Chapter 5
Vale faced Reed again.
“Why was she shoved into a table?”
Reed straightened.
“Sir, she entered a restricted operators’ section with a K9. I instructed her to leave. She became confrontational.”
Claire said nothing.
She knew men like Reed loved reports.
They liked words that made violence sound professional.
Instructed.
Escalated.
Corrective action.
Reed continued.
“She’s new here, sir. She doesn’t understand how this unit operates.”
Vale’s eyes narrowed.
“New to this base. Not new to operations.”
Reed blinked.
Claire saw the first crack in his confidence.
Vale turned to the room.
“Who saw Lieutenant Reed shove her?”
No one answered at first.
Fear moved through the room like a cold draft.
Reed was not just loud.
He was connected.
He controlled assignments.
He killed recommendations.
He knew how to make careers disappear quietly.
Claire felt the old anger rise in her chest.
Not for herself.
For every young sailor watching this and learning that silence was safer than truth.
Then Titan barked once.
Sharp.
Commanding.
A young Marine near the front flinched.
Then he stood.
“I saw it, sir.”
Reed whipped toward him.
“Sit down.”
The Marine’s face went pale.
But Commander Vale spoke first.
“Stay standing.”
The Marine stayed up.
His voice shook.
“He shoved her into the table, sir. Hard.”
Another soldier stood.
“Her tray went everywhere.”
Another.
“He called her useless before you came in.”
Another.
“He said K9 support didn’t belong with operators.”
Reed’s jaw locked.
The room was changing.
Slowly at first.
May you like
Then all at once.
Read Part 6 to find out why Commander Vale brought up Operation Sand Harbor.
