Chapter 15 - THE MEETING AT WEST MARCH
West March announced an emergency board meeting after news broke that detectives were examining its safety records. Charles Cole's name appeared first on the agenda, beneath the words COMMUNITY CONFIDENCE.
Rosa wasn't invited. Neither were the families of cadets who'd witnessed Iron Gate. They came anyway, carrying photographs and questions.
Dana and I stood near the back. A row of cadets lined one wall. Ryan sat at the front in a pressed uniform, looking straight ahead. Captain Heller avoided looking at anybody.
Charles rose to address the room.
“Our academy has been targeted by reckless allegations,” he said. “We will not allow outsiders with personal agendas to destroy its reputation.”
Rosa stood up. “My son is in a hospital bed.”
The chairman tried to continue.
“Look at me,” Rosa said. Her voice shook, but it didn't break. “You keep saying reputation. My son said he couldn't breathe, and your people told him to stay inside.”
A board member asked for an independent review. Charles ruled the motion out of order. Murmurs spread through the room.
Then an older woman in a dark coat stood from the last row. Rear Admiral Evelyn Maddox, retired, had been my commanding officer during the hardest years of my life. She had attended at Dana's request, not to take over the meeting, but to speak publicly about my integrity.
“Mr. Cole,” she said, “you used your platform to challenge Emma Carter's service record. I've brought a letter from the Navy confirming her service and qualifications. You may read it on the record.”
The room went silent. Ryan turned.
Maddox continued, “But whether she served one day or twenty years is not an answer to Mrs. Ortega's question.”
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Charles reached for his microphone. Before he could speak, a board member walked in carrying a sealed evidence-preservation notice.
“Gentlemen,” the man said, “the security vendor has found the missing footage.”
