An Unlawful Order (The Chase Anderson Series) (35 page)

“What would it serve?” he’d said over lunch one day when she asked why, though she was relieved by his decision. He was still considering an investigative expose for how the Corps dealt with homosexuality.

“You know, you might single-handedly elevate the public’s opinion of reporters to several notches above car salesmen and real estate agents,” she teased and snatched the check from his hand. “My treat today.”

“I think Melanie’s death and everything that’s happened these past few months has made me a different sort of reporter,” he said.

“Better?”

“Not sure yet,” he said. “Definitely changed.”

When the camera cut back to Joe, Chase scanned the row of faces behind him. There were the suits: the Boeing, Sikorsky, National AeroStar, Bell, and Lockheed Martin executives who had testified during the past three days about their aircraft and about their procedures for obtaining defense contracts. Behind them, were their teams of grim lawyers. There were still others to be heard, of course: the lance corporal who North had convinced to come forward with what he knew about the maintenance records in Afghanistan—about Stone’s bird, in particular— and there were the widows of 81 pilots.

Now it was Chase’s turn, and Joe led her through the explosion of camera flashes, and toward the front of the Senate Chambers. Captain Chase Anderson, dressed in a smartly fitted military uniform with rows and rows of combat ribbons, her long dark hair smoothed into an elegantly braided chignon, raised her right hand and swore that the testimony she was about to give would be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

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