Chapter 5 - The General’s Counsel
The cedar cabin safehouse remained quiet, insulated from the outside world by thick pine forests and high-grade electronic shielding. Inside the nursery nook, Ava and Sophie were beginning to establish a predictable nursing schedule, their tiny fists occasionally punching the air in miniature displays of vigor. Little Emma was winning her own battles, her breathing tube having been successfully removed two days prior in favor of nasal cannulas that delivered a steady, comforting stream of oxygen.
I stood by the window, watching the morning mist roll over the federal reservation, when General Vance stepped quietly into the room. He held a secure tablet displaying a localized tracking dossier.
"Your husband has retained counsel," Vance said, his tone flat and professional. "A high-priced civilian divorce attorney out of the city named Howard Sterling. Known for aggressive litigation and media sensationalism."
I didn't turn around immediately. I traced the condensation line on the windowpane with the tip of my finger. "Civilian courts operate on standard civil code, General. They don't have jurisdiction over executive national security directives or classified command relocations."
"Precisely," Vance replied, walking closer to hand me the digital summary. "Sterling filed a motion in civil court for an emergency visitation order, claiming you have unlawfully secreted away his children. He's attempting to frame your military deployment status as an elaborate administrative ruse to deny him parental rights."
I took the tablet, scanning the legal boilerplate with a cold, analytical eye. Sterling’s argument was textbook corporate posturing—loud, aggressive, and entirely built on the assumption that my civilian identity was my only legal footprint. He had no idea he was swinging a plastic toy sword against an armored bulkhead.
"Let him file his motions," I said calmly, handing the tablet back. "Coordinate with the Department of Justice's federal liaison. Invoke the National Security Protection Act, Section 4-B. Shield all personal identifiers, seal the medical records under executive privilege, and notify Sterling's firm that any further pursuit of active-duty military personnel under classified medical orders constitutes a federal compliance violation."
Vance’s lips curved into a sharp, approving smile. "Consider it done, Colonel. Sterling is going to wake up tomorrow morning to find his entire court docket wiped clean by a federal injunction he can't even legally read."
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"Good," I murmured, turning back toward the cribs. "And Daniel?"
"Still sitting in that empty house," Vance said quietly. "His corporate partners have started asking questions about his sudden absence from the firm. Without his primary support system—you—his personal life is unraveling just as fast as his professional one."
