They carried handcuffs on their belts, the metal clinking softly as they moved.

“General,” Andrew said, his voice carrying a forced, defensive strength.

“I was told there was an emergency regarding the transfer paperwork.”

He took a step toward the desk, ignoring me entirely.

“I assure you, whatever Colonel Parker has told you is a misunderstanding.”

The General did not rise from his chair.

He kept his hands flat on the desk blotter, right next to the silver key.

“Silence, Colonel Carter,” the General said.

His voice was quiet, but it filled the room like a physical weight.

Andrew stopped walking.

The confidence in his shoulders seemed to slip, just a fraction.

“Sir?” Andrew asked.

“You will address me only when asked a direct question,” the General said.

He looked down at the documents spread across the desk.

“I have spent the last hour reviewing the transfer records, the warehouse manifests, and the digital logs.”

He looked up, his grey eyes locking onto Andrew’s face.

“The discrepancies are not a misunderstanding.”

“They are systematic theft.”

Andrew opened his mouth to speak, but Major Vance placed a firm hand on his shoulder.