Chapter 10 - The Fall of Vance
The next morning, I put on my uniform and went to work.
Captain Morales was waiting.
“You ready to file?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
She handed me the official report covering fraud, identity theft, and financial misconduct involving an active-duty service member.
Vance.
I read every detail.
Every number.
Then signed.
“That’s it,” she said.
“What happens next?”
“His command is notified,” she said. “Investigation opens immediately. His security clearance will be suspended pending review.”
I thought of Vance at the barbecue, laughing as though his future were guaranteed.
Not anymore.
“Understood.”
Morales watched me.
“You’re sure you want to go this route?” she asked.
“They already chose the route,” I said.
She nodded.
“Fair enough.”
Two days later, the first crack appeared.
My hotel phone received repeated calls from an unknown number.
I ignored them.
Eventually I listened to the voicemail.
Chloe.
Crying for real now.
“Harper, you need to call me,” she said. “Something’s wrong with the cards. They’re all getting declined. I don’t know what you did, but this isn’t funny.”
Delete.
This wasn’t a negotiation.
Day three, Richard left another message.
“The insurance company called,” he said. “Our coverage is being reviewed. You need to fix this.”
He still believed something had malfunctioned.
That I would step in and repair it.
Delete.
Day four brought silence.
That meant they were trying to patch things themselves.
Good.
Day five brought the real consequence.
I was on base near the formation area when an officer approached Vance.
Command presence.
Direct movement.
No warning.
The officer said something brief.
Vance immediately stiffened.
Then he stepped out of formation and followed.
Everyone remained still.
You don’t get removed that way over something minor.
Later that afternoon, confirmation came through proper channels.
Security clearance suspended.
Effective immediately.
Investigation pending.
Fast.
But fraud connected to financial activity during a deployment moved quickly for a reason.
Day six was silent.
Then at two in the morning, my phone rang.
Blocked number.
I answered without speaking.
Chloe exploded.
“What did you do?”
No greeting.
Pure panic.
“He’s being investigated,” she screamed. “They pulled him out of formation, Harper. They’re talking about court martial. Do you understand that?”
I let her continue.
“We have no money,” she said. “The cards don’t work. The insurance is messed up. Everything is falling apart, and this is your fault.”
My fault.
Of course.
“You need to fix this,” she said. “Right now. Call whoever you called. Stop whatever you started.”
I stared at the ceiling.
“You should have stayed out of my bedroom.”
Silence.
Immediate.
Sharp.
May you like
She had nothing.
I ended the call and went back to sleep.
