Chapter 22 - The Confrontation“Stand down, Vance!” General Cole shouted, stepping between Vance and us, flanked by six armed Marines. “This is a Joint Base Command installation. You have no operational authority here without my signature!”
“I have a warrant signed by the Secretary of Defense, Marcus!” Vance snapped, pulling a sealed document from his jacket. “These rogue officers stole a classified weapon system telemetry unit from Nellis Air Force Base and endangered hundreds of lives in Missouri!”
“The only thing that endangered lives in Missouri was your illegal software patch, General!” I yelled, stepping right up to Vance, standing face-to-face with the man who had controlled my career for a decade.
Vance’s eyes narrowed into slits. “You’re out of your depth, Sarah. You think you’re fighting for a dead friend’s reputation? You’re interfering with a multi-billion-dollar national security architecture designed to keep this nation ahead of our enemies.”
“By killing American pilots?” Daniel shouted, his fist clenching around his father’s dog tags. “By taking down my father’s jet because he saw your illegal signal relay?”
“Your father was a soldier who stepped into a live fire lane!” Vance sneered, dropping all pretense of innocence. “He was acceptable collateral damage for the advancement of the program!”
The tarmac went completely silent. The Marine guards held their breath. Even the federal marshals behind Vance shifted uncomfortably, exchanging uneasy glances.
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Cole’s face turned deep red with anger. “Did you just admit that on an active military flight line, Victor?”
Vance smiled coldly. “It doesn't matter what I said. My word against two disgraced flight officers and a dead pilot. Marshals, take them into custody.”
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