Page 108 of Hunted
“What he found,” Brian continues, staring at his water bottle, “was a series of encrypted messages between a mid-level military intelligence officer and someone a lot higher up. Someone whose name was redacted, even in the leaked threads. But the message was clear. Your flight was greenlit for disruption using an onboard EMP device, disguised as a maintenance panel component. It was set to detonate mid-air.”
My breath stalls. I always knew something was off, that it wasn’t my fucking fault…but this?This is confirmation of a goddamn conspiracy.
“Why?” Darla asks, her voice small but sharp, cutting through my haze like a scalpel.
Brian nods slowly, as if he knew this question was coming. “Two working theories. One, your unit saw something classified during that last op. Intel they weren’t meant to stumble across. Something so sensitive it made wiping the whole unit a cleaner option than dealing with leaks.”
Brian hesitates, then adds, “The second theory is a little more complex, but honestly, it’s the one that makes the most sense, given everything.”
He runs a hand through his hair. “There’s evidence that one of the men on that flight, Staff Sergeant Devault, was under quiet investigation. Off the books. There were whispers that he’d been selling classified intel, possibly to foreign buyers. He’d been moved from base to base for months, kept away from operations, but then somehow, he got placed in your unit at the last minute.”
My brows knit. “Devault?” I echo. “He had just joined that team.”
Brian nods. “Exactly. That last-minute reassignment may not have been an accident. I think they used that team as a cover to neutralize him. A crash in enemy territory? Clean, no fingerprints, no investigation. No headlines about internal corruption. Just a tragic loss of a patrol flight in a war zone.”
Darla’s breath hitches and her fingers dig into my arm.
Brian looks up at me, guilt clouding his expression. “You survived something they never expected anyone to walk away from. And because you didn’t know what Devault was into, you weren’t a threat once you disappeared into recovery and retirement. There was no reason to tie up loose ends.”
I press my face into Darla’s neck and close my eyes. Seven innocent men died that day because someone higher up was worried about their damn public image? If Devault was corrupt, the chances are there were other officers working with him, too.
I glance up at my brother, suddenly worried about him being in there, amongst possible treasoners. “Are you safe?”
His eyes flash with a hint of surprise at my question. “Yeah, I work with a good group of men, and as far as I can tell, there is no corruption surrounding me. But it doesn't make me feel good to know it exists.”
“Now we know, what do we do about it?” Darla asks, turning those gorgeous green eyes on me.
“I don’t think we can do anything. We don’t know who ordered the hit, or who reassigned him—do we?” I ask, looking back at Brian.
He shakes his head. “No, not one name could be found, and trust me, he looked everywhere. They were smart, they covered their tracks.”
“I guess I should just be happy that they let me walk away.”
“They were only after Devault, the rest of you were… collateral,” Brian says with a frown.
We’re all silent while we let that information sink in. On one hand, I’m happy to finally have some answers about what happened that day. On the other hand, it makes me angry to know someone who was supposed to be a senior member of the military, was making decisions that sacrificed good, honest soldiers, just to quietly take out one bad one, instead of bringing him to justice.
“West, I, uh… I told Mom and Dad what happened,” Brian says nervously. I watch as he presses his fingertips together and hold my breath, needing to hear what he has to say. “They don't believe me.”
I exhale and press my forehead against Darla’s soft skin, hoping it will calm my angry thoughts.
“They said I was being ridiculous talking about conspiracy theories. They thought I was making it up to make them talk to you.”
“Well, fuck them,” Bower says from beside me, making me turn to him in surprise. “Sorry, bro.” He looks at me and shrugs, an angry expression on his face. “Some parents are just assholes. Don’t waste another minute thinking about them. You have us now, plus our mom loves you already.” He smiles, and it helps me let go of some of my anger.
“I’ve been telling Timmy all about you. He wants to be a pilot, like his Uncle West.” My startled eyes meet Brian’s, and he gives me a tentative smile.
“Really?” I ask hopefully.
“Yeah,” he says with a laugh. “All he wants to play with is this toy plane he got for his birthday. Oh, I uh… I told him it was from you. I hope you don’t mind. It was two months ago, and I didn’t want to tell him you were missing, but I had been telling him stories about you for the past year, so I bought him a plane and said it was from you.”
I swallow heavily, a mix of emotions bubbling up inside me. “I’d like to meet him sometime, if that offer is still available?”
“Of course! Whenever you’re ready.”
“Well, I think that kid of yours is about to get spoiled,” Bower says with a smirk, his eyes bouncing to mine before moving back to my brother. “Cause he’s just gained another three uncles and an aunt!”
Brian frowns as he looks between us all. “Uh, okay….” his voice trails off, obviously unsure what Bower’s words mean and is too afraid to ask.
