Chapter 2 - The Interrogation Room
The base security holding room smelled of floor wax, stale coffee, and official bureaucracy. Under the harsh glare of the fluorescent overheads, Brooke looked less like an entitled tormentor and more like a terrified teenager who had finally stepped off a cliff of her own making.
She sat across the stainless-steel table, her wrists still zip-tied, glaring at me as I walked in. I wore my PT uniform—gray shorts and a dark green shirt bearing the Marine Corps eagle, globe, and anchor. My ribs were tightly wrapped under the cotton, throbbing with every breath, but I didn't slouch.
"You're going to ruin us," Brooke spat, leaning forward until her face caught the harsh light. "Do you have any idea who my father-in-law is? Dad will fix this. He has to."
"Your father isn't going to fix anything, Brooke," I said, pulling out the opposite chair and sitting down with deliberate slowness. "He’s currently sitting in a holding cell three doors down, facing federal charges for unlawful entry onto a military installation and aiding in the assault of an active-duty service member."
Lenora, sitting mutely in the corner under the watchful eye of a military policeman, gasped. "He’s an old man! He didn't break the door down, Brooke did! Daniel just followed us because we told him to!"
"Silence," the MP guard warned, tapping his holster.
I looked at Lenora, remembering every winter growing up when she locked me out of the pantry, every insult whispered over dinner tables while my father stared at his plate. "Being an accomplice doesn't shield you, Lenora. This isn't a domestic dispute handled by local cops who can be bought off with a donation to the county sheriff's golf club. This is federal property. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and federal statute, assaulting a service member in base housing is a felony."
The door swung open, and Captain Miller, the base Provost Marshal, walked in. He tossed a thick manila folder onto the table, his expression grim.
May you like
"Corporal Mercer," Miller said, his eyes scanning the three of them with open contempt. "NCIS has been briefed. The federal magistrate is already reviewing the arrest warrants. But before we finalize the paperwork, your father is asking to speak with you alone."
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