At the barracks.
At the training field where dozens of soldiers were moving through the rain.
“I came because someone at this base is about to make a very serious mistake.”
Reed laughed.
Not loudly.
But enough for the soldiers to hear.
“Right.”
He stepped closer.
“You show up without a vehicle escort, without a command notification, without a listed appointment, and expect everyone to stop what they're doing because you say you're a lieutenant colonel?”
Elena remained calm.
“Yes.”
Reed shook his head.
“Go home.”
The words hung in the rain.
Elena looked at him.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“I did.”
“This isn't a tourist attraction.”
“I know.”
“You're not getting past this gate.”
Elena looked at Private Miller.
The young guard suddenly looked uncomfortable.
“Captain,” Elena said quietly, “I strongly recommend you contact Colonel Hayes one more time.”
“He's unavailable.”
“Then contact General Mercer.”
Reed's expression changed.
Only slightly.
“General Mercer isn't going to take a call about this.”
“He will.”
“You know him?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Elena looked at him.
“Because he reports to me.”
The captain laughed.
The soldiers laughed with him.
One of them muttered:
“That's a good one.”
Elena didn't react.
She simply looked toward the headquarters building.
“Captain Reed.”
“What?”
“Move your vehicle.”
“No.”
“Last opportunity.”
Reed stepped closer.
“Ma'am, you're trespassing on a restricted installation.”
Elena's expression became completely still.
“I have authorization.”
“Where is it?”
“You wouldn't understand it.”
“Try me.”
Elena reached inside her jacket.
The soldiers immediately became alert.
She removed a small black card.
No color.
No decoration.
Just a silver emblem.
She handed it to Reed.
He glanced down.
His smile disappeared.
He read it once.
Then again.
He looked at Elena.
“What is this?”
“You know what it is.”
“No.”
“You do.”
Reed's face had gone pale.
The young soldiers looked confused.
One of them leaned forward.
“Captain?”
Reed ignored him.
He stared at the insignia.
It was not a normal command badge.
It belonged to a compartmented military program so restricted that most senior officers would never encounter it during their entire careers.
Reed looked up.
“Where did you get this?”
Elena took the card back.
“From the office that issued it.”
“Who authorized you?”
“That's classified.”
Reed swallowed.
“Are you actually—”
A voice came from the guardhouse.
“Captain Reed!”
Everyone turned.
A senior sergeant ran toward them.
He stopped beside Reed.
“Command wants her brought directly to headquarters.”
Reed looked at Elena.
Then at the sergeant.
“Now?”
“Immediately.”
“Who gave the order?”
The sergeant looked uncomfortable.
“General Mercer.”
The laughter stopped.
Elena opened her door.
She stepped out into the rain.
Captain Reed moved aside.
As she passed him, he said quietly:
“Ma'am.”
She stopped.
He looked embarrassed.
“I didn't know.”
Elena turned.
“That's why you should never assume.”
Then she walked toward headquarters.
By the time Elena entered the command building, the atmosphere had changed completely.
People moved quickly.
Doors opened.
Phones rang.
Officers who had ignored her arrival now stood straight as she passed.
No one laughed.
No one spoke.
She reached the command conference room.
The door opened.
Colonel Hayes stood inside.
He was sixty-two, decorated, respected, and usually impossible to surprise.
Tonight he looked exhausted.
“Colonel Voss.”
Elena entered.
“Colonel.”
Hayes closed the door.
“You came alone.”
“That was the instruction.”
“Good.”
He looked at her.
“Did anyone stop you?”
Elena gave him a long look.
“Yes.”
Hayes sighed.
“Who?”
“Captain Reed.”
Hayes closed his eyes.
“Of course.”
“He told me to go home.”
Hayes opened his eyes again.
“Did he recognize the authorization?”
“Eventually.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
Hayes walked to the conference table.
“Because the situation has changed.”
Elena removed her wet jacket.
“Tell me.”
Hayes gestured toward a chair.
“Sit.”
Elena remained standing.
“Tell me first.”
Hayes hesitated.
Then he placed a folder on the table.
“This arrived six hours ago.”
Elena opened it.
Inside were photographs.
Satellite imagery.
Personnel records.
Communication logs.
A map.
Elena studied the first photograph.
A military communications facility.
Then another.
A convoy.
Then another.
A close-up of a man.