SECURITY COMMANDER: "The account is registered to him, sir. We cannot confirm who was physically operating the workstation yet."
VICTORIA HAYES: "Where is the workstation?"
SECURITY COMMANDER: "Procurement oversight building, third floor. Office 312."
Mitchell immediately reached for his phone.
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "Contact security at that building. No one enters or leaves the office until the system evidence is preserved. I want the workstation secured, and I want an independent investigator there."
He made the call and issued instructions in a firm, controlled voice.
Victoria returned her attention to the screen.
VICTORIA HAYES: "When did the user access the file?"
SECURITY COMMANDER: "Approximately two minutes ago."
VICTORIA HAYES: "And the deletion request?"
SECURITY COMMANDER: "Thirty seconds after access."
VICTORIA HAYES: "So someone opened the original testing file and immediately attempted to destroy it."
SECURITY COMMANDER: "That is what the records show."
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "This is no longer an administrative irregularity."
VICTORIA HAYES: "No, sir. It is an active attempt to interfere with evidence."
The commander continued examining the session. He discovered that the deletion request had not been submitted manually through the ordinary file management interface. It had been generated through a command sequence associated with an archive maintenance process.
SECURITY COMMANDER: "Ma'am, there is something else."
VICTORIA HAYES: "Go ahead."
SECURITY COMMANDER: "The user did not simply request deletion of the original report. The command also attempted to remove the version history and the access records associated with the file."
Victoria's expression hardened.
VICTORIA HAYES: "They were trying to erase the history of the document, not just the document itself."
SECURITY COMMANDER: "Yes, ma'am."
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "Preserve every related record. I want the original command sequence, the failed deletion request, the account authorization, and the complete archive history."
SECURITY COMMANDER: "Understood."
Victoria looked toward Mitchell.
VICTORIA HAYES: "We need to secure the people involved before anyone has time to coordinate their stories."
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "Agreed. I'll contact the appropriate investigative authority and request that the procurement review be handled independently."
VICTORIA HAYES: "And Colonel Ward?"
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "He will be located and required to explain his involvement."
Victoria glanced at the clock. The day had begun with a ceremony intended to honor military service. Now the same event had exposed a possible attempt to conceal failures in a defense procurement program.
The confrontation with Alexander Grant had not been an isolated act of arrogance. It had brought an entire chain of questionable decisions into view.
But Victoria knew better than to assume that the person whose account appeared on the screen was necessarily the person responsible for the entire operation.
She needed the original file.
And she needed to know what it contained.
***
At the procurement oversight building, security personnel reached Colonel Ward's office within minutes.
The office door was closed. A light remained on beneath it.
SECURITY OFFICER: "Colonel Ward? This is building security. Please open the door."
There was no response.
The officer knocked again.
SECURITY OFFICER: "Colonel Ward, we need to speak with you."
A chair moved inside.
Then the door opened.
Colonel Stephen Ward stood in the doorway, wearing a dark business suit instead of his usual uniform. His expression was controlled, but his eyes immediately moved toward the two security officers standing in the corridor.
COLONEL STEPHEN WARD: "What is this about?"
SECURITY OFFICER: "Sir, we have received instructions to secure your workstation and preserve all records related to the Grant Defense Solutions procurement file."
WARD: "On whose authority?"
SECURITY OFFICER: "General Robert Mitchell."
Ward looked past them toward the corridor.
WARD: "I have a scheduled meeting. This can wait."
SECURITY OFFICER: "I'm afraid it cannot, sir."
WARD: "You cannot simply walk into my office and seize government equipment without proper authorization."
SECURITY OFFICER: "The authorization has been provided. We need you to step away from the workstation."
Ward remained in the doorway.
WARD: "I was performing routine archive maintenance. If this concerns a file deletion, it was an administrative operation."
SECURITY OFFICER: "The operation was blocked by a preservation lock."
WARD: "Then there is nothing to discuss."
SECURITY OFFICER: "Sir, please step away from the computer."
For several seconds, Ward did not move. Then he stepped aside.
Inside the office, a laptop sat open on the desk. A second monitor displayed the procurement archive interface. Several documents were visible, including the original technical evaluation reference number.
One security officer secured the workstation while another documented the office environment.
Ward stood near the window, his arms folded.
WARD: "I expect this to be resolved quickly. I have done nothing improper."
SECURITY OFFICER: "You will have an opportunity to provide a statement."
WARD: "I don't need to provide a statement. I can explain the process to anyone who understands procurement."
SECURITY OFFICER: "That may be helpful. For now, please remain here."
At the same time, an independent digital investigator began reviewing the preserved system logs remotely.
The first discovery was significant.