Page 28 of Viral Justice

Was sheaskingto be charged with insubordination?

She appeared in complete control of her emotions. There was no shaking of her hands, her breathing appeared slow and even, and she wasn’t tense.

Was this her way of getting around his decision not to use rumor as a weapon? Start one herself? Did she think he wouldn’t figure it out?

“This venue is hardly appropriate for this discussion,” he said after a couple of moments.

“You can say whatever you want wherever you want, but it won’t change anything.” She got to her feet. “See you at fourteen hundred.”

Max managed to keep his eyes on his food and not on Stone as she walked out. He was going to spank her ass the next time he got her alone.

Chapter Seven

Alicia strode throughthe base like she owned it. She’d been called a lot of different names over the years. The cast-iron bitch, man-eater, and ballbuster were a few. This was the first time she figured she actually earned any of them.

Word of the fight between her and Max was going to spread like a Texas grassfire on a windy day. She wanted to tell her father what was going on before he had a stroke.

His office wasn’t grand, tucked in behind the chaplain’s office, with not a lot of space for more than the desk and two chairs. He said that since he was there only part of the time, he needed only part of an office.

She walked in while he was on the phone, closed the door, and sat down.

He glared at her. It was his death glare, and she knew she hadn’t walked fast enough.

He finished his call without saying anything and stared at her.

“It’s not what you think,” she told him without preamble.

Her father didn’t move for a moment, then asked, “Are you telling me you didn’t challenge Colonel Maximillian’s authority in full view of anyone who happened to be eating lunch in the food court?”

“No, sir. I did, in fact, do that.”

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t arrest you right now.”

“I am attempting to show Colonel Maximillian how effective a rumor can be in sharing specific information. He refuses to consider it a legitimate way to influence what Akbar might do or what his supporters might do.”

The general blinked, then let out a sigh. “Damn it, Ali, you’re the one thinking wrong.”

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