CHAPTER 1

The list of people who thought their intelligence granted them immunity from the rules of the herd was a long one. On that list Staff Sergeant Barry Martin would not be exceptional. Master Sergeant Tab Gray sat staring across her desk watching her star student tap on the arms of the chair. Martin was incredibly intelligent and as a result of that intelligence he was an exceptional analyst, and a fine soldier, but an arrogant fool.
“Sergeant Martin, we have about ten minutes before security arrives – I think you owe me an explanation.”
He leaned forward slightly and raised a hand, his fingers curled into his palm.
“Owe you? There is nothing on that disc. I just forgot it was in my pocket. I haven’t done anything wrong.”
She rolled her eyes and spent a few seconds looking at the ceiling. Easily the best in her class he now descended to just a waste of her time. She had no idea if he intended to download information or introduce a virus into the system. She didn’t know if this was his first time. There was a possible compromise of classified information and the guidelines for handling that were clear.
“I will never know why you smuggled that disc in. And you did smuggle it in. You have buttons on your BDU pockets for Christ’s sake, you didn’t absent-mindedly slip that disk in there. Now, if you’re lucky and they find nothing, you may retain enough of a security clearance for assignment to an infantry division.”
“I’m not a spy, and when that disc is examined you’ll discover I’ve been caught at nothing.”
She leaned across her desk. She didn’t raise her voice, much, and she was proud of herself for that.
“That isn’t the goddamned point and you know it! You’ve committed a grievous security violation that will alter, if not end, your career. The investigation will stop this class. You inconvenience the other students whom you apparently hold in contempt. You inconvenience me and worse, you embarrass the command.”
“I didn’t trigger the investigation, you did. You could have just admonished me and let things go. Not every mistake is a treasonous act.”
His calmness infused her with indignation. Either this was a lark or he was playing something off but that was not her decision to make. She stood and as she did so he began to rise.
“Sit down sergeant. You apparently believe this is innocuous, but it is not. I wouldn’t let my mother walk out of here with that disc. If you, somehow, emerge from this investigation unscathed, try to remember you aren’t special despite your gift. We have stringent security procedures for a reason. You may think them tedious but for now they’re the best anyone can do. They only work if meticulously applied.”
He shook his head slightly and closed his eyes.
“It’s people like you who make bureaucracies insufferable.”
Two suits walked through the door. She looked at Martin.
“And soldiers like you make them necessary.”
Military Criminal Investigators wore civilian clothes so their rank wouldn’t interfere with an investigation. They were somehow supposed to dress professionally on a limited allowance, most of which went in support of a wife and kids instead. She handed them two pieces of paper.
“Here’s my statement. I’ll be here all weekend if you need further clarification.”
The older investigator took her statement and stuck out his hand introducing himself as Robert Zeligman. He looked at his partner.
“Take him outside and wait for me.”
He read through her statement, nodding his head a couple of times.
“Very complete. Thank you. What’s your take on this guy?”
“Yesterday I would have said he was destined for a stellar career. Today I think it’s a shame that he has squandered his talent.”
“So, he’s good, but you aren’t willing to go to bat for him?”
“He’s a staff sergeant in the US Army. He’s worked in this field for twelve years. He knows the rules perfectly. He has, up until this point, supposedly executed them perfectly. This may be an aberration. Or it may not.”
“You have no feelings about him, one way or the other?”
“Do you mean do I think he’s guilty of more than a security violation? I don’t know. Whether or not intentional, he violated security procedures. Determining the damage is your job. At the very least, the command will feel compelled to make an already oppressive security regimen more so.”
He sat in the chair across from her and crossed one knee over the other resting an arm on it and studied her. She leaned on her desk.
“Listen, Zeligman, instead of this game, I’ll just tell you straight out that there isn’t a connection between Sergeant Martin and myself. You needn’t worry that your investigation will dig up any indiscretions in my conduct with students.”
He gave a single nod and smiled.
“At least you understand the concern. I don’t normally find people so uh, enamored of the system.”
“I would hardly call it that. But I don’t have any better ideas.”
“So you’ll work this one until something better comes along.”
“Only game in town. If I didn’t believe in this system, I wouldn’t be here.”
“It’s probable you’re ruining this guy’s career. You OK with that?”
She sat back down in her chair and put her copies of her statement in a file folder. It always came down to this: How determined are you to see this through?
“He ruined his career. And I’m happier with that than other possibilities. I’m busy, so if we can just cut the banter…”
He suddenly got a smile on his face and stood. She knew what was coming next and should have seen it coming earlier.
“I’m going to Smitten’s tonight. Interested in a drink, maybe dinner?”
She smiled. Well, at least there wasn’t a trashy line. Was he asking her out or just creating an opportunity to dig deeper? He was good looking but if he was intelligent he was hiding it well. She had no desire to find out.
“Believe me, if there were any temptation it would be me asking you. Now, can we get on with things? I still have incident reports to write and submit.”
He stood and stepped toward the door.
“If you change your mind...”
She held his card up cocking her head slightly to one side and slid her voice up a notch.
“I know how to find you.”
As the door closed behind him she shook her head. Had she given some indication she was interested? Besides the fact he was investigating her as well as Martin, there wasn’t one chance this side of Dante’s front door she’d go out with a guy close to her age. They were always looking to settle in with some woman and stagnate. Besides, there weren’t marriages in America. Most women were settling for an untrained slave while most men thought they were buying a cow. And none of them knew why they did it.
She began studying the class schedule trying to figure out where she could make up the time that would be lost to this investigation – and how it would affect her time table for retirement. She prayed there were no elephants in SSG Martin’s hidden rooms.