The Untouchable Commander

Chapter TW0

The box sat on Kael's kitchen table for three days before he opened it.

His apartment was small. Bare. The kind of place a soldier kept when he was never home long enough to care about decorating. A couch. A TV. A bed in the other room. That was it.

He'd been discharged from the hospital two days ago. The doctors had wanted him to stay longer. More physical therapy. More observation. But he'd signed himself out against medical advice. He had work to do.

His leg still ached. The crutches were gone, replaced by a cane. He limped around the apartment, ignoring the pain. Pain was temporary. Revenge was forever.

The box was dusty. Aunt Claire hadn't taken care of it. That didn't surprise him. She'd never cared about anything except Marcus. The box was just a relic. Something to store in her basement and forget about.

Kael opened it slowly.

Inside were his mother's things. Old photographs. A few pieces of jewelry. A locket with a picture of his father. A letter, yellowed with age, written in his mother's careful handwriting.

He unfolded the letter. His hands shook slightly.

My dearest boys,

If you're reading this, I'm no longer with you. I'm sorry for that. I wanted to be there for you. I wanted to watch you grow up, become men, find your way in this world. But sometimes God has other plans.

I want you to know how proud I am of you. Both of you. You were the best thing that ever happened to me. Your father felt the same way. He used to say that you two were his greatest achievement. And he was right.

Remember what I told you that day in the kitchen. Be good men. Be good soldiers. Protect the innocent. Don't let the world break you.

I love you both. Forever.

Mom

Kael read the letter three times. Each time, his throat got tighter. His mother's voice echoed in his head. The way she'd looked at them that final day. The way she'd made them promise.

Don't be weak.

He folded the letter carefully and set it aside. Then he reached for his phone.

He had calls to make.

Reyes answered on the second ring.

"Kael." His voice was tense. Wary. Like he'd been expecting this call. "You're out of the hospital?"

"Two days ago." Kael leaned against his kitchen counter, the cane resting against his leg. "We need to talk. You, me, and Martinez. Tonight. My place."

There was a long pause on the other end. Then: "Kael, I don't know if that's a good idea. There's been... talk. The investigation. They're saying it was an accident. They want us to move on."

"I got a message, Reyes. Someone told me Dorian's rope was cut. And that I'm next."

The silence on the other end stretched so long that Kael thought the call had dropped.

"Reyes? You still there?"

"Yeah." Reyes's voice was lower now. Almost a whisper. "I'm here. I got a message too. Same number. Same threat."

Kael's blood went cold. "Martinez?"

"He got one too. We've been trying to figure out what to do. Who to tell. But no one believes us. The CO says we're traumatized. The investigation says equipment failure. They want to close the case."

"They can't close the case," Kael said. "Not until we find the truth."

Reyes was quiet for a moment. Then: "What time tonight?"

"Eight. Bring whatever you have. Notes. Photos. Anything."

"I'll call Martinez. We'll be there."

Reyes and Martinez showed up at eight on the dot.

They looked different than Kael remembered. Thinner. Darker circles under their eyes. The kind of exhaustion that came from sleepless nights and heavy guilt.

Kael let them in. Offered them coffee. They both declined. They just stood in his small living room, awkward and tense, like they didn't know what to do with themselves.

"Sit down," Kael said. "Please."

They sat. Reyes on the couch. Martinez in the chair. Kael took the floor, his bad leg stretched out in front of him.

"Start from the beginning," Kael said. "Tell me everything. Don't leave anything out."

Reyes exchanged a look with Martinez. Then he began.

"The mission was supposed to be straightforward. Climb the north face. Reach the summit. Extract the intel. Dorian was team leader. You were supposed to be his second. But after your accident, they replaced you with a guy named Dawson."

Kael frowned. "Dawson? I don't know him."

"You wouldn't. He was new. Transferred in a few weeks before the mission. He and Dorian didn't get along."

"Why not?"

Martinez spoke up. "Dorian didn't trust him. He said Dawson was always asking questions. Always watching. Like he was looking for something. Dorian tried to get him removed from the team. But the CO said no. Said Dawson was a specialist. Needed for the mission."

Kael's mind raced. A new guy. Asking questions. Watching. Dorian didn't trust him.

"Tell me about the climb," Kael said. "The day it happened."

Reyes leaned forward, his hands clasped tight. "It was bad weather. Worse than expected. Wind. Ice. The visibility was terrible. But we pushed through. We were close to the summit. Maybe fifty feet. Dorian was climbing below me. I was above him. Martinez was above me. Dawson was on the other side of the mountain, doing reconnaissance."

