I looked at the framed family photo hanging on the wall behind him.

It was taken five years ago in the Rocky Mountains.

We looked happy, a normal family enjoying the Colorado sun.

It was a lie I had worked very hard to maintain, believing that I could keep my two worlds separate.

“No,” I said.

The word was small, but it seemed to fill the entire hallway.

Daniel blinked, his brow furrowing.

“What did you say?” he asked.

“I said no, Daniel,” I repeated.

“I do not negotiate with people who threaten my command.”

“And I certainly do not negotiate with you.”

“Rachel, think about your career,” he hissed. “You’ll lose your clearance. You’ll lose your pension.”

“You still don’t understand,” I said.

“You think my rank is a shield I wear to protect myself.”

“It isn’t.”

“It is a responsibility.”

I looked past him to the frosted glass of the front door.

The grey afternoon light was fading, replaced by the long shadows of the Colorado pines outside.

“Major Harris,” I said.

“Ma’am,” Harris replied, stepping forward.