Did I personally execute the arrest?

“I did.”

Reeve set down his pen, which I understood was a technique and which worked anyway.

“General Shaw. Why?”

Kessler did not move. She had told me what the answer was. Operational necessity. Exigent timeline — the contract signing had been moved up by a bribed civilian liaison and there were fewer than sixteen hours.

Unique subject-matter knowledge of a classified architecture. My presence prevented a signing that would have complicated forfeiture. Every word defensible, every word true.