He looked at the medal, then back to our mother.

A look of deep, sickening realization began to wash over his face.

The double doors at the back of the ballroom opened.

A young lieutenant junior grade entered quickly, holding a secure tablet.

He looked around the room, spotted Drummond, and walked straight toward him.

He leaned in and whispered something into the General’s ear.

Drummond’s eyebrows rose.

He looked from the lieutenant to me, then to Michael.

The lieutenant tapped the screen of the tablet and handed it to Drummond.

The blue light of the screen reflected in the General’s eyes.

Drummond looked at the screen for a long moment, his face tightening.

“Colonel Rogers,” Drummond said, his voice cutting through the ambient noise of the room.

“Lieutenant Commander Rogers.”

We both turned to face him.

“We need to step into the side office,” Drummond said.

He looked at Helen, his expression hardening.

“Now.”

Michael looked at me, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and sudden, agonizing guilt.

He swallowed hard, his collar looking too tight around his throat.