I pulled the manila folder across the desk.

The cardboard was rough against my fingertips.

I untied the faded red string and opened the cover.

Inside lay the printed record of Nathan’s career, stamped in red ink with security clearances.

At the top of the stack was his recommendation for the Navy Cross, signed by his commanding officer in Coronado.

The citation praised his bravery during a night insertion in the Persian Gulf.

According to the report, Nathan had successfully navigated an experimental fast-attack craft through a minefield to retrieve an intelligence asset.

He had received a commendation for preserving both his crew and the multi-million-dollar vessel.

I turned back to my secure monitor.

I logged into the Navy Safety Center’s database, typing in my admiral’s override credentials.

The screen flickered, loading the raw telemetry logs from that specific night.

I compared the coordinate data from the citation with the actual GPS track of the vessel.

They did not match.

The coordinates in the citation placed the craft in hostile waters, dodging defensive mines.

The actual GPS track showed the vessel had remained ten miles outside the danger zone, idling in international waters.