Chapter 3 - The Betrayal Inside My Command
General Hayes didn’t speak for several seconds.
Then he closed the hospital room door.
“Tell your attorney to preserve everything.”
I relayed the instruction.
My attorney agreed.
When the call ended, Hayes pulled a chair beside my bed.
“Anna, this changes things.”
“I know.”
“If someone used a military network to access financial information connected to you, we need to determine whether this overlaps with your classified assignment.”
I hated the possibility.
My personal disaster had just become a security problem.
“Claire?”
I asked.
Hayes shook his head.
“Don’t jump to conclusions.”
“She was dating my husband.”
“She also looked genuinely surprised to discover he was married.”
He was right.
Twenty minutes later, Claire returned.
She looked nothing like the confident woman who had entered on Mark’s arm.
“Colonel.”
“Sit down.”
She sat.
I watched her carefully.
“How long have you known Mark?”
“Five months.”
My chest tightened.
Two months before he started missing appointments.
“How did you meet?”
“At a defense-industry fundraiser.”
“Did you tell him about me?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Did you discuss your assignment?”
“Never.”
“Did he ever ask questions about your commanding officer?”
Claire hesitated.
That hesitation mattered.
“Yes.”
General Hayes leaned forward.
“What questions?”
“He asked who I reported to.”
“And?”
“I told him I hadn’t met my incoming commander yet.”
“Anything else?”
Claire swallowed.
“He asked whether senior officers received special financial protections.”
I felt my pulse quicken.
“Financial protections?”
“He said he was researching benefits for military families.”
General Hayes and I exchanged a look.
Mark hadn’t simply been cheating.
He had been gathering information.
Claire’s face crumbled.
“Colonel, I swear I didn’t know.”
“I believe you.”
Her eyes filled with relief.
“But I need everything.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Every text.”
“Yes.”
“Every email.”
“Yes.”
“Every question he asked about the Army, my position, financial systems, anything.”
Claire nodded.
“I’ll provide all of it.”
Her phone suddenly buzzed.
She looked down.
Then froze.
“What?”
I asked.
She turned the screen toward us.
A message from Mark.
DON’T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT VICTOR.
General Hayes stood.
“Who’s Victor?”
Claire looked confused.
“I don’t know.”
I did.
Victor Lang.
Mark’s business partner.
And six months earlier, Victor had asked me one very strange question.
Whether military spouses could be held financially responsible for civilian business debt.
At the time, I thought it was casual conversation.
Now I knew better.
I looked at General Hayes.
“We need to find Victor.”
May you like
His expression darkened.
“I think we need to find him before Mark does.”
