Chapter 4: The Order With a Perfect Signature
Sarah studied the suspension order while Voss watched her.
“This signature is genuine,” she said.
“Now you understand,” Voss replied.
“No.
Now I understand how far this reaches.”
Voss held out his hand.
“The device.”
Officer Miller folded the document.
“A suspension does not authorize an unrecorded seizure.”
“You detained her without calling counsel,” Voss said.
“Do you really want to lecture me about procedure?”
Miller’s face reddened.
“I made a mistake.”
“You mocked a general, confiscated protected property, and placed her in a room without checking her identity.
That sounds larger than a mistake.”
“You set me up.”
“And who will believe that?”
Eli raised his hand from the keyboard.
“The audit log might.”
Voss turned sharply.
“What did you say?”
“The order came through Officer Miller’s account, but the access address belongs to Fort Calder.”
One of Voss’s officers moved toward the computer.
Eli pulled the cable from the back.
“The log has already been copied.”
“Copied where?” Voss demanded.
Officer Miller stepped in front of Eli.
“You do not question my deputy.”
Voss laughed once.
“Five minutes ago, you were making jokes at her expense.”
Miller looked at Sarah.
“Five minutes ago, I was wrong.”
Sarah held his gaze.
“What matters is what you do after discovering that.”
Miller reached into the drawer and lifted the device.
For a moment, Voss looked certain he had won.
Then Miller placed it in Sarah’s hand.
“This belongs to you, General.”
Voss’s officers moved at once.
“Stand back,” Miller ordered.
“That transfer is now on camera.”
Voss pointed at Sarah.
“She is suspended and under military authority.”
Sarah slipped the device into her jacket.
“Then take me through the front entrance, where every camera can see us.”
“You are in no position to dictate terms.”
“I am not dictating.
I am preserving evidence.”
Voss moved close to Miller.
“Help her, and I will make certain your career ends before sunrise.”
Miller took off his body camera and placed it on the desk between them.
“You may have rank in your world,” he said, “but you walked into mine and admitted using my credentials.”
“I admitted nothing.”
“You said I granted you authority.
The camera heard every word.”
Voss grabbed the camera.
Miller did not resist.
“That one uploads automatically.”
For the first time, fear flickered across Voss’s face.
Sarah saw it.
“Daniel, who signed the suspension?”
“You read the name.”
“I asked who signed it.”
Voss’s silence lasted one second too long.
Eli whispered, “The Deputy Secretary’s office issued a warning yesterday.
Someone tried to duplicate his digital certificate.”
Voss turned toward him.
“You are finished speaking.”
“No,” Sarah said.
“He has only begun.”
A black vehicle stopped outside.
Two more military officers entered, led by Major Lena Ortiz, Voss’s longtime aide.
“Colonel,” Lena said, “Fort Calder is prepared.”
Sarah looked at her.
“Prepared for what?”
Lena’s eyes dropped.
“Your transfer.”
Voss gestured toward the door.
“Move.”
As Sarah passed Miller, he touched two fingers to the desk.
Beneath them lay a tiny memory card.
“Inspector General Rebecca Shaw called back,” he whispered.
“I sent her the audit log.”
Sarah closed her hand over the card.
“Why help me?”
“My father wore that uniform for thirty-one years,” Miller said.
“He would be ashamed of what I did tonight.”
Voss called from the doorway.
“General Hayes.”
Sarah followed, but Voss stopped her beside the vehicle.
“You have a daughter in Arlington, don’t you?” he murmured.
Sarah’s eyes hardened.
“Leave Claire out of this.”
“Give me the access code at Fort Calder.”
“And if I refuse?”
May you like
Voss opened the vehicle door.
“Then Claire becomes part of the investigation.”
