The General Was Declared Unstable
Chapter 06 - The General Was Declared Unstable
By evening, anonymous sources told reporters that Rebecca had confronted a civilian in the Pentagon during an emotional episode.
The story described her as recently returned from a stressful deployment and still struggling with her daughter’s death. It did not mention the memory card.
A second report claimed classified material had been discovered inside privately altered military insignia and suggested Emily may have stolen sensitive procurement records.
Malcolm appeared on television.
He praised Rebecca’s service and requested compassion for a grieving family. He said national security prevented him from addressing unverified allegations.
The performance was precise.
He made concern sound more credible than denial.
Rebecca was ordered to remain at home pending evaluation. Her military phone and computer were collected. Officers she had mentored stopped calling, uncertain whether contact could damage their careers.
Sergeant Noah Grant faced disciplinary review for notifying investigators against Malcolm’s instruction.
Rebecca called him from a personal number.
“You followed procedure.”
“It does not feel like it.”
“Procedure matters most when someone powerful calls it disloyalty.”
Noah revealed that the lobby incident recording had disappeared from the Pentagon server. He had anticipated that possibility and preserved the automatic backup generated when he logged a security complaint.
He sent the encrypted copy to Agent Ortiz.
The video showed Malcolm recognize the hinge, order Noah not to call investigators and attempt to remove Rebecca before the star could be examined.
It also captured Celeste saying, “You promised no one would know where it came from.”
The footage changed the public narrative after a federal judge authorized its use in the warrant application. Malcolm could no longer portray the confrontation as a mistaken identification.
Yet Rebecca remained suspended.
The medical evaluator assigned to her case had served on a board funded by Celeste’s charity. Rebecca requested an independent physician.
The request was denied.
She realized Malcolm was not merely defending himself.
He was preparing to remove her credibility before Emily’s recording reached a courtroom.
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Rebecca had commanded troops under fire.
Her most difficult battle began in a quiet office where every calm objection could be written down as another symptom.
