Chapter 10 - The Pentagon Directive
Inside the spacious, wood-paneled commander's office, General Vance sat down behind the massive oak executive desk.
He opened his leather briefcase and pulled out a thick, red-stamped folder labeled: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE — TOP SECRET.
"Grace, four years ago you retired because you couldn't take the politics of the medical corps anymore," Vance began gently.
"You wanted to be invisible. You wanted to work as a staff nurse and forget what happened at Cinder Pass."
"And I respected that choice... until three weeks ago."
I sat down in the leather armchair across from him, crossing my arms over my blood-stained scrubs.
"What happened three weeks ago, Marcus?" I asked, sensing the heavy tension rising in the room.
"The Pentagon is launching a new joint task force called Project Aegis," Vance explained, sliding the red file across the desk.
"It's a specialized mobile surgical team designed to deploy directly into high-threat domestic and foreign crisis zones."
"We need a Chief Medical Officer who can run a trauma bay in total chaos without asking for administrative permission."
"The Secretary of Defense personally requested your recall to active duty at the rank of full Colonel."
I stared at the thick document on the desk, feeling a heavy wave of old memories rushing back into my mind.
The smell of burning jet fuel, the sound of mortar shells hitting the sand, the cries of dying nineteen-year-old soldiers.
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"I swore I was done wearing the uniform, Marcus," I whispered, my voice trembling slightly.
"I spent four years trying to bury Lieutenant Colonel Holloway."
