Chapter 5
For years, Ramsey had controlled recruits with volume, fear, exhaustion, and paperwork.
He knew how to make people apologize for things they had not done.
He knew how to isolate the strong ones and reward the silent ones.
But Natalie was not giving him fear.
And without fear, he had nothing elegant left.
He pointed directly at her face.
“Open your mouth again, and I’ll kick you off this base today.”
Natalie did not look at his finger.
She looked past him.
Up.
Toward the tall field light pole at the edge of the training yard.
A small security camera sat beneath the lamp, angled toward the formation line.
Ramsey noticed her glance.
For one brief second, his confidence cracked.
Natalie saw it.
So did Private Marcus Reed, standing three rows back with blood drying on his knuckles from a drill Ramsey had forced him to repeat until he collapsed.
So did Private Hannah Lewis, who had been written up twice for “attitude” after refusing to laugh at Ramsey’s jokes.
So did Private Owen Ellis, who had watched Ramsey delete a training injury report from a tablet two nights earlier.
The camera had been there all month.
Most recruits had ignored it.
Natalie had not.
She lowered her hand from her cheek.
Her voice was quiet.
Cold.
Fearless.
“Then do it. In front of the camera.”
The silence after that sentence felt different.
Before, the recruits had been silent because they were afraid.
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Now they were silent because they were waiting.
Read Part 6 to find out who had been watching Ramsey from behind the truck the entire time.
