The Untouchable Commander

Chapter Five

The warehouse was in the industrial district. Abandoned. Dark. The kind of place where deals went down and bodies disappeared.

Kael had been watching it for three hours. His leg ached from the crouched position. The cold seeped through his gear. But he didn't move. Didn't blink. His eyes were fixed on the entrance.

Marcus was inside. A source had confirmed it. He'd been meeting with someone. Someone connected to the people who killed Dorian.

Kael's hand rested on his weapon. His finger was steady on the trigger guard.

Cole was positioned on the roof across the street. Cover. Backup. If things went wrong, he'd provide support.

But Kael hoped it wouldn't come to that. He wanted to do this himself.

Marcus.

His cousin. The golden child. The one Aunt Claire had always favored. The one who'd smiled at Dorian's funeral while planning his next move.

Kael's jaw tightened. He thought about the kitchen. Beatrice on the counter. Marcus's hands on her. The laughter. The wine. The complete disregard for the man who'd just died.

The man who was supposed to be his brother.

Movement at the entrance. The door creaked open. Marcus stepped out. He was alone. Looked around nervously. Then started walking toward the parking lot.

Kael moved.

He was silent. Years of training made him a ghost. He crossed the distance in seconds. Marcus didn't hear him. Didn't see him.

Until Kael's hand clamped over his mouth and dragged him into the shadows.

Marcus struggled. Kicked. Tried to scream. But Kael was stronger. Faster. He pinned Marcus against the wall, his forearm pressing against his throat.

"One sound," Kael whispered. "One sound and I'll break your neck."

Marcus's eyes went wide. Recognition dawned. He went still.

Kael released his mouth. But kept him pinned.

"Kael," Marcus gasped. "What the hell—"

"Shut up." Kael's voice was ice. "You're going to answer my questions. And you're going to tell me the truth. Or I'll leave you bleeding in the alley."

Marcus's face was pale. Sweating. "I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't do anything."

"Don't lie to me." Kael pressed harder. Marcus choked. "You were meeting someone tonight. Someone connected to the people who killed my brother. Who was it?"

Marcus's eyes darted around. Looking for an escape. Kael tightened his grip.

"I can't tell you," Marcus whispered. "They'll kill me."

"Then I'll make your death look like an accident. You know I can." Kael leaned closer. "You've been feeding them information. Helping them cover their tracks. You're a loose end, Marcus. And loose ends get tied."

Marcus's breath came in ragged gasps. "It wasn't supposed to go this far. I just wanted to hurt you. Both of you. You were always better. Always more. I was tired of being nothing."

"So you had my brother killed."

"No!" Marcus's voice cracked. "I didn't know they'd kill him. I just wanted to cause problems. Make him look bad. Get him kicked out of the military. I talked to Dawson. Told him lies about your father. About how he'd abandoned Harris. I thought Dawson would just... confront him. Cause a scene. I didn't know he'd cut the rope."

Kael's hand shook. Rage burned in his chest. "You lied to Dawson. Told him my father killed his."

"I didn't know he'd believe it! I didn't know he'd go that far. I was just trying to get back at you. Both of you. For everything."

"Who was the meeting with tonight?"

Marcus's eyes flickered. Fear. Real fear. "A man. I don't know his name. He works for someone higher up. Someone who was involved in the mission. Someone who wanted Dorian dead for reasons I don't understand."

Kael's mind raced. Someone higher up. Involved in the mission. Wanted Dorian dead.

"What was the mission really about?" Kael asked. "The intel on Mount Thai. What was it?"

"I don't know. I swear. They don't tell me anything. I just pass messages. Deliver packages. I'm a messenger. That's all."

Kael studied his cousin's face. He was telling the truth. At least part of it.

"Beatrice," Kael said. "Was she part of this?"

Marcus's face flickered. "No. She didn't know anything. She just... she was upset. Dorian was never around. I was there for her. It just happened."

"You were sleeping with my brother's fiancée while he was still alive."

Marcus didn't answer. He didn't have to.

Kael released him. Marcus slumped against the wall, gasping for air.

"Get out of the city," Kael said. "Leave. Disappear. If I see your face again, I'll kill you. And I won't hesitate."

Marcus scrambled to his feet. "You don't understand. They'll find me. They have people everywhere."

