Chapter 17 - The Shadow of the Past
As the audit cut deeper, the trail inevitably led back to the architects of the 2008 cover-up—including retired senior commanders who had been personal friends and mentors to my father.
My secure phone blinked with an incoming encrypted call late Thursday evening.
I swiped the screen and tapped the secure audio link.
“Victoria,” a familiar, gravelly voice echoed through the speaker. It was General Arthur Sterling—a man who had dined at our family home a hundred times when I was growing up, a man my father had always spoken of with absolute reverence. “You’re digging into things that were buried for a reason. Leave the past alone before you burn down more than just your family’s name.”
I leaned back in my leather chair, staring coldly at the blank office wall.
“With all due respect, General Sterling, the past you and my father buried wasn't a mistake—it was a crime against every soldier who walked into a compromised zone trusting the chain of command,” I said, my voice cutting through the speaker with absolute clarity. “If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear from an audit. If you do... well, you might want to review your legal options.”
May you like
I clicked the end call button before he could reply. The line went dead.
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