Evan moved his eyes three inches to the left, his chest rising and falling hard under his pressed uniform shirt.

“Do you see the red ink stamp in the top right corner?” General Vance asked.

“Yes, General,” Evan said, his voice short and strained.

“That red stamp is my personal command seal,” General Vance said.

“It marks an unannounced, high-priority evaluation mission ordered personally by my office.

Lieutenant Colonel Miller wasn’t traveling on some routine administrative reassignment.

She was traveling under my direct authority to carry out a full readiness audit of your battalion.”

Evan’s mouth came open a little before he clamped his jaw shut, a dark red flush creeping up his neck to his ears.