"And next time?"
"Hopefully, we don't repeat them."
He reached the doorway, then stopped.
"One more thing. Cross asked the administrative office about your transfer this afternoon."
Elena went still.
"What did they tell him?"
"Nothing. Apparently, someone important signed the authorization."
"Who told you that?"
"I overheard two instructors talking."
"Did they mention a name?"
"General Mercer."
Elena looked toward the window, though there was nothing to see beyond the darkness.
General Mercer had been the senior officer who reviewed the final investigation into Nathan's death. He had questioned her personally, listened to her account, and told her that the institution needed people willing to confront uncomfortable truths.
Now he had sent her to Blackridge.
Pike noticed the change in her expression.
"Do you know him?"
"Yes."
"Is that good or bad?"
Elena closed the box and returned it to the bottom of her duffel bag.
"I don't know yet."
She looked at the phrase.
Elena closed the notebook.
And somewhere inside the base, General Mercer knew why.
Friday morning began with a briefing that lasted exactly seven minutes.
Cross entered the training hall, placed a folder on the table, and announced that the day's assessment would involve controlled physical confrontation under instructor supervision.
"No one is here to prove that they can hurt another person," Cross said. "You're here to demonstrate that you can manage a dangerous situation without making it worse."
His gaze moved across the room.
"Any candidate who ignores a safety instruction will be removed from the assessment. Any candidate who deliberately attempts to injure another soldier will answer to me personally."
Rourke stood near the front of the group.
When Cross announced the first pairings, Rourke raised his hand.
"Sergeant Major, could we request our own partners for the final round?"
Cross looked at him.
"Why?"
"Some of us have trained together long enough to know each other's habits. It might make the assessment more realistic if we worked with unfamiliar partners."
"That is a reasonable suggestion."
Rourke allowed himself a small smile.
Cross continued.
"However, the instructors will select the final pairings."
The smile disappeared.
Rourke approached Elena near the equipment racks.
"Staff Sergeant."
She turned.
"Corporal."
"I'd like to request you as my partner for the next round."
"Why?"
"Because you're supposed to be experienced."
"That doesn't explain why you want me as your partner."
"You're afraid of being tested?"
Elena looked at him for a moment.
"No."
"Then what's the problem?"
"There isn't one. I asked you a question."
Rourke stepped closer.
"I want to see whether you're as capable as everyone seems to think."
"Who is everyone?"
"The instructors. Pike. Bennett. Maybe even Cross."
"Have any of them said that?"
"You know what I mean."
"Not really."
Rourke's jaw tightened.
"You make everything difficult."
"Only when the explanation is unclear."
Rourke lowered his voice.
"Let's settle this on the mat. No excuses, no mysterious stories, no pretending you're above the rest of us."
Elena's expression remained calm.
"An assessment isn't about settling personal disagreements."
"That's convenient."
"It's also true."
"Unless you're worried I'll beat you."
Elena looked directly at him.
"Corporal, if you need me to agree to a contest so you can feel confident about your abilities, you should consider what that says about your confidence."
Rourke's face reddened.
"You think you're better than me."
"No."
"Then prove it."
Elena took a slow breath.
She could report his behavior.
"Ask Cross," she said. "If he approves the pairing, I'll participate."
Rourke blinked.
"Fine."
Pike approached Elena.
"You don't have to do this."
"I know."
"He's looking for an excuse to make you angry."
"I know that too."
"Then why agree?"
"I haven't agreed. I've agreed to follow the assessment process."
"Sometimes I can't tell whether you're patient or just impossible to provoke."
"Neither is useful if you stop thinking."
Across the room, Rourke was speaking with Cross.
He asked Rourke a question.
Rourke answered.
Cross asked another.
Finally, Cross nodded toward the training area.
"Both of you will participate if the instructors approve the pairing. You will follow every rule. If either of you turns this into a personal confrontation, the assessment ends immediately."
"Understood, Sergeant Major."
Cross looked at Elena.
"Staff Sergeant?"
"Understood."
"Good."
The instructor selected the pairings for the final round, and Elena and Rourke were assigned to opposite sides of the same training station.
"Do we understand?" the instructor asked.
"Yes, Sergeant," they answered.
Rourke rolled his shoulders.
Elena adjusted the position of her feet.
Rourke moved first.
Rourke increased the pace.
Elena continued to adapt.
"Good control from both participants," he said. "Rourke, you need to manage your pace. Ward, maintain your awareness of the boundary when moving laterally."
"Understood," Elena said.
Rourke nodded stiffly.
As Elena collected her water bottle, Rourke passed behind her.
"This isn't over."
She looked at him.
"The exercise is over."
"You know what I mean."
"Then say what you mean."
Instead, he walked away.
Elena watched him go, then turned toward the instructors.