Chapter 6 - RYAN’S DEBT
Ryan asked to speak with me through attorneys.
I refused direct contact.
Anything relevant could go through investigators.
His written statement arrived anyway.
He admitted possessing the baton.
He claimed he did not steal it.
According to Ryan:
Gavin Cole gave it to him the night after it disappeared.
Gavin said Reed was “trying to bury everyone” and the baton contained proof that a vendor fraud investigation was being manipulated.
Ryan believed him.
Maybe.
Then Gavin told Ryan to keep it temporarily.
Ryan agreed.
Why?
Because Gavin owed him money from Sentinel Supply Partners.
Eighty four thousand dollars.
Gavin promised:
Hold the baton and I’ll make you whole.
So RW WILL HOLD ITEM UNTIL DEBT CLEARED.
That matched.
Then Ryan said he later learned the device contained stolen exports.
Why not report?
Fear.
He had already lied.
He worried about his discharge.
His reputation.
Our marriage.
Then Gavin approached again.
“Your wife has the kind of supplier access we need.”
Ryan claimed he refused initially.
Was that true?
The device contained messages.
Gavin:
Just need metadata.
Ryan:
No.
Gavin:
Then Reed gets baton back and your name goes with it.
Ryan:
You said this was over.
Gavin:
Nothing is over until we know who copied the logs.
That looked like blackmail.
Ryan may have begun as a coward hiding stolen property.
Then became participant under pressure.
But later messages changed.
Ryan:
How much if the access works?
Gavin:
Now you’re thinking.
He crossed voluntarily.
Again.
Many stopping points.
He chose another.
The first cash deposit followed.
Four thousand five hundred.
Then six thousand.
He accepted money.
Then tried enrolling a key on my account.
He failed.
Afterward he told Gavin:
Lisa rotates everything. She’s impossible.
Gavin:
That’s why she’s valuable.
Ryan:
Need another route.
He began studying me.
Not my personality.
My authentication habits.
My husband watched me unlock phones, connect tokens, approve VPN prompts.
Marriage became surveillance.
Then Evelyn entered.
Ryan claimed his mother learned about his debt accidentally.
She found collection letters.
He told her part of the truth.
Not baton.
Not stolen data.
Only:
A business mistake could cost him everything.
Evelyn offered to help.
How?
My money.
“Lisa earns thirty thousand a month. Six thousand is nothing.”
Ryan told her I would refuse if she demanded openly.
Evelyn said:
“Then make it family obligation.”
That part may have started as simple greed.
But Gavin discovered the transfers.
He liked them.
Domestic money moving into Evelyn.
Then Cedar Ridge.
Then Valor.
It created clean looking funds.
So he told them:
Keep the pattern.
That explained the recording.
If Lisa stops the monthly transfers, the account pattern breaks.
The payments were now useful as cover.
What did they pay for?
Storage fees.
Technical consulting.
A lawyer reviewing Ryan’s exposure.
And Gavin.
Some of my money returned to the man blackmailing my husband.
Absurd.
Then the five thousand.
Ryan claimed he did not know why Evelyn needed it.
I did not believe that.
The baton notes said:
Release fee.
His statement said:
Mom said gala costs increased.
He knew enough to lie.
Then investigators found his deleted text to Evelyn.
Ryan:
Get the extra five from Lisa before Friday.
Evelyn:
She’s getting difficult.
Ryan:
Make her understand.
Evelyn:
I always do.
Ryan:
No bruises this time.
I stared at that line.
This time.
There had been previous violence?
Evelyn had shoved me once.
Grabbed my wrist twice.
Thrown a glass past my head.
I minimized.
No bruises.
Ryan knew.
He had normalized escalating abuse.
Then Evelyn’s reply:
If she embarrasses me again I won’t promise anything.
Ryan:
Just get the money.
My husband had not ordered the baton strike.
He anticipated violence.
Wanted the money anyway.
That was enough for me.
Then Bennett called.
“We identified the unknown male voice above Gavin.”
“Who?”
“Lucas Trent.”
Name unfamiliar.
“Former Army?”
“No.”
“Defense?”
“Civilian contracts broker.”
Then:
“He currently works for one of your clients.”
My body went cold.
“Which?”
“Redwood Defense Systems.”
My largest defense supplier client.
May you like
Lucas Trent had access to the company I was paid to protect.
Continue to the next part: The man directing Gavin and Ryan is a contracts broker employed by Lisa’s largest defense client.
