The Georgia sun beat down on the parade field, brass glinting, flags snapping, soldiers rigid in formation. And then—shock. Captain Elena Vasquez didn’t salute.
General William Morrison barked over the crowd:
“Soldier! Salute your superior officer now, or face court-martial!”
Elena’s hand stayed at her side. Sweat dripped under her collar, but she didn’t flinch. This wasn’t disrespect. This was justice.
Because the man demanding the salute wasn’t just any officer—he was the man who destroyed her father’s career.
Twelve years earlier, Captain Miguel Vasquez had been accused of negligence during a mission. A lie. Evidence had been buried, witnesses silenced, and Morrison walked away with a promotion while her father’s reputation was shredded. Five years later, broken and humiliated, Miguel Vasquez was gone.
Elena had spent her Army career readying for this moment. When Morrison stepped forward to present her with the Distinguished Service Cross for valor in Kandahar, she didn’t see medals. She saw the man who had taken everything from her family.
“This is your last chance, Captain,” Morrison snapped.
She didn’t move. She waited, then whispered a single name:
“Sergeant First Class Daniel Robards.”
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