Brothers in Arms by Kendall McKenna Page A

that resembled a Marine’s Leatherman. “This one here’s the decoy. Oh, it was a live device. It woulda done some damage. But, it was designed to be disarmed. See how the decoy is wired to the other six devices? That’s what makes this bastard extra evil. If he managed to lure some poor, unsuspecting EOD team into disarming it, and the additional devices go undetected, then the next group of Humvees that roll through what they think is a secured area…” Haines mimicked the sound of an explosion, emphasizing his point with expansive hand gestures.
    “So simple, yet so devastating. Have you been seeing this type of thing more frequently?” Milagros asked.
    “Not really.”
    “What about American military components?”
    “Yeah, more and more all the time.”
    “Meaning?” Kellan interjected.
    “Stuff’s showin’ up out here I’ve read about being made by companies like KNG, Eros, and Deepwater. Hell, I blew up a whole warehouse of stuff just the other day. But it’s always showin’ up in the hands of the enemy, never any of ours.”
    There was a long silence.
    “Tell me about this warehouse,” Keef demanded.
    Haines shrugged. “It was your typical enemy warehouse in the center of the city. They’d obviously been interrupted in the middle of putting together whatever they were up to. There were primers, detonators, det cord, and a bunch of other stuff, obviously American made, but way better than what a bunch of insurgents should be able to get their hands on. Way better than most stuff I can get my hands on.”
    Sergeant Haines stowed his tools and lit up a cigarette, as calm and casual as if he hadn’t just faced down death or dismemberment. There was definitely something just a little cold and a little crazy behind his eyes.
    The Feds were talking amongst themselves. When Milagros mentioned a certain type of detonator, manufactured by a defense contractor she carefully didn’t name, Haines interrupted their conversation.
    “See, that’s what I’m talkin’ about. Com’ere.” He gestured for her to take a closer look at the disarmed IEDs.
    § § §
    When they returned to firm base, they all took over Hoegerl’s office again. It was a tight fit, made more miserable by the still heat, but they made do. The agents cleared an entire wall then covered it with photos, notes, and bits of evidence they tacked up with thick bits of tape. Jonah watched the case take shape, folding his arms over his chest as if that could shield him from the truth.
    The Feds tacked up documents detailing several multimillion-dollar no-bid contracts that had been awarded to KNG, Eros, and Deepwater. Beside those documents hung several photos of high-ranking government officials and corporate officers for the three security contractor firms. Giammona drew arrows between photos to illustrate the complex associations that facilitated the corruption. Carlene hung copies of correspondence and investigation notes the FBI had compiled through search warrants and legal wire taps. The proof of collusion was right there for Jonah to read.
    Kellan and Milagros pinned plastic bags containing collected evidence to the wall. Carlene added note cards that outlined the evidence they had obtained from their interrogation of the old man. They had their link between the defense contractors and the supply chain that got the munitions into Iraq for distribution.
    They left a portion of the wall bare, ready to add evidence and notes as they gathered it.
    “So,” Keef mused. “The Big Three are in collusion to supply the enemy with munitions to keep killing American service men and women.”
    “Not to mention their own employees, since the enemy doesn’t bother to discriminate,” Carlene added.
    “And in ensuring the continued deaths of American service personnel, they ensure the continuation of armed conflict around the globe. There’s always genocide to contravene, a dictator to overthrow, or a civil war to support, and when Americans