Chapter 9 - Walter Told Mason To Admit What He Changed
The rehearsal took place in the same training room.
Chairs along the wall.
Podium near the doors.
Red mat still centered under the lights.
A brigadier general named Naomi Price stood beside the podium reading from a thin folder.
I knew her face.
Not personally.
She had been the visiting officer on August seventeenth.
That recognition came before memory.
My body knew first.
Price looked up.
“Captain Carter.”
I had left active command track before my injury, but the rank still sat in my records.
“General.”
“Mason Reed.”
“Ma'am.”
“Nia Brooks.”
“General.”
Walter stood near the back.
Dana arrived anyway and stayed by the door.
Price did not send her out.
Good.
Price closed the folder.
“This morning I received three separate requests asking me to delay Colonel Hayes's commendation.”
Walter's jaw tightened.
“From?”
Price looked at him.
“You know that isn't how this works.”
I liked her immediately.
She continued:
“One included video from the training room this morning.”
My stomach tightened.
Of course cameras had recorded today.
“Does the video show the fight?” Mason asked.
“Yes.”
He looked ashamed.
“Good.”
Price's eyes sharpened slightly.
“It also shows Colonel Hayes saying Captain Carter was not supposed to remember how to make the soldiers salute.”
Walter said:
“A poor choice of words.”
Dana laughed once.
Price looked at her.
Dana stopped.
I asked:
“General, do you remember August seventeenth?”
Price looked at me.
“Yes.”
“What did you think the salute meant?”
“I was told it was an unscheduled demonstration of unit solidarity.”
“By Walter?”
“Yes.”
I looked at him.
He did not deny it.
Price continued:
“I was also told afterward that the gesture had been organized largely by Sergeant Reed.”
Mason's face hardened.
“There.”
Price turned.
“What?”
Mason looked at me.
“That's what your revised statement left standing.”
My throat tightened.
Price looked between us.
“What revised statement?”
Walter stepped forward.
“General, this is becoming—”
Price held up a hand.
He stopped.
Mason told her.
My injury.
Memory gaps.
The later statement saying I could no longer independently verify portions of my original chronology.
Walter's briefings during recovery.
Price looked at me.
“Did you understand that statement would be used to reassess blame?”
“No.”
“Did anyone tell you?”
“Not that I remember.”
Walter said:
“She had counsel.”
I looked at him.
“So did everyone who signs something bad.”
Price did not smile.
Good.
Then she turned to Mason.
“Sergeant Reed, Captain Carter says you removed a participant roster at her request.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To protect names.”
“Did Colonel Hayes know you removed it?”
“Yes.”
Walter looked at him.
“Careful.”
Mason laughed bitterly.
“That's been going great.”
Price said:
“What else did you change?”
Mason went still.
I looked at him.
“Else?”
Walter's face gave me the answer before Mason spoke.
Mason stared at the red mat.
“I changed one score.”
Nia's expression sharpened.
“Whose?”
Mason looked at her.
“Not yours.”
“Then who?”
“Private Aaron Bell.”
Dana swore quietly.
I didn't know the name.
“What did you do?” I asked.
Mason rubbed the back of his neck.
“Raised his readiness category.”
“Why?”
“He was about to lose a school slot.”
“So you manipulated the system we were claiming wasn't official.”
“Yes.”
“Did I know?”
Mason looked at me.
“Yes.”
Of course.
“What did I do?”
“You got furious.”
“And?”
“You left it.”
Nia stared.
“Why?”
Mason answered before I could.
“Because Bell had been improving and Rachel thought the old score was unfair.”
I closed my eyes.
A helpful corruption.
The most dangerous kind because you can explain it beautifully.
Price asked:
“Colonel Hayes, were you aware scores had been altered?”
Walter said:
“Not at the time.”
Mason looked at him.
“That's false.”
Walter's face changed.
Price noticed.
“When did he tell you?”
Mason answered:
“Same week.”
“And?”
“He told me the point of informal systems was flexibility.”
Walter snapped:
“I said the program was not standardized.”
“Same conversation.”
Price turned toward Walter.
“Did you use Circle information in formal recommendations?”
Silence.
I had already heard his private answer.
Price had not.
Walter looked toward the soldiers assembling outside for rehearsal.
Then:
“Yes.”
Price's face became still.
“How long?”
“Several months.”
“Did participants know?”
“No.”
Price closed the folder completely.
“Then the ceremony is postponed.”
Walter's jaw tightened.
“General—”
“Not canceled. Postponed.”
She looked at everyone in the room.
“Nothing else happens publicly today until I understand what was used, who knew, and whether any current process still depends on it.”
Dana glanced at Mason.
Price caught it.
“What?”
Dana said:
“Mason keeps coaching notes.”
Mason turned.
“Seriously?”
Price looked at him.
“Do they affect assignments?”
“No.”
“Can you prove that?”
“Yes.”
First confident answer all day.
“How?”
“Because I stopped sending them to anybody eighteen months ago.”
Walter looked at him.
That was new to him.
Mason continued:
“You told me to keep doing it.”
Walter's face tightened.
“I told you to maintain instructor observations.”
“And I stopped letting you read them.”
The room went quiet.
Mason looked at me.
“For once, I learned something before you came back.”
Then Walter spoke.
“Tell her the rest.”
Mason stared.
“The rest of what?”
Walter's eyes moved toward me.
“The reason Rachel ordered the roster stripped of names.”
“I told her.”
“No.”
Walter shook his head.
“You gave her the noble reason.”
My stomach tightened.
“What was the other one?”
Mason looked away.
Walter answered:
“Her name was on the ranking board too.”
I frowned.
“So?”
May you like
Walter looked directly at me.
“And one week before the salute, Rachel changed her own score.”
