Chapter 5 - The Complaints That Were Never Supposed to Exist|
Colonel Voss stared at the folder for a long moment.
Then he picked up his telephone.
“Get me the duty officer.”
He listened briefly.
“Have Gunnery Sergeant Briggs report to my office, and preserve all records involving complaints against Corporal Mercer.”
His voice sharpened.
“No, I don't want a summary.”
“I want the original documents.”
When he hung up, Mercer looked as though someone had pulled the floor from beneath him.
“Sir, Gunny Briggs didn't do anything wrong.”
Voss studied him.
“Then he should have nothing to worry about.”
I watched Mercer carefully.
It was the first time he had defended anyone other than himself.
That interested me.
Men who bully others often rely on someone stronger to protect them.
And sometimes the person above them has taught them exactly how to behave.
Voss dismissed Mercer to remain under supervision while arrangements were made for the investigation.
A few minutes later, Hayes and I stepped into the hallway.
“Raymond, why were those complaints withdrawn?”
He rubbed a hand across his forehead.
“I don't know yet.”
“Who filed them?”
“One involved a junior Marine.”
“And the other?”
“A civilian maintenance worker.”
I felt my stomach tighten.
“What happened?”
“The records say there was a disagreement over equipment access.”
“That doesn't sound like enough for a formal complaint.”
“There's more.”
Hayes handed me a copy of the initial summary.
The maintenance worker claimed Mercer had shoved him against a storage cabinet after being asked to leave a restricted work area.
Three days later, the worker withdrew his complaint.
The junior Marine's report described intimidation during training.
That complaint disappeared after a meeting with Briggs.
“Did anyone follow up?”
“I haven't found documentation of any follow-up.”
Hayes looked ashamed.
“Somebody should have.”
I returned the paper.
“Then somebody will now.”
My phone rang before he could answer.
It was Denise Alvarez.
“Ma’am, I hope I'm not bothering you.”
“Not at all.”
“I wanted to make sure your dog is okay.”
The concern in her voice surprised me.
She had witnessed a frightening incident, risked confronting a uniformed Marine, and still found time to worry about Bruno.
“He's being treated.”
“I'm glad.”
She hesitated.
“There's something you should know.”
I moved into an empty conference room.
“I'm listening.”
“The security camera near the serving line stopped recording for a while this afternoon.”
My pulse quickened.
“When?”
“Right around the incident.”
I looked toward Hayes through the open doorway.
“Are you certain?”
“The security officer asked me about it.”
“Did you see what happened to the equipment?”
“No, ma’am.”
Her breathing changed.
“But one of the younger Marines had his phone out.”
“Which Marine?”
“The quiet one who tried to stop Mercer.”
“Parker?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know if he recorded anything?”
“I don't know.”
Then her voice dropped.
“I'm afraid he's going to pretend he didn't.”
I understood why.
Parker was young.
Mercer was bigger, louder, and apparently protected by an influential supervisor.
Telling the truth could make Parker's life miserable long after the investigation ended.
“Denise, listen carefully.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You've already done something brave.”
“You mean speaking up?”
“Yes.”
She gave a humorless little laugh.
“My mother raised six kids.”
“She would've chased that Marine out of the building with a wooden spoon.”
I smiled for the first time that day.
“Your mother sounds formidable.”
“She was.”
Then her voice softened.
“But I have bills to pay, General.”
I went still.
“How did you find out?”
“The base commander called my supervisor.”
Of course he had.
My identity was no longer a secret.
Denise continued.
“I don't want anyone thinking I spoke up because I knew who you were.”
“You didn't.”
“No.”
“I spoke up because he hurt an animal that couldn't defend itself.”
Her voice broke slightly.
“And because nobody else was doing anything.”
I looked through the window toward the busy courtyard.
“That's exactly what I intend to tell anyone who asks.”
After we disconnected, Hayes received an urgent call from the security office.
He listened without interrupting.
When he turned back toward me, his expression was grim.
“The camera gap is real.”
“Equipment failure?”
“Possibly.”
“Possibly isn't an answer.”
“No, ma’am.”
He hesitated.
“The camera was manually placed into maintenance mode shortly before the incident.”
I frowned.
“Who authorized that?”
“They're checking the access logs.”
Hayes paused again.
“But the person who made the change used a supervisory account.”
I looked at the closed door of Voss's office.
The same question passed between us without either of us speaking.
Was someone already trying to hide what happened?
Or had the system been misused before we even entered the dining hall?
Either possibility demanded answers.
Then Hayes's phone vibrated.
He read the message and closed his eyes briefly.
“What is it?”
“Parker has been ordered to report to Gunnery Sergeant Briggs.”
“When?”
“Immediately.”
I felt my heartbeat change.
“Does the investigating officer know?”
“Not yet.”
“Then tell her now.”
Hayes hurried away.
I stared down the empty hallway, imagining a frightened young Marine sitting across from the man who had allegedly pressured two earlier complainants into silence.
May you like
And I understood that the next battle wasn't about proving Mercer had kicked Bruno.
It was about making sure the people who saw it were allowed to tell the truth.
Related Stories
