
Cole said nothing.
Nia watched him carefully.
Then she noticed something.
A small movement.
Cole’s hand.
He had received something.
A message.
Marcus noticed too.
“Give me the phone.””
Cole backed away.
“No.””
The entire room became silent.
Marcus stared at him.
“Cole.””
“No.””
His voice cracked.
And that was when everyone understood.
Whatever was happening was bigger than a broken crutch.
Bigger than one cruel soldier.
Nia looked at Cole.
“What did they tell you?””
Cole looked at her.
For a moment, she saw something unexpected.
Regret.
Then fear returned.
He slowly raised the phone.
And on the screen was a single message.
One sentence.
One name.
The name of the person who ordered him to target Sergeant Nia Carter.
Cole whispered:
“They know we found out.””
Marcus reached for the phone.
May you like
But before he could see the message, the dining hall doors opened.
And the person standing there made Nia’s blood run cold.
