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While three soldiers held me against the lockers on my first morning in the barracks, the biggest man in the squad switched on a pair of electric clippers and leaned close enough for me to hear him laugh. ""By the time I'm finished, you'll either beg us to stop or you'll learn who owns this room."" I calmly lifted my chin and told him to keep going. His smile disappeared when he realized I wasn't afraid of losing my hair. A few minutes later, the barracks door opened and the man standing there looked at what was lying on the floor, then looked at me—and suddenly nobody in the room was laughing... / Chapter 6 / 8

Chapter 6 - The ArrivalA slate-gray military transport helicopter materialized out of the dark clouds, descending rapidly onto the central tarmac with blinding searchlights blazing. The side door slid open, revealing two federal agents in dark tactical gear bearing Department of Justice insignia, flanked by military police.

The aircraft touched down, kicking up a swirling vortex of dust and loose gravel.

Within seconds, federal investigators flooded the catwalk, securing Major Lawson in heavy flex-cuffs and hauling him upright. A second team flanked Cole Mercer and Aaron Pike, who were being marched out of the logistics trailer in zip-ties by base security forces acting under federal orders.

Captain Hale exhaled a long, shuddering breath, leaning against the metal railing as the adrenaline finally began to ebb from his system. He looked over at Riley, who stood motionless against the wind, her shaved patch of hair stark against the flashing red and blue emergency lights.

"Well, Sergeant Quinn," Hale said quietly. "You wanted to find out how far the line went."

"And we found it," Riley replied, handing the encrypted manifest tablet to the lead federal investigator. "Every single transaction, manifest, and routing slip. The chain of custody is intact."

The lead investigator, a sharp-eyed woman with silver-streaked hair named Special Agent Vance, inspected the tablet and nodded approvingly. "Good work, Sergeant. This evidence connects three separate unsolved disappearances across military installations in this sector. Emma Castillo's family can finally have peace."

"What happens to Barracks C?" Riley asked.

"Every officer and enlisted personnel involved in the cover-up is currently being detained for court-martial proceedings," Agent Vance replied. "As for you, Sergeant... your temporary transfer to Barracks C is officially concluded. You're being reassigned to a permanent advisory role with the Federal Task Force on Military Compliance."

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Riley stared out across the tarmac as the gray transport helicopter idled its engines, its rotor blades slicing steadily through the freezing night air.

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Chapter 7 - The Final ManifestThree days later, Riley stood in the quiet archive room of the regional federal headquarters. The fluorescent lights here hummed softly, lacking the aggressive industrial buzz of Barracks C.
Chapter 8 - Epilogue — A New HorizonThe morning sun rose over the rolling hills of Virginia, casting a golden hue across the immaculate lawns of the national military cemetery.

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