If I tried to file a report through standard channels, the evidence would disappear before the ink dried on the intake forms.

I needed to go higher, completely outside of North Carolina and beyond the reach of the Armed Services Committee.

I stared at the dashboard light, watching the digital clock turn to 2345.

I had nine hours before I had to report to the command building at Fort Liberty.

I put the vehicle in drive and headed toward my off-base apartment to prepare.

***

At 0745 the next morning, I parked my SUV in the gravel lot behind the Fort Liberty command building.

The morning air was thick with humidity, and the sky was a flat, heavy gray.

I adjusted my service uniform in the mirror, ensuring my collar pins were straight and my ribbons were aligned.

My reflection showed a tired woman, but my eyes were steady.

I walked through the double glass doors of the headquarters building, the scent of industrial floor wax and stale coffee familiar and cold.

The MP at the front desk glanced at my ID, his expression neutral, and pointed toward the elevators.