VICTORIA HAYES: "Yes. First through his representatives. Then through people who claimed the delay was damaging the project. Eventually, I received a request to reconsider the evaluation because the contract had already been approved at a higher level."
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "Who sent that request?"
VICTORIA HAYES: "Colonel Ward's office."
The name seemed to settle heavily between them.
Mitchell walked to the other side of the room and made a call. He spoke in a low voice, requesting that the procurement oversight records be secured and that no documents relating to Grant Defense Solutions be removed from the archive.
When he ended the call, his expression was more serious than before.
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "Ward is not at headquarters today."
VICTORIA HAYES: "Where is he?"
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "According to his office, he is attending a private meeting with several defense contractors."
VICTORIA HAYES: "At this hour?"
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "That is what I was told."
Victoria glanced at the time. The awards ceremony had begun in the afternoon, and the confrontation had taken place only a short while earlier. A private meeting with contractors on the same day, immediately after an attempted effort to obtain security footage, was another detail that required verification.
VICTORIA HAYES: "Who is attending?"
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "I haven't been given a list."
VICTORIA HAYES: "Then we need one."
Before Mitchell could respond, the security commander's phone rang. He answered and listened, his expression changing almost immediately.
SECURITY COMMANDER: "General, the medical team has cleared Mr. Grant to speak with investigators. His attorney is requesting a formal interview before he leaves the facility."
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "Is he still claiming that Major General Hayes assaulted him?"
SECURITY COMMANDER: "Yes, sir. His attorney says Mr. Grant intends to file a formal complaint."
Victoria remained still.
VICTORIA HAYES: "Then interview him."
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "You don't have to be present."
VICTORIA HAYES: "I know. I want the interview conducted by an independent officer. I don't want him later claiming that I influenced the process."
SECURITY COMMANDER: "We can arrange that."
VICTORIA HAYES: "Make sure the questions include why he approached the stage, why he ignored repeated instructions to stop, and why he grabbed my uniform."
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "And ask him about the contract."
VICTORIA HAYES: "Yes. But don't let the interview become an argument about the commercial dispute. The physical confrontation must be documented separately from the procurement investigation."
The commander nodded and left to arrange the interview.
A few minutes later, Charles Bennett arrived.
He was the government liaison who had been seated beside Alexander Grant during the ceremony. Unlike Cole, he looked genuinely unsettled. He carried no folder and did not appear to have prepared a statement. He simply asked whether he could speak privately with Victoria.
VICTORIA HAYES: "Mr. Bennett, what can I do for you?"
CHARLES BENNETT: "I think there's something you should know about Mr. Grant."
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "Have you already given your witness statement?"
CHARLES BENNETT: "Not yet, General. I wanted to speak with Major General Hayes first because this concerns the contract, not just what happened on stage."
Victoria gestured toward an empty chair.
VICTORIA HAYES: "Please sit down."
Bennett took a moment before speaking.
CHARLES BENNETT: "For the past few weeks, Mr. Grant has been telling people that the communications equipment is ready for deployment. He has been saying the technical objections were resolved and that the final authorization was only a formality."
VICTORIA HAYES: "Who has he been telling?"
CHARLES BENNETT: "Several people involved in the procurement discussions. He also told me that the remaining objections would disappear once the final report was submitted."
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "Did he say who would make that happen?"
CHARLES BENNETT: "He mentioned Colonel Ward."
Victoria did not interrupt.
CHARLES BENNETT: "I assumed Ward had reviewed the documents and was satisfied with the results. But yesterday, I received an email from someone in Grant's company asking me to confirm that the government liaison office had no outstanding concerns about the equipment."
VICTORIA HAYES: "Did you confirm that?"
CHARLES BENNETT: "No. I told them I couldn't make that statement because I had not received the complete technical assessment."
VICTORIA HAYES: "What happened afterward?"
CHARLES BENNETT: "Grant called me personally. He said I was making the situation unnecessarily difficult. He told me that the contract had already received approval and that my office needed to stop creating obstacles."
Mitchell's expression darkened.
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "Did you report that call?"
CHARLES BENNETT: "I was preparing to. Then the ceremony happened."
VICTORIA HAYES: "Did Grant mention me during that call?"
Bennett nodded.
CHARLES BENNETT: "He said you were the last person standing in the way. He said you had turned a routine procurement decision into a personal campaign."
Victoria looked at him steadily.
VICTORIA HAYES: "Did he say what he intended to do?"
CHARLES BENNETT: "No. But he was furious. He said he was tired of waiting for you to change your position."
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "And you believe his confrontation today was connected to that?"