Grant had changed out of his jacket. His tie was loose, and a medical professional had recommended that he undergo further examination because of the impact from his fall.
His shoulder was sore, but his frustration was far greater than his physical discomfort.
MICHAEL TURNER: "The initial report is being prepared. We will state that you approached the stage to raise a legitimate concern and that Major General Hayes used unnecessary force."
ALEXANDER GRANT: "She threw me onto the floor in front of hundreds of people."
MICHAEL TURNER: "I understand. But we need to be careful about the wording. The recordings will determine what can be established."
ALEXANDER GRANT: "I don't care what the recordings show. I want this to become a public issue. She cannot walk away from this."
MICHAEL TURNER: "If the footage shows that you grabbed her first, the complaint could create problems for you."
Grant glared at him.
ALEXANDER GRANT: "Then make sure the footage never reaches anyone."
Turner lowered the tablet.
MICHAEL TURNER: "What exactly are you asking me to do?"
ALEXANDER GRANT: "You heard me."
MICHAEL TURNER: "Alexander, I am your attorney. I can represent you, challenge the evidence, and protect your legal interests. I cannot make security recordings disappear."
ALEXANDER GRANT: "I have spent millions supporting those people. They owe me more than this."
MICHAEL TURNER: "That is not how this works."
Grant stood up too quickly and winced.
ALEXANDER GRANT: "You don't understand the situation."
MICHAEL TURNER: "Then explain it to me."
Grant turned toward the door.
ALEXANDER GRANT: "I need to speak with Ward."
MICHAEL TURNER: "I would strongly advise against contacting anyone connected to the procurement review while the incident is being investigated."
ALEXANDER GRANT: "I didn't ask for advice."
He took out his phone.
He called Ward.
The call rang several times before connecting.
ALEXANDER GRANT: "Stephen, what is happening?"
WARD: "I'm currently dealing with an internal security matter."
ALEXANDER GRANT: "The archive?"
WARD: "We should not discuss this over the telephone."
ALEXANDER GRANT: "Did you get rid of the file?"
WARD: "The operation was interrupted."
Grant's face tightened.
ALEXANDER GRANT: "Interrupted? You told me everything had been handled."
WARD: "Keep your voice down."
ALEXANDER GRANT: "I have a room full of investigators outside, and you are telling me to keep my voice down?"
WARD: "You need to stop making calls."
ALEXANDER GRANT: "What about Lawson?"
There was a pause.
WARD: "I don't know where he is."
ALEXANDER GRANT: "You were supposed to make sure he kept his mouth shut."
WARD: "This conversation is over."
The call ended.
Grant stared at his phone.
His attorney had heard enough to understand that the situation was considerably more serious than a dispute over a contract.
MICHAEL TURNER: "What did you mean by that?"
ALEXANDER GRANT: "Nothing."
MICHAEL TURNER: "You asked Ward whether he had gotten rid of a file. You mentioned Lawson. I need to know what is going on."
ALEXANDER GRANT: "You represent me. You don't need to know everything."
MICHAEL TURNER: "I absolutely do if you expect me to defend you."
Grant walked toward the window.
For the first time that afternoon, he seemed uncertain.
He had believed that his influence would be enough to control the situation. He had assumed that Victoria would eventually accept the revised assessment, that Ward would keep the procurement process moving, and that Lawson would remain silent.
But the incident at the ceremony had changed everything.
The military officer he had attempted to humiliate was now at the center of an investigation that could expose every decision he had made.
***
The archive recovery team finally located the original testing file.
The document was not stored as a single report. It was part of a larger technical evidence package containing laboratory logs, field simulation records, internal correspondence, and several video recordings from equipment trials.
The file had been moved into a restricted directory but had not been completely destroyed.
The security commander displayed the recovered index on his screen.
SECURITY COMMANDER: "We've located the original evidence package."
Victoria stepped closer.
VICTORIA HAYES: "Is it intact?"
SECURITY COMMANDER: "The main directory is intact. Some individual files are showing access restrictions, but the records team believes they can recover them."
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "What does the original assessment say?"
SECURITY COMMANDER: "We have the summary page."
He opened the document.
The original evaluation had recorded repeated communication failures during simulated field operations. Several units had experienced sudden signal loss, delayed transmission, and inconsistent encryption synchronization. During one test, the equipment had failed to transmit an emergency message for more than three minutes.
The assessment had concluded that the system was not suitable for operational deployment until the failures were corrected and independently retested.
Victoria read the final paragraph.
It was exactly what she remembered.
The original evaluation had not recommended conditional approval.
It had not recommended limited deployment.
It had recommended that the equipment be rejected pending substantial corrective action.
GENERAL ROBERT MITCHELL: "This is completely different from the revised report."
VICTORIA HAYES: "Yes."