Chapter 4 - The General’s Salute
Officer Miller’s hands shook so violently that he nearly dropped the small metal cuff key on the concrete. The key clattered against the chain twice before he managed to insert it into the lock mechanism. With two trembling turns, the ratchets popped open.
The cold steel fell away from my wrists. I didn't rub them. I didn't wince. I simply pulled back my sleeves, adjusted my jacket, and stood at attention.
General Thomas Vance stepped forward, looked me dead in the eyes, and did something that made every single person in that house stop breathing.
He snapped his right hand to the brow of his cover, rendering a crisp, textbook, absolute salute.
A four-star general. Saluting an ""enlisted disgrace.""
""Colonel Maya Vance,"" General Vance said loudly, his voice echoing through the quiet cul-de-sac and reverberating inside the crowded foyer. ""Director of Special Operations and Task Force Nemesis. The President of the United States and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have formally approved your operational debrief. On behalf of this entire nation, welcome home, Colonel.""
I brought my right hand up to my temple, returning the salute with iron precision. ""Thank you, General. Reporting as ordered.""
A choked, pathetic sound escaped my mother's throat. She grabbed the porch railing to keep from collapsing. ""C-Colonel...? Did he just say... Colonel?""
Brad looked like he had just swallowed a razor blade. He stared at me, then at the four stars on the General’s shoulders, then back at Tiffany. ""Tiffany... you said she was a private. You said her patch meant she was a rookie!""
""That patch,"" General Vance snarled, turning his fierce gaze upon Brad and Tiffany, ""is the ghost insignia of Delta Special Operations Unit Black. It carries no standard rank stripes because in covert counter-terrorism operations behind enemy lines, officers do not display rank for enemy snipers to target. My niece has spent the last five years running the most critical classified extraction operations in modern American history.""
Tiffany stepped backward, her phone trembling in her hand. The livestream comments were moving so fast the screen was an unreadable blur of thousands of viewers screaming in caps lock: *OMG HER SISTER IS A COLONEL!* *SHE JUST GOT RECKED BY A FOUR-STAR GENERAL!* LOOK AT HER FACE!
""Maya..."" Tiffany stammered, tears of sheer panic welling in her eyes. ""You... you never told us. You let me make fun of you... you let everyone think...""
""I didn't let you do anything, Tiffany,"" I said quietly, stepping forward until I was standing inches away from her. ""You chose to laugh. You chose to judge someone by whether they wore diamonds or carried designer bags. You assumed because I wasn't flaunting my life on your phone screen, I had achieved nothing.""
My father pushed through the crowd, his hands trembling as he reached toward his older brother. ""Thomas... please, you don't understand. We had an anonymous tip. We thought—""
""You thought your daughter was a nobody,"" General Vance cut in, swatting my father's hand away with utter contempt. ""Just like you thought of me when I chose the military over your corrupt real estate firm forty years ago, Richard. But you didn't just insult her. You called municipal police on a commanding officer carrying top-secret biometric encryption drives in that very truck.""
The General turned to the four armed operators standing behind him. ""Lieutenant, secure Colonel Vance’s vehicle immediately. Establish a perimeter. Nobody leaves this house until federal intelligence cleans the site.""
""Wait!"" Brad panicked, holding up his hands. ""You can't do this! My father is a founding partner at Sterling & Sterling! We represent half the judges in this state! You can't just detain us on private property without a warrant!""
General Vance laughed—a dark, humorless sound. ""Son, when an active-duty Special Forces Colonel carrying Level 4 Compartmented Intelligence is detained under false civilian pretenses, the Patriot Act gives me the authority to treat everyone in this perimeter as an active security breach. You want to talk about lawyers? You better hope your father knows someone who can practice before a Military Tribunal.""
Brad’s knees literally buckled. He dropped down onto the porch bench, clutching his head, completely terrified.
""Maya,"" my mother wept, stepping forward with her hands clasped pleadingly. ""Please... you’re our daughter. Tell your uncle to call them off. You can't let them do this to our guests! Think of our reputation!""
May you like
I looked at my mother, then at the broken glass of wine at her feet, and finally at the small gift bag sitting on the entry table.
""You cared about your reputation when I was in danger overseas,"" I said. ""You didn't call. When Grandma was dying, none of you cared to reach me. You only care now because the guns aren't pointed at me anymore. They're pointed at you.""
