He immediately stood.
“Ma'am.”
“Sit down, Staff Sergeant.”
Turner sat.
Hayes placed a glass of water in front of him.
“You're safe here.”
Turner looked at the two security officers outside the room.
“With respect, Colonel, that's what everyone says right before something happens.”
Hayes pulled out a chair.
“I can't promise you that nothing will happen.”
Turner looked up.
“But I can promise you that no one will silence your testimony without answering to me.”
He studied her face.
“Do you know what happened to the other two men?”
“Which two?”
“The contractors. The ones on aircraft 6021.”
Hayes opened her notebook.
“Tell me their names.”
“Major Robert Ellis and Captain James Carter.”
“Were they being transferred?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Turner hesitated.
“They had evidence.”
“What kind of evidence?”
“Evidence that an operation overseas was never officially approved.”
Hayes waited.
Turner continued.
“They were ordered to escort a group of civilians out of a restricted area. But when they arrived, they discovered that the civilians were already dead.”
Hayes's expression tightened.
“Who killed them?”
“I don't know.”
“What did Ellis and Carter do?”
“They photographed everything. They recorded the coordinates. They saved the mission logs.”
“And then?”
“They reported it.”
“To whom?”
“The Inspector General.”
Hayes slowly lowered her pen.
“Were they scheduled to testify?”
Turner nodded.
“Both of them.”
“Then why were they transferred?”
Turner looked toward the door.
“Because someone wanted them gone before the hearing.”