Chapter 3 - The Record on the CounterTyler’s phone finally slipped from his hand, crashing onto the wooden floorboards with a loud CLACK.
"M-Major...?" Tyler stammered, his voice cracking into a high, pathetic squeak as his knees visibly wobbled. "She's... she's an active Major?!"
General Vance turned his head slowly, his eyes locking onto Tyler with a freezing, lethal disdain that dropped the temperature in the room below zero.
"Private First Class Tyler Grant," General Vance said flatly, reading the name tape pinned to the young man's shoulder. "88th Readiness Division."
"S-Sir! Yes, General!" Tyler squeaked, coming to an awkward, trembling salute.
"Lower your hand, Private," Vance instructed coldly. "You haven't earned the right to salute anyone in this room after what you just did."
General Vance reached into his leather command portfolio, pulling out a sealed, heavy-duty manila folder stamped with a bright red classification seal: TOP SECRET // NOFORN // SPECIAL ACCESS REQUIRED.
He laid the folder flat onto the damp mahogany counter right beside my broken glass.
"Fifteen hours ago," General Vance announced, his voice echoing cleanly off the wooden rafters, "Major Claire Bennett completed a nine-month classified deployment in the North African sector. She commanded the Lead Insertion Element during Operation Obsidian Veil."
The old veterans in the booths leaned forward, whispering among themselves in deep, reverent awe.
"During that operation," General Vance continued, staring straight into Tyler’s bloodless face, "Major Bennett flew a damaged MH-47 Chinook through heavy anti-aircraft fire for forty-two miles with a shattered left wrist, successfully extracting eleven wounded operators from an ambushed reconnaissance team. She was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor and her second Silver Star."
Frank Mercer closed his eyes, letting out a long, trembling breath, touching his heart with his rough hand.
Tyler’s face was completely drained of color. He looked as if he were about to vomit right onto his boots. "I... I didn't know... General, I swear I didn't know! She didn't say anything!"
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"She didn't say anything," General Vance said softly, every word dropped like an iron weight, "because people who do the hardest things don't need to make them sound harder."
I looked at the General, recognizing my grandfather's exact words. A quiet, warmth filled my chest despite the cold whiskey on my coat.
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