Chapter 7 - The Shielded Badge
On the wet pier below, Brandon had still not registered the shift in gravity taking place around him. He saw the Admiral descending, but assumed the senior commander was coming down to personally reprimand the trespasser on his pier.
Eager to inspect the badge himself, Brandon reached out toward the Military Police officer’s trembling hand.
“Give me that,” Brandon said, reaching for the card. “Let me see what fake name she used.”
Instantly, the MP pulled his hand back, rotating his entire body to block Brandon’s view. The young guard carefully turned the credential away from Brandon, hiding the printed rank, the classified assignment title, and the gold clearance crest from the petty officer’s sight.
“Back off, Petty Officer!” the MP barked, his voice cracking slightly with a sudden, desperate urgency that startled Brandon.
“What are you talking about?” Brandon demanded, taking a step forward. “She’s my sister! I know what her rank is—she’s an admin officer!”
“I said step back!” the MP repeated, keeping his body positioned like a shield between Brandon and the credential in his hand.
At the base of the gangway, the Admiral’s shoes hit the wet asphalt of the pier. The three senior officers followed close behind, their eyes wide as they took in the scene.
The Admiral marched directly up to the small circle of personnel. His eyes swept over the trembling MP, passed over the white patrol cap in Cassie’s hand, and landed squarely on Brandon’s fingers, which were still hovering mere inches from Cassie’s arm.
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The Admiral’s voice cut through the damp morning air like an artillery shell:
“Petty Officer... let her go.”
