Page 85 of Striker’s Rebel

“I recruited him,” the man continues. “Put him where he belonged. Opened doors for him. And when it mattered, he threw all of it away for Grim.”

“He chose his brother. He chose the truth.”

“He chose badly.”

“No. He chose exactly like Striker.”

The gun presses harder into my ribs.

Apparently that one landed.

He moves us another step away from the cabin.

“You know about the missing liquor?”

I stay quiet.

His mouth twists.

“Of course you do.”

“What was it for?”

He studies me for a moment.

Then he answers.

“General Marios Vale.”

The name means nothing to me.

“He gave the withdrawal order Grim refused. Recently, Vale discovered that the intelligence behind that order had been manipulated. He started reopening doors that were better left closed.”

“And those doors led to you.”

His eyes sharpen.

Good guess.

“Vale was attending the Defense Foundation dinner tonight. I made sure Damned Sinners Reserve was on the beverage list.”

My stomach turns.

I can already see where this is going.

“The stolen bottles were opened, altered, and resealed. They would have replaced part of the legitimate shipment before dinner.”

“Poison.”

“Yes.”

Calm as hell.

“Vale dies with Damned Sinners whiskey in his glass. Then the investigation uncovers the old mission. Vale gave the order Grim defied. Grim lost his career over it. Sanders went down beside him. Vale had started digging into the case again.”

His smile is thin.

“By the time anyone asked who wanted Vale dead, the answer would already be sitting in front of them.”