Chapter 8 - Whispers in the Pentagon
Back in Washington, the shockwaves of my deployment and my family's sudden downfall were playing out behind closed doors.
General Sterling sat at his mahogany desk in the Pentagon, reviewing the decrypted intelligence files I had successfully extracted from Belgrade. The operation had been a textbook success—zero friendly casualties, zero international diplomatic fallout, and the national security leak plugged before sunrise.
Across from him sat Colonel James Vance, Elias Vance’s younger brother, who served as liaison for military family affairs.
"Your brother called me yesterday, General," Colonel Vance said, sipping a cup of black coffee. "He told me about the wedding incident in Virginia. Said he watched Commander Hayes dismantle a civilian gym bro like a disassembled rifle."
Sterling let out a low, gravelly chuckle. "Zariah Hayes is one of the most lethal operators currently wearing the uniform, James. Her file is so heavily redacted it looks like a crossword puzzle. It’s a miracle she didn't permanently paralyze that arrogant little prick."
"Her family is screaming bloody murder," Vance noted, flipping open a secondary folder. "Her father filed a congressional inquiry complaining about her 'unprofessional conduct' and demanding her military pension be garnished to pay off his failing real estate debts."
Sterling’s expression hardened instantly, his blue eyes turning glacial. "A congressional inquiry? Against an active-duty Tier One Commander currently on classified deployment?"
May you like
"My office tossed it straight into the shredder before it even reached the committee desk," Vance said smoothly. "But I figured you should know. Her family still has no idea who she really is or what she does for this country."
"They don't deserve to know," Sterling said flatly. "People who mistake quiet service for weakness usually learn the hard way. When Commander Hayes returns from this rotation, she's up for a commendation upgrade. Let's see if her family sees her as a 'supply clerk' when the President pins a Silver Star on her chest at Fort Myer."
