Chapter 3 - The Man in the Doorway
Thomas stepped between Delcourt and Inès.
“No.”
Delcourt closed the door behind him.
“That wasn’t a request.”
Thomas straightened.
“You planning to take it?”
“If necessary.”
Léa held up one hand.
“Thomas.”
“He’s Varenne’s right hand.”
Delcourt almost laughed.
“You think I haven’t heard that before?”
Léa studied him.
“Why do you want the phone?”
“Because if Inès walks around with that picture on a device connected to the base network, Varenne may know she has it before dinner.”
Inès froze.
“How?”
“Security software.”
“That monitors official devices.”
Delcourt looked at her.
“And you connected your phone to the barracks Wi-Fi last night.”
Inès immediately switched the phone off.
Thomas remained in front of her.
“You expect us to trust you?”
“No.”
Delcourt looked at Léa.
“I expect Lieutenant Beaumont to think.”
She did.
His tone was wrong for a threat.
Too controlled.
Too urgent.
“You saw Attachment Three,” she said.
“Yes.”
“What was on the video?”
“A mechanic inspecting Vehicle 4417 six hours before Mercer was injured.”
“And?”
“He marked it unsafe.”
Thomas stared.
“Then how did it return to service?”
“Someone changed the maintenance status.”
“Who?”
Delcourt looked toward the ceiling.
A camera sat in the corner.
He pointed at it.
Léa understood.
They left the records room separately.
Ten minutes later, Delcourt met Léa behind the old chapel, where no security cameras covered the narrow service path.
Thomas and Inès stayed twenty feet away.
Delcourt spoke quietly.
“After Mercer got hurt, Varenne wanted him charged with reckless conduct.”
“That explains your note.”
“I refused.”
“Why?”
“Because Mercer hadn’t done anything wrong.”
“Where’s the video?”
“Gone.”
Léa watched him.
“That answer is getting popular around here.”
Delcourt ignored the sarcasm.
“The official copy disappeared from the evidence server.”
“Official copy?”
He looked at her.
Léa caught the word.
“You made another one.”
Delcourt said nothing.
She stepped closer.
“Captain.”
“You need to stop asking questions in places Varenne controls.”
“Then tell me where the copy is.”
“No.”
Thomas walked closer.
Léa raised her hand again.
Delcourt continued.
“Two years ago I thought I was dealing with one bad decision. Then another maintenance record changed. Then a supply manifest disappeared.”
“What supplies?”
“Vehicle parts.”
“How many?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’ve had two years.”
“And every time I got close, someone transferred, retired, or suddenly changed their statement.”
Léa’s expression hardened.
“You waited.”
“Yes.”
“Mercer lost his career.”
“I know.”
“And you waited.”
Delcourt took the anger without reacting.
“Because if I accused Varenne without proof, I would disappear from this base before sunset.”
“Cowardice dressed as strategy.”
“Maybe.”
That answer caught her off guard.
Delcourt looked exhausted.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me.”
“Good.”
“I’m telling you Varenne isn’t protecting his reputation.”
“Then what?”
“Something larger.”
The chapel bell rang once.
Delcourt glanced toward headquarters.
“You have maybe forty-eight hours before he moves against you.”
“He already has.”
“No.”
Delcourt looked directly at her.
“This morning was theater.”
A chill went through Léa.
“What comes next?”
“He’ll find evidence.”
Thomas frowned.
“Evidence of what?”
“Whatever crime he decides she committed.”
Inès whispered, “How do you know?”
“Because I watched him do it before.”
Léa stared at him.
“Where is your copy of the Mercer video?”
Delcourt reached inside his jacket.
Thomas tensed.
Delcourt removed a brass key.
He put it in Léa’s hand.
“Old chapel. Storage room. Locker twelve.”
“What’s inside?”
“Insurance.”
“Against Varenne?”
“Against everyone.”
Léa closed her fingers around the key.
Delcourt stepped away.
“If I tell you to leave the base tomorrow, leave.”
“Why tomorrow?”
His eyes shifted toward the headquarters building.
“Because Varenne has ordered Internal Security to search your quarters at 0600.”
Léa’s heartbeat jumped.
“For what?”
Delcourt gave her a grim look.
“I told you.”
He started walking away.
“He’s going to find something.”
Léa called after him.
“What?”
Delcourt stopped.
May you like
He did not turn around.
“A classified drive you’ve never seen before.”