"You didn't see the rope break?" Kael asked.

"I saw it." Reyes's voice cracked. "I saw the whole thing. One second he was there. Climbing. Moving steady. The next... the rope just went. Like someone sliced it. Clean. No fraying. No warning. He didn't even have time to grab anything. He just... fell."

Kael closed his eyes. The image burned in his mind. His brother. Falling. Screaming his name.

"Did anyone check the rope afterward?" he asked.

Martinez nodded. "I did. When we got to the summit, I went back down as far as I could. I found the end of the rope. It was cut. Clean cut. Like with a knife or a blade. Not frayed. Not worn. Cut."

"Did you report it?"

"Of course I did. To the CO. To the investigators. But they said it was impossible. Said the rope must have gotten snagged on something. Said I was in shock. They didn't believe me."

Kael opened his eyes. His gaze was hard. Cold. "What about Dawson? Where is he now?"

Reyes and Martinez exchanged another look. This one was different. Nervous.

"He's gone," Reyes said. "After the mission, he was reassigned. No one knows where. No one can find him."

Kael's jaw tightened. A new guy. Watching. Asking questions. Then the rope is cut. Then he disappears.

"Tell me about Beatrice," Kael said. "Dorian's fiancée. Did he ever mention her? Anything strange?"

Reyes frowned. "He talked about her all the time. He was crazy about her. Said she was the reason he wanted to leave the military. Start a family. Get out of the life."

"Did he ever say anything about... problems? Fights? Jealousy?"

Martinez shook his head. "No. He said she was perfect. Said she was the best thing that ever happened to him."

Kael thought about the kitchen. Beatrice and Marcus. Laughing. Touching. The day of the funeral.

"Did Dorian know Marcus?" Kael asked. "Our cousin?"

Reyes shrugged. "He mentioned him once or twice. Said you guys didn't get along. Said Marcus was entitled. Jealous. But he didn't seem worried about him."

Kael nodded. His mind was putting pieces together. A new soldier. A cut rope. A fiancée cheating with his cousin. The day of the funeral.

"We need to find Dawson," Kael said. "He's the key. He was on the mountain. He had access to the rope. He disappeared right after."

"Good luck," Martinez said. "We've already tried. His file is sealed. His records are classified. Even the CO won't tell us where he went."

Kael stood up. His leg screamed in protest but he ignored it. He walked to the window and stared out at the city lights.

"The investigation is closed," he said. "The military is done looking. But we're not done. We find Dawson. We find out who hired him. And we find out why."

Reyes stood up too. "And then what?"

Kael turned to face them. His eyes were cold. His voice was steel.

"And then we make them pay."

After Reyes and Martinez left, Kael sat alone in his apartment.

His phone buzzed. Unknown number. The same one.

You're still looking. I warned you. Back off before you end up like your brother.

Kael stared at the screen. His thumb hovered over the reply button. He wanted to type something. Something angry. Something threatening.

Instead, he put the phone down.

He wasn't going to back off. He wasn't going to stop. Whoever was threatening him was scared. Scared that he'd find the truth. Scared that he'd expose them.

And that's exactly what he was going to do.

He limped to his bedroom. His leg was screaming. The doctors had warned him not to push too hard. But he couldn't rest. Not while his brother's killer was still out there.

He opened his closet. In the back, hidden behind his uniforms, was a small box. He opened it. Inside were his father's things. His medals. His dog tags. His service pistol.

Kael picked up the pistol. It was heavy. Cold. Familiar.

His father had carried this weapon in two wars. Had used it to protect the innocent. Had used it to survive.

Now Kael would use it for the same reason.

He placed the pistol on his nightstand. Then he sat on the edge of his bed, his leg throbbing, his mind racing.

Tomorrow, he'd start digging. Dawson. Beatrice. Marcus. Aunt Claire. The mission. The rope. Everything.

He'd find the truth. And when he did, the person who killed his brother would learn what it meant to make an enemy of a Vance.

We become untouchable.

Kael closed his eyes. He thought of Dorian. His smile. His laugh. The way he'd always believed in him.

I won't let you down, brother. I promise.

Outside, the city hummed with life. People going about their business. Unaware of the storm brewing in the small apartment.

Kael opened his eyes. He looked at the pistol on his nightstand.

Then he picked up his phone and started making calls.

The hunt had begun.