Chapter 2 - The Cold Slate of the Floor
secure line," Kyle mocked loudly from his perch by the refrigerator, adjusting the
camera angle on his phone. "Listen to her, Dad. She’s still playing soldier in the kitchen.
Hey, 'General,' do you want some tea with your imaginary war?"
Through my earpiece, the Pentagon aide’s voice sharpened instantly, the background noise of the
command center vanishing. "General Voss? Is there an active threat at your location? We are tracking
a local disturbance."
Frank froze at the mention of the word 'General,' a harsh, ugly laugh escaping his lips. "General?
You? Do you actually think anyone believes that load of garbage? You’re a liar, Maya. You’ve always
been a liar, trying to make yourself look bigger than this family. You're nothing but an arrogant girl
who thinks she can walk into my town and look down on me."
With a sudden, violent movement, Frank lunged forward and grabbed my left wrist. The grip was
tight, his fingers digging into my skin. In a fraction of a second, my muscle memory triggered. I could
have broken his wrist in three places, swept his legs, and pinned him to the floor before he could
draw his weapon. But years of military discipline kept my reactions in check. I was a United States
Army General; I did not engage in physical brawls with local police officers in my mother's kitchen.
"Lieutenant Hale," I said, my voice dropping to a sub-zero temperature that should have warned
any rational man to back away. "Remove your hand immediately."
The calm in my voice only fueled his jealousy. "Oh, you want to pull rank on a real cop?" Frank
snarled. He spun me around with a heavy-handed shove, slamming my palm down onto the granite
countertop. In a flash, he unclipped his heavy steel handcuffs and snapped one of the metal cuffs
around my right wrist. The cold metal bit sharply into my skin. My mother let out a sharp gasp,
covering her mouth with her hands.
The General's Return 2
M
"Frank, please don't do this!" she cried, her voice cracking. "She’s my daughter! She’s just
visiting!"
"Shut the hell up, Ellen!" Frank barked, not looking back as he forced my other arm behind my
back and snapped the second cuff locked. "She’s resisting a lawful order from a police officer. I'm
May you like
taking her in, and we’ll see how much her fake military friends can help her then."
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