Chapter 11 - Priya Said One Word Wrong
We called Rhodes again.
No answer.
Priya’s phone remained at her office, so there was no independent line to reach her.
Ross wanted immediate law-enforcement coordination.
I wanted the same thing.
What I did not want was anyone assuming Rhodes was guilty simply because a six-year-old recording sounded like him.
We had spent the entire day learning how easily audio, credentials, and timestamps could be used to build a false narrative.
“Voice comparison first.”
Laura stared at me.
“You’re defending him?”
“I’m defending evidence.”
That shut down the argument.
The comparison returned inconclusive.
Similar voice.
Not enough quality for certainty.
Then Priya called from a blocked number.
“Sarah?”
I signaled recording.
“Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
“Where is Rhodes?”
“Getting food.”
“Where are you?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Why?”
“He says Watchman monitors emergency-service requests.”
“Do you believe him?”
A pause.
“Yes.”
That bothered me.
Priya questioned everything.
Instant belief wasn’t her style.
“What did Rhodes show you?”
“Access logs.”
“What do they prove?”
“Ross signed the environment activation.”
“We know his credentials were used.”
“No, Sarah. He signed it.”
“How can you know?”
“I saw the certificate.”
“Digital certificates can be copied.”
“He told me.”
I looked at Ross.
He shook his head.
“Ross told you personally?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
Another pause.
“This morning.”
Ross silently mouthed, No.
I shifted.
“Priya, what did you have for breakfast?”
Her voice changed.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“I don’t know. Coffee.”
“You always eat yogurt at your desk.”
“Not today.”
Could be nothing.
Could be everything.
“Are you safe?”
“Yes.”
“Do you need help?”
“No.”
“Is anyone listening?”
“No.”
Then she said:
“I’m perfectly secure.”
I closed my eyes.
Priya never used “secure” to mean safe.
One of our running disagreements was terminology.
Systems were secure.
People were safe.
She corrected analysts constantly.
That one wrong word was deliberate.
Someone was listening.
“Good,” I said.
“Stay exactly where you are.”
Ross wrote:
TRACE ACTIVE.
I continued talking.
“Did Rhodes hurt you?”
“No.”
“Did you leave voluntarily?”
“Yes.”
“Did you write W.M. equals Watchman?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I discovered Mercer wasn’t the leak.”
“Who is?”
“I don’t know.”
Behind her voice I heard something.
Three electronic tones.
Pause.
A sliding door.
Ross’s analyst wrote:
TRAIN STATION?
I listened again.
No.
I knew that sound.
“Marina fuel dock.”
Ross understood.
The abandoned truck had been found at a marina.
Priya was still nearby.
I asked, “Is Rhodes there?”
“No.”
That might be true.
Then a male voice, faint but clear:
“Tell her about Benton.”
Priya immediately said, “Sarah, Laura Benton gave Harbor your schedule.”
Laura stood.
“What?”
I watched her.
Not Priya.
Laura’s face showed anger.
Then fear.
“Why would she say that?”
I asked.
Priya continued mechanically.
“Laura had the Compass binder. She knew the protocols. She recreated them.”
The accusation was almost too perfect.
Laura had access.
History.
Motive against Mercer.
Evidence hidden for six years.
She could fit.
That was exactly why I distrusted it.
“What proof?”
“Rhodes has messages.”
“Send them.”
“He can’t.”
“Why?”
“Too dangerous.”
I nearly laughed.
Harbor had sent photographs, payments, protocols, and audio all day.
Suddenly screenshots were too dangerous?
Someone wanted me to accuse Laura without evidence.
“Priya.”
“Yes?”
“Tell Rhodes I believe him.”
Ross looked at me sharply.
I continued.
“Tell him I’m ready to meet.”
Silence.
Then the faint male voice again.
Too quiet to understand.
Priya returned.
“He says come alone.”
“Where?”
“Pier Nine. Twenty minutes.”
Ross shook his head.
I said, “I’ll be there.”
The call ended.
Laura stared at me.
“You’re not going alone.”
“No.”
“But he’ll be watching.”
“Yes.”
“So what’s the plan?”
“Give him what he expects.”
At Pier Nine, I walked alone.
No visible security.
Ross’s team remained well outside the marina.
I reached the last storage building.
Door open.
Inside, Priya sat in a chair.
Hands free.
No ropes.
No visible injury except the cut on her palm.
She looked at me.
“Sarah.”
“Where is Rhodes?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who was listening to the call?”
Her eyes filled.
“I never saw him.”
“What do you mean?”
“The voice came through a speaker.”
A laptop sat on the table.
Video call open.
Camera disabled.
A distorted male voice said:
“Lieutenant Commander Mitchell.”
I stared at the screen.
“Rhodes?”
The man laughed.
Then the storage-room door slammed behind me.
Locked electronically.
Priya stood.
“I’m sorry.”
The laptop voice continued.
“Subject has entered dependent-protection phase.”
I looked around.
No Rhodes.
No Rebecca.
No visible attacker.
Just Priya.
Me.
A camera in the ceiling.
Then gas began hissing through a vent.
Priya’s eyes widened.
“That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
I grabbed her arm.
“Cover your face.”
The laptop voice spoke again.
“Observe priority choice.”
The same language from the mess hall.
And suddenly I understood.
Whoever controlled Watchman didn’t care whether I found Rhodes.
May you like
They cared whether I abandoned Priya to save myself.
📖 See how I escaped Watchman’s locked marina test—and what Priya finally confessed about Rebecca Sloan in CHAPTER 12. 👇