"Then run faster." Kael's voice was cold. "And pray they don't find you before I do."

Marcus ran. Disappeared into the darkness.

Kael stood in the alley, his heart pounding. His cousin was a coward. A pathetic, jealous coward. But he wasn't the killer. He was just a pawn.

Someone higher up had ordered Dorian's death. Someone who'd been involved in the mission. Someone who wanted the intel kept secret.

Kael pulled out his phone. Called Cole.

"Target's gone," Kael said. "He's not the one."

Cole's voice was tight. "What do you mean he's not the one?"

"He was involved, but he's not the killer. Someone above him gave the order. Someone connected to the mission."

There was a pause. Then: "I saw something. Before you went in. A car. Black SUV. It circled the block twice. Then left."

Kael's blood went cold. "Did you see who was in it?"

"Too dark. But the plates were military."

Military. Someone in the military was involved. Someone high up.

Kael thought about what Stone had said. The investigation had been buried from the top. Someone powerful had made sure it went away.

"Cole," Kael said. "We need to find out who was on that mountain. Everyone. Not just the squad. The support staff. The command structure. Everyone who had access to the mission."

"That's a lot of people."

"Then we start digging. We find the person who gave the order. And we make them pay."

Kael returned to his apartment. His leg was screaming. The confrontation had taken more out of him than he'd expected.

But he couldn't rest.

He pulled out his father's journal. The photograph. The name written on the last page.

Marcus.

He stared at it. His father had known something. Something about Marcus. Something about the mission.

But what?

He flipped through the journal again. Page by page. Looking for anything he'd missed.

Then he found it.

A small notation in the margins. Almost invisible. Written in his father's cramped handwriting.

Harris knew something. Something about the mission in '98. He was going to expose it. Then he died. They said it was an ambush. But I never believed it.

Kael's heart raced. Harris had been killed. Not by the enemy. By someone on their own side. Someone who'd wanted to silence him.

And now Dorian was dead. For the same reason.

Someone had been trying to bury a secret for decades. A secret that had cost Harris his life. That had haunted his father. And that had now cost Dorian his.

Kael closed the journal. His hands were shaking.

He needed to find out what the secret was. What had happened on that mission in '98. And who had been involved.

He picked up his phone. Called Reyes.

"Reyes. I need you to find something for me. A mission file. From 1998. Operation Desert Storm."

There was a pause. Then: "That's old. Really old. I don't know if I can—"

"Find it. Whatever it takes. I need to know what happened on that mission. Who was involved. What they were after."

Reyes was quiet for a moment. Then: "I'll try. But Kael... if this is as deep as you think it is, we might be in over our heads."

"We're already in over our heads," Kael said. "But we're not stopping. Not until we find the truth."

He ended the call. Stared at the journal in his hands.

Someone had killed Harris. Someone had killed his father's best friend. And now someone had killed his brother.

The same people. The same conspiracy. Decades apart.

Kael's eyes hardened. His jaw tightened.

He was going to find them. And when he did, they were going to pay for everything.

The next morning, Kael received a text from Reyes.

Found something. Meet me at the usual place. 8pm.

Kael's heart pounded. He spent the day in a haze. Waiting. Preparing. The hours crawled by.

At 8pm, he was at the diner. A small place on the edge of town. Quiet. Private. The kind of place where people didn't ask questions.

Reyes was already there. He looked nervous. He pushed a folder across the table.

"This is everything I could find," Reyes said. "But it's not much. The file is sealed. Most of it is redacted. But there's one thing I found. A name. Someone who was involved in the operation."

Kael opened the folder. His blood went cold.

The name was General Morrison.

Kael stared at the page. Morrison. The man who had recruited him. The man who had given him the mission to kill Marcus.

The man who was probably the one who'd ordered Dorian's death.

Kael closed the folder. His hands were steady.

"He's been playing me," Kael said. "The whole time. He knew who I was. What I wanted. He's been using me."

Reyes's face was pale. "What do we do?"

Kael looked at him. His eyes were cold. Hard.

"We finish what we started. We find out what Morrison is hiding. And we take him down."

Reyes nodded slowly. "I'm with you. Whatever it takes."

Kael stood up. Pocketed the folder.

"Then let's get to work."