He had smiled when he gave it to me and promised to be at my promotion ceremony like a loyal brother.

He thought I had no idea about the bigger theft.

I sat perfectly still in the military legal office with my hands folded tightly on the table.

“The federal default notice is already throwing up red flags in the automated clearance system,” the military lawyer said.

He shut his thick legal pad and squared it on the wooden table.

I kept my fingers laced together.

“Your promotion to Brigadier General requires a mandatory, exhaustive financial review,” he said.