Chapter 3 - THE CORRUPT YARD
he base infirmary was quiet, smelling of rubbing alcohol and sterile sheets. The resident medical
officer had quietly patched my scraped shoulder and offered me a fresh utility uniform, which I
accepted without comment.
Admiral Vale sat in a chair opposite me, his head in his hands.
“Elena,“ he said softly, using my first name now that we were behind closed doors. “I am deeply
sorry. If I had known Holt’s department had deteriorated to this level of barbarism—“
“You didn’t know because Holt has spent the last two years building a wall of silence,“ I
interrupted, adjusting the collar of my clean uniform. “He intercepts complaints, intimidates junior
officers, and uses bullies like Mercer to enforce absolute obedience. They call it ’ Coronado grit.’ I call
it a criminal syndicate disguised as a training command.“
Vale sighed. “I knew there were supply discrepancies. The Inspector General’s office flagged a
twenty percent deficit in high-end tactical gear and night-vision components passing through this
base. But I assumed it was administrative incompetence.“
“It’s not incompetence, Marcus. It’s theft,“ I said, leaning forward. “My office received three
anonymous tips from junior supply clerks before I initiated this inspection. They tried to report
missing inventory, and within forty-eight hours, they were transferred to remote outposts or
discharged on fabricated disciplinary grounds. One of them ended up in the hospital after a ’training
accident’ overseen by Mercer.“
“My God,“ Vale whispered, his jaw tightening. “How deep does this go?“
“That’s what I’m here to find out,“ I replied. “Holt is the gatekeeper, but he’s not smart enough to
run a black-market military supply ring on his own. He has a buyer, and he has a protector higher up
the chain of command.“
A knock on the door interrupted us. Commander Holt stood in the doorway, his uniform
immaculate, but his pale face betraying his terror.
“Lieutenant Commander Ward,“ Holt said, trying to force a professional, cooperative tone. “I have
placed Petty Officer Mercer on immediate administrative suspension pending an investigation into
his conduct. We want to cooperate fully with your audit.“
I stood up, walking slowly toward him. Even though he was a full rank senior to me, my position as
a special investigator for the Inspector General gave me the power to dismantle his career with a
single stroke of my pen.
“Administrative suspension?“ I asked, stopping just inches from him. “You think this is a
disciplinary issue, Commander?“
“It was an unfortunate accident during a high-intensity drill—“
The Scars of Honor: Takedown at Coronado 6
“It was an assault on a federal investigator under sealed orders,“ I corrected, my voice dropping to
a dangerous whisper. “I have the video. I have the audio. And starting tomorrow morning, I am
auditing every supply log, transfer order, and disciplinary action signed by your office over the last
three years. Tell Mercer to keep his uniform clean. He’s going to need it for his court-martial.“
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The Scars of Honor: Takedown at Coronado 7
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